Some wedding days are beautiful because of the setting. Others are unforgettable because of the people, the emotion, and the little moments that make the entire day feel uniquely theirs.

Abby and Jonathan’s June wedding at Mathew’s Manor was all of that and more.

From a heartfelt morning at the Tutwiler Hotel in downtown Birmingham to emotional first looks, handwritten vows, rolling Alabama hills, and sunset portraits with a vintage red pickup truck, their wedding day was filled with meaningful moments and genuine joy. As a husband-and-wife photography and videography team, we had the honor of documenting their day through both wedding photography and a cinematic wedding film, preserving the moments they can return to for years to come.

But before the beautiful venue, the wedding dress, and the celebration with family and friends, there was a dating-app rose, a first date in Auburn, and a love story that quickly became something neither of them wanted to walk away from.

We’re so excited to share Abby and Jonathan’s wedding day at Mathew’s Manor and the story that brought them there.

A Love Story That Started With a Rose

Every couple has a story, and one of our favorite parts of creating wedding films is getting to hear that story directly from the people who lived it.

For Abby and Jonathan, it all started on Hinge when Jonathan made the first move by sending Abby a rose.

After about a week of talking, they decided it was time to meet in person. Jonathan drove to Abby’s home in Auburn to pick her up for their first date at Hamilton’s. Abby’s mom was understandably a little nervous about her daughter giving a man she had never met her address, but the evening turned out to be the beginning of something special.

After dinner, neither of them was ready for the night to end. They headed to The Collegiate Hotel in downtown Auburn for drinks, where they spent nearly three hours talking.

Some first dates feel like an introduction. Others feel like the beginning of a story you already know you want to keep reading.

For Abby and Jonathan, it quickly became clear that this was going to be more than just another date.

Jonathan continued driving from Montgomery to see Abby throughout that weekend and the following week. Before long, he came over to spend a weekend with her and, as Abby tells it, it felt like he came over for the weekend and never really left.

Their lives blended together naturally, and they have been inseparable ever since.

It’s easy to see how a relationship built on conversation, time together, and a genuine connection grew into the marriage they celebrated at Mathew’s Manor.

A Wedding Morning at the Tutwiler Hotel in Birmingham

Abby’s wedding day began at the Tutwiler Hotel in downtown Birmingham, surrounded by her mom and bridesmaids as everyone got ready for the celebration ahead.

The morning was filled with the anticipation that makes wedding days so special: the final getting-ready moments, time with the people closest to her, and the realization that the day she had been looking forward to was finally here.

One of our favorite parts of the morning was sitting down with Abby for an interview for their wedding film. She shared the story of how she and Jonathan met, how their relationship grew, and how they arrived at this incredible milestone together.

We love incorporating personal interviews into wedding films because they give the film something beyond beautiful imagery. They allow couples to hear their own voices, remember the way they felt, and revisit the story behind the day.

Those words became part of the way we told Abby and Jonathan’s story throughout their film, connecting the moments of the wedding day with the relationship that brought them there.

After the morning at the Tutwiler, we headed to Mathew’s Manor to continue documenting the excitement with Abby and her bridesmaids.

There were fun getting-ready photos in pajamas, sweet moments with her mom, and the special moment when her mom helped her into her wedding dress. These are the kinds of memories that can feel small in the moment but become priceless when couples look back years later.

Emotional First Looks With Dad and Brother

Before the ceremony, Abby shared two first looks that were especially meaningful.

The first was with her dad.

There is something so special about the moment a father sees his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time. After years of memories, milestones, and watching her grow up, seeing her ready to begin this new chapter can bring so many emotions to the surface.

Abby’s dad became a little emotional during their first look, creating a sweet and heartfelt moment that we were honored to capture.

Then came her first look with her little brother. And his reaction could not have been more different.

When he turned around and saw Abby in her dress, his response was simple: “DANG!”

It was the perfect little brother reaction, followed by a sweet brother-and-sister moment that brought a little laughter into an otherwise emotional part of the day.

Those two first looks were such a beautiful reminder that a wedding day is about more than the couple. It is also about the family members who have been part of their story all along.

Jonathan Gets Ready With His Parents

While Abby was sharing those special moments with her family, Jonathan was getting ready with the help of his mom and dad.

Having parents present for these moments adds another layer of meaning to the wedding morning. It is a chance to slow down, share a few final moments before the ceremony, and recognize just how much life is about to change.

We love documenting both sides of a wedding day because each person is experiencing the same celebration in a different way. While one family is helping a bride into her dress, another is helping a groom into his suit. Those parallel moments become part of the complete story.

And before long, it was time for Abby and Jonathan to see each other for the first time that day.

A Sweet First Look and Handwritten Vows

Abby and Jonathan’s first look was one of the most meaningful moments of the day.

After all the anticipation, they finally had a few quiet moments together before the ceremony and the celebration that would follow. Away from the activity of getting ready, they could focus on each other and take in the fact that they were about to get married.

After their first look, they read the vows they had written for one another.

The emotion was unmistakable. As Abby read her vows, she became tearful, and the two of them shared a deeply personal moment that felt entirely their own.

These are some of our favorite moments to photograph and film because they cannot be recreated. The words, the reactions, the pauses, and the emotion all happen naturally, and they become even more meaningful when couples can return to them through their wedding photos and film.

Their first look and private vows gave us a glimpse of the connection that had brought them from a first date in Auburn to this moment at Mathew’s Manor.

Couple Portraits With Their Greyhound

After their first look and private vows, Abby and Jonathan had time to enjoy some portraits together. AND they got to include a very special member of their family!

Their greyhound joined them for couple portraits, adding a personal touch to this part of the day. We love when couples get to include their pets in their wedding celebrations because they’re such an important part of the family, too. Having their greyhound there made these portraits even more meaningful and gave Abby and Jonathan another memory to look back on from their wedding day.

Between the emotion of their first look, the heartfelt words they shared in their vows, and the joy of having their greyhound alongside them, this was such a sweet part of their wedding story.

These are the kinds of personal moments we love preserving at Defining Moments Media. Beyond the big milestones, it’s the little details and the ones you love most that make your wedding day uniquely yours.

A Beautiful Alabama Wedding at Mathew’s Manor

As the day continued, we captured bridal party portraits, wedding-day details, and the thoughtful touches that helped bring the celebration together.

Mathew’s Manor provided a beautiful setting for the day, and the surrounding Alabama landscape became an especially memorable part of their portraits later in the evening.

Before the ceremony, there was still plenty of anticipation. Family and friends gathered, the final preparations came together, and Abby and Jonathan were getting ready to make their marriage official.

One particularly sweet moment happened just before Abby walked down the aisle. Her mom stopped to hug Jonathan before the ceremony began. It was such a small gesture that said so much about the love and excitement surrounding the two of them.

Jonathan held it together as Abby made her way down the aisle, but the ceremony was filled with meaningful moments that made the occasion unforgettable.

A Ceremony Filled With Family, Memories, and Meaning

One of the most memorable parts of Abby and Jonathan’s ceremony was the story shared by their officiant.

He remembered when Abby was born. Years later, at a birthday party her dad had organized for her, he told Abby’s dad that one day Abby would find a husband.

Years passed, and eventually her dad returned to the officiant with a feeling that Abby had found the one. He shared how much they loved Jonathan and how strongly they believed in the relationship.

Hearing that story during the ceremony connected Abby’s childhood to the life she was beginning with Jonathan. It was a reminder that a wedding is not just one day in a couple’s story. It is the culmination of years of growing up, relationships, family memories, and the people who have helped shape who they are.

It was such a meaningful way to celebrate their marriage, surrounded by the people who know and love them best.

Sunset Portraits With a Vintage Red Pickup Truck

After the ceremony, we headed outside for sunset portraits, and this part of the day was a favorite.

With the rolling hills of Alabama stretching into the background and Jonathan’s uncle’s old red pickup truck as part of the scene, we were able to create portraits that felt both romantic and full of personality.

The truck brought a fun, nostalgic element to the photos and video, while the evening light and open landscape gave everything a beautiful, cinematic feel.

We love when couples incorporate personal details into their portraits. These elements make the images more than a collection of pretty photographs; they make them a reflection of the people in them and the life they are building together.

Abby and Jonathan’s sunset portraits captured both sides of their relationship: the romance of a newly married couple and the joy of two people who genuinely love spending life together.

It was the perfect setting to pause, take a breath, and celebrate the fact that they were officially husband and wife.

A Joyful Reception With Their Favorite People

Once the reception began, the celebration continued with the traditions and moments that make a wedding night so memorable.

Abby and Jonathan shared their first dance as husband and wife, followed by Abby’s dance with her dad and Jonathan’s dance with his mom.

These dances are often filled with a mix of joy, nostalgia, and emotion. They represent the relationships that have brought the bride and groom to this moment while making space for the new family they are creating together.

After the formal dances, the evening was all about celebrating with family and friends.

The people who had supported them, encouraged them, and watched their relationship grow were all there to share in the excitement. It was the kind of night that reminds us why we love documenting weddings: the big moments matter, but so do the laughter, hugs, reactions, and spontaneous memories happening all around them.

Abby and Jonathan had the best night celebrating with their favorite people, and we were grateful to preserve so much of it through both photography and videography.

Telling Their Story Through Both Wedding Photography and Videography

One of the greatest privileges of documenting Abby and Jonathan’s wedding was being able to capture their day as a husband-and-wife photography and videography team.

Photography preserves the moments we want to hold onto: the emotion during a first look, the details of a wedding dress, a parent’s reaction, portraits in the sunset, and the joy of celebrating with family and friends.

Wedding films preserve something different. They bring back the voices, movement, laughter, vows, music, and the feeling of being there. In Abby and Jonathan’s case, Abby’s interview helped connect the entire film to their relationship, allowing their love story to be woven throughout the wedding-day footage.

Together, photos and video tell a fuller story.

As a husband-and-wife team, we love working together to create a cohesive experience for our couples. Photography and videography are not competing parts of the day; they work together to preserve the moments that matter most.

From the first moments of getting ready to the final celebrations of the reception, our goal is to create imagery that lets couples relive their wedding day—not just remember what it looked like, but remember how it felt.

Watch Abby and Jonathan’s Wedding Film

We are so excited to share Abby and Jonathan’s wedding film, featuring their story, the emotion of their vows, the beauty of Mathew’s Manor, and the moments that made their wedding day uniquely theirs.

Their story began with a rose, grew through long conversations and weekends together, and led to a beautiful wedding surrounded by the people they love.

Now, their film gives them a way to return to that story and relive the day they began their marriage.

Watch Abby and Jonathan’s Wedding Film Here

We hope watching their film brings you into the joy, emotion, and love that filled their wedding day.

Planning Your Own Alabama Wedding?

If you’re planning a wedding at Mathew’s Manor or another beautiful venue in Alabama, we would love to hear your story.

At Defining Moments Media, we are a husband-and-wife photography and videography team passionate about documenting weddings with genuine emotion, timeless imagery, and meaningful storytelling.

We believe the best wedding coverage does more than preserve how a day looked. It preserves the people, the relationships, the words, and the little moments that make it yours.

Whether you are looking for an Alabama wedding photographer, a wedding videographer, or a team that can provide both photography and videography, we would be honored to help tell your story.

Every couple has a story worth remembering.

Every wedding day is filled with moments that deserve to be preserved.

And we would love to help you remember yours.

Ready to start planning?

Inquire with Defining Moments Media Here

We can’t wait to hear your story.

Vendor Team

Venue
Mathew’s Manor

Photography & Videography
Defining Moments Media

Florist
Designs by Robina

DJ
Platinum Entertainment

Hair & Make-Up
Get Gorgeous by Gab

Catering & Cake
Mathew’s Manor

Dress
Bustle Gowns

Bridesmaid Dresses
Azazie

Suit
Mr. Burch – Mountain Brook

Rings
Agnew Jewelers

Invitations
Minted