It was the kind of thing you always hope to hear when you’re talking with a couple before their wedding…

A wedding unlike any other.
(Truth.)

Let’s dig right into the highlights, featuring a few of the many things I absolutely adored about Ace and Courtney’s wedding.

If this looks like a super fun wedding, you’re right.

Ever wonder what my dream wedding would look like?
Like, if I’m the one playing bride instead of photog, dream wedding. That one.
I can tell you it would follow Ethan and Taylor’s intimate Bachelor Farmer wedding preeeetty darn closely.

For starters…

Thanksgiving week + Bates blog week are aligned!
How fitting!
+How about we do a crossover post to celebrate?

It’s always so funny to me when wedding guests strike up conversation during dinner, asking whether I’m friends of the couple or if I’m a hired vendor. Because we may have started out as strangers, but throughout the emails, the engagement shooting, and the pre-wedding meeting, I can’t rightly say that Ben and Britt aren’t my friends. (Anyway, we shook on it at the end of the night. It’s for real, for real now.)

How many times did I hear guests gushing over the decor, those earrings, Kori's booty in that dress? Dunno, I lost count.

Dunno how I get so lucky, you guys.
These two: they're my dream couple.

There's something extra special about shooting a wedding for a couple that already has 3042 days of lovin' racked up.

I spend a lot of time working on my images.
I let my mind wander while I edit.
And I take note of how I feel while I assemble every blog.
In all of this time, wandering, and note taking there's one thing in particular that stands out about this wedding—

She invited me in right away.