If I was asked to describe Rebekah and Brent’s wedding day in one word it would be FUN. There wasn’t a moment during this day where everyone wasn’t having fun to some degree. The energy that flows between Brent and Rebekah is colorful, electric and fun. So it only makes sense that every detail of this wedding day represented the energy of their relationship together.

There’s no place like home

As weird as it may sound, it’s more rare these days that I actually get to shoot a wedding in the Lakeland area. I’d say only about a quarter of the weddings I shoot in a year are actually in “my own backyard.” It was so sweet getting to photograph this wedding here at home. It was super close to home for Brent and Rebekah, too! Rebekah, her mom and her bridesmaids spent the morning enjoying breakfast and sipping coffee at Rebekah’s home. All she had to do that morning was wake-up and start getting ready, you can’t beat that! Even Rebekah’s family pup, Mag Pie got to hang out with everyone!

The guys on the other hand, spent the morning hanging out and getting ready at the home Brent grew up in. Let’s be real, it takes guys a fraction of the time to get ready in comparison to the girls (usually). Once everyone was dressed and ready with time to kill, Brent and the guys fired up the Nintendo and played Super Smash Bros. If you know anything about the Adriano boys, then you know playing Super Smash Bros on your wedding day just makes sense. If that wasn’t enough fun, during groomsmen portraits a game of hide-and-seek may or may not have happened. The guys were definitely a hoot!

All the pretty colors

This wedding was exploding with color, which I absolutely loved! For starters, Rebekah had her bridesmaids pick out dresses of their own, whatever style they wanted, in all different colors. Brides, if you’re planning your wedding right now and you want to go the colorful, mismatched dresses route, but you’re worried it’ll look bad – don’t fret! I love this trend and think if you coordinate carefully it can look spectacular. This was one of the major ways Rebekah and Brent pulled in color to make their wedding feel fun! The dresses looked incredible paired with the wildflower bouquets created by Heather with Taylormade Florals and Events. In fact, Heather herself went to a wildflower farm and handpicked several of the blooms that were in the bouquets. How cool, right?

Heather pulled in the fun colors into the reception centerpieces as well. Wildflower stems filled vases alongside colored candle tapers and soft blue and sage napkins that sat atop white table linens. She also added colorful blooms to the cake made by a family friend that really made it pop! One of the most thoughtful details of the day were the drawings done by the children in the ministry that Brent and Rebekah both volunteer for. They were asked to draw a picture based on what they thought “love” was and seeing their art displayed on the tables was really special. It such a unique and personalized detail to the day.

The ceremony

The ceremony was filled to the brim with personalized moments that made Rebekah and Brent’s wedding all their own. The two tied the knot underneath a giant oak tree at the Idlewood Venue in Bartow. Two ministers who both Brent and Rebekah have been lead by officiated the wedding. I always love when couples know their officiants. It always feels like the officiant knows just want to preach on a wedding day when they personally know the couple.

During the ceremony Rebekah and Brent planted a fig tree that they will have in their home. This was the first time I had seen a couple do this during a wedding ceremony and I loved the idea! They will have a beautiful house plant to grow that can represent their love and remind them of their wedding day, how awesome right?

I also loved the backdrop for the ceremony. Back in November 2020, Brent’s brother Brendan got married. They repurposed the backdrop that Brendan’s father-in-law made for their ceremony for Brent and Rebekah’s. Brendan and his wife Lindsey are actually friends of mine, so I attended their wedding. I remember obsessing over how cool their geometric colorful backdrop was for their wedding. So when I arrived to Idlewood and saw the backdrop once again just different colors, I was overjoyed! It really tied together the funky, colorful theme of the day.

The reception

I’ll go out on a limb here and say that this was probably one of the most lively receptions I’ve ever photographed. Brent and Rebekah’s first dance was super sweet and very playful. It was them to a tee and I’m so glad I got to freeze that moment in time. If you know Brent, then you know he is an amazing dancer! So it only makes sense that there were not one but two surprise choreographed dances during the reception. First was the mother / son dance. It started out as any typical mother of the groom dance would, but then bam! The music changed to Rather Be by Clean Bandit and the two busted out a choreographed performance that got everyone hype! Instead of your typical garter toss, Brent surprised Rebekah with another routine with his groomsmen performed to Down by Jay Sean. (My millennial heart really appreciated that song choice). She was totally shocked and we were all really impressed!

After enjoying a meal catered by Idlewood, everyone and I mean everyone, got out of their seats and enjoyed dancing the night away. Anthony with Graingertainment did a great job of playing tracks that Brent and Rebekah loved. Everyone had the best time! To keep the colorful theme going, at the end of the night, Rebekah and Brent exited through an explosion of colorful streamers into their new life as a married couple. It was definitely a day to remember! I’m so glad I got to photograph it alongside my brother and owner of Werlostboys. Here’s a snapshot of Rebekah and Brent’s colorful wedding day!