A Corpus Christi Catholic Church Wedding

You would never know from their demeanor that it rained on Jessica and Kevin’s wedding day. These two were so full of JOY the whole day through. They never lost site of the fact that the most important thing was that they were getting married! Their family and friends were equally full of joy and happiness for this sweet couple. The fact that we got any outdoor portraits was purely due to their ability to be flexible. This has now happened to me two weddings in a row due to rain. I am so thankful for both amazing couples AND awesome bridal parties!

Jessica and Kevin chose to get married at the church where Jessica grew up. I have known Jessica’s grandmother for a while and I’ve loved getting to know the rest of the family through this wedding. Photographing weddings at Corpus Christi is always special because this is also my church, so there is an element of feeling “at home” that you don’t get on most wedding days. This is also especially helpful when you’re dealing with rain!

The forecast predicted rain setting in just about the time we were planning to start portraits, but just after Jessica shared her first look with her dad, I noticed it was still clear outside. I asked Jessica if she was game for some super fast outdoor portraits and she agreed! We gathered up the bridesmaids and headed outdoors, with umbrellas and raincoats in hand (just in case). Flying through portraits is not really ideal, but everyone was like, “let’s do this!” While I was on one side of the church taking portraits of Jessica with her bridesmaids, Regina was on the other side photographing Kevin and his groomsmen.

After the ceremony, the rain paused and, once again, we dashed outside. I was hoping to get at least a few outdoor portraits of Jessica and Kevin together! Our original plan was to go straight to Spring Hill College for portraits, but if the rain started again while we were in route, I knew we would miss the break in the rain. Thankfully, we found a spot in front of the church that worked perfectly for a few quick portraits. One of these turned out to be one of my favorites from the day!

It started to rain again while we were in route to Byrne Memorial Hall. I was so thankful we’d grabbed those few portraits at the church! The porch at Byrne was the perfect location for additional bride and groom portraits. In the end, the rain didn’t dampen the spirit of this day one bit and that’s exactly how it should be. Cheers to the newly Mr. and Mrs. Portillo!

Dashing outside for some outdoor portraits! Yay for comfortable wedding shoes! Jessica was originally saving these for the reception, but because of the rainy weather, she decided to wear them all day.

Jessica lost her grandfather a couple of years ago. In memory of him, she carried a handkerchief, made out of one of his shirts, around her bouquet. She told me they also sprayed it with the aftershave he used to wear. When her sweet grandmother arrived, tears started to flow. I have no doubt her grandfather was smiling down on us while we took these portraits.

Y’all, my assistant, Lauren, KILLED IT with this veil toss! I KNEW this was going to be one of my favorites as soon as I took this photo!

So excited to be married!!!

The moment of the reception! Y’all, this was not an easy moment to capture, but it sure was fun!!!

VENDORS

Photography by Elizabeth Gelineau

Second Photographer | Regina Gomez-Guillen

Photographer’s Assistant | Lauren Hodges

Wedding Planner | Bella Victoria Events

Getting Ready + Ceremony | Corpus Christi Catholic Church

Reception | Byrne Memorial Hall – Spring Hill College

Florist | The Shade Tree

Cake | Sally’s Piece-a-Cake

Makeup + Hair | Brushed and Blushed

Band | Emerald Empire Band

Catering | Aramark

Bride’s Gown | Bella’s Bridal and Formal – Hoover, AL

Bridesmaid Dresses | Azazie

Groom + Groomsmen Attire | Men’s Wearhouse