Smith- Hodge Wedding

What a day! We just returned from Melissa and Ryan's wedding tonight. The ceremony was held at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in northwest Wichita. The day started for Melissa about 8 am arriving at the church for various tasks, then she was off to lunch and to have her hair and make up done. We arrived shortly before 1 pm getting detail shots of the church, flowers, dress, etc. Melissa returned to the church about 1:30 pm to continue getting ready with her bridesmaids, mother and mother-in-law and four of the most adorable flower girls we have been around to date! Ryan was sequestered to the childrens nursery to get ready with his groomsmen.

Melissa wore a beautiful strapless gown with intricate beadwork on the top of the bodess and along the edge of the hem of the dress and train. It was the first dress she tried on when shopping and she's had it for nearly a year! It looked perfect. She chose to see Ryan before the ceremony for photos and they had a private moment together about 3 pm.

Guests poured into the sanctuary and the ceremony started shortly after 5 pm. Afterwards, the bride and groom released all the guests by row from the sanctuary and had a chance to say hello to many friends and family. The bride and groom left the church through a barrage of bubbles and took an awesome limo to the newly opened Keeper of the Plains on the Arkansas River for some quick photos before heading to the reception at Exploration Place.

Their last dance concluded at 10 pm and they were off to start their new lives together! They drove off in Ryan's pick up which surprisingly escaped shoe polish, streamers and tin cans tied to strings hanging off the hitch!

Ryan and Melissa, thank you so much for choosing us to document your wedding day, we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you both and your wonderful families! Enjoy yourselves in Hawaii and take lots of pictures and video because we want to see it when you get back!