Wedding at Maceli’s in Lawrence, KS
There’s something so incredibly special about high school sweethearts. The kind of love that blossoms in the hallways (literally) and grows, matures, and evolves just as the individuals do. That’s the love story of Rosemary and Brian, one that began in high school and continued to a beautiful wedding day in Lawrence, Kansas.
Their day started separately but connected through shared anticipation. Brian prepped with his buddies at Maceli’s, a local favorite venue, which later doubled as their reception venue. Across town, Rosemary and her closest friends and family were in full swing with the hair and makeup team at Brian’s parents’ house. I (Michelle) was with the gals the whole time, while Evan was with the guys – to make sure we capture as many of these moments as possible!
And then it was time for the first look. Spoiler alert: it was moment for the books; not just for them, but for us as photographers too. Truly one of the sweetest first looks we’ve ever been a part of! Nestled in the stunning Prairie Park Nature Center, the happy tears came, first Brian’s, then Rosemary’s, in a heart-achingly beautiful display of raw emotion as Brian turned around to see Rosemary standing in a gorgeous white gown. As photographers, we deeply respect these intimate moments, so we gave them space, capturing this beautiful moment from a distance with a telephoto lens.
Post the moving first look, the day segued into family photos, complete with lots of jokes and laughter in between photos. One of the highlights of our role as photographers was our multilingual skills. While not all the family members spoke English, thankfully I am fluent in Indonesian and Evan is fluent in Spanish, so we were able to facilitate communication that helped make this time not only more enjoyable, but allowed us to foster a stronger connection with everyone who was there. Oh the stories they told!
Rosemary and Brian then transitioned into traditional Chinese attire – Rosemary in an elegant Cheongsam, and Brian in a matching outfit. Their Chinese tea ceremony was an ode to her cultural heritage, a moment where they served tea to the older family members and received their blessings in return.
And then it was cocktail hour! It hit the sweet spot, literally, with a massive spread of cookies. The American-style ceremony that followed saw Rosemary back in her white gown and Brian in his suit. Our favorite part? Their vows. It wasn’t just the exchanging of vows; everyone in the room could feel how marked it was with years of friendship and love – they were truly bff’s!
The venue flip for the reception was magic. The dance floor pulsated with music from all corners of the globe – the energy was electric! We snuck away for more photos outside, and although the weather pulled a fast one on us, we rolled with it. Rain on a wedding day? No problem! Even when the Kansas sky started drizzling, we made the most of it and got memorable photos (and good stories to tell) in the end.
The events that followed was a multicultural swirl of everything fun, with lots of dancing, eating, posing, and oh so many different people speaking different languages, all gathered in the same place to support this gorgeous couple on their most important day so far!
Ending the night on a high, the couple had a sparklers exit. And one final picture of everyone, exhausted but oh-so-happy, outside the venue, summed up this extraordinary day.
Being part of Rosemary and Brian’s day was one of our favorite experiences as wedding photographers. Their wedding studded with respect for each other, for family, and for different cultures – a celebration we feel incredibly lucky to have captured.
So to Rosemary and Brian, here’s to a lifetime of growing and evolving together, just like your love has since high school! *cue the aw*
