What a way to end my 2019 wedding season!! Brittany and Eric’s Fairytale Disney Wedding at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is one I will never forget for my entire career!! Their wedding was definitely written out of a princess movie! Brittany and Eric love Disney (or at least, Brittany is obsessed and Eric loves it by default 😉 ) and ever since she was a little girl, Brittany has always wanted to have her wedding day there. Her dream not only came true to be married in such a magical place, but she also got to marry her Prince! It was such a beautiful and amazing day and I am truly HONORED these two flew me down to Florida to capture it all!
We started the day at Grand Floridian Villas which was absolutely amazing. Me and my amazing second shooter Sara stayed at another hotel a few minutes away, so we got up early to head to the Grand Floridian because I was so scared of getting lost!!
I started the day, as usual, photographing Brittany’s amazing bridal details. Every single part of this wedding day was thought out and on theme. From the styling dish, to her dress, to her flowers, rings, shoes, and tiara, everything was fit for a princess and when I saw Brittany’s dress on the hanger, I knew she was going to look better than any Disney princess ever has.
I think of all her amazing details, my favorite part was the invitation suite – they were hand painted by Hand Painted Weddings with Cinderella’s castle and truly works of art. I had so much fun styling them with all of Brittany’s thought out details! When I was done photographing all of these, we got to take some photos of the girls in their robes before Brittany got dresses. These were just too cute!
And then it was time for the most anticipated moment of the morning– Brittany stepping into her dress. Brittany’s dress was covered in detail and beautiful beading from head to toe – it was mesmerizing and I was absolutely OBSESSED with the longsleeve look. Brittany is my second bride who wore long sleeves and I’ve been absolutely swooning over both. Brittany mom, grandmother, and sister, all helped her into her dress and I know a few tender moments were shared as this unfolded.
Alas, it was time for my favorite part of the day (disclaimer I think every part of the day is my favorite but this shares something special in my heart) it was time for their first look! Eric’s reaction was priceless and he made Brittany feel sooo beautiful, which she is! First looks are just such a special moment between the bride and the groom. It might be the only point throughout the day where it’s just the two of them, and they get to get lost in each other for just a moment. After they shared hugs, twirls, and a few kisses, we got to take bride and groom portraits, family formals, and wedding party pictures in the garden area of the Grand Floridian. And let me tell you – the light was AMAZING. Even though we were on a super tight time crunch, we managed to get every picture we wanted in multiple locations!!
After portraits wrapped up (which we were literally taking down to the very last second we had on the timeline) it was time for Brittany’s grand Cinderella entrance to the wedding ceremony. She got picked up at the front steps by a horse and carriage and footmen with her parents, as we all SPRINTED to get ahead of the carriage and get shots of the horses entering the ceremony area. This was such an amazing experience seeing basically the Cinderella movie come to life in front of my eyes. I can’t imagine how amazing Brittany felt as she entered in her carriage!
And of course, when the carriage pulled up to the Wedding Pavilion, it was time for the ceremony!! AHHH they were finally going to be husband and wife!! The ceremony was held at The Wedding Pavilion at Grand Floridian. All the stained glass windows were covered in Disney elements and the back window, which was directly behind the altar, had a view of Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom. It was absolutely amazing and I completely get why this is the most desired wedding ceremony location Disney offers! There were flowers lining the aisle, and Brittany and Eric had someone come and paint a photo while they were saying their vows. How cool and unique?! They were finally husband and wife and were greeted by family and friends during their grand exit across the bridge and it was truly a celebration filled with so much love!
Immediately follow the ceremony, we took a few portraits outside the pavilion during a golden glow of sunshine, and then Brittany and Eric, us, and all the guests headed over to the Disney Boardwalk where their reception was being held!! We took portraits on the boardwalk and I’d have to say, these were some of my favorites! There was so much color, and despite being a little crowded, the pictures were amazing and Brittany got complimented approximately 100 times. The sun was the most beautiful golden glow and everything was pure, true, Disney magic.
After we wrapped up the portraits on the boardwalk it was time to go to the reception hall where Brittany and Eric joined the last few minutes of their cocktail hour. While they were with their guests, we set up all the lighting and photographed the reception details in the ballroom. I think the coolest part was the lighting stencil on the wall of Cinderella’s Castle!
Shortly after we finished photographing the room, the guests all came in to be seated and the reception kicked off with entrances, and the special dances, including Brittany and Eric’s beautiful first dance. The night was full of love, beautiful toasts, dancing with loved ones, and some straight up princess magic. After dinner and dancing were over, it was time for the end of the night celebrations which had to be quite possibly the best part of the whole day.
EVERYONE got on a bus and went over to Epcot through the back gate where we went through security and then got herded into a magical set up of cake and dessert in ITALY. (Epcot’s Italy that is!) Everyone enjoyed cookies, churros, cake and good conversation while we anticipated the end of the night’s events – the fireworks over the lake.
And this? This was truly magical. Sara and I, and the videographers, all stood on the bridge and captured Brittany and Eric during the entire fireworks show and I can’t think of a more magical way to end a Disney wedding. These were some of the most fun photos of the whole day and I am SO OBSESSED!! When the show was done, Brittany and Eric joined the guests back in the dessert area and we went off to give our sore feet some rest.
It was truly a night and wedding celebration I’ll never forget!!
Brittany and Eric, it was truly an absolute honor getting to work with you both from your engagement photos in Central Park, to your Rehearsal Dinner, to your magical Fairytale Wedding in Disney to the day after session at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I am so glad you found your princess and your prince charming in each other and I hope that every year together gets more magical than the last. You guys are amazing and I love you both!! Cheers to the most magical celebration of the year!!!
They had fireworks for their night portraits and oh my god they might be my favorite ever!
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