I'll have to be honest with you (if you haven't noticed already), I never really know what to say when I write on the blog. I'm a picture person, not a word person. When I look at a magazine, I look at the pretty images, are rarely read the words. If it involves a lot of reading, I send it to Ryan. And in addition to my visual leaning personality, I am also a terrible speller/typer (don't worry, Royall is supposed to have two l's. At least when it comes to this bride and grooms last name.). So then I get nervous when I write words that I'm going to type something that makes me look like a doofus. But when it came to this wedding, I don't know where to start, because I have so many things to say. It might be because I have a special place in my heart for the bride and her WHOLE family. And It might be because I've known the family for years upon years. In fact, they might be the first family I ever photographed, back in 2000. That was 11 years ago people. I'm showing off my math skills because I've admitted to my poor verbal skills. Or it might be the great amount of thought, and detail, and work that she put into her special day. But either way, I just feel like their wedding day story needs to be told.

I'll start with Sus. Sus is a sweet friend. When we were in High School, we were inseparably. She is one of the kindest, loving, and most unique souls I know. And that runs in the family. Trickling down from top with Gram, the matriarch of the family. Here she is with all of her granddaughters. All of them so amazing, sharing the trait of loving hearts, but so unique in their own ways. I know that sounds cheesy and inisencere, but I honestly mean that.

I didn't know the other girls as well as Sus and her sister Liz, so it was fun to get to know Lane a little better through the wedding process. My favorite wedding memory of her was weeks before she and Jess said their I Do's. Ryan and I went out to their farm to check out the place and get ideas for the photos. It was so fun to listen to her talk about the wedding, and all of the details. And everything was her favorite. The ring bearers seersucker pants and vest were her favorite. The labels for the homemade pear jam was her favorite. The flags to announce all of the important events at the reception were her favorite. It was so sweet to see her so excited about everything.

One of the clever little details that Lane did was to put tags on the mason jars that were used for drinking. That way people could keep track of their drinks, and they could use a more earth friendly option rather than paper or plastic cups.So all of the cousins that have gotten married have all passed along this hankey to the next bride. So Lane was presented with it and a little not with the names and dates of when they got married. It was a really sweet way of having a Something Old. I loved that the giveaways were also very personal. Lane had spent weeks at home preparing for the wedding, doing tasks that included painting the barn, and picking pears from the trees on the farm to make into pear jelly. Her brother in law also brewed a special batch of beer for Lane and Jess, and named it East Eighty Lager in honor of the east 80 acres of the farm that Lane grew up on.