Haley and Dan : A Mallard's Croft Wedding - The Kenneys - Memphis Wedding & Portrait Photographers

There are some weddings that completely leave us speechless as we drive home. Haley and Dan’s wedding was one of those weddings. I hope that my feeble attempt to put words to their day does it justice.

You see everything about Haley and Dan’s day was just perfect! It was a beautiful sunny November day and the trees were perfectly filled with color, so much so that it reminded Haley of her home back up north in Vermont. While she wanted a New England wedding, Memphis made more sense for logistics and she still got the feel of a crispy fall east coast wedding!

But the weather and trees being in perfect color were just the very very tip of the iceberg for these two. What made their day so incredibly perfect were all their friends and family that surrounded them on their day! Their entire bridal party traveled from great distances to come and stand by these two. Each person standing up beside them was near and dear to their hearts and you could see that from the first moment we arrived! As we unpacked our gear we heard laughter from the big house down the hill and as we followed the laughter we were greeted by one of the warmest wedding parties we have had the honor of working with!

Haley and Dan rented out the entire main house of Mallard’s Croft for the weekend and they filled it with their friends and family! It was a full weekend of enjoying being back in the same city together. This is especially true for Haley’s bridesmaids and bridesmaid. You see they all went to Proctor boarding school in high school and they have a lasting friendship that was rooted in their formative years together. As Haley got ready every single member of her bridal party surrounded her and filled the room with joy and happiness for her. Each person went out of their way to compliment her on how beautiful she looked and how insanely happy they were for her! You could feel the love radiating from them as they supported their dear friend. Tears were shed as she got in there dress and then they were quickly wiped away as laughter soon filled the room. Everyone put Haley first that day and made her feel like the queen that she is! It was so much fun to watch Haley’s unique and special relationship with her sister Hillary and see them hold fast to one another as they missed their mom. Haley’s dad came in to help put on her veil and I had to hold back my own tears as the family shared a special moment all together.

And then there are Dan’s friends! When we finally found the words to fully express how we felt their day went, Philip couldn’t stop talking about Dan’s side of the bridal party. He went on and on about their support for Dan and how they were filled with joy to get to stand with him on his important day. Dan had invested so much into each member of the bridal party and it was their turn to help make his special day extra memorable. As the hung out sharing drinks and cigars you could tell that each person’s life had been positively impacted by their friendship with Dan. Dan’s siblings were there to support him and his sister Noel gave one of the most moving speeches as she conducted the wedding ceremony! Noel had everyone (and I mean everyone!!!) in tears as she spoke of Haley and Dan’s love for one another.

It took almost 8 years for this wedding to happen but every year was necessary and important in their relationship. They took time during those years to grow individually and together. They helped each other to chase after their dreams, even when they seemed a little crazy! Their mutual love for children’s books played a huge role in their time dating (and their engagement as Dan used Haley’s favorite book, Charlotte’s Webb to propose) and a special reading from The Velveteen Rabbit perfectly spoke of what their love is like; it is real which means it allows you to feel and that sense of feeling can bring joy and pain. But being real is the best part of living!! Haley and Dan’s relationship is beyond real and over the years they have felt pain and also the joy that comes when you have your best friend by your side through the pain.

As the night went on, the evening was filled with good drinks, amazing food from Andrew Michael’s Kitchen (Dan is a chef there!!), toasts from family and friends that again brought out the tears, and the most epic dance party there ever was! From the first dance to the last, the dance floor was packed with all their friends sharing in the happiness that is Haley and Dan together. It was hard for Haley to not have a continual smile on her face and Dan’s excitement equally matched hers! This wedding was not just about the couple, it was about sharing their love with their community of people! It was a great honor to watch over 100 people from all over the country come and encircle the couple with love, not just because Haley and Dan love each other, but because they love everyone they come in contact with so deeply! Words can’t seem to do it justice, so thankfully we are photographers and we hoped we captured what it felt like to be with Haley and Dan on their special day!

Take the time to read Dan’s note to Haley. The thoughtfulness of his gift to her is beyond words!

Haley’s mom passed away about five years ago and her dad got a little emotional during family pictures. It is so sweet to see Haley’s bridesmaids surround him with love as he wiped his tears away.