Art Museum Wedding | Sarah + Clay

In Wedding

A small sweet smile. As the door opened into the historic Read House suite that Sarah was getting ready in I quietly moved forward into the hustle and bustle. The usual nervous wedding jitters were there thankfully, floating around the room and adding to the excitement. But something was missing that I had anticipated…the worry. You see guys, no matter what you hear, every. single. wedding. day has a hiccup. There will always be a tux too short or too long, a pin forgotten, rain during an outdoor ceremony, socks missing, or a wedding gown locked in a car with the keys inside. Bringing calm in the midst of the panic will always be our goal and working with fellow wedding pros who understand the importance of this is the sweetest part of our job (shoutout to those pros below! Holla!).

So when we woke up that morning to the news that the city of Chattanooga had undergone a most unusual blip and lost access to water due to a water main break downtown Beau and I were floored. This was a crazy new scenario for an entire city! Schools, restaurants, businesses and government facilities were closed. The city was in a holding pattern for nearly 2 days and we were so worried that Sarah and Clay would be panicked about their art museum wedding being delayed. The only thing we could do was buy cases of water (the last 3 to be found lol!) for the bridal party, load up our gear, and say our usual prayer over the day.

So you better believe I was holding my breath when I knocked on the door. But instead of worry or panic or frustration we were met with a small sweet smile on the lips of Sarah. There was contentment in her eyes. She knew that this was their day, meant for them alone. The goal was to marry her best friend and nothing else mattered. I watched her from behind my lens as she prepared to meet Clay and knew that I will forever admire and respect them both. They were going to have an awesome wedding day, but you could tell it was their marriage they were most excited about. That small sweet smile said it all.

Facilities were provided seamlessly by the Hunter Museum, the caterers were prepared and moved forward with the food, the florist created a perfect circular altar for them to say their vows, their planner expertly organized the day. I normally don’t mention the hiccups of a wedding day to be honest. I cringe at the thought of bringing a possible negative memory to mind. But in this instance Sarah and Clay’s wedding day wasn’t defined by a mishap– it was made even more breathtaking, in fact, by the way they gracefully sidestepped the stress and panic and embraced each moment with gratitude. There was genuine emotion and love and it was awe-inspiring. So cheers to you both, Clay and Sarah, and I am so excited to see what the future holds. XO!