UGA Founders Garden Wedding // Hannah & Peter

Hannah & Peter are married! I know for a fact that this is one wedding day I’ll remember for a very long time, because Hannah & Peter impressed me time and time again throughout their planning process. They were able to truly inject their personalities into every aspect of their wedding. Everything they chose, every moment really reflected them and how sweet they are. It was amazing to look around and see their stamp on every moment. I love working with them both, they’re just so much fun! I loved being back in Athens for their UGA Founders Garden wedding day! 

Getting Ready

One of the most impressive things about this wedding day was that Hannah MADE her wedding gown. Yes, you read that right! She was up late the night before finishing it up, but it looked incredible. She’s ridiculous, but so talented and I loved how her gown came together. She complimented it with deep red shoes, that wound up being a perfect look against Peter’s navy details when they met up. Hannah & Peter got ready with their respective sides before we met up with everyone outside the hotel. 

What were you most anxious or nervous about regarding your wedding day and how did it turn out?

Hannah: Finishing my wedding dress, haha! It came together alright in the end. For an answer that’s relevant to more couples, the logistics of getting all the decor set and moving from one venue to another. Our wedding coordinator took care of this! I needn’t have worried.

Peter: Also finishing Hannah’s wedding dress lol. It came out great. Of course I have had a long history of observing Hannah’s grand designs and knew she would succeed, so it was perhaps not the dress but the quantity of sleep I was more concerned about. She also did great in that respect, though the evening was an awakeness struggle for sure.

Photo Walk in Athens GA

We decided not to do a formal first look, but Hannah & Peter did meet before the ceremony. It was super relaxed with their friends. More of my couples are opting for this casual, less contrived first look. It can be way more fun and there’s no pressure to perform. They still get a special, quiet moment together before the ceremony {so I’m here for it!} but without the stress. Hannah & Peter’s friends walked with them over to their ceremony site in Athens GA. Along the way, we captured some of the walking portraits I love so much and stopping where we wanted for photos. 

What advice would you give to other couples planning their wedding?

Make decisions quickly and stick to them! We spent a lot of useless time and frustration dithering over things. Also, communicate early and often about finances and priorities!

Any tips for future couples on how to prepare for their wedding photos?

Do what feels right to you – whatever will make your photos authentic, fun, comfortable, and convenient – and communicate with your photographer ahead of time about whatever that is! For us, that meant not stressing too much about our appearances, taking photos in a variety of easily accessible and awesome locations, and prioritizing time with our guests. For you, that may be something else entirely! As long as you and your photographer are on the same page, your photos should turn out great! 

UGA Founders Garden Wedding

Hannah & Peter decided to tie the knot in the Founders Garden at UGA. It’s an absolutely beautiful location, and served as the perfect spot for their ceremony! Beforehand, they had a chance to mingle with many of their guests who had arrived, which was lovely. From the start, I knew that Hannah & Peter wanted to be sure they had a chance to see their guests. We also knocked out a bunch of family portraits before their ceremony, too! I honestly loved the mingling atmosphere and little “mini” cocktail hour they basically had. 

Their ceremony was super sweet. Hannah & Peter actually completed a Korean ceremony tradition where they both drank out of a gourd and then drank out of the other’s piece. It was really beautiful. My favorite part might have been their readings from their favorite sci-fi novels – and again, a great way to bring what matters most to their wedding day into the celebration! 

Most memorable moment from your wedding day?

Hannah: Probably the ceremony readings for me – me, Peter, and our readers were all really caught up in that moment. Honorable mentions: the first dance, where Peter and I sang to each other, and the father-daughter dance; where my dad was having a lot of fun showing off!

Peter: Getting ready with my groomsmen and the ceremony readings for me!

Athens GA Wedding Portraits

After Hannah & Peter were married, my second shooter and I stole them away for a bit to do more portraits in Athens. Athens contains so many special spots for them both, so we made sure to stop at some of their favorite places. We grabbed some bubble tea {my new favorite thing!!} and even made it a point to take portraits outside their first apartment in the city! It was so special. 

Georgian Hall Wedding Reception 

I LOVE the Georgian Hall. It’s got such a great old-world charm with all of the marble spaces. Definitely a wonderful blank space for couples to put their stamp on. Hannah & Peter’s wedding reception was a lot of fun. I even got to work with Lionhearted Events finally! Working with Grace has been a dream of mine – we’ve been internet friends forever and I loved watching her work with Hannah & Peter. All of their guests had a great time, chilling and just celebrating with the newlyweds. 

What did you love about your venue/wedding location?

For an unromantic answer, the staff at both The Founders Memorial Garden and Georgian Hall were very communicative and helpful.

The Founders Memorial Garden has a lot of hidden beautiful places in a relatively small area. Parts of it are very groomed and elegant, and parts of it are very natural and wild. We really enjoyed wandering through the garden and experiencing that contrast. 

At Georgian Hall, we loved the LIGHT! It was a perfect venue for an afternoon wedding in the summertime – indoors and air conditioned, but taking full advantage of the sunlight. I’m also generally a sucker for a beautiful, historic space.

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?

If we’d known how many people would be unable to come, we might have expanded the guest list a little! That said, we liked the size and feel of the wedding we ended up having. There are also some plans I wish we’d made earlier and vendors I wish we’d secured faster. We ended up having great people for everything, but finding vendors just a few months out from our date was very stressful.

Congratulations again, Hannah & Peter. You two are a blast and I’m so happy for you both! 

Athens GA Wedding Vendors

Planner: Lionhearted Events

Getting Ready Venue: Springhill Suites Athens

Ceremony Venue: Founders Memorial Garden

Reception Venue: Georgian Hall 

Florist: Perryander Studios

Caterer: Georgian Hall and South Bar and Kitchen

Cake: Sweetie Pie by Savie

Entertainment: Club Rett

Rings: Arn Krebs Mokume 

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Raven is an Atlanta Wedding Photographer who captures real people on their totally unique and awesome wedding day, specializing in people who feel awkward in front of the camera. She travels throughout Georgia, including Athens, North Georgia, and beyond.

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