Without question, Brittany is one of the sweetest and most humble people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. So finding a soulmate equally as wonderful would seem a near impossible feat. But luckily this lovely southern belle found her perfect match in the incredibly caring and supportive Jamahl, who grew up right here in Newton.
Brittany, who grew up in Texas, made the bold leap to go to college up in the frosty Northeast. Boy, did that decision ever pay off! There she met her freshman year roommate Tyger, who would become her best friend and eventually her maid of honor, and she would meet Jamahl. So even though they have since moved back to Texas, the couple thought it best to have the wedding up North where they had met. They choose to have their wedding in Jamahl’s hometown church and their reception at the historic Liberty Hotel in Boston. While it’s typical to say a wedding is all about the bride and what she wants, all Brittany wanted was for Jamahl to be happy that day. She’s very shy and isn’t big on having lots of attention on her, so while eloping to Bora Bora seemed quite appealing, she knew how much it would mean to Jamahl and his family to have a traditional wedding. So that’s just what they did.
Brittany went for a classic silhouette and understated accessories, with one small exception, her fabulous Yves Saint Laurent cap toe heels. Her hair was expertly swept up by Kris Pavao of Just Hair, and her makeup was simple yet elegant. All this put together with Brittany’s inner and outer beauty made for stunning bridal portraits of her by her hotel suite’s window. The look on Jamahl’s face as he saw her come down the aisle was just priceless! Brittany, being a bashful bride, kept her head down most of the way down the aisle, but as soon as she found her way to Jamahl’s arms, her face lit up with joy. After their first kiss as man and wife, you could see a weight lifted off of her. All the anxiety of being in front of all those people just flew away. That feeling of joy was carried all the way through their reception. Their guests were a riot. Jamahl doesn’t usually drink at all, but the crowd egged him on during the toasts and the room erupted with hoots and hollers when he finished his glass of champagne. The dance floor was always full with DJ John Dudley playing a full range of the couple’s favorites. Jamahl’s little brother even brought out his very best MJ moves.
Speaking of dancing, Brittany and Jamahl’s first dance was so romantic. It was like the two were in their very own little world. The best way to describe the look on Brittany’s face during that dance is bliss. I really think those two were the happiest people on earth at that very moment. But then it quickly went from romantic to comedic antics when it came to their cake cutting. Brittany pulled a fast one on Jamahl at the last second and gave him a HUGE cake smash to the face. Cake went flying EVERYWHERE!!!! I was so glad to have Jenn Alton and Shawn Black with me 2nd shooting so that we could get that moment from all the different angles! Tyger quickly went to block Brittany from any retaliation. What a great Maid of Honor! Jamahl and Brittany were not only concerned about their guests having the time of their lives that night, they also checked in with us multiple times to make sure we were having a great time as well and even provided us with the same DELISH dinner all their guests got, instead of just getting us vendor meals. After working so hard for hours, a dinner like this is MUCH appreciated! Jamahl and Brittany were so kind to us, I honestly felt more like a guest than a vendor. This was just one more way we saw how beautiful Brittany and Jamahl are both on the inside as well as the outside. It was so great getting to capture a couple that are so incredibly there for each other, as well as their friends and family, in every way.
Tips and Tricks from this wedding:
Personalization:
- Jamahl put a wreath with their family initial on it on the front door of the church. This was a great decoration and a way to make the front door of a church much more personal.
If you’re anxious about being the center of attention there are many ways you can combat this on your wedding day:
- First and foremost, just concentrate on looking at the person you are getting married to. Having this type of tunnel vision can help you focus on what is the most important thing that day, and keep you from getting distracted by everyone looking at you.
- Remember why they are looking at you. You are looking unbelievably beautiful that day. You are a total vision. It’s hard NOT to keep their eyes on you. They are looking at you with love, not nit-picking what you are wearing, how your hair is, etc.
- Eliminate or shorten as many situations as possible that make you uncomfortable. For example, during family and bridal portrait photos, don’t have everyone and their brother around while you are getting the shots taken. Speak to your photographer in advance about this so that they can direct people for you, so you don’t feel like the bad guy. For events like your first dance or the cake cutting you can talk to the DJ in advance and ask them NOT to announce it to everyone that you are doing your first dance or cutting the cake. Just be sure to let your photographer know when you are doing it, so they get shots of it. But you don’t need every eye in the room on you. First dances and parent dances can also feel like they go on for an eternity if the whole song is played. You can either pick a short song, or let the DJ know in advance that you’d like the song to fade out in the middle at a specific point, or instead invite everyone else to come up and dance with you at that point, so that all the attention is no longer on you.