As soon as they got engaged, Ashton + Thomas knew they wanted an intimate backyard wedding in the country.

This wedding will be forever etched in my memory as one of the most adventure-filled ones this spring: the combination of the quaint country setting and sudden summer rainstorm made for truly unforgettable backyard wedding photography.

Their ceremony and reception took place outside on a beautiful piece of property owned by Ashton’s family friends in Wadesboro, NC., just twenty miles from the small town of Norwood.

Ashton was raised by her dad and grandparents in Norwood, NC, and all the wedding preparations took place in this adorable town. With a population just under 2500 residents, Norwood is by the far the smallest town I have ever traveled to for a wedding.

While getting dolled up at the local hair salon, curlers still in her hair, Ashton turned to me and asked with her cute Southern drawl, “Is this the most country wedding you’ve ever shot?”

My answer was an unequivocal yes, which was made more emphatic when I learned that Ashton had been coming to this salon since she was a little girl. Her hair stylist had seen her through middle school dances, prom, and now her wedding day.

Minutes before Ashton walked down the aisle, the steadily darkening skies unleashed a downpour of rain.

Guests made makeshift umbrellas out of ceremony programs and made a beeline towards the overhang of the main house.

As I huddled with guests who were kind enough to invite me to stand under their umbrellas, I was happily reminded of my weather feature-hunting days as a photographer at The Naples Daily News. I admired everyone’s ease with the rain; instead of becoming frustrated about the weather, Ashton and Thomas laughed it off and waited out the storm, and their guests happily followed suite. Thirty minutes and dozens of epic rain-feature photos later, the groomsmen began wiping down the seats.

And then they had a backyard wedding. An epic one.

Ashton and Thomas, thank you so much for inviting me and Kallyn to be a part of your intimate backyard wedding. It is always an honor to shoot a fellow photographer’s wedding (and a Tarheel one, no less! Check out Ashton’s fabulous portfolio if you get a chance!) I was so impressed with your undercurrent of calm and joy during what could have been a stressful day for you. I also loved getting to know your story and your wonderful families and hope that these photos captured that love for years to come.