Best Moments From Our Intentional and God-Centered Wedding

The very best part of being a wedding photographer is sharing in the joy of so many incredible love stories. Now I am so grateful that I get to share my love story with you! David has been a blessing since he walked into my life and I can’t believe I got to marry such an amazing man. His love for God and the way that he is truly a man of Christ made it easy to fall in love with him. We planned our dream wedding just a couple of months ago, and I am so happy to share some of the best moments with the Lively Photography community! When we planned our wedding day, we wanted to have something more than just a celebration; we wanted a day that reflected our love, was centered in Christ, and was intentional in every way. Without further ado, here are some of our favorite moments and details from our wedding day:

Our Decor

We chose to keep our wedding decor simple to let the natural beauty of our venue, Botanica, shine. Botanica is one of my favorite spots in the whole city of Wichita. The meticulously curated gardens, art installations, and water features create the perfect backdrop for a romantic Wichita wedding. We are also grateful for the unexpected gifts we received from our friends at LeLuci, Radiantly Curated, and Presh which added a touch of magic to our wedding day while embracing the enchanting backdrop Botanica provides.

Christ-Centered Moments

One of the most important aspects of our wedding was keeping it Christ-centered. We wanted the entire day to reflect our love for God. Instead of having a pre-ceremony first look, we came together for a prayer without seeing each other before walking down the aisle. David wanted to see me for the first time during our wedding ceremony, and sharing a prayer allowed us to have a special moment together to center ourselves before making our vows. Looking back, this is one of my favorite moments from our wedding day! We also had one of my close friends, Ashley Secrist, sing “The Goodness of God” after I walked down the aisle as an act of worship. We then had our families pray over our marriage before we said our vows and exchanged rings. Adding these moments of worship not only brought us joy but also created a beautiful start to our marriage.

Intentional Choices

We also had a few non-traditional details on our big day. Since we both love ice cream, we chose to skip the wedding cake and serve ice cream as a sweet treat instead! This added a personal touch to our celebration that felt just right. Another intentional decision we made was selecting a meaningful person in our lives to officiate our wedding. Our officiant actually played a significant role in bringing us together! And as a unique twist—he wasn’t ordained before so he got ordained for our wedding. Choosing someone meaningful added a heartfelt touch to our ceremony. I would highly recommend discussing traditional wedding customs with your partner before planning your wedding. If there is a tradition that isn’t important to both of you, why not try something a little different that feels more personal?

Wedding officiant wearing a red suit at a non-traditional outdoor daytime wedding ceremony

Bride and groom enjoying ice cream instead of wedding cake

Creating Time for Each Other

Another way we approached our day intentionally was by carving out time after the ceremony to be alone and share a meal before the reception. We are so happy we prioritized those moments of connection on such a whirlwind day. Our timeline was strategically planned and different than a typical wedding day. We had our ceremony at 1:00 pm and our reception ended at 4:00 pm. Then my hair and makeup team came back to do touchups so we could take portraits at the end of the day.

Our wedding day was more than just an event; it was a journey of love, prayer, and intentional choices that reflected our values and love story. From choosing decor rooted in nature to following an unconventional timeline, we are so happy that we made intentional choices. I hope you can add personal touches and create beautiful moments on your wedding day so you can create a day that is uniquely yours as well!