Jenn + Kennedy tied the knot on July 1, 2016 in a summery outdoor wedding at Carrigan Farms in Mooresville, NC. This couple knows the secret to successfully pulling off a July wedding in the intense North Carolina humidity: they threw a laid-back celebration where their guests could wear bathing suits and swim in the quarry. This may be the first (and only!) wedding that featured a “first plunge” instead of a “first dance,” and I hope these images of Jenn + Kennedy’s unconventional celebration make a splash.

Read the Q&A with this gutsy couple, featured below, to learn more about their wedding inspiration and photography experience! To view all of the photos from their wedding and order prints, please visit their gallery on my online print shop!

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1. What are some of your favorite things about your partner? How were these attributes expressed during or leading up to your wedding?

Kennedy: I love Jenn’s spontaneity and how she’s always up for an adventure. Last fall, we kind of got tired of planning our wedding, so we actually ended up making a lot of wedding decisions less than a month before – like desserts and sky lanterns. Some details were put together just the week leading up.

Jennifer: The main reason we got overwhelmed wedding planning is mostly because of me. I was a bit ridiculous and fickle, but Kennedy was and always is the rock and constant to my crazy whims. He really keeps me grounded and just kept telling me (over and over) that at the end of the day, we would be married, and that was all that really matters.

2. What was most important to you in planning your wedding?

Jennifer: We (read: I) eventually realized that we really wanted to have a wedding that was true to us. A large part of me getting overwhelmed towards the beginning was because I started planning a wedding trying to make everyone happy – something quite impossible. We swapped out some wedding traditions that really didn’t reflect us as a couple like the first dance (we both have two left feet) and cake (we both love ice cream and pie more) and incorporated elements like a first plunge and lanterns. Whoa, I didn’t even realize the water and fire duality until just now.

Kennedy: I wanted a wedding where Jenn and I would have a good time and that everyone could enjoy at least some aspect. I think we were successful.

3. Are there any details or moments from your wedding that are particularly special to you? (E.g., you wore your momma’s dress, your partner unexpectedly serenaded you, there was a double rainbow all across the sky…). 

Jennifer: I really loved the handkerchief that Kennedy got embroidered for me, so much so that I couldn’t bring myself to use it while I was balling during the ceremony. I loved how we were able to incorporate a lot of Chinese traditions into the wedding without it seeming too haphazard. I know it meant a lot to my mom for me to wear a qipao and set off lanterns.

Kennedy:  I loved seeing Jenn walk down the aisle and our side conversations during the ceremony. It was also so much fun getting to dance with everyone.

4. Your photography package included an engagement session. What was it like to work with me before the wedding? Do you have a favorite photo or moment from your session?

Jennifer: It was awesome having an engagement session before the wedding with you because it gave us a chance to get comfortable in front of a camera and to see your process. It was super easy and fun, and you did a great job of extrapolating what we kind of photos we wanted. I love the one where Kennedy and I are wearing hats my grandmother knitted and are goofing off. I also really love all the candid photos.

Kennedy: My favorite photo is the one with all four of us (me, Jenn, Nil, and Kola), but I know Jenn thinks Kola and Nil look derpy.

5. Now that you’ve tied the knot (and survived!), what advice would you give to other folks planning their wedding? 

Have the wedding that you want, not the wedding you think you should have or that other people want and that at the end of the day, you will be married, and that’s all that really matters.

6. What is the first thing you want to do with the images? Wallpaper the hallway? Internet fame? 

Jennifer: All of the above! Our family and friends have been asking for pictures since the wedding and I can’t wait to get some put around the house. I’m also ready to obnoxiously set the photos as the wallpaper for every electronic device I own.

7. What is next for you as a couple? Any big plans? 

Jennifer: We’re just looking forward to spending time together as a couple. Unfortunately, I started an away rotation right after the wedding.  So we’re super excited that we get 4 days together this weekend, the longest since we got married! We’re hoping to go on a honeymoon this winter, but it might depend on how much hibernation I’ll need after my surgery rotation.

8. Anything else you’d like to add about your wedding, photography experience, or anything else? 

Thanks for being as excited about our eclectic wedding as we were and even getting wet to shoot our “first plunge”.  You were so easy to work with and really took the time to understand what we wanted out of our photos. We can’t wait to see them!

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Jenn + Kennedy, it was such an honor to photograph your wedding, which was one of the most refreshing summer celebrations I’ve witnessed (no pun intended). From the first plunge to your incorporation of Chinese traditions into your celebration, I admire how intentional you were in crafting a day that was true to your personalities but still inclusive of your friends and family. Thank you for being such a genuine and rockin’ couple!