Chapel of The Holy Dove // Flagstaff, AZ Wedding // Alex & Athena
Working with couples that I have the chance to meet multiple times gets that much better with each new experience. Lucky for me, Athena and Alex’s wedding was the third time I met them. I had the opportunity to work on an engagement session, this allowed me to really get to know them before their big day.
They got married at the cutest little venue. Chapel of the Holy Dove is a tiny chapel off the 180 beyond the road up to Snow Bowl. It is big enough to hold very close family and friends. The only problem with this venue is that the parking lot is so close that cars are easily in the background of some images. Other than that, it is the perfect venue for a small intimate wedding. It is a venue I had been wanting to shoot at and finally got the opportunity.
As soon as I arrived I could see how much the family in attendance loved the brides. When they arrived at the venue they were inundated with hugs and praise. Of course, there was every good reason… Athena and Alex looked absolutely gorgeous and there was love in abundance!!
Shooting weddings for 2 hours is nice because it gives me a chance to capture the most special parts of the day: the ceremony, family, and the couple themselves. I love every part of a wedding day, but these are definitely the most sentimental moments.
The chapel is small enough that once I was at the front to capture them walking down the aisle, it proved difficult to move around for better angles. Luckily, my position gave me the perfect view of the brides and had the most perfect lighting on their faces.
After the ceremony, we went outside for family photos. It was difficult to tear them away from their loving guests. We moved to the shade where I captured family photos and loving aunts snapped photos on their cell phones. Athena and Alex’s son, Ryker, ran about; we managed to get him in a few photos, but mostly he just wanted to play, as any 3 year old would.
After we were done with family photos, it took a minute to get Athena and Alex alone for their bridal photos. Everyone wanted to stay with the lovely ladies. When I finally did, it was worth the wait; they were stunning and in love, something that always makes for great photos.
It was a short photo shoot, but was full of many lovely moments. Athena and Alex are such a sweet couple. They invited me to attend the reception as a guest, an offer I sadly had to decline. I am so glad that I got to be their wedding photographer and I hope to work with this special family again in the future.
