Ruckman Wedding | Married at Fairview Farm Events
Michael and Kaitlin were the perfect combination of chill and no chill. When I said to relax into the moment, they snuggled right in, and when I asked them to just go wild, they put their party hats on. That’s the kind of trust I love and appreciate from my couples. Their genuine love for each other was captivating to document, which made my camera both happy and exhausted by the end of the night.
On a personal level, my favorite moments of the day were shared between Kaitlin and her mom. Each time I would catch them sharing a special moment or even a special look, I felt oddly reminded of the connection I share with my own daughter. Watching Kaitlin and her mom walk hand-in-hand down the aisle made my heart just explode and honestly still brings tears to my eyes as I type this. Their bond is unbreakable and serves as a true inspiration to all of us hard-working mamas who would give our daughters the world.
Follow along as I share the rest of my memories and favorite photos from their big day!
Flowers Make Scents brought these photos to liiiiiife with these gorgeous blooms. Deep reds contrasted with light pink and speckled with pops of greenery gave me all the vintage vibes. In my book, this was the PERFECT fall bouquet. At Flowers Make Scents, located in Midlothian Virginia, their professional and courteous staff is committed to creating beautiful flower arrangements and floral gifts to fit any occasion. As a trusted local florist, she offers flower delivery throughout Midlothian, VA, and surrounding areas, as well as nationwide delivery through her network of reliable florists. Flowers Make Scents also offers convenient, same-day floral delivery for all of your last-minute gift needs! If you need flowers- they’re your people!
I MUST give a huge shout-out to Katy’s incredible wedding coordinator, Amber, owner of AT Your Service Weddings. Over the years, I’ve worked with Amber a lot. She is quick on her feet, always 15 minutes early, and literally NEVER FREAKING SWEATS. Funny, but so true; this woman is 100% calm, 100% of the time.
AT Your Service weddings will take the wedding preparations off your plate, but never out of your control. They want you to be able to enjoy the experience of preparing to be married, and not think of it as a stressful one!
It starts with a personal consultation where she gets to know you as a couple- your unique style, your stories. Then she combines meticulous planning and organization with impeccable attention to detail to plan the wedding of your dreams. This leaves you free to relax and enjoy the most important day of your life! Contact her today and she will make all of your wedding dreams a reality!
Here’s the down-low on this breathtaking venue, Fairview Farm Events:
This venue has everything you need to ensure that the weather won’t interfere with your ceremony– they literally have plan C’s for their plan B’s. Experience a unique and all-inclusive rustic chic destination wedding and event venue at Fairview Farm Events in central Virginia. This family-owned 115-acre beautiful Powhatan farm estate features multiple barns for weddings and accommodations. Their close attention to detail makes for a relaxing event so that you can focus on your important occasion. Owners, Debbie & Blanton work tirelessly to ensure that each event is completely perfect from start to finish. Fun fact- I’ve been a preferred vendor at Fairview Farm for years, and even still, it goes without saying that the day will go seamlessly when their team is on your side. 10/10 recommend this charming venue 10x over!
A little rain on your wedding day is simply a sign of good luck. Cliche concept? Maybe. But I have a NEW theory on why that is. This is an unspoken secret between us photographers, so gather round close, kids. When it’s overcast and cloudy outside, the world turns into a huge, glorious white box. Suddenly, we aren’t slaves to the sun anymore and the entire venue before us is free-range. Do you want photos next to that tree? SURE! Photos by that pond? YUP!! Photos running through that wide-open field? GO FOR IT!!! It’s a freaking photographer’s playground out there, and guests will look at me, wondering how I’ll ever produce beautiful images in these conditions. HA! Bet.
My point is, what’s lucky about a little rain on your wedding day has nothing to do with superstition and everything to do with location flexibility. When it’s overcast outside, RELAX, realize you’ve struck photography gold, and let me handle the rest. (Thank you to Katy & Michael for trusting my vision)
A quick Exit Interview with the Bride:
Tell us about your experience with Ashley Dorton Photography leading up to your wedding day! Ashley was on the list of suggested vendors provided to us by our venue. We looked at her photos and fell in love with her style of photography. Ashley was nice enough to meet with us over zoom so we could get to know her better. She was so sweet and hardworking, we knew she would be the right photographer for us! We also loved that she offered a complimentary shoot before the wedding for us to get to know her even better. Ashley was also super organized and provided us with a photo timeline.
Tell us about your experience with Ashley Dorton Photography on your wedding day!
She arrived early and started right away on the detail photos while the bridal party finished up with hair and make-up. She was so accommodating and we were able to get a lot of shots done before the ceremony. Since Ashley had asked us for a photo list prior to the wedding day, we got all the shots we wanted and were able to get them done in a pretty quick amount of time considering how big the groom’s family is. Overall the photo session went really smoothly. She was direct when necessary and got all of the shots we wanted.
Tell us about your experience with Ashley Dorton Photography after your wedding day!
Ashley has been giving us teasers of the photos on Instagram and we’ve loved all of them. We are so excited to see them all but love that she gives us sneak peeks in the meantime!
Favorite memory or favorite highlight of your experience with Ashley Dorton Photography?
The highlight for us was after the family shots when we did the photos of just the two of us. Seeing the attention to detail that she uses to get the best shot was amazing.
Advice for future brides considering booking their wedding with Ashley Dorton Photography?
Do it! She and the second shooter (Chloe Elaine) were amazing. Ashley is so organized and her attitude was great. She (and Chloe) vibed well with the wedding party and the pictures have been amazing.
To Kaitlin and Michael,
Thank you for trusting me with the pleasure of documenting your day. Your friends and families were so lovely to get to know, and they all have one thing in common: they think the absolute world of you both. After having the honor of working with you, I can truly see why. I hope to follow you along in your journey and document many more breathtaking moments for you in the future.
And finally, a huge ‘thank you’ to all of the amazing vendors below, who played a special part in making this wedding such a success! You all made this a really fun and successful event, and I can’t wait to work with you again.
Here’s to LOVE and a little bit of LUCK!
Xo,
Ashley
Wedding Venue: Fairview Farm Events https://www.instagram.com/fairviewfarmevents/
Coordinator: AT Your Service Weddings https://www.instagram.com/at_your_service_weddings/
Florist: Flowers Make Scents https://www.instagram.com/flowersmakescents/
Glam: Kourtney Morgan https://www.instagram.com/kourtmorgan_stylist/
Catering: Goodrich Gourmet https://www.instagram.com/goodrichgourmet/
Bakery: Incredible Edibles Bakery https://www.instagram.com/incredibleediblesbakery/
Photography: Ashley Dorton Photography https://ashleydortonphotography.com/
Assistant to the Photographer: Chloe Elaine Photography https://www.instagram.com/chloe.elaine.photography/
Blog Written By: Aligned Artists https://www.instagram.com/alignedartists/
leave a comment