“I love you like a river that begins as a solitary trickle in the mountains and gradually grows and joins other rivers until, after a certain point, it can flow around any obstacle in order to get where it wants.” ~ Paulo Coelho

Describe yourself in three words:

Organized. A good listener. Compassionate.

What is your job/profession?

I am a 2nd grade teacher at La France Elementary.

Describe a Perfect Day

The perfect day for me would be a day spent on the beach. I would want to spend all day sitting on the beach reading a book and enjoying the water. The day would end with a wonderful supper of low country boil.

Your dress story

I bought my dress at Dressing Dreams in Hartwell, GA. My Mama, Daddy, and sister went with me. It was the second dress shop I went to. I tried on several dresses before trying this one on. I loved this dress but I wanted sleeves. The lady assisting me was able to add a bolero to help complete the assemble and I knew it was my dress! It wasn't exactly what I had pictured but it was pretty close. My Nana, Mama, sister, and I went several months later to pick out the dress. I was worried if I would like it still since it had been so long since I saw it. After putting it on, I realized I still liked it and couldn't wait to wear it at the wedding! I had my dress altered by Mrs. Diane Bowers and she did a fabulous job! She had it ready for me a few days before the bridal shoot. The bridal shoot was so much fun to get dressed up like I would on the day of the wedding. It also made it very real because it made the wedding day seem that much closer.

Describe your childhood wedding dream

It seems like I have dreamed forever about my wedding day. All of the major things that I dreamed about have come true when planning my wedding. I wanted to get married at my church and have my reception at the house. However, I did dream of riding from the church to the reception in a horse-drawn carriage...that won't be happening. My color scheme is pretty close to what I had pictured. The only other thing that is different from what I planned it the lack of mason jars. I always said that I wanted to use mason jars at the reception for all of the guests to drink out of. However, I realized that might not be reasonable so there will be no mason jars at the wedding. As much fun as dreaming of my wedding was, it has been much more fun actually planning it and getting ready to start a life with the man I love.

Best part of your bridal shoot

There were a couple of things that happened during the shoot that will always stick out to me. First of all, I enjoyed spending the time with my Mama, Daddy, and sister. We have always been close and it was nice to share that time with my family. It was a blast getting them to help me into and out of my dress. With all the little buttons, it was hoot trying to get it on. It was also a hoot watching us move around Chau Ram. Mama and Tara held my dress up while Daddy held my hand and carried the flowers. We had a blast! The other thing that meant a lot was the fact that it didn't rain. There were terrible rain clouds all around that afternoon. I was praying hard that it wouldn't rain. God granted my plea because other than a few sprinkles it didn't rain a bit. It was definitely a God thing because it rained all around but missed us. It was definitely a blessing!

Which photos are your favorite?

My absolute favorite photo was the one of the underneath of my skirt where it displays two blue hearts. Those hearts were from my grandfathers' overalls and blue jeans. The other series of photos that were my favorites were the ones with the waterfall in the background. Chau Ram has always been a beautiful place and it was certainly beautiful in the background of those photos.

MaKayla | Mountain River Bridal Portraits