Erin and Sam had such a beautiful wedding at the Historic Rumely Event Space and the Rainbow Mennonite Church.

This wedding seriously had everything a photographer could ever want. A gorgeous bridal suite, a dinosaur costume, a snake….yep, that’s right. That’s what happens when you get married in the West Bottoms during Halloween season.

Anyway, let’s first talk about the dinosaur costume. A couple days before the wedding, Erin sent me an email apologizing for the last minute notice but was wondering if there’s anyway we could squeeze a fake first look into the timeline. My answer was obviously yes. I love having the chance to do anything different, and a first look with the best man in a dinosaur costume definitely falls under that category.

After the fake first look, we had the real thing and then I took Erin and Sam on an adventure around the West Bottoms. The best part about having a first look is all the additional time we have to explore.

The ceremony took place at the Rainbow Mennonite Church, and let me tell you, this building is gorgeous.

Following, we headed back to the Rumely for some incredible sunset pictures. I was really skeptical about having sunset pictures in the West Bottoms. With the low ground and buildings, I assumed it would be impossible. Well, I was wrong. We didn’t get a panoramic view of the sun actually setting, but we did have some amazing colors in the sky.

The night ended with a fun party complete with a live band. This band sure kept the party going.

We couldn’t head out before taking some gorgeous night shots though. When we walked outside, the whole block was filled with haunted house goers and we saw a sign for a large snake next door. Given it was their wedding day, Erin agreed to get pictures taken with the snake. She even said she is only doing this because it’s her wedding. I would say the pictures are definitely worth the terror she was experiencing. Moral to the story, if you get married in the West Bottoms during October, expect some crazy stuff to happen.

Thank you Erin and Sam for allowing me to be part of your special day. Here’s your full preview!

Venue: Historic Rumely Event Space

Florist: Cosentino’s

Band: The Wedding Crashers

Catering: Cosentino’s

Gown: The White Dress

Share your inspiration and the atmosphere you’re creating for your wedding.

My mom has described the atmosphere as “sophisticated whimsy”. I want it to feel soft, dreamy and romantic but also classic.

Share how (or why) you chose your wedding venue(s).

We both liked the location but loved the beautiful floors and ceiling inside. I loved the chandeliers and Sam loved the bar! We liked that it felt big and open but still intimate.

What is your most valuable piece of advice you can share with future couples planning their wedding?

Everyone says enjoy it, and you definitely should. But also know that sometimes you won’t and that’s okay.

What was your favorite part of the planning process?

For us, planning the wedding is one of the first big “projects” that we’ve worked on so closely together. It was nice to see that we can compromise and problem solve because apparently there will be a lot more of that in the actual marriage! 🙂