After months of planning their stunning St. Patrick Church Kokomo Wedding, Rachel and Kevin’s vision for their wedding day had to quickly change as COVID-19 pandemic began to take over and Indiana continued to change restrictions within the state for events. However, their day was just as stunning as I envisioned, and their joy and optimism leading up to and all throughout their day made it one to truly remember forever.
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Back in May, I met Rachel and Kevin for the first time for their Purdue University engagement session, and we talked about their plans for their day. They knew the restrictions with COVID-19 would still be in place, so they had decided to limit the number of guests in attendance to 25 and have only their closest family there. Quickly, they found out that the reception venue wouldn’t be able to allow for the social distancing required while still offering dancing, so they chose to postpone their reception to later this fall. Despite all the changes and flexibility required, these two were such a joy to work with throughout their entire wedding planning process. They were always quick to ask for suggestions and feedback, and I appreciated getting to be a part of helping them navigate an unprecedented time.
I had texted back and forth with Rachel the week of the wedding, as we both were keeping an eye on the forecast. It had changed so many times, but it just kept pointing to the fact that we may need to plan for a rainy wedding day. While that’s a sign of good luck, we were hoping for no rain so we could take their wedding party out for some group photos after the ceremony. When I arrived at St. Patrick Church, there were some heavy gray clouds, but there was never an ounce of rain!
While the girls were getting ready, Rachel told us about how she had hemmed her own dress for her wedding. With all of the restrictions and business closures, lots of bridal shops were unavailable for alterations. But Rachel was able to do all the hemming for her dress with the help of her mom. Her bouquet was made up of beautiful silk flowers, with some borrowed white roses from her mom’s wedding bouquet. I loved the touches of borrowed pieces from other women in her life, like her sapphire earrings she donned once she was in her dress.
After Rachel got into her dress, we led her out to the rosary garden for her first look with Kevin. They were both so happy to see one another and spend a little time together before walking down the aisle in front of their family. They exchanged letters written to one another, with Kevin’s written in a notebook special to the two of them. Rachel gave Kevin a gift of custom cufflinks, and Kevin had crafted a beautiful art piece with some of the readings from their wedding mass with Jesus hanging on the cross.
Another special moment of the day was that Rachel’s uncle officiated the ceremony for their St. Patrick Church Kokomo wedding. It was beautiful seeing the joy beaming as he brought them into their union, and I loved getting to witness such a special ceremony for their family.
The ceremony was quite different with a much smaller guest size, but I loved that we got to capture some moments that they will be able to reflect back on with their future family. Every other pew was roped off to allow for social distancing, and hand sanitizer was located all throughout the church. The bridesmaids and groomsmen were required to stand six feet apart when they stood at the sanctuary of the church together.
After the ceremony, we took Rachel, Kevin, and their wedding party to a local park to wrap up their portraits before they went to Rachel’s family home to celebrate. As we were driving, I received an alert on my phone that rain was going to begin in 35 minutes. Talk about working quick! We split off and my second shooter Steven photographed the groomsmen and Kevin while I photographed the bridesmaids and Rachel, and we brought them together for some quick group shots. As we wrapped up, we heard some rolls of thunder, and sent the wedding party on their way. We were prepared with a clear umbrella for Kevin and Rachel and were ready to use it if it started to rain. But the overcast skies made the images from their day so dreamy, and I’m so excited to share those here!
I cannot wait to see these two in a few months to celebrate with their big wedding reception, where they will be surrounded by their closest family and friends to honor their covenant and marriage!
Rachel and Kevin, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of such an incredible day for the two of you. It was a joy and privilege to watch you two enter into your covenant and be able to capture this day for you to remember always. May your marriage be blessed, may you be filled with joy and love for one another always, and I cannot wait to see where life leads you!
Autumn Howell Photography is a Kokomo wedding photographer, serving clients across central Indiana, including Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Bloomington. Learn more about booking me as your wedding photographer!
