Rocky's Lake Estate Wedding | Atlanta Wedding Photographer

I am so excited to share Aysha and Stephen’s awesome wedding. They were married at one of my favorite venues, Rocky’s Lake Estate.

I always love hearing about my couple’s proposal stories and Aysha and Stephen’s is one of my favorites: Aysha says, “Stephen disguised the proposal as a couple’s photo shoot. When the photographer signaled Stephen, he got down on one knee, asked me to marry him, and I said “Why not?” I’m not the best with surprises, but Stephen put a ton of thought and planning into the day in order to make it special for me. I honestly had no idea and even laughed earlier that same morning when someone asked me if I thought it was going to happen.”

I had so much fun with Aysha and Stephen at their engagement session earlier this year so I was so excited to see them again on their wedding day! I started off the day in the bridal suite with Aysha and her girls. Everyone was so sweet and you could tell just how excited they were to watch their friend tie the knot.

Aysha decided to do a dress reveal for her bridesmaids and watching their reactions was one of my favorite parts of the day. Speaking of Aysha’s dress, it was gorgeous! I asked her about how she chose it and here is what she said, “I found it at Formally Yours in Lilburn, GA. My mom and I took a trip to Charleston to browse wedding dresses and just try to figure out what style I was looking for (I had no clue). When we were there, I fell in love with blush dresses. We came back to Georgia to go with a few other people (my aunt, maid of honor, and mother-in-law). We went to a few different stores. I tried on many dresses that I liked, but I never really had that AHA moment that you see in movies, which is totally okay. There were two dresses I liked a lot at Formally Yours, tried each of them on about four times, and picked one. I changed the color from white to blush, changed the neckline, and removed lots and lots of tulle. I was honestly nervous about liking my dress until I put it on the day of the wedding. I fell in love with it in the bridal suite, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

While I was hanging out with the girls in the bridal suite, Kim went to photograph the guys getting ready. Stephen gave his groomsmen a custom jersey of their favorite team as well as matching socks. You can tell from the photos just how much the guys loved their gifts!

Aysha and Stephen decided not to see each other before the ceremony, but they did share a moment behind the doors that were custom made for their wedding day. They exchanged letters and at the very end, Stephen asked Aysha if he could give her a kiss and not peek. At first, Aysha said no because she didn’t want to risk Stephen seeing her, but she decided to cover his eyes and it was one of the cutest moments!

The ceremony was a mix of heartfelt moments and laughs. Aysha and Stephen’s dog Solo served as the ring bearer and his run down the aisle was so adorable! When I asked Aysha what her favorite part of the wedding was, she said, “The kiss was my favorite part. Neither one of us likes PDA at all, so I felt like that was going to be very awkward. I know it’s cheesy, but at that time, I forgot anyone was watching. It really felt like it was just the two of us standing there, and it was the perfect moment.”

The reception was so much fun! You could tell that Aysha and Stephen were really loving every minute of their special day being surrounded by the family and friends they love. I asked Stephen about his favorite part of the day and he said “dancing the night away with friends and family and getting to see people I don’t often get to was tons of fun. Finishing with a “last” dance to my favorite song, “Everlong,” was a highlight. Though it was a little too fast to be our first dance, it made for a special moment to end the night on with just the two of us.” Aysha and Stephen’s last dance was my favorite part of the reception as well. The three of us were the only people left in the reception space and it was so sweet to watch the two of them enjoy the last moments of their wedding day.

Aysha and Stephen, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day. I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!