Marin Elizabeth Fiske-Rankin is one of my very best friends. Today is her birthday and as I have been meaning to do it anyway, today seemed the perfect day to blog about her beautiful Kentucky wedding… which incidentally was the first digital wedding I shot when I got back into photography. I used to shoot weddings with film back in the day… but Marin and I connected at the Meadows Museum when I was on staff there and it is largely because of her and this wedding that I am doing what I am doing today. For this and for her I will always be thankful. Now keep in mind friends that when I shot this wedding I had a vastly inferior camera and not a stitch of the equipment I have today… I will not even go into it because it makes me cringe to think about it… but alas, Marin’s creativity and the beauty of Kentucky and all those involved in this celebration of love make these images priceless. There are so many wonderful details about this wedding that need mentioning. The fact that her mom grew all the beautiful flowers, that the honey that filled the sweet little jars that were given as favors was made also by her mom, the cupcake flags were made by Marin herself, the yellow checked tablecloths were picked out with care by Marin as was her lovely vintage inspired headpiece from Etsy and her bridesmaid dresses from Anthropologie. The cake and cupcakes were made by a family friend, the wedding was held on the property of a friend, the barbecue that was served was from a favorite restaurant of Marin and Ben’s… I could go on and on. Oh, and I can’t forget the oh-so-cute brand on her boots with the wedding date inside a heart. I’ll let the images do the rest of my talking.
And let me just say a few things about Marin… she is an event planner by profession… and a damn good one. This is evident in the amazing details of this wedding… many of which, if not all, her hands were on. She has a chicken coop filled with chickens in her back yard, as well as a newly designed and built Tipi (blog post coming soon). She also has a boxed garden, which is a good thing as she is an amazing cook. She is very close with her family, she has amazing style, she loves boots and Anthropologie, she is a blogger, she throws fabulous dinner parties, she always remembers and commemorates the birthdays of friends and loved ones with such thoughtful gifts, and she loves Kentucky. That merely scratches the surface, but suffice it to say that she is a one of a kind girl and nowhere else would do for her wedding but Kentucky, the place where she grew up and where she and Ben met! Marin and Ben did a “first look”and saw each other for the first time before the ceremony… the photos were important to them and the moment couldn’t have been more special had it been at the traditional time… coming down the aisle. There is an old historic home near her parents place… on the farm… just the sort of beautiful horse farm you would expect in Kentucky. That is where they had their moment… and just look at Ben’s face when he first saw Marin, and the adorable way he took in every detail of his beautiful bride and carefully touches the hem of her dress.
These two were so joyful on this day and I don’t think I have ever seen Marin so happy…
The ceremony was emotional for everyone involved… but notice Marin’s face as she stands with her grandfather before the wedding, and as she was heading down the aisle after the ceremony had concluded…
After the ceremony everyone grabbed a plate of delicious barbecue and settled down on the beautiful green lawn to listen to the toasts and enjoy each other’s company. Marin’s face when she was listening to her loved ones talk is so expressive I just love it! The feeling at this wedding was indescribable and it will always be one of my favorites. The way the couple danced at the end of the night was one of the most romantic things I’ve ever seen, and that memory will stay with me.
Marin and Ben you will never know how much shooting your wedding has impacted my life… love you both!
