Owls Nest Resort | Jasmine & Mike's Radiant Nuptials

Owls Nest Resort, Thornton, NH

Imagine you are standing in front of your closest friends and family members about to marry the person of your dreams, and the entire ceremony is glowing with the setting autumn sun softly sinking behind the mountains. Simply magical.

This was the ethereal setting for Jasmine and Mike's wedding ceremony at the gorgeous Owl's Nest Resort last October and one wedding that will forever be at the forefront of my mind as a truly magical wedding. Let's take a glimpse behind my lens as I recall the intimate and beautiful details of their thoughtfully planned wedding celebration.

01. The Details

Jasmine put so much thought and effort into every detail of her wedding day and capturing those meaningful details was one of the important parts of her wedding photography coverage. She and Mike chose a simple and elegant color scheme of black and white with subtle hints of blush and dark mauve for a sophisticated fall wedding feel.

02. The Prep

Preparing for your wedding day can be as easy-going or as jam-packed as your want it to be. Jasmine chose to prepare for her day by keeping a stress-free quiet environment surrounded by her wedding party and family, while Mike and his groomsmen hit the links and played golf all morning long. Mike chose to arrive for his getting-ready portraits on his own allowing for a quiet moment prior to his groomsmen arriving for the final boutonniere pinning.

03. The First Look & Formal Portraits

Mike and Jasmine knew from the beginning of their planning that they wanted to enjoy their wedding day as much as possible, and that meant including as much time as they could with their friends and family. The best advice I can give to couples looking to enjoy their wedding day with ample time to visit with their beloved guest (especially during cocktail hour) is to have a first look. The first look not only allows you to have those first moments captured in a quiet and private setting (which can release a lot of anxieties you may be feeling that day), but it also allows you to organize most (if not all) of your family and wedding party photos to be completed prior to walking down the aisle. This trending tradition is increasingly common in today's photo + video packed wedding days due to most couples wanting to finish all the formal portraits early, so they can live in the moment and have those relaxed candid, and intimate moments with their guest right after they say "I Do", without being whisked away for a marathon session of portraits prior to starting the formalities of their reception. (If you have ever said I don't want my wedding day to feel like a 'blur', then you probably want a first look!)

When I asked Jasmine and Mike what their most memorable moment was about their wedding day they responded with:

Having a private first look for just the two of us was our favorite part. It helped to calm our nerves and was a sweet quiet moment before the big event.

03. The Ceremony & Couple's Portraits

Finally, the moment you have been waiting for! The ceremony where you finally say "I Do" in front of all of your guests has arrived. You might be surprised to find out that even though you had a first look you will still feel that rush when you see your significant other while looking down the aisle. It's evident by Mike's face as he first sees Jasmine being led down the aisle by her father. Pure love.

Jasmine and Mike's wedding ceremony was one of the most dream-like ceremonies I have ever captured and the outdoor ceremony location at the Owl's Nest's main building is part of the reason why. I have captured multiple weddings at this venue, but due to the time of year, late October, the sun was setting right as the couple went in for their first kiss. I'll admit this made for one of the trickiest ceremonies to capture and edit, but every moment I spent staring at these images I fell even more in love with them. The sunsetting also gave us another reason to crank out all the formal portraits ahead of time, as after the ceremony we only had to grab those few amazing sunset portraits of just Jasmine and Mike, before they headed to mingle with their guests.

04. The Reception Details

When choosing their vendors Jasmine looked for local talent she knew that fit her ideal style. Because she took the time to review their work prior to booking, she knew she could trust their professional judgment on her wedding day without feeling the need to control every portion of her day. By letting go of this responsibility she allowed each vendor to share their best work, and it released extra stress off her plate.

When asked about their vendor selection they responded:

We were lucky to know all of our vendors pretty well and trusted them to work their creative magic in their field of expertise. They all worked with us very closely to make sure they understood our vision for the overall look and feel of the day.

(List of Vendors provided at the end of article)

05. The Reception

Mike and Jasmine's reception was nothing short of epic. Beyond the setting and details, they made sure to party it up and dance the night away with almost every guest joining in on the dance floor. Jasmine also included two father-daughter dances along with Mike's mother-son dance, in order to give special attention to both of the important men in her life prior to Mike. This special moment was a thoughtful addition to their reception along with the traditions of toasts and cake-cutting.

06. Credits & Conclusion

The main take-away of Jasmine and Mike's wedding day was effortless moments due to a well-planned (and flexible) schedule and great communication with their vendors prior to their big day. Because they took the time before tieing the knot to enlist trusted professional vendors, they were able to enjoy their entire day without being asked to make millions of decisions or clarifications on the day of. Which if you ask me, makes for a flawless and memorable day full of love and not stress.

Vendor list:

Venue: The Owl's Nest (Coordinator: Taylor // Tented site at the main resort)

Photography: Kate Rautenberg Photography (with Second shooter: Stephanie Paulovich)

Videography: Tree Film Creatives

Hair & Makeup Team: Northern Charms Salon (Hair: Justine Styles // Makeup: Mikala Bastian)

Floral Design: Emily Herzig Floral Studio

Cake + Desserts: Henny B Cakes

DJ: Bloom 603

Bridal Boutique: Betty Dee Fashions