Brynn and Jake were married on March 7, 2016 with their ceremony and reception at the Primrose Cottage in Roswell, Georgia. The wedding was photographed by Melissa Bugg, read on for her thoughts on this second wedding with this wonderful family….
It’s hard to put into words exactly how special the Massey family is. Not just how special they are to me, but what special people they are. It was such a thrill for me to photograph Brynn and Jake’s wedding because I had the honor of photographing her sister Morgan’s wedding a year and a half prior. Being a part of Morgan’s special day allowed me to come to know and love the family. We communicated throughout the wedding planning process, the wedding day itself and I kept up with them by following the newlyweds’ adventures on social media.
Sadly, their father passed away shortly after Morgan’s wedding.
Mr. Massey’s speech at Morgan’s wedding is forever seared into my memory. There he was, in front of a hundred people, declaring how much in love he was with his wife and how he had only her to thank for what beautiful people his daughters turned out to be. I got teary eyed and had to remind myself to stay focused. Afterwards, he made a special effort come over to talk to me and express how happy he was that I was there. I was heartbroken for the family when he passed.
When the news came that Brynn and Jake were engaged, I received an email from Brynn stating that there was no other photographer for her than me. I was both elated and grateful.
The day of Brynn and Jake’s wedding dawned beautiful and sunny. I had planned on taking a few special photos to make sure her father’s spirit was still included. The ladies got ready in the cottage. In a touching gesture of family togetherness, Brynn and Morgan’s mother had their father’s wedding band melted down to fashion three identical rings for each of the girls. We took beautiful portraits on the steps and made our way down to the ceremony site.
There had been no rain in the forecast, but as soon as the doors opened to reveal Brynn and her mother, I felt a few droplets of water on my shoulder and knew it was about to rain. The skies opened up and it started to POUR. Not just a few drops, but a torrential downpour!
Brynn and her mother exchanged a smile and forged ahead. Rain or shine, this wedding was going to happen. I was dedicated to sticking by them no matter what! Later, everyone would agree that the rain was her father’s way of saying “if you can weather this storm, you can weather anything in your marriage.” Rain on your wedding day could potentially derail even the most composed bride, but not Brynn, Jake and all of their guests. No one got up, no one ran for cover. Instead of letting it ruin their time, they embraced it- with some guests even dancing in the rain!
“Because of the rain, we were all forced to put [on] a brave face and laugh at the troubles life throws at us! And honestly, it made for the most beautiful ceremony I could have ever asked for. This is the stuff you can’t plan!
Brynn and Jake’s wedding day was overflowing with love and beauty. This day was really meaningful to me. I truly felt like a part of their family. Not because I photographed two beautiful weddings of two sisters, but instead because of the way they treated me. They didn’t treat me like a vendor, they treated me like a part of the family. At each step of the process, they went out of their way to let me know how much I was appreciated and valued. I can’t help but feel like they got that from their father!
Brynn and Jake, I’m sure that your love will weather many more storms. Thank you for reminding me that sometimes, you need to just get out there and dance in the rain!