Leslie Roark Photography ~ Unique, Fun and Friendly in Pensacola, Destin and Beyond!

So I know to many it seems as though it has taken me forever. In truth it has. Melissa and I were working frantically to find songs that were perfect for both, yes both, of the slideshows but I think we finally hit it out of the ballpark.

In any case, now unfolds the story of Nick and Melissa's wedding.

Almost exactly a year ago, I answered the phone to one of the sweetest most excited voices I've ever talked to. As I listened intently to the woman on the other end of the phone I grew more and more excited. You see, I was about to book MY first out of state wedding. (I had traveled with a great photographer friend to shoot many weddings but this one was mine!) Melissa had seen my work from Eve and Brad's wedding and didn't want anyone else to do her pictures. Let me just say that after a few more days of working out package details and such, I was doing the happy dance!

Over the next couple months I grew even more excited! Luckily for me April was fast approaching and I would soon be flying to D.C. to shoot Melissa and Nick's engagement portraits. What happened next was totally unexpected.
When I meet or speak with potential clients the one thing I always encourage them to do is pick the photographer that they are most comfortable with. One that makes them feel like a life long friend. When I finally met Melissa, my feelings of this were confirmed! It was as if we had grown up together. We just clicked! After the engagement shoot my friendship with Melissa continued to blossom and come January we were so close that I shed several tears throughout her wedding. I mean seriously.. we talk almost every other day!

So the Thursday before her wedding I flew up to Maryland and stayed that night at her families house helping her make sure she was packed and ready for the wedding festivities to start on Friday. We decorated church pews, filled welcome bags and took care of other last minute details on Friday. Then came the rehearsal dinner! I'm only posting a few of rehearsal dinner because this post is going to be never ending!

This first picture proved perfect practice for the ring bearer Ryan. He knew exactly what he was doing!

Then everyone headed to bed to get ready for the next day.

We started off in one of the VIP suites of the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina. While Melissa wrote her letter to Nick we got some of the details.

This picture is very fitting because Melissa is an aspiring photographer!

Then I got this sweet moment between Melissa and her mom. This is when I first shed tears...

See what I mean.. in his way he told us exactly what he would be doing at the wedding!!

The grand entrance to the reception

Now on to the day after.. some of these I posted in their day after sneak but they are still some of my favorites!

To see more of their amazing wedding day and day after shoot.. click on each picture below!

Melissa and Nick,
Your love for each other is amazing. It's in the way you look at one another. It's deep down in the core of each of you. You two were meant to be together forever. That radiates not only from the pictures of the two of you, but from each of you individually as well. Word's will never describe what being your wedding photographer has meant to me. So, I will simply say THANK YOU and I love you both!

I also want to give a huge thank you to Kricia for coming with me to second shoot!