Samantha and Tim's wedding was one of those days that you'd picture if you imagined a peaceful summer wedding in the south. They were married at the Pines at Sheltowee, under the shade of the trees with the Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky right behind them.

The barn was elegantly rustic on the inside with big windows everywhere to let in plenty of natural light for Samantha's bridal portraits. Her gown had a beautiful lacy train and she carried a bouquet in a pastel pink and blue palette, while her bridesmaids carried baby's breath. The reception hall, where Samantha's family served food they made themselves, was decorated with hints of blush. The clouds rolled in during the wedding ceremony, keeping the sun off of everyone on this 90-degree day. The rain held off until after the ceremony and it only began sprinkling towards the very end of the bridal party photos. Luckily, the sun was back out during the golden hour, and you know how I love the way golden hour sun lights up hair like Samantha’s.

Their dog, Tux, walked down the aisle with Tim’s parents and sat quietly for the ceremony and some pictures. Since Tim is a herpetologist (someone who studies reptiles), his brother and best man mentioned during his speech that he was only allowed to have one room in the new house for critters. It only made sense for their getaway car to have drawings of some of the many animals he’s worked with.

I had always imagined that Kentucky would kind of look like West Virginia, where I first started to be conscious of taking “good” pictures of the mountains that would show people who weren’t there exactly how beautiful something could be. After many years of learning to take better pictures, combining a backdrop like that with the joy of a wedding makes me so happy. Samantha and Tim’s wedding perfectly combined those two and more. Here are some of my favorites from this gorgeous Kentucky day!