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WEDDINGS // ENGAGEMENT // SPECIAL SEASONS // PERSONAL

Bethany Cummings 10/4/20 Bethany Cummings 10/4/20

Virginia Mountain Wedding: On the Glen at Glenburn Farms

I’ve never felt so much joy, relief, and accomplishment for my couples as I have this season… For Lindsey and Palmer, their time of engagement included planning a wedding… being long distance… in the midst of a global pandemic.

The intentionality and detail that went into this day made it all the more special! Lindsey personalized every aspect of their wedding. She and her dad even built and stained the wood pieces used at the ceremony and reception! Every piece came together so beautifully and the day was an absolute dream!

Congratulations Mr + Mrs Peery, I couldn’t be more thrilled for you two!

Venue: On the Glen on Glenburn Farm

Second Shooter: Carissa Divant

Catering: Mission BBQ

Makeup: Makeup by Ravishing

Hair: Morgan Hannah

Cake: Casey’s Cakes

Flowers: Buchanan Florist

Videographer: ValCinema

DJ: Blue Ridge Entertainment

Bethany Cummings 9/20/20 Bethany Cummings 9/20/20

Fall Williamsburg Wedding: TJ + Sydney

Sydney and TJ have trudged through their “Covid wedding season” like absolute champions! From the beautiful burgundy + gold woven through their details, to the personalized gifts and signs… (oh, and the chameleon!) it was clear how much thought and hard work went into making their day as beautiful as it was.

It’s no exaggeration to say that TJ was completely captivated by Sydney all day long and they were both so overjoyed to finally call one another “husband” and “wife!” Both were highly honored in front of friends and family as speeches were given and hearing their love story told from both sides made it abundantly clear what a perfect match they truly are. One of my favorite moments of the entire day was the “last dance” that TJ + Sydney chose to do. All of the guests exited the reception to prepare for their send off but TJ + Sydney took time to themselves to just soak in the final moments of their day. The weight of the moment was tangible and it felt like the entire world stopped. I say it often but I truly feel it is nothing short of an honor to be entrusted to capture these precious moments for people to look back on for a lifetime.

Congratulations Mr + Mrs Smokstad!

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12/30/18 12/30/18

2018 Recap & Favorites!

Well HELLO there! It has been awhile but I am still here! :) At the beginning of 2018 I set a goal for myself to blog every wedding that I shot this year… and if you follow along with me you may notice that did NOT happen. 2018 threw me a few curveballs, including the addition of another job that I am absolutely loving! I am having to re-learn how/where to budget my time and will be making a few changes to my business in the upcoming year to ensure clients receive the greatest experience possible. In lieu of individual posts, I want to post a year-long recap with a few of my favorite images.

Many people reading this have been following my photography journey from the moment I announced I would be starting a business back in 2015. I’ve tried to be fairly transparent with the process that this has been for me and this post is no different! Placing images side by side that were taken up to ELEVEN months apart has been so helpful for me to see inconsistencies in my work. However, many of the images also made me feel proud as I remembered the intentional, educated decisions that I made to capture that specific moment as beautifully as possible.

I did something a little crazy earlier this year… I unfollowed more that 300 photographers on Instagram. I realized I was starting to feel the pressure of conforming to trends/styles that weren’t my own and comparing myself to others who have been in business three times longer than I have. Yall! SO UNHEALTHY. I started to question everything about something I once did simply because it made me feel so alive. So I began stepping out of my comfort zone and pursued creating images that made my heart feel so full at times I could barely stand it. (If you’ve been on the other side of my camera you know exactly what I’m referring to… and there are usually some squeals involved.) The result? Personal growth, shared joy, and a deep satisfaction in my work knowing it was from the depths of my very own heart.

If you’ve made it this far in the “wordy” part of this post (thank you!) here are a few take-aways from BGP’s 2018 season: I love joy. True, genuine expression of how people feel in a specific moment. I saw huge growth in my ability to make bold decisions about locations and lighting to create the images that I wanted. I pushed myself and worked hard to learn how to use off camera flash- on manual. It has been an absolute GAME CHANGER for reception photos! I bought my very first film camera (that’s a story for another blog)! Oh, and I obviously LOVE veils! I couldn’t get enough of them this season and intentionally incorporated them into portraits. Wow, what a year. I will always look back on 2018 as a milestone for my business. This was the year I truly felt my knowledge, desire-to-serve, and skill fully merge to define “Bethany Grace Photography!”

To be truthful, it was extremely difficult to narrow down the photos below to an even barely reasonable amount. Some images may look familiar to you, others have been caged up in my hard drive begging for daylight. I would hate for this year to pass without sharing them. I hope they bring you as much joy as they bring me!

Happy New Year!

8/15/18 8/15/18

Richard + Caroline | Married!!

These faces probably look familiar from their Downtown Lynchburg engagement session in February! I first met Caroline when she was just in eighth grade, so seeing her step into her delicate wedding gown was oh-so surreal.

I'm a serial Weather Channel stalker the week leading up to any wedding. My heart continued to sink as the 80% chance of thunderstorms never waivered- even the night before the wedding. BUT we woke up to sunshine and a forecast calling for beautiful weather until the exact hour of Richard + Caroline's grand exit!

The bridal party and family spent a quiet, calm morning preparing for the day ahead and it was clear the bride and groom were so loved by everyone around them as they helped pull the final details together! Caroline + Richard were married in Virginia's oldest church. I had been looking forward to seeing this beautiful venue and it did NOT disappoint! The dark wood and beautiful stained glass windows set the stage beautifully for the sacred covenant that would be taking place beneath its cathedral ceiling.

After Richard + Caroline were pronounced husband and wife, guests enjoyed barbecue while celebrating the new couple! I loved the unique details that were included in the reception to make it their own... breaking a cookie instead of cutting the cake and waving ribbons on their way out the door! Portraits were scheduled for after send off, so I met back up with Richard and Caroline after they drove away. The moment that we stepped out of our cars, the skies just opened up on us! They handled it like absolutely champions and we made the most of our time together before parting ways.

This was truly such a special day filled with this sweet couple's closest friends, family members, and influential people that had poured into and prayed for them over the years. <3

5/23/18 5/23/18

Wilson + Brittany | Wedding

Brittany and Wilson's wedding day was nothing short of elegant and romantic! The forecast had been calling for thunderstorms all week long but when the big day came, we never saw a rain drop. The bridal party was so attentive to their sweet friend's every need and there was no shortage of laughter and happy tears.

I loved watching the way that Brittany took in and cherished each moment of this day. It was so clear that this precious bride and groom had prepared not just for their wedding, but to step into their new roles as husband and wife... there was a sacred heaviness as Brittany walked toward Wilson and each element of the ceremony carried great meaning.

The reception was full of dancing, tacos, and a maracaexit! It was perfectly fitting for a Cinco de Mayo wedding... or as their very clever hashtag called it-