Jackie and Zach’s wedding celebration this past weekend at Camp Hidden Valley was such an incredible day of community, love, and connection. I’m thrilled to share highlights on the blog today.
The Couple
From the bride: “We met by chance at the school we both worked at. I was leaving that year and moving, but after meeting Zach, I wanted to stick around a little longer to see how this relationship would unfold. We dated for a year, then my two cats and I moved in with Zach in his house. We got engaged while on vacation in Florida in 2024, and married the following August 2025 at the courthouse in Bel Air, MD. We feel truly blessed to have found each other and are so unbelievably happy to build a future together.”
The Wedding
Zach and Jackie were married last year, so this day was really a celebration of a life together that had already begun! When Jackie and I were talking through their plans, she let me know they were skipping a lot of the “traditional wedding stuff,” and that we wouldn’t need to show up as early as we’d originally planned. Then she casually mentioned there’d be a family pool party beforehand, and I was like yes, that’s exactly the part I want to be there for.
So glad we were, because that afternoon was awesome — kids jumping/getting thrown into the pool, Zach doing endless flips into the pool, drinks by the water, so much laughing, everyone just soaking up being together before anyone even thought about getting into wedding clothes. It set the tone for the entire day. So much so that we extended the pool party by an hour.
The ceremony happened under the trees, surrounded by their people (and what felt like a million bubbles), and the entire day had the same easy going vibe that the pool party had. Good food, games, a fire pit, and a whole lot of just being together.
This is what I love so much about wedding photography, it’s not about photographing the big wedding moments, but the little moments, the story of the day, and the connection that happens in between. Zach and Jackie built something that felt way more like an incredible day with everyone they love, with a wedding happening somewhere in the middle of it. If I could repeat this every weekend, I would. Here are a few of my favorites from the day!
Camp Hidden Valley Wedding Photos
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