Intimate Backyard Wedding near Atlanta, GA

My First Wedding as an Atlanta Wedding Photographer!

Located in Marietta, Georgia this intimate backyard wedding near Atlanta, GA will forever be so close to my heart! Not only was it my first ever solo wedding, but it was also the wedding of my high school best friend!!

This is the craziest story! You ready?

I went to high school in San Diego, California. Throughout high school my ride or die was Taryn! She ended up moving to Columbus, Ohio with me after we graduated. We lived together for two years. Then we ended up living separately for one. For whatever reason we started drifting apart and going our separate ways. She stayed in Ohio and I moved here, to Atlanta.

I believe Taryn stayed in Ohio for another year or so after I left and then went on to live in a few different states across the country.

Over the years we would reach out to one another occasionally, just the quick “Hey how are you doing” kind of chats through social media.

Fast Forward to February 2021.

This is when I was just starting to push my photography hobby into a full on business. I had done a few family sessions and I was curious about weddings. But I didn’t really know how to get started. I signed up for a couple styled shoots and was reaching out to try to be a second shooter, but I wanted to some how book my own wedding!

Then, low and behold, I get a message from Taryn. At this point I knew she was living in Tennessee going to school. She reaches out asking me about my photography and if I did weddings. She told me she was getting married in May, in MARIETTA! 20 minutes from my house!! I’m sorry, what?!

She met Marcel, who lived in Marietta, and decided to move here to be with him and get married! So of course, I said YES!! I could not believe that my first wedding was booked and it was for one of my oldest, best friends!! SO WILD!

Now, let’s get to THE WEDDING!

Taryn and Marcel wanted a small and intimate wedding, much like most brides in 2021. They landed on using Marcel’s parents backyard, which is full of beautiful trees and flowers!

Marcels family is from Brazil and many of them only speak Portuguese, so they had a family friend translate during the ceremony, and it was absolutely beautiful! The alter gave off boho vibes which was so Taryn!

My favorite thing about this wedding was the closeness of everyone in attendance. Small weddings are known for being more intimate, but this one was different. I was essentially a stranger to everyone here, which is the case for photographers at most weddings, but they made me feel like family. Truly like family!

Marcels parents have a smoker pit in their backyard and during the ceremony they were barbecuing up some Brazilian goodness!! The smoke actually made its way into some of the photos!

I couldn’t have asked for a better first wedding! It was so romantic and special! And now it’s crazy to think that now I am a full time wedding photographer!

Also, I was so thankful it was small! Ha! I was so incredibly nervous, but Marcel and Taryn were so kind to me and made me feel so welcome that the nerves quickly went away!

XOXO,

Rachel