Nicole and Joe’s Lydia Mountain Lodge wedding was a needed reminder of how magnificent it is to be alive. One of the most exquisite gifts given to every single person on this enchanting planet is… (you guessed it) LOVE. We often struggle through life trying to solve the equation of what it is or how to attain it. Real, unconditional love. But really, in its most raw form it comes completely free. Often times we are surrounded by it without even realizing.

I witnessed many forms of unconditional love at Nicole and Joe’s wedding. I observed it in the Mother of the Bride’s soft touch as she helped Nicole get ready. It came in the form a Father’s gaze full of memories and affirmation.  Friendships and family locked in an unbreakable chain of support and memories. And of course the undeniable bond Nicole and Joe shared in every moment they were together. Truly I’m going to put this wedding in my back pocket as a sweet memento of how beautiful the world is.

I asked Nicole to share a bit of her love story prior to the wedding day with us.

Regarding how they met:

Joe and I met back in high school. We were just friends then. We both were dating our high school sweethearts. We reconnected in 2011 after we both became single. We connected and we developed a close friendship that grew into a relationship. We offered support for each other as we were both going through a time where we were trying to move forward from our past. I believe we bring out the best in each other. We are a great team.

Regarding the Proposal : 

It was spontaneous. Joe was late coming home from work up in Northern Virginia on a Saturday. He said it was traffic and said he would be home soon. He finally got home around 3 pm. I was dressed in my blue maxi dress that I just bought and colored my hair that morning. I was upset he was late because we were supposed to have the day together. I expected him to be home earlier. I was hanging out with his brother, Daniel and his brother’s girlfriend, Brittany. He came home and said, “Lets go to a winery”. I thought he was trying to make me happy because I was upset. We all four went to Veritas Winery around 4pm. We bought two bottles of wine and proceeded to go out to the picnic area. Joe doesn’t like pictures but when I had the idea to take a few photos, he said, “Sure!” without hesitation. I thought that was weird. We proceeded to walk to the vineyards and I gave Brittany my phone and we did one pose and then Joe said, “let’s take some more”. That’s when he got down on one knee and I said YES! We have the whole moment captured. I was very surprised. Also, the reason why he was so late was because he was buying the ring that morning.

As you can see Nicole and Joe are some of the most authentic and fun couples out there. It was amazing working with them. Congratulations you two!

Curious who helped make this gorgeous wedding happen? Here’s all the phenomenal vendors I had the privilege of working with!

Second Shooter : Zach Graham

Venue : Lydia Mountain Lodge

Florist : The Faded Poppy

Hair : Knuckles Salon

Wedding Planner : Liz Brittle Events

DJ : King Studios

Cake : Paradox Pastry

Catering : Blueridge Cafe

Invitations : Invitations By Dawn

Dress: Maggie Sottero with Tiffany’s Bridal