If you had told me when my mom called me and said, “I sat next to a photographer on the plane home and I think she should do your wedding,” that I would not only hire her, but genuinely consider her a friend by the end of it all, I probably would have laughed. In fact I did laugh. My initial thought was definitely, “Yeah, right, Mom I am not hiring a random person you sat next to on a plane.” But, to appease her I set up a meeting anyway. And from the very first conversation I had with Ariah, I couldn't help but love her. My mom loves to take credit for this but it's all Ariah, she is a literal ray of sunshine.

Our wedding planning journey was… tumultuous to say the least. We changed themes, venues, catering, bar service, and even the entire season of the year that we were getting married in. At some points, it felt like absolutely everything was changing except for the fact that I was still going to marry my fiancé, and I knew who would be taking the photos. Through every single change, Ariah was the constant. She never made me feel like I was being difficult or like I was inconveniencing her. Instead, she was right there with me through all of it. She sent multiple Pinterest boards, helped me think through ideas I hadn't even considered, and our scheduled 30 minute FaceTimes somehow regularly turned into hours of talking.

One of the things I appreciated most about Ariah was that she never made our wedding feel like a photoshoot. I went into this with very few rules or expectations and gave her a lot of creative freedom, and I could not be happier that I did. She documented our day in a way that felt completely authentic to us. There was never a feeling of having to fake a reaction, pretend something happened, or constantly stop what we were doing to recreate a moment for a photo. She has such an incredible ability to observe what is happening and somehow perfectly capture the feeling of it.

This was especially important to me because my husband does NOT enjoy taking photos. When something feels staged, he becomes an awkward smiler almost immediately. I was honestly a little nervous about how that would translate into our wedding photos, but Ariah completely changed that experience for him. She made everything feel so natural that he actually had a great time taking photos, which, for him, is saying a lot. Looking through our gallery, I don't see forced smiles or awkward poses. I see him as he actually is, and I see us as we actually are. I was laughing at him for how many buttons he had unbuttoned by the end of the night but even those photos with his friends and bandmates are so funny and ended up being some of my favorites, I know we will be looking back at those for many years.

Stunning doesn't even begin to cover how amazing the photos are. The film photos in particular are some of my absolute favorites. Ariah made absolute art out of our day, and she delivered in a way that exceeded anything I could have imagined. It is one thing to see portfolios of her work from other weddings but it's something else entirely when it's you and the people you love in the picture. Our gallery doesn't just feel like a collection of pictures, they are all of the little moments, the big emotions, the people we love, the atmosphere, and all of the things that made the day ours.

Ariah also cared about so much more than just getting the photos. She was an advocate for us throughout the planning process and on the wedding day making sure what we wanted was the priority, and she balanced demanding family members so well. I applaud her, she wears many hats. She helped us think through timelines and details, offered insight when we didn't even know what questions to ask, and was willing to step in and make decisions when it meant we could relax and enjoy ourselves. I never felt like I had to manage her or worry about whether something was getting captured. I trusted her completely.

Not only did she bring me my wedding dress to the church day of, she also drove to Franklin TN and picked up my veil from the bridal shop and flew it to me in Texas before the wedding! She is the literal definition of going the extra mile. I can't even count how many times she saved the day before the day even arrived. That level of care extended to our guests as well. She wasn't just someone moving around the room with a camera. She was genuinely engaged with our family and friends, and somehow made people feel comfortable around her almost immediately. By the end of the weekend, it really did feel like she had become part of our group.

Most importantly, Ariah was a peaceful presence during what can be an incredibly overwhelming season of life. Wedding planning can come with so many moving pieces and so much stress, and having someone there who made everything feel lighter was invaluable. I always felt like I could ask her anything, talk through anything, or change my mind about anything. Nothing ever felt off limits, and she was always honest, kind, and incredibly reassuring. I think the best way I can describe the experience is that I didn't just hire a photographer, I gained a friend, an advocate, and someone I completely trusted with one of the most important days of my life.

I am so grateful my mom happened to sit next to Ariah on that airplane, because that random conversation somehow led me to the person who captured our wedding more beautifully and authentically than I ever could have imagined. I hope when Tre and I are laughing together reminiscing on these photos in 30 years that I am still texting them to Ariah as well. I want to keep her forever! If you're considering working with Ariah, I genuinely cannot recommend her enough. Trust her, give her the creative freedom, and let her do what she does best. You will end up with photographs that are beautiful, unique, and that feel completely like you. You will also gain an advocate and an absolute gem of a friend. She's the entire package!

With so much love,
Shelby Acker