Whitney & Frank’s Wedding!

Once upon a time, a beautiful girl named Whitney vacationed with her family in the tropical paradise known as Hawaii. While there, she met a charming and handsome young Navy man stationed at Pearl Harbor. It was as close to love at first sight as it comes. By the end of their first date, Frankie knew Whitney was the one for him and called home to tell his family about her; it only took a few more weeks for her to realize it, too. The following semester, Whitney transferred to the University of Hawaii, and within just a few months, Whitney and Frankie were engaged. On the two year anniversary of their first date, they married… and we were privileged to be part of a very joyful chapter of their story: their wedding day…

Whitney was calm, cool, and collected — and full of laughter.

Michelle did a fantastic job on Whitney’s make-up, but of course she had a really great canvas to start with! (And yes, there’s a baby in that belly!) Frankie is a Deep Sea Diver in the Navy: tough, masculine — and passionately in love with Whitney.
Whitney and Frankie wrote their own vows, which I love! (Ken and I did that, too, and we highly recommend it! We even have ours framed on our bedroom wall as a reminder of our promises to each other.) Frankie copied his down from where he’d written them on the computer, and then went over them with his best man… and again as he paced up and down the sidewalk, nervous that he might not remember them when the moment came.
The guys headed to the ceremony/reception site, a gorgeous place called The Pavilion at Crystal Lake. Although the couple lives in Hawaii, they are both originally from the New England area, and most of their extended family live in Connecticut, New Jersey, and the surrounding area, so it made more sense to have their wedding in Connecticut. (Note the flowers in the girls’ hair, and their bouquets; Whitney’s nod to Hawaii without being too cliché.)

Whitney put on the finishing touches as we waited for the limo to return for her and the girls. Her mom got a little emotional seeing her little girl all dressed and ready for her wedding. (I love moments like this!)We get so excited about the weddings we photograph, and we love “our” couples. I’m always telling friends about sweet details in weddings, and recently one friend asked, “How do you not get emotional? I’m teary-eyed just at you telling me about it!” Well, we do often get emotional right along with the couple! Like the beautiful moments when Frankie and Whitney — and most of the attendants and family and friends — were crying happy tears as they recited their vows to each other…Frank’s vows began,

“From the moment I met you, it was only a matter of time until we shared this moment…”

Whitney’s included these words:

“I have loved you from the minute I met you, and I will continue to love you until the day I die…”
A few moments with the newly minted Mr and Mrs…
And then — time to celebrate! The grand entrance and first dance:A toast by the best man:A whole lot of fun dancing, and one more slow dance before the end of the evening:

… and away they go!

Want more of Whitney and Frankie’s fabulous day? Then take a few moments to watch their slideshow: