When your best friend gets engaged, usually the first question is “When are you getting married?!”, naturally it’s my first question seeing as I have to clear my schedule from other weddings. For months, Rachael kept saying she didn’t know what she was doing, then finally set a date. Instagram dms were flooded with dress ideas, Pinterest pins, whats app messages all night talking about vendors. All the messages ended with a lot of whateverrrrrs, ifs, and maybes. A date was set, and slowly the wedding messages became less and less.

Having known both Rachael + Turri for most of my life, I knew a big wedding wasn’t in the cards. It just wasn’t…. right. Uncertainty and haste showed up when we found out that her sister, and my beloved friend was leaving to live abroad. The messages began again the week before, “I’m going to try on my jumpsuit today, like just for so”, “When are we doing our family shoot before Jessica leaves”?, “Maybe y’all can come over for a small lime after”.. turned into 3 days before the Tuesday..A voice note that began with “I am not pregnant but….Turri and I are getting married on Tuesday, (what was meant to be our family session now turned into a wedding!!). To say I was excited is an understatement. I burst into tears of joy immediately. A sense of relief, they were doing what their heart wanted all along. A small, intimate gathering at her parents’ home. Just a handful of their most cherished loved ones, and most importantly, Turri’s mother was able to fly in with no hiccups.

The moments getting ready together were priceless. Just me and my girl, sharing quiet silences, trying to read her as she buzzed around the room with utter excitement. It felt like Mama Mia when Meryl + Amanda sing Slipping Through My Fingers, also known as one of my person favourite film scenes.

Gulp. Speaking of…drinking 4 glasses of champagne before the ceremony even started, good idea at the time? Creativity was flowing, knowing I had free range with my fellow photographer.

The most bittersweet of tears flowed all day as the light dimmed and the looming 9pm curfew approached. We knew that this perfect night had to end, and reality would set back in.

The most beautiful reality for Rachael + Turri. Husband and wife, partners in every sense of the word.