The groom was speechless.
Just 20 minutes earlier, loved ones had wiped away happy tears from their
eyes as Clayton Nelson read wedding vows to his bride at his family's
mountainside vineyards in Palisade, Colorado.
Stephanie (formerly Beniek) stood across from him in a gorgeous white lace
gown with intricate beading and mesh inserts on the sides, her long brown
locks curled and flowing down to her natural waist.
Picturesque views surrounded guests during an unforgettable backyard
ceremony.
But the emotional moments were far from over.
Little did Clayton know, the newly minted Mrs. Nelson had snuck away
during cocktail hour—between the ceremony and the reception—for a
surprise he will never forget.
Stephanie teamed up with Sydney Argul, Clayton's cousin and a professional
hairstylist, in the bathroom of the house where the reception was held for a
hair transformation no one saw coming.
Stephanie had stumbled across the idea of cutting her hair mid-festivities on
TikTok, thinking it was the perfect excuse to rock a short hairstyle. And in
less than 20 minutes, Stephanie—a normally stoic woman—was 10 inches of
hair lighter and beaming with anticipation to show her new husband.
When Stephanie returned to Clayton outside the reception venue with breezy
hair brimming at her shoulders, he was dumbfounded in the best way
possible. A huge bright smile spread across his face before he embraced her
and pulled her in for a kiss.
As a photographer, these are the moments I live for.
This is why I do it, so I can capture once-in-a-lifetime moments for people to
cherish forever.
Getting the shot
I almost missed it.
In the process of helping the wedding coordinator clean up after the
ceremony, I received a phone call from Stephanie.
"Wait!" I said to the eager bride, so her hair wouldn't get chopped without
me and my camera there to witness it.
To get the shot, I jumped in the car with the wedding coordinator and raced
over to the reception venue—where I then crammed into the bathroom with
the hairstylist, maid of honor, a bridesmaid and, of course, the bride herself.
I wedged myself into the best angle available and started snapping.
I love how the photos came out, especially the pictures of Stephanie holding
her ponytail in her lap. The haircut was so cute, too! She can pull off long or
short hair.
Capturing Stephanie's haircut and big reveal was one of my favorite parts of
photographing this scenic wedding—well, along with staying at their
stunning Peachtree Property, which was appropriately teeming with peach
trees. I also loved how each wooden chair was different at the reception,
giving it an eclectic, yet put-together vibe.
I met Stephanie through a mutual friend from high school in Hawaii. My
husband, Tony, and I actually stayed with Stephanie and Clayton at their
Brooklyn apartment as 2018 turned into 2019. They were so hospitable,
giving us the newbie tour of New York City and a welcoming place to
stay—continental breakfast included.
I photographed the Nelsons before they were engaged, just a year into their
relationship on July 4 of 2018. The beautiful couple made wonderful models
in what became a Pinterest-worthy session. I was thrilled when they invited
me to Colorado to shoot their 2022 wedding ceremony.
Tony and I flew in for their wedding, and I'm so glad we did. It was certainly
a (hair)cut above the rest.
