Ramie Babcock Photography: Joel + Jodi Wedding

My last wedding of the summer...the sweetest wedding to date. Small, intimate, personal, enveloped by the Lord, and the most blessed, happy couple I have really ever seen. A couple that had only gotten officially engaged just 2 weeks before the wedding! HA! (I was booked about 1/5 months out, though, so Joel knew, obviously! I love it!) I had known Joel b/c he is a partner in the firm that did our mortgage--people whom we have become friends with now that they know all our personal information/salary/cost of our home/etc since we've used them twice now! HA! But Jodi, I met the day of the wedding. Jodi is this little ball of energy and smiles and just full of love for her man! In getting ready, she held this little baby bonnet. It was Joel's as a baby and his mother gave it to her to carry that day--and she never put it down (only to let me photograph it!) In getting ready, she listened to a tape of Joel preaching--to calm her down. She said the sound of his voice was soothing to her.

I forgot to mention: Joel's Dad is pastor of the church! 1st Baptist in Pasedena (right on the corner at Fairmont--the big one!), so when I say they were blessed, I meant it. Joel's father and brother performed the ceremony. And when I say that there was not a DRY EYE IN THE CONGREGATION--there wasn't. Not even mine. I balled like a baby. They were just so meant for one another, and you could just SEE it and FEEL it in that church that day.

The rain and the storm and the near power-outaged did not deter from the vows. Sweet, simple, meaningful. I have never seen two people say their vows with more passion and grace. They were not just words....again, the crying on my part.

After the ceremony, they had a small reception with cake and punch for about 45 minutes...then snuck away. Really, just wanted to sneak out the back door! They were on their way to Arlan's market (you know, the little grocery store across from the Endeavor) to get TV dinners. Seriously. That was their meal of choice. They do that nearly every night, and they didn't want to change a thing! So I followed and we got some cute shots in the shopping cart!

And the RAINBOW! God was trying to apologize for all the thunder and lighting during the ceremony, and we got some great shots out of it!

Again, the sweetest, nicest, more adorable couple....congrats you two!!

Cory Thompson sang during the ceremony--the man can sing. His voice is blessed by angels. I cried just listening to him warm up. I mean, he can sing! Holy Cow! If you want someone with a jaw dropping voice to sing at your ceremony, call me, I'll hook you up! HA!