ava clara bridal

Historic Post Office Spring Wedding | Hampton Wedding Photographer | Ryan + Stephanie

Historic Post Office Spring Wedding | Hampton Wedding Photographer | Ryan + Stephanie

Seeing Ryan and Stephanie together is like seeing two people who have been married for a long time…in fact, on their wedding day, they had already been married for a year and they wanted to celebrate with everyone who is near and dear to them! Foremost among their guests was sweet Ryleigh, their daughter, who is a symbol of how strong their relationship is - because let’s be real, if you can survive the newborn months together it says a lot about how much you can withstand! She has the biggest smiles and adores her mommy and daddy. I know she’s going to look back on the sweet wedding pictures when she is older, and that made it even more meaningful to capture the day.

I’m convinced that wedding at the Historic Post Office are stunning just because of the venue itself, and this spring day with all the blue and gray tones was no exception. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom for their sunset portraits and the rain stopped just in time to head outside for pictures after the ceremony. At the end of the day, Stephanie and Ryan wanted to have fun, enjoy the day, and spend time with their best friends. Their wedding was a representation of all that, and it was beautiful from beginning to end.

Vintage Winter Wedding at Historic Post Office | Hampton Wedding Photographer | Ben + Kat

Vintage Winter Wedding at Historic Post Office | Hampton Wedding Photographer | Ben + Kat

At the end of December, I had the pleasure of photographing two weddings in one weekend at the Historic Post Office - I couldn’t have dreamed up a better way to end 2018! I knew that the couples in each wedding were very different from each other, so the challenge was to make sure their days were completely unique, yet still beautiful. What a joy it was to be pushed creatively - and in so many ways, the day belong to each couple separately, while maintaining the elegant feel of the venue.

Ben and Kat’s wedding was all about the vintage details…

Why We Dressed Up for a Wedding All Over Again | Historic Post Office Hampton Wedding

Why We Dressed Up for a Wedding All Over Again | Historic Post Office Hampton Wedding

As a child I was never much one for dress-up. Truth be told, I was a huge tomboy. I play-wrestled my brother (and won every time because he always 'cheated') and I got along with boys a whole lot better than most other girls. I had close girlfriends, too, but pretending to be a princess was never high on my imagination list. Instead, my older brother and I would pretend to be in combat, play video games together, and (in between fights) sit in a chair on Saturday mornings and watch cartoons with each other.

So it was a surprise when I had so much fun getting dressed up for a Cinco de Mayo styled shoot last year. Getting my hair and makeup done is not normal, but I loved it...and the pictures I had from that day were beautiful. When Kelsey, the venue manager at the brand new Historic Post Office wedding venue in downtown Hampton was looking for models for a styled shoot, I quickly volunteered Nathan and I for the task. Plus, a chance to tour a gorgeous architecture-inspired Hampton Roads wedding space is never a bad thing!

With my hair (a low chignon, which I've always wanted) and makeup perfected, I met my husband of almost 6 years in his suit and tie and we pretended like it was our wedding day all over again...