Cheslyn and Leon | Romantic Fall Wedding | Riley Vinyards

I’ve been so excited to make this blog post because Cheslyn and Leon’s wedding day was sort of perfect. Not only was it a clear, windless Oklahoma day (crazy, right?), but perfect because of two people. I’m sure you can guess from the title of this post those two people are Cheslyn and Leon. They couldn’t stop smiling the whole day. They couldn’t stop laughing the whole day. I love when days unfold so perfectly and everyone is just happy. Not to say that I ever photograph weddings were people aren’t happy, but you could just feel how happy Leon and Cheslyn were that day. You could just see it, from the way Leon looked at Cheslyn every time he saw her, even if she couldn’t see him. The way Cheslyn smiled so big when she saw herself in her dress, or when she saw Leon for the first time that day and ran to him. Or at the end of the night when I came outside to find Cheslyn and Leon slow dancing together under the stars while the rest of the guests were away. I love these moments so much. They radiated happiness and love, and I’m just so grateful that they chose me to be there with them to capture that for them.
While these two are great, I just want to talk about Leon here for a moment. While sitting down at dinner, one of the wedding guests told me about a time when Cheslyn and Leon first started dating. Leon planned this elaborate surprise date for Cheslyn, enlisting the help of her roommate to arrange for her to find in her room a brand new outfit, shoes, accessories and all, and a note for her. After hearing this story I looked up at the head table where they were sitting, still “awwing” in my head when I saw Leon do or say something to make Cheslyn laugh out loud. Photographers remember these moments I think because they say more than photos can capture. And at that time I wished that my camera was in hand rather than the taco I was eating. (But the taco was still delicious.)
Leon is just so kind and loving towards everyone, and especially Cheslyn. I’ll just tell you again the way he looks at her… well, i’ll let you see for yourself. Heart melting. This is the stuff of movies, guys.
All in all- Simply a wonderful day. They put a lot of work into their gorgeous decor; beautiful, delicate garden roses graced the tables and a soft, feminine palette just made everything feel so romantic. Not only was the decor and venue incredibly gorgeous, but two wonderful people were able to celebrate their love with their best friends and family and promised each other forever.

Enjoy. <3