acacia tree

Lorie + Jon : Three Years!

July 4, 2013 by Jensey 1 Comment

Three years ago today, our best friends exchanged vows under a magical acacia tree in Tanzania, Africa. We still haven’t gotten around to editing all of our trip photos- How sad is that?! Until I eventually do a week long blog dedication to our African adventure, you can relive Lorie and Jon’s love story through the blog links below. :) Happy anniversary, kiddos!!

Lorie + Jonathan : Wedding II

December 17, 2010 by Jensey 14 Comments

(Continued from Part 1!)

As soon as the ceremony was over, we kidnapped (bridenapped & groomnapped?) the newlyweds for some photo time. :)

Yes, in Africa, single women are actually called “spinsters.” No… Seriously!

We didn’t have the original hour for photos like we’d hoped, but we did what we could in the 10 minutes given!

Lorie’s laugh is my favorite. :)

About a month before the wedding, Lorie lived every bride’s nightmare- She had to find a “Plan B” wedding dress. Since bridal shops couldn’t order a dress in time, we hit the mall searching for the perfect one- Thanks to BCBG, I think Lorie found the ultimate wedding dress that fits her personality- Much more so than the first. Things worked out perfectly in the end! :)

Nate’s family is my family-in-law, and Lorie’s family is my family-in-love! I adore these guys- They’re truly my 2nd parents, and I’m so lucky to have them in my life!

I’m so sad Nate isn’t in this one! Our guides, Asterick and Herbie, toasting Jon. :)

Yep. This was one of my favorite things about the wedding- Lorie requested African drummers to be at the wedding to drum while she walked down the aisle. What’d she end up getting? An African mariachi band! I think some things just get lost in translation…

In case you forgot, Lorie and Jon met while driving safari trucks at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Walt Disney World. :)

Lorie, you need a 30×40″ canvas of this above your bed. Or fireplace. Just sayin’.

In Lorie’s wedding vows to Jon, “I promise to be your fellow safari driver through life and after.”

Instead of a reception, we all just went back to their suite and had dinner and some cake. :) And instead of a traditional cake topper, Lorie and Jon opted to put figurines of their favorite animals on top- Lorie’s being the giraffe, Jon’s the wildebeest. :)

Lorie, Jon, Mamma Phu, and Barry, we love you to the moon and back. Let’s do it again! :)

Up Next : Lorie and Jon’s Tennessee Reception

Lorie + Jonathan : Wedding

December 16, 2010 by Jensey 34 Comments

Remember that time Nathan and I went to Africa? Well, I’m still not ready to share our travel photos with you guys, but hopefully these will tide you over! The whole reason for us going there in the first place was to see our best friends get married! Make sure you read about Lorie and Jon’s love story in the previous post. :)

Just like I was the main photographer for Nick and Jessie’s wedding, Nate took over Lorie’s wedding so I could sit back and enjoy the day. And by “enjoy the day,” I mean rush around like a crazy person because everything ran so late! Yes, 2+ years of planning this thing and only 6 guests in attendance, but true to most weddings, things ran late. Except, unlike most weddings, it ran late because the bride, groom, and their guests took part in a morning game drive. In Africa. You know… Just another wedding! ;)

Lorie knew she wanted a bouquet for her wedding day, which was hard, seeing as she was getting married out of the country. Luckily, I found Fantasy Floral Designs, a woman who makes these gorgeous bouquets out of broaches. It was perfect because that way Lorie could carry her bouquet on the plane with her and even take it home afterward- Talk about the ultimate wedding keepsake! Lorie’s Mom hunted for months to find the perfect broaches; Some came from her grandmother, some from her Mom, and there was even a four leaf clover one in there for ME! (My birthday is St. Patrick’s Day!)

Not gonna lie… I think this was my favorite from the day. :)

Jon is the ultimate soccer fan- In fact, they chose their wedding date years ago so they could honeymoon at the World Cup final. :)

*Swoooooon!*

Lorie reading a card from Jon. :)

This was their ceremony location- The amazing thing about it is that they’re the first ones to have ever gotten married here! The resort even ‘mowed’ the grass just for us. (And they don’t have lawn mowers there. Just sayin’…)

Who needs a limo on your wedding day when you can have a real safari truck?!

I’m calling out Lorie’s Dad here- He may look cool and calm behind those big sunglasses, but there were some major tears going on there. :)

All of the couples- Lorie’s parents, Jon’s parents, and then Nate and I, took turns taking them off to the side and giving our blessing and saying a little something about them. It was really sweet and personal. :)