RoadMap to the Altar
Even though it was the middle of the day, I was beyond nervous a few weeks ago as I drove through the pine trees lining Farm Road 1402 north of Mount Pleasant, Texas.
One reason for my nervousness was that I had already witnessed three deer dart across the road after turning off the interstate. As someone who has been in a fair share of accidents at the hands of brave Texas deer (who, I am convinced, believe humans need to get off their roads), I was already planning how my call to Jordan would go after yet another run-in.
But before long — and before any incidents involving local wildlife — I arrived at the second source of my nervousness.
Nestled in the Texas pine forests north of Mount Pleasant lies a 53-acre wedding and event venue with a vibrant blue pond overlooked by a picturesque pavilion where any bride would be excited to exchange vows.
This venue is The Retreat at Sugarhill and on June 19th, it played host to an event known as RoadMap to the Altar, organized by Tracey Treadway. The purpose of this event is twofold.
One is to offer wedding vendors, a chance to meet and showcase their skills. Talented hair and makeup artists come to work their magic on models, who wear gorgeous wedding dresses against the backdrop of the Retreat and stunning floral arrangements, while photographers capture every moment they can.
The second is to provide resources for brides navigating the chaos of planning their wedding. Tracey puts the material captured at these events into a publication to guide them on their way to the altar.
Most of my wedding photography work to date has been alongside Jordan. This marked my first foray into being a solo wedding photographer while he played on bikes in Fayetteville, Arkansas for the week. It was a chance to put together all that I had learned since I joined Jordan at photography events and I was both excited and gut-wrenchingly anxious for it to go well.
Thankfully, everyone I met at the event was incredibly friendly and welcoming. I’m so grateful that I got to meet everyone and I can’t wait to meet up with them again (and that I didn’t see any deer on the way home.)
Vendors at the event:
