Wholehearted Love : Country Club of the South Wedding Photography

How much do we love Christella and Ryan’s wedding? Let us count the ways.

We looove this wedding to the depth and breadth and height our souls can reach.

First, the two them are gorgeously in love. You might think: “blah blah you say this on every wedding”… but this is ESPECIALLY true in Christella and Ryan’s case. They are giddily, wholeheartedly, SERIOUSLY in love! During our couple shoots, we typically would prompt our grooms to whisper something (sweet/naughty – his call!) to get some laughter. But Ryan was constantly whispering/tickling/wooing Christella… UNPROMPTED. And her face lit up with JOY. So. Much. Joy. Yep, we can say with 100% certainty that these two are CRAZY about each other ♥️

Second, their gift exchange moment was one for the books – pun intended. They both gave each other the SAME exact thing! You know what they say – Great Soulmates think Alike.

Third, our Bride grew up in the wedding industry – with her parents arranging flowers for countless weddings and her brother who is a talented wedding photographer – so perhaps that contributed to her amazing taste which was manifested in many of her choices in the wedding. One of them was her bouquet – which featured the glorious King Protea , a unique Unicorn-like flower native to South Africa. It was one of the most beautiful bouquets we’ve ever seen (shoutout to her florist Adaptation Floral Design). Her ceremony decoration was also very elegant and arranged with love by her mom.

Fourth, a co-ed bridal party. We LOVE how Christella fiercely broke free from the traditional “bridesmaids + groomsmen” line-up and mixed it up with some bridesMEN and groomsMAIDS. Just from our brief interaction with this group, we could tell how supportive and loving they are. And we’re positive that much of the GLOW on her face was a direct result of being surrounded by ALL her favorite and true friends on the biggest day of her life.

Last but NOT least, we ADORE how Christella and Ryan paid homage to Christella’s late dad. She tied his gold wedding ring onto her bracelet, so it (and, symbolically, HE) was with her every single step of the way – from preparation, first look, family photos, first dance, and even the dance parties at the end of the night :) We could feel his presence that day… and how much he meant to her. His photos and mementos were everywhere that day, but our favorite homage has to be what took place during the “father-daughter” dance slot. Christella got to dance with ALL of her father’s most trusted men – which included his brother, best friend, two sons (the Bride’s brothers), the Father of the Groom… and finally, the Groom himself. It honestly felt like the formal passing of a baton – from a loving father who wants to ensure his only daughter continues to be surrounded by love. What a perfect way to remember and feel his love for her.

Christella and Ryan – we could NOT be more grateful for the honor of preserving your story for the generations to come. Your love story is truly one for the books. May the Lord bless your journey always ♥️

Photography: Enmuse Photography
Venue + Catering: Rafael Mendoza for Country Club of the South
Day Coordinator: Soiree South
Ceremony Musician: Etude Entertainment
DJ: Ric Spice of Ampd DJ
Hotel: Avalon
Flowers: Adaptation Floral Design
Hair + Makeup: Brushworx
Cake: Sweet Events JC 
Photobooth: Far Out Galaxy