it all started at an urban outfitters in bloomington, indiana. then, it cut to cassie moving to monterey, california to be with aaron. then he popped the question in one of the most beautiful places i’ve ever seen (in photos). and it ends—well begins, really— in jasper, indiana.

in her maid of honor speech, cassie’s friend chantal made the comment that being around cassie and aaron (she helped pull off their engagement) was magical. i’d like to build onto that to say that being around their love is magical. i’m not sure i’ve ever been around anything like it. everyone loves differently, and if i had to sum up their love it would be: transparent. you can see their love, feel their love, heck, i think you can hear their love. you can’t help but think that the world is an ok place when two people so right for each other make it happen. i believe it is that transparent love that makes for the amazing photos you’re about to see. i was just a mere documenter. you can’t pose people and yield these results, it comes from something radiating from the subjects in front of my lens. something magical.

cassie and aaron, i can’t thank you enough for allowing me to be a part of your magical day…your magical life. there were so many moments of your day that i will truly never forget. visiting your grandma’s house was one of the most emotional moments i’ve ever had the privilege of being a part of. and aaron, hearing you say that listening to cassie’s “pitter-patter” footsteps leading up to your first look was so “rad,” made me smile so hard. i mean that detail….forget the flowers and the hair and the dress…her footsteps. magic.

when i walked into the bathroom and saw cassie in this light, i almost gasped. how warm and glowy is that?

what you’re about to see were some of the sweetest 10 minutes i’ve ever been a part of. cassie and aaron opted for a first look (i didn’t even have to beg them!) and you can see how spectacular this moment was. every woman deserves to have her man look at her the way aaron reacted to seeing cassie. thank you, aaron, for giving that to her.

cassie managed to find matching shoes for her miniature bride. how cute?

if you’re a fan on facebook, you saw a version of this series. i didn’t think it was possible to find 2 more i liked better than the one i posted. but….i did.

i have to give a shout-out to the shuttle service cassie and aaron hired. when we asked if we could “drive into the country and stop to take photos in a field” (actual words) they not only spared us a weird look, they helped with traffic. what great guys.

after we stopped “by a field” we stopped at cassie’s grandma’s house, who is no  longer with us. i’ll spare personal details, but when i stepped off the bus and saw the AMAZING light in the driveway, i knew she was watching over us and made sure we’d have unbelievable photos. it was an emotional moment for all those involved…including me.

i mean, how awesome is this bouquet toss shot??

cassie and aaron, i wish you all the happiness there is to offer; you deserve it. xoxo

and with that, i am off to pack for a much needed getaway with my best man. i’ll be back next week with another wedding and 2 absolutely lovely families.