Chapel in the Woods Wedding | Sofia & Sam

Sofia & Sam’s Chapel in the Woods Wedding

Sofia and Sam’s Chapel in the Woods wedding in Louisville brought together two very different settings: a summer ceremony surrounded by woods followed by a reception they created at their own property in Taylorsville. Sofia described what they were planning as elegant and romantic with a little rustic influence from the barn, but she didn’t want it to feel overly formal or like a country-themed wedding.

That ended up being a pretty accurate description of the day. The ceremony had the more elegant feel Sofia envisioned, while their reception was relaxed and personal, with so much of it put together by Sofia and their families.

Getting Ready at Chapel in the Woods

Sofia and Sam both got ready at Chapel in the Woods before their ceremony. Sofia wore a satin ballgown that looked amazing on her, and Sam kept things classic with a black tux.

Before seeing Sam, Sofia did a first look with her dad outside. She had told me beforehand that she was especially looking forward to seeing his reaction, and there were plenty of tears from both of them.

Sofia and Sam decided not to do a first look, but they did want a few minutes together before the ceremony. They stood on opposite sides of the doors leading into the chapel and reached around to hold hands without seeing each other. They didn’t say much. Sofia was crying happy tears, and I think they were both a little too excited and nervous to have much to say. They just held hands and talked for a minute before it was time to get married.

That moment fit them especially well knowing how long they had known each other. Sofia and Sam originally met in elementary school, when Sofia had already told him she liked him. Years later, Sam became good friends with Sofia’s brother, they became friends again themselves, and eventually started dating after she graduated high school.

A Summer Wedding Ceremony in the Woods

Chapel in the Woods is surrounded by trees, and the wooded setting is a big part of the venue. It was a pretty summer day, and Sofia and Sam had a wooden arch set up behind them on the stage for the ceremony.

After seeing them together during their first touch, it wasn’t hard to tell how excited they were to finally be getting married.

Sofia had nine bridesmaids and Sam had ten groomsmen, along with a flower girl and ring bearer. It was a big wedding party, but it also felt fitting for Sofia and Sam. One of the things that stood out to me throughout the day was how much love there was for both of them and how many people they had there who were genuinely excited to celebrate with them.

Wedding Photos at Chapel in the Woods

Since Sofia and Sam chose not to see each other before the ceremony, we did all of their couple portraits afterward. We used some of the grounds surrounding Chapel in the Woods, but some of my favorite portraits from the day were actually taken inside.

Sofia and I had toured the chapel together before the wedding, and while we were walking through it, I noticed the way the light came through some of the church windows. We decided right then that we wanted to use that spot for some of her and Sam’s portraits on the wedding day.

Having already walked through the space gave us a plan, so after the ceremony we knew exactly where we wanted to go. The window light worked beautifully with Sofia’s satin dress, and those indoor portraits ended up being some of my favorites from their gallery.

A Barn Wedding Reception at Home

After portraits and family photos, everyone headed to Sofia’s family property in Taylorsville for the reception. Having the reception at home was one of the things Sofia considered most unique about their wedding, and she had put a lot of work into getting the property ready for it.

They created an area among the pine trees for cocktail hour, and the main reception took place inside their barn. Sofia had decorated the barn with lots of gold accents, carrying some of the more elegant elements from the ceremony into a completely different kind of space.

The reception itself was much more relaxed. I was only there through the first part of the evening, but there was a lot packed into that time. Sofia’s dad gave a toast and prayer before dinner, followed by speeches from Sam’s two best men and Sofia’s two maids of honor.

There were plenty more tears during the speeches and dances, but there were also some pretty funny stories, especially when everyone started talking about how much Sofia had liked Sam when they were younger. After the first dance, parent dances and cake cutting were finished, the dance floor opened and the energy changed pretty quickly. People were ready to have fun.

That was one of the things I liked most about Sofia and Sam’s wedding. There was a lot of emotion throughout the day, but it never felt overly formal. They were genuinely excited to get married, their families and friends were excited for them, and by the end of the night everyone was ready to celebrate.

Looking for a Photographer for Your Chapel in the Woods Wedding?

If you’re getting married at Chapel in the Woods and like the way I photographed Sofia and Sam’s day, I’d love to hear from you. You can learn more about my wedding photography and what’s included on my Services page, or get in touch through my Contact page to check availability for your date.