Bride and groom pose on the stairs at the Gaylord Palms

wedding

April 11, 2017

Wedding Photography & Videography | Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee

Orlando Wedding Photographer & Videographer | Courtney & Mike

I had such a blast with these two during their engagement session at UCF last Summer and I knew from that brief time I spent with them that their wedding day was going to be nothing short of amazing! And I was SO right. It was so much fun capturing all of the incredible moments between them, their families and closest friends. And of course all of their fraternity and sorority brothers and sisters were there to party the night away and let me tell you– they know how to party! Together they laughed, they cried and they created some truly amazing memories.

Their ceremony and reception took place at the beautiful Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, just south of Orlando. It’s such an expansive property that they were both able to get ready there without ever running into each other. Their wedding ceremony took place in the atrium which has incredible natural light while still being fully covered and air conditioned which is perfect for any weather.

There were so many awesome moments, but I think my favorite part of the entire day as the photographer was capturing the way that Mike looks at Courtney with so much love in his eyes. Even in a still photograph, you can clearly see that his heart is filled with so much love for her and it really was something special. I asked Courtney a little more about her and Mike and here’s what she had to say!

How did you and your fiance meet?

On the night of March 29, 2009, a few of my best friends and I were bored and wanted to get into some mischief. Since we had a good relationship with Mike’s fraternity brothers, we decided to make them our target. So we came up with this clever plan to play pranks on all of their cars. Because we didn’t know where they all lived, we figured we would kidnap one of them to be our guide. Of course we chose Mike as our victim because I knew I could easily get him to come over! Once he arrived, I had my friends hide in the closet. We talked for a little bit and then I told him I wanted to play a game that included blindfolding him. At first he was hesitant but eventually gave in. While blindfolded, my friends snuck out the closet and we all circled around him. Once I had him take his blindfold off, you would of thought he saw a ghost! We tied him up and put him in the car and made him show us where all his different fraternity brothers lived. That night was filled with so much excitement, laughter, and entertainment. He was a good sport throughout the night and I was able to see a different side to him than the “charming ladies man” persona that he gave off. After that night, our relationship began to cultivate. Texting turned into hanging out, hanging out turned into dating.. and on September 14, 2009, we made it official.

How did the proposal go down?

After 6 years of courtship, on Valentine’s Day 2015, Mike got down on one knee, on the balcony of our dinner cruise ship, and asked me to marry him. The outpouring love we have received from our family and friends is astonishing and we can’t wait to celebrate our union with the people we love.

Vendors:

Venue – Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center

Wedding Coordinator – Joie de Vie Weddings & Events

Cake – Party Flavors Custom Cakes

Ceremony Soloist – Stephanie Hayes

Rentals – Orlando Wedding & Party Rentals

DJ/Lighting – Groove Maestros (Carl & Andre)

Floral – Floral Creations by Blanca

Hair Stylist – Lavish Looks – Darnisha Parker

Makeup Artist – Brittney Tyler

Officiant – Pastor Charles Jones

Stationery – Hugs & Bliss