Creative Garden Wedding in Athens

FILED IN: Weddings

If you’re going to have a wedding in Athens, you might as well celebrate the area’s natural beauty and historic charm. Amber and Sam did just that with their garden celebration. These two were a joy to photograph for so many reasons. They were all in for me to take a more creative, documentary-style approach to their wedding photos. The result is a lyrical set of images that tells a story well worth remembering.

A Creative Wedding in Athens

When Amber and Sam considered where to have their wedding in Athens, Founders Memorial Garden was an obvious choice. The couple actually got engaged there. The garden offered beautiful backdrops for portraits. For the ceremony, they included a floral installation that looked elegant amid the magnolias and beech trees.

With how perfectly everything came together, you would never know that Amber actually hated planning! Early on, the couple prioritized time with their people and hired vendors to facilitate that. They got to have an artistic and elevated event without so much stress. To that end, I met up with Amber and Sam in D.C. for engagement photos before the wedding. Amber said that this “took a lot of stress off us during a busy wedding planning and work season.”

These images show just how much Amber and Sam got to enjoy the experience of their wedding day while their vendors took care of the details. As fun as their wedding in Athens was, I made sure to document those fleeting, ethereal moments too. The sun shone through the trees, casting a beautiful haze during one portrait session. In black and white, these images are full of nostalgia.

Amber and Sam’s Garden Party Reception

When Amber and Sam shared their vision for their wedding with me, they said that they valued images of the candid moments between them and their guests. I made sure to document the laughter and the little moments between them. Amber later said that I was “super efficient and great at capturing candid moments.” I couldn’t have been happier with this feedback! By being efficient, I could take Amber and Sam out of their day as little as possible. They got to focus on the toasts and dances instead of thinking about the camera the entire time.

Since Amber and Sam wanted to prioritize connections at their wedding in Athens, it’s no surprise that their garden party felt like a party. Between dinner and toasts, everyone hit the dance floor. Amber and Sam embraced the celebratory atmosphere wholeheartedly.