Rachel + Colin, Bay Point Sheraton Wedding, Panama City Beach Florida

I met this lovely lil couple at their engagement session on Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida.... and believe me when I say it wasn't long before we hit it off!! haha! But I think how they met is probably a little sweeter....

How'd you two meet? "Colin and I met on a blind date in Colorado, where we were both living at the time. The moment I met Colin I could tell he was different. The first thing I noticed about him was that he was tall! As a tall girl, I can't tell you how hard it is to find someone who is at least the same height, so I was pleasantly surprised! The next thing that caught my eye was the fact that he was funny...not cheesy funny (well, okay, maybe a little cheesy), but he kept the conversation going and made me smile the entire night. Over the next five years, I really got a chance to see how amazing Colin really is. He is loyal, smart and pays attention to the little things in life that are important...and he continued to make me smile. I knew he was "the one" when he refused to leave my side while I was hospitalized for a week with two large pulmonary embolisms. He was getting his PhD at the time and was very busy, but he put all of that on hold to be there for me. He fed me chicken soup and read my cheesy Nicholas Sparks book to me, because I was too weak to do it myself. I was hooked from that moment on and I couldn't imagine a future without him." - Rachel

oh wait.. it get's better... Rachel said, "Our engagement was somewhat of a whirlwind, to say the least. Colin had moved to Dayton, OH in January 2016 with our dog, Hans, for a contract job with the Air Force. I stayed behind in Greeley, CO for work (and he hadn't put a ring on it yet ). It broke my heart to see Colin and our dog leave, and wasn't sure what our future had in store....but in March 2016 I flew out to Dayton to visit him and after only 30 minutes of me being there, we were engaged! We were so excited, and I immediately started to plan a big wedding in my head. However, that changed three days later when the Air Force came calling and offered Colin a position to commission as an officer and become an Aerospace Physiologist. The kicker was that he had to report to Montgomery, AL for his Commissioned Officer Training (boot camp) in 6 weeks; and then would eventually be stationed in Panama City, FL!! Ahhh! So plans changed and we had a very small ceremony to make it official so I could move with him. So after settling into our new home here in Florida, we decided to plan wedding #2 for all of our family and friends, and I'm so glad we did! It was truly a great day!"

Colin's humor matched mine and beautiful Rachel could appreciate it all!! haha! I truly loved them as much as they loved each other from that moment. :)

What did you think of me? and how was wedding planning in general? "I really enjoyed planning the wedding, and had so much fun with my wedding coordinator, Kelly Henderson! She was so amazing, and she had such an eye for detail! But, the very first vendor I booked was actually Kiersten!! After attending several other weddings over the years, I knew just how important it was to hire an amazing photographer. So that's where I started. After combing through several photographer's websites, I opened Kiersten's and immediately fell in love with her work! Her pictures were fun, colorful and just simply BEAUTIFUL. I contacted her and within an hour she responded to my email. She was funny and I could tell she truly cared. Not only was Kiersten responsive, but she actually helped me find my venue!! I knew I had to hire her because, let's face it, Colin and I are not photogenic at all and we needed all the help we could get! I had also encountered a few of her former brides, and they all had amazing things to say about her, and after working with her for our engagement session & wedding I can see why she comes highly recommended. Even her emails made me laugh...one day she emailed me with the opening line of "Happy Taco Tuesday!!"  She made us feel at ease and really captured so many endearing moments with our family and friends! Everyone loved her from beginning to end, and she even stayed for the after party!!! Kiersten really captured the beauty and love throughout our wedding day, and our pictures are just amazing!!" 

So as you can imagine, that made me pretty stocked for their wedding... plus it was at the every so lovely, Sheraton @ Bay Point which is seriously one of my favorite venues EVER! "Kiersten was the first one to recommend I check out the Sheraton Bay Point, and I'm so glad she did! The moment I walked into the Sheraton, I just got that feeling that this was the one! It was newly renovated and gorgeous! It had everything we needed: water views for the ceremony, ballroom for the reception, a place for our guests to stay in one spot, golf, pools and a beach! I couldn't ask for more and it was great. I think everyone had a great time at the Sheraton!" - Rachel

Colin wore his Mess Dress, courtesy of the United States Air Force lol, and Rachel in her GORGEOUS Enzoani gown, from Brilliant Bridal in Denver, CO. had ALL eyes on these two. 

Rachel told me she "thought the ceremony was absolutely beautiful (but I'm also a little biased). It had a great water view underneath the pavilion, but was covered in the event it started to rain. Our officiant, Brett Henderson, did an amazing job and everyone loved him."

and of course... I had to ask her if she had an advice for future brides... yall should listen up to this part haha, wise women over here!! "Hmmm, advice for future brides...obviously, hire Kiersten because she's just awesome! You'll love her photos, as well as her dazzling personality! Also, hire Kelly Henderson as your wedding coordinator! She kept us all on time and made sure the day went by smoothly. " - Mrs. Quinn