I looked forward to this wedding like a kid looks forward to a slumber party.  Like a family of five looks forward to having all of it’s members in one place for the weekend.  I was so excited about this wedding, not because it was my first solo-wedding (although that was really cool :-), but because I got to be with Kevin & Alyssa on the day they said, “I do.”

See, Kevin is René’s older brother.  She grew up with Kevin, mimicked his wardrobe, the way he talked.  The things Kevin thought were cool, René thought was cool, too.  I pointed at a photo of Kevin one day and René said, with every ounce of love and admiration inside her, “I love that guy.”  And she does.  It’s clear.  So when I was asked to shoot his wedding, I was sincerely honored.  Kevin has a special place in my heart.  We say it all the time, that René and I are soul sisters.  So in a way, Kevin feels like a brother to me, too.

Kevin & Alyssa are young at heart.  They laugh and play together.  Through all the silliness, the jokes and the funny faces, every once in a while, when he thinks no one is looking, he will look at her in all seriousness.  A look that says, “I really love you.”  And she looks back at him with a similar stare. And then, in an effort to maintain their reputation, he’ll say something funny and we’re all right back to normal.

Kevin & Alyssa, thank you for sharing one of the best days of your life with me.  Here’s to adventures, romance and many more family gatherings.

With love,
Jesie

Kevin’s nieces loved watching all the action unfold:

Slammin’, Alyssa.  Slammin’.

Alyssa’s Aunt Chrissy and her new sister-in-law, René. ;-)

So handsome, Kevin!

Kevin and René’s brothers, Kurt and Troy:

Kevin’s nephew, Luke, was the ring bearer and took real good care of those rings. :-)

Alyssa’s dad gave her the longest hug ever.  So precious.

Danny, Alyssa’s brother:

Stayed tuned for part II coming very, very soon!