Dotson Studios » Modern Photography & Design in Chattanooga

Vilma and Patrick’s wedding was a unique and very special opportunity for us. We’ve never had the opportunity to photograph a couple that was already married…they had two weddings! One in Lithuania and then one here in the States. There was a fabulous mix of Lithuanian traditions, a couple Native American traditions and a love for Halloween. It all made for an unpredictable day that was pure fun. It will go down in my memory as one of my all-time favorites.

We started out at Level 10 Salon and then to The Cosmetic Market. Both were neat places that we’ve never shot at before! Then we were on to the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul for an amazing ceremony and then to Lindsay Street Hall for the reception which is always so beautiful! Vilma and Patrick were a fun and attractive couple who’ve been together a long time. Being around them was a treat.

We loved this wedding…we hope you do too!

Congratulations Vilma and Patrick!

How did you decide on your dress?
My Mom and Sister came down to Atlanta to go dress shopping with me. I tried on a couple of dresses at Bride Beautiful and we all agreed that it was between two of them. My Sister and I were leaning towards a simpler one, and had already started talking to the sales person about alterations, when my Mom asked me to put on the other one one more time. I walked out of the dressing room and was walking towards my Mom and Sister and before I could even get close my Mom started crying! I knew right then that there was no way that I could get the other dress. The way I felt in my dress at both wedding celebrations only confirmed that I made the right choice. I’m still looking for a good excuse to wear the dress a third time. :)

What was the most memorable moment about your wedding day?
Vilma: Walking down the isle to Ave Maria in the beautiful Sts. Peter and Paul Basilica and getting just as emotional saying the vows here in English as in Lithuania…

Patrick: Here in the U.S. my most memorable moment was the first look. Grant and Sara did an amazing job of setting the stage. I just remember turning to see my beautiful bride for the first time (that day) in her dress framed by the hallway in the Sheraton Read House and having my breath stolen away and feeling the smile spread across my face. My second most memorable moment was having to ask my bride for her card to pay for a round of shots of Jameson for myself and my groomsmen at the hotel. I forgot my card in the hotel room :-).

What are three words you would use to describe your day?
Fun Personal Romantic (If we could only use one word, we’d say Perfect!)

What did you enjoy most about planning your wedding?
Planning two very different wedding celebrations, in two different continents, in a short amount of time was beyond stressful, so even though planning and picking out things was fun, the most enjoyable part of the planning was seeing it come together on the day of the wedding. We were also very touched by everyone who offered their help, since we were doing the planning ourselves.

What was your favorite detail of the wedding?
Vilma: Although we loved the whole wedding day, because we had a chance to celebrate with our family and friends here and were able to show them some different traditions, one of our favorite decor details would have to be the flowers and our black trees. It was amazing to see our vision come together and to know that we were able to pull it off with the help of our family and friends.

Patrick: Those trees took forever to make. However, we knew that they were perfect when we saw them on the tables tying all of the decorations together. They were just creepy enough for me and just pretty enough for my beautiful bride.

What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future?
We just bought our first house, so we are looking forward to putting personal touches into it and making it our home. Maybe in a couple of years we’ll convert one of the guest bedrooms into a baby’s room.