So many things were up in the air, winding down to Conservatory at Waterstone wedding day for Stephanie & Ryan. Would it rain or be nice outside? What about group limits? Would we be allowed to gather in a large number like this with a global pandemic just starting to creep into our collective awareness?
It was…a lot, y’all, and it would have been easy to be stressed out to the max. But Stephanie and Ryan were complete troopers; they were positive and calm and fun and a delight all day. The weather not only held out, but it was a GORGEOUS day! It had the perfect kind of lighting that allows so much ease and flexibility; so soft and gentle the whole day. They were indeed allowed to gather, something that may not have been possible even just a few days later.
And they were so fortunate to have some amazing people pulling for them. From the loved ones they surrounded themselves with to the vendors they chose for their day {some of my favorite vendors in the world, honestly}, everyone was completely committed to celebrating this day in the most awesome way possible.
Conservatory at Waterstone Wedding
The venue was the Conservatory at Waterstone, a small and unassuming space in Acworth right off the downtown square and right next to the train tracks. The backyard of this venue is completely adorable and offers the BEST look at the blue sky above. I couldn’t help but get tons of wide shots during the ceremony, it was stunning. There’s an upstairs section and a downstairs, offering plenty of space for guests to mingle and eat and make merry. Outside, there are a ton of fantastic spots within walking distance. There’s just so much exposed brick and rundown walls and vintage advertisements, a real dream of a location, especially for history lovers like these two {and myself}!
There was a light theme of Gatsby and the opulent 1920’s, with art deco inspiration and family members going all out in their dress, much to my delight. Stephanie’s father even rented a vintage car for the wedding! It was so much fun driving around with the two of them in that car after the ceremony, pulling double duty to allow them a few minutes a little more alone before heading into the reception.
Thank you again, Stephanie & Ryan, for throwing this magnificent day and for having Sooji & myself be a part of it.
Most memorable moment from your wedding day?
The first look was definitely the calmest part of the wedding, so it sticks out the most clearly in our minds. Very ‘calm before the storm.’ My dad surprising us with the 1930s Chrysler was pretty exciting as well!
We were a bit nervous about the ceremony being too long / too short. Also, Ryan and I aren’t huge fans of having everyone stare at us. But, honestly, it flew by and the officiant did a great job with the pacing.
Funniest moment on your wedding day?
During the ceremony, Ryan offered the wrong hand for me to put the ring on – and then he offered up both hands!
What advice would you give to other couples planning their wedding day?
Figure out ways to carve out some more ‘calm’ time with your partner! Ryan and I don’t have a lot of ‘us’ memories from the wedding in our excitement to see and chat with our guests.
If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
I probably would have done the nighttime shots that Raven started to pull us away for (but we were distracted with people leaving!) So do those haha!
Any tips for future couples on how to prepare for their wedding photos?
Trust Raven!
Raven is an Atlanta Wedding Photographer who captures real people on their totally unique and completely awesome wedding day. She travels throughout Georgia, including Athens, North Georgia, Dahlonega and beyond, documenting love. Get in touch to plan your unique wedding day!