I first met Courtney and Justin at Courtney's father's wedding in the North Georgia mountains that I was photographing back in December of 2019. While I was there I snapped a few photos of the two of them and they mentioned they were getting in June in Spartanburg, SC. I gave them my card and low and behold they hired me as well. I always love being able to follow families from one event to another. It offers everyone a nice level of comfort. Little did we know that Courtney and Justin would be faced with a worldwide pandemic when it was time for their wedding to take place. Like many couples they improvised and had me only attend for two hours and had far less guests. While it seems like shooting a wedding for two hours would be a nice break from the full 8 or more I usually work, it turns out to be the most jam packed two hours a photographer could ever imagine. You want to be sure and get as much of their wedding, details and story into 2 hours as you can and that is no easy job. Courtney's venue was breathtaking. It was my first event at Duncan Estates in Spartanburg, SC and I hope it is not my last. The interior and exterior are a photographer's dream. Much like Courtney's dramatic strapless ballgown that photographed like a dream. She looked like royalty in her portraits , which was fitting because she chose purple as her colors which is the color of royalty. Her flowers were some of the most beautiful I have ever seen and her details were perfect for a hot mid summers day. You would never know how hot we all were, except for the fanning we manage to incorporate in a lovely way with the photos. They really managed to pack in their personalities into their photos in a short period of time. I am so grateful they trusted me to tell their story fully in such a special way. We all have to learn our new normal with weddings and COVID19. We have to learn to roll with the punches and do the best with what we can and that's a lesson we could all use. At the end of the day we get to witness the union of two people starting a life together and that's all that truly matters.