When Jennifer and Curtis first reached out to me I was intrigued by their story, and their wedding date of March 23 which is also my birthday. I hadn’t photographed a wedding on my birthday yet, but I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate! Their wedding at Gigi’s Country Garden in Plant City, FL did not disappoint! The photos I looked up on Google looked pretty interesting and unique, but did not prepare me for seeing the unique, artistic, and creative space in person. Gigi’s space includes a plethora of all home-made glass, metal, found art, mixed-media sculptures, installations, and of course stunning vibrant plants. There are fountains made out of brass instruments, wine bottles, and classic cars. Intricate wood working including a water wheel, enormous fireplace, ceremony space, and bridge. While all of this looks charming during the day, it all comes to life as the sun sets, and dusk turns into night. The copious amount of carefully placed warm lights makes Gigi’s Country Garden something straight out of a fairytale.

I met with Jennifer and Curtis over coffee and felt a great connection with them, and I felt great going into the wedding day. The weather was sublime at a perfect breezy 70-something degrees, just like Monica and Phillip’s wedding the day before. Both Curtis and Jennifer’s families and friends were all so friendly and accommodating. Both my second photographer Tiffany and I, had a blast chatting with them as we worked and getting to know even more about this super cool couple! Rumor has it that Curtis may have injured his arm slightly at his bachelor party, but I will neither confirm nor deny this. Either way he was a super cool about having his picture taken, and made sure both Tiffany and I had all of the shots we needed and wanted to get. He was truly a model groom!

Together, Jennifer and Curtis were so easy to photograph and their love for each other radiates in the fun images we created. Combined with the whimsical decor of Gigi’s Country Garden, this wedding was a dream come true. It was also so heartwarming to have Curtis’s brother who is currently in the Navy on FaceTime during the wedding ceremony! Again, Curtis and Jennifer were so patient and allowed us to use all of the spaces we wanted at Gigi’s – and I am pretty proud of the portraits we came up with, especially the one in front of the fireplace at dusk. I don’t expect to be treated like family at every wedding, but Curtis and Jennifer went above and beyond to do so. The brisket, mac and cheese, and cake was on point! Thank you for sharing it with me!

I’ve included a few more detail shots than I normally do because of just how magical the vibe of this space was. I hope to work there again, and hopefully with another couple who make our jobs easy!