Erin & Josh are Married!! - St Augustine FL Wedding Photographer

When it rains, it pours! It seemed to be like that on Erin and Josh's wedding day, but the rain didn't stop these two lovebirds from having the best day of their lives!! I adore this couple, and I love how much they are so in love with each other! They are truly perfect for each other--just read about how they met in their Love Story section below, and you'll be convinced that they are meant for each other also!

Erin and Josh were supposed to get married outside, but just within minutes before the ceremony started, it started to pour :( The wedding was delayed for a bit, and we ended up having the ceremony inside where the reception was located. Series of events happened prior to this couple saying their "I Do's," and God certainly made up for it all by gracing us with this AMAZING light and sunset after their ceremony :) It was surreal, and the sky looked like some sort of watercolor painting. We had about a ten-minute window to take advantage of this amazingness, and I'm so happy that we got some shots of just Erin and Josh with this beautiful backdrop :)

Bobby and I had a great time at this wedding! It was fun to see one of our past and future wedding couples there, as well as one of my current family clients (thanks to Erin, of course!) :) Our dancing time got cut short due to the rain delay, but their friends and families sure knew how to party! Congratulations, Erin and Josh!!

XOXO

-->>CLICK HERE FOR THEIR SWEET SLIDESHOW :-D
-->>CLICK HERE FOR THEIR SWEET SLIDESHOW :-D





































































































THEIR LOVE STORY

How did you guys meet?

I was a server at Ocean Deck in Daytona Beach. Josh was in town for a Coaches Clinic, after dinner he came to the Ocean Deck with the St. Augustine Coaching Staff. After watching me work on the East Deck, he insisted that I be his server and we hit it off. We spent the night (which was slow for me) talking. He was very charming, handsome, and had all the qualities I would look for in a person. Our first night there was foreshadowing at its finest: Josh being an avid dancer asked me to dance and I said, “No, I don’t dance” He then asked, “What are you going to do at our wedding?” I shot back with, “I’ll get dance lessons”. So here we are 3 ½ years later and we can’t wait to dance together at our wedding! Sidenote: We didn’t take dance lessons at a studio like I predicted on that first day, but instead throughout our relationship, Josh would dance with me in the kitchen any room in the house. A win-win, we had free, private dance lessons together and memories to last a lifetime!

Describe the proposal:

It was perfect, far better than I could’ve ever imagined or planned myself! It was Wednesday, December 15, 2010. I left school as usual, text Josh and after running some errands (in no rush because I hadn’t heard back from Josh) I came home. I walked in through the kitchen door and saw the amazing set-up he did to the house. I immediately started crying. It was a cry that I have never felt before, a whimper cry if you will. As I looked around at the trail of red roses on the ground and the posters that signified special dates and sayings between us, I could hear “Just Breathe” by Pearl Jam playing (one of the songs we have danced to in the kitchen). I followed the path of roses upstairs where I saw 3 more signs that were so thoughtful and funny, then I came to the office door, which was shut with a sign that read “12/15/2010????? (like is this the day) so I opened the door and there at the end of the trail of roses I saw Joshua Wayne Hoekstra on bended knee holding my dream ring in his hand. He told me his feelings and asked if I would marry him, and I replied, “Of course I will”! It was the best moment in our lives, one that I have replayed over and over again in my mind and one I will never forget. He had my favorite champagne chilling on ice as well as another dozen roses (intact)! We toasted to the happy occasion, sat on the ground, talked and cried like babies! As if that wasn’t already the most spectacular proposal, he told me we had dinner reservations at a secret location so I went off to get ready. I remember singing in the shower “How sweet it is to be loved by you” while I was getting ready and I don’t think I have ever smiled so much in my life! We started driving and I guessed we were going: to Ruth’s Chris because it was our favorite spot and our first date in Jacksonville finished there and we had such an amazing time! We walked into the restaurant and he was leading me to the bar area, which I found odd because he said we had reservations. There I saw my two best friends Sheila and Stephanie. I literally stopped walking; I was in so much shock! They were the only two people I called after he proposed and they didn’t answer, which is stange… so now it was all starting to make sense as to why they didn’t answer the most important call ever. We all sat together and had an amazing dinner at our spot, Ruth’s Chris!

What is your favorite thing to do on your date night?

Erin: I love to just spend quality time together. It doesn’t really matter what we do as long as we’re together. I do love that he still asks me out on dates though! ☺

Josh: Going to a nice dinner (Bonefish, Stonewood, Carrabbas or even Chick Fil A) then to a movie, and home for dessert!!!!!

What do you love about him so much?

Jeez, there are so many things that I love about him. I love the way he loves me, how appreciative he is, the way he takes care of me (WHO? ;), the way he puts me first, his ability to make me laugh, his fun personality, his sweetness/kindness, and his chivalrous ways (which is rare these days). I love him more and more each day and am very grateful for him!

What do you love about her so much?

I love how loving, caring and sweet she is. I love her curves and her kisses and hugs. I love how she takes care of me and us. She is the best part of every day!

What is your wedding invitation like and where did you go to get it done?

Our wedding has a double hearts theme so the invitations are white with navy writing and have double hearts in silver at the top. I did them myself. Very easy and cost effective! Our wedding programs matched.

What are your wedding colors and why did you guys choose that color palette?

Our wedding colors are Navy, Lavender and White. Purple has always been my favorite color and navy is my current favorite color. We added the white because I LOVE white flowers!

Describe your wedding cake:

We opted to do cupcakes instead of a cake. We liked the variety that it gave our guests and I love cupcakes. We did have a small cake to cut and one to keep- in staying with tradition. Our cupcake flavors are: vanilla with key-lime, chocolate with peanut butter, chocolate with raspberry, carrot cake and red velvet cake with cream cheese icing.

Describe your wedding flowers:

Roses and Tulips are my favorite flowers so I knew I wanted them in the wedding. Being in wedding mode, I also began to love hydrangeas. Our flowers are different combinations of those three: tulips, roses, and hydrangeas. The flowers are mostly white with touches of lavender flowers. We also did French tulip arrangements on the round tables. Josh is Dutch and tulips are a Dutch symbol so it’s just another sign for us☺

What is your First Dance song, Father/Daughter song, and Mother/Son song at your wedding reception?

First Dance: “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz
Father/Daughter Song: “Dad you didn’t have to be” by Brad Paisley
Mother/Son Song: “Stand by Me”
Dance with Parents Song: “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart

Where did you go for your honeymoon?

We Stayed at Dreams La Romana in the Dominican Republic. It was all-inclusive and amazing. We relaxed poolside by day and romantic dinners at night-just the two of us. We also did 3 excursions which were all very memorable. Zip-lining through the beautiful Dominican Jungle, swimming with sting-rays and sharks(conquered a fear of mine), snorkeling, paddle boarding, massage in the middle of the sea on a floating dock, catamaran ride to Saona Island, swimming in clear turquoise seas with starfish and a speedboat ride with Josh speaking Spanish to the captain to go faster! Priceless☺

What are you looking forward to in the future together?

Erin: We are looking forward to being husband and wife and starting our family. ☺

Josh: I'm looking forward to starting our family and can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together. Erin Lee is going to be an amazing wife and mom. Can't wait!!!!!

THEIR AWESOME WEDDING VENDORS:

Ceremony Location: World Golf Village-Slammer and Squire Clubhouse overlooking Kelly Lake (Plan A)
Reception Location: World Golf Village-Slammer and Squire Clubhouse
Caterer: On-site
Wedding Photographer: Corinna Hoffman Photography
Videographer: Life & Love Studios
Wedding Cupcake: Sweet Weddings by Arlene
Florist: Flowers by Shirley
Officiant: Roger Nelson from Hope Church in Chicago
Hair: Shauna McGreggor at Dillards
Make-up: Hillary Rose
Entertainment: DJ Scott Murphy
Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero-The Bridal Shop at the Avenues
Bridesmaids Dresses: Bari Jay-French Novelty
Groom and Groomsmen Wear: Men’s Wearhouse