Devon + Garrett’s Backyard Moto-Wedding
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: It’s always an honor to be trusted with our childhood friend’s weddings. (And I’m not just saying that because they read my blog either). It’s one of those things that keep us doing what we do. Photographing beautiful weddings.
A Love on Four Wheels
For those who haven’t been here long, you’ll soon learn we’re suckers for anything on four wheels. Hot Rods, Classic Cars, and even some pretty awesome off-road vehicles have made their way into our weddings and engagements. Devon + Garrett’s Engagement session was just one of many events where I (Markie) have ended up putting all those car show skills to the test.
Their wedding proved to be on par with everything else in their lives: centered around their love of cars and each other. Each one of their centerpieces was handmade by the bride to include car parts (specifically springs and pistons) along with handmade flowers from the Harry Potter books. They also blended the groom’s native heritage with some bohemian vibes for a truly one-of-a-kind wedding theme.
A Backyard Family Event
Devon + Garrett’s wedding was pretty much exclusively family, theirs and ours. Haha! I was a bit nervous when they invited our kids, but our kids had dozens of friends at this wedding and our boys really took it to the next level with their bowties and shorts.
One of Devon’s brothers handmade the arch, while the other assisted with the BBQ for the reception. Instapots were used to pre-cook all the chicken legs (including my and my mom’s instapots!) and everything prepped in the days ahead of time.
Our favorite things
It’s always fun when our couples really go all in for their wedding days and have specific requests when it comes to their couple’s portraits. For Devon + Garrett, this meant they wanted to include their cars… all of them. We were able to incorporate Devon’s classic suburban into her dress and detail shots, along with a few other classic automobiles during that time. For their couple’s portraits, we used their off-road rigs before heading to the creek.
Down at the creek, Devon wanted photos in the water. So, both she and Garrett swapped their shoes for water friendly ones and jumped in. Devon specifically bought two dresses so she would be able to change for the reception after this! Of course, we all got a good laugh as I nearly fell in the water and I would only recommend this with an additional spotter (we had two) because those dresses get HEAVY when wet.
The rest of the reception was pretty lowkey, and family celebrated the two with plenty of toasts! When we started wrapping things up, I pulled Devon + Garrett aside to ask about doing an exit. We hadn’t discussed this in length previously, because we weren’t sure how long they’d really want to stay. But I had a specific car in mind for their “getaway”.
The Getaway Car
The ’55 Chevy Bel-Aire. Literally a dream car for almost every classic car lover. It was perfect for the vision I had in mind!
We lined the family up with streamers and confetti canons. They let ’em rip while Garrett drove that beauty through the tunnel. It was a magical end to their perfect backyard wedding day. (I highly recommend having an “ending” to your wedding day so you can put the full story in your wedding album!)
Devon + Garrett set off on their magical honeymoon (Universal Orlando AND a cruise!) and we loved every minute celebrating their wedding day. It’s a blessing to share in their adventures and we’re truly thankful to call them our friends!
