A Paducah Kentucky Wedding

I’m an obsessive weather checker on days leading up to any given wedding day (or portrait session, for that matter) and am constantly checking my phone’s radar app throughout the wedding day, always on the look out for what might be coming our way during scheduled portrait times. It was no surprise that Ashley & Matt’s wedding day would hold rain, rain, and more rain, but I was praying that we’d have at least a small break in the clouds some time!

I kept Ashley aware of the situation all morning and let her decide whether or not to keep to our plans to do her and Matt’s first look outside at our old high school’s football field – where Matt proposed over a year ago! The slight sprinkle had developed into a drizzle but her hairstylist reminded her that she’d regret it if we didn’t at least try. So try we did but it wasn’t long before the drizzle turned into rain… we rushed through the first look and relocated their bridal party portraits to the front porch of White Haven, my go-to portrait spot for rainy Paducah wedding days! In my opinion, sometimes porch locations turn out just as beautiful! And thank goodness for Ashley’s hair stylist/family member who stayed to fix her hair before the ceremony! But I was still crossing my fingers for a few rain-free moments between the ceremony and reception…

And I got my wish! But only for enough time to grab family portraits and the most lovely fall foliage Bride & Groom portraits I could have hoped for on such a day! It may have been sprinkling on us but my couples are rockstars and go the distance for their portraits! And when the sprinkling turned back into rain, we stopped off at another sentimental location for Ashley & Matt – Paducah’s Historic Coke Plant! The Bridal Party enjoyed a drink at Dry Grounds while I sweet-talked a bartender into letting us into the heart of the building for a handful of portraits. THREE portrait locations in one wedding day? Yes please!

Now allow me to gush over the gorgeousness that was the reception venue… Ashley’s creative mind and her mom and grandmother’s skillful hand decorated Carson Park’s Floral Hall and made it into a masterpiece! I would have never know it was capable of being such a beautiful venue! Locals will know the Floral Hall as the ticket area for the McCracken County Fair every year. I will now only remember it from this wedding day!

Ashley’s family heirloom ring turned into a necklace… gorgeous!

Batman cufflinks. Because, why not?!

You guys, we had such big plans for this football field but we took what we could get!

What did I tell you? White Haven porch portraits do not disappoint!

Don’t let the following images fool you. It was still raining, but that’s how awesome Ashley & Matt are!

Finally got some portraits, sans rain! We were so lucky that the outside of the First Christian Church of Paducah is so pretty!

Coke Plant! Ashley was hoping the building would be turned into an event center so that they could have their reception there but a few portraits would just have to do 🙂

What a perfect menu for a cool wet day! I might have gone back for seconds of the taco soup!