Ben & Nicole: Wedding

Ben and Nicole started out as coworkers. Then they became friends. And then, Oops! They fell madly in love. The kind of love where they cannot help but smile when they look at each other. I had a chance to study those smitten glances this weekend as I shot their beautiful boat wedding! This wedding was one of the most unique weddings I’ve ever seen. Everything about it was classy, but still casual and fun. The nautical location made for a fun adventure. It was the kind of wedding that you couldn’t be late to… or you’d be left on shore! I’ll tell you more about this wedding as we move along, so take a look at Ben and Nicole’s wedding on the S.S. Lillypad II on Lake Wawasee.

Nicole was all decked out in a Nicole Miller dress, Nina Shoes, and a Nina Sash. Her wedding coordinator at Nordstrom really helped her pull her look together from suggesting wedges for an outdoor wedding so that she didn’t sink into the dirt in heels (genius!!) to helping her pick out the perfect statement earrings.

Ben and Nicole’s wedding day had temperatures up to 105 with a heat index of at least 112. With the help of Hope from The Red Stiletto, Nicole’s airbrush makeup stated on all day through all of the heat, humidity, and breezes. At the end of the day she STILL looked flawless. I was absolutely amazed by the durability of her look. I cannot sing Hope’s praises enough.

Nicole’s flowers came from Anderson Greenhouse. I loved the soft pink petals of her bouquet. It was really lovely.

Ben and Nicole wanted a very low-key family wedding. They only had about 50 guests, mostly relatives, and their three hour boat tour determined the length of their reception. For that reason, they wanted to do all of their photos in advance and decided to do a first look session. Here’s their first sighting of each other. They are both such beautiful people inside and out!

Here’s one of those glances I was talking about. They can’t help but smile at each other. Pardon me while I swoon…

Ben’s friend Mike and Nicole’s sister Kelsey rounded out this wedding party very nicely. Their two attendants were so sweet and helpful. And did I mention that they suffered through the heat for Ben and Nicole? Total troupers!!

The pastor mentioned during the ceremony that his grandson thinks Nicole looks like a Barbie. I can’t completely agree though… Barbie doesn’t have killer dimples like this knockout does. So, you know… Nicole-1, Barbie-0.

This ceremony was so sweet and beautiful. I really enjoyed hearing the pastor describe these two and their love for each other.

And the gorgeous panoramic views around the ceremony were pretty breathtaking as well.

Ben and Nicole decided to buck almost all of the normal wedding reception traditions in favor of just hanging out with their family and friends. The one tradition they didn’t want to forego was the cutting of the cake. This beautiful masterpiece is the creation of Custom Cakes by Megan. It smelled amazing and I heard several guests oo-ing, ah-ing, and marveling in amazement over the flavor of the cake. It was a vanilla cake with cinnamon-honey buttercream frosting under the layer of fondant. That frosting was a HUGE hit!

These sisters just LOVED the boat! When I snapped this shot, I heard their grandmother say “that’ll be a really cute picture!” and their dad said “But I’ll look like a terrible parent.” So, in his defense, I’d like to let you all know he stepped out of the way for the photo, and he was really only a few feet away out of the frame. No toddlers were harmed in the taking of this photo.

This cousin’s reunion was absolutely adorable. And I REEEEALLY got a kick out of watching the kids walk up to the bar to order lemonades. Too cute!

Congratulations Ben and Nicole! I was so thrilled to be part of your relaxed, fun, nautical wedding. Any wedding on a boat is bound to be a good time, but the two of you made it amazing. Best wishes as you move forward in your new life as husband and wife!!