Surrounded by her closest friends and her soon to be mother-in-law and sister-in-law, Terianna was the picture of calm perfection in the presidential suite of the Metro Points Hotel as she prepared to marry her friend of so many years. Her friend Danielle said “we’ve all been friends since we were so young, so everyone is shocked that they are getting married, but it’s such a good thing!”. To say that everyone wanted the absolute best for these two was an understatement and I could feel the love as I began to shoot Teri’s bridal details.  That loved flowed both ways as Teri neatly arranged gifts for each of her bridesmaids on the bed of her suite and the love of her friends running last minute errands, prepping the reception space and going as far as extending their stay in this beautiful hotel.

As I went to meet Joel, I found him reading a handwritten letter from Teri.  I loved being able to capture him in the moment and in his own quiet space taking in the words she had prepared just for him.  He, too, seemed so calm and happy about what was on the verge of happening.  After the two met for their first look, Joel was so attentive to Teri’s every need from helping to fix her hair on this windy day to helping her carry her dress.  During the ceremony, Joel even jokingly completed Teri’s portion of her wedding vows by responding “she does” in place of Teri’s “I do”!

Once they were at the reception, the bridal party set the tone with their fun and energetic entrances and the new Mr. and Mrs. Atagwe entered their celebration to cheers and applause from their hundreds of awaiting guests. After dinner the couple thanked their guests for coming and Joel surprised Teri with a poem that he’d written just for her that brought Teri and many in the audience to both tears and laughter with his eloquent prose that was completely unexpected.  The evening continued with an all out party with the help of DJ Caliente.

Joel and Terianna, thank you for allowing me to document your wedding day!  I wish you years of continued happiness!  Below are a few of my favorite highlights from their wedding: