A Sundara Wedding in Virginia // Erik & Emily

I absolutely love filming outdoor weddings! I also love filming at the venue where Meredith and I got married. When Erik & Emily contacted us about filming outside and at our wedding venue, Sundara, I couldn’t have been more excited! Nothing beats a Sundara wedding! Let me tell you, the day certainly didn’t disappoint 😃

I once heard someone say that a couple who serves together, stays together. Erik and Emily met while volunteering at Special Olympics and have been in love ever since. Some of the Special Olympic athletes they coached attended the wedding, and it was so cool to see how much they loved Erik and Emily. When two people in a marriage have a heart for service, there is nothing that they can’t handle. I’m so excited to see the blessing their marriage will be for others!

The Wedding

Erik and Emily live in Washington, DC, so I am sure the natural sounds of their Sundara wedding were quite different from the natural sounds of the city! The sounds of the wind blowing through the trees and the creek babbling set a perfect backdrop for the wedding. The day started with Emily and her bridesmaids getting ready in the bridal room and Erik and the groomsmen playing pool and dressing in the cozy Groom’s room. I was so surprised to find that Jen, the stylist who cut my hair before my wedding, was the one doing Emily’s hair!

The Ceremony

After everyone finished getting ready, the crowd began to gather under Sundara’s old oak tree for the ceremony. Erik and Emily’s dog, the ring bearer, delighted the wedding guests and walked the aisle down to the alter. As Erik and Emily exchanged vows, I couldn’t help but notice how genuinely they spoke their promises to each other. I think it all comes back to that spirit of kindness and service that is innate in both of them. The vows are definitely my favorite part of their film 😃

The Reception

Maid of Honor, Megan Wilkinson, and Best Man, Dave Nyczepir, gave two beautiful toasts at the reception. You hear snippets of both toasts in the film, but I wanted to leave you with a quote from my favorite part of Dave’s toast:

“You render yourself vulnerable when you trust someone completely. You relinquish a part of yourself when you love someone wholeheartedly. But when you find someone in the entirety of existence to whom you are willing to secede those two things to, there is nothing more frighteningly beautiful or perfectly sacred.”