The first time your loved ones see you in a wedding dress is always something special. One passionate kindergarten teacher, Kelsey Moeller, wanted to share the moment with her class at school.

“The kids got to see me in my dress before anyone else, including John or my dad. I have a very strong bond with my class and I absolutely love going to school,” she said to The Metro.

“When the kids saw me some of them didn’t know where to look and were all embarrassed, it was real cute.”

The children even painted Moeller a ‘wedding dress’ as a gift with all their names on.

“I’ve photographed first looks more times than I can count…….but this one! This one is special!” the photographer of Flying Pig Photography said on Instagram.

Take a look at how it all went down, and the adorable look on the kids’ faces when they see their teacher in her dress:

 

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I’ve photographed first looks more times than I can count…….but this one! This one is special! Kelsey teaches kindergarten at Hugh Goodwin Elementary. And what a lucky class they are! They were the very first to see her in her dress….before dad, before her groom. And let me tell you, these sweet kiddos came to school dressed for the part, with a special surprise of their own. You see, Kelsey’s mom, Jerri Beth Smith, was also a teacher in the El Dorado School District. She substitutes for her daughter when she’s out of the classroom. During a couple of those days, the children hand-painted a beautiful dress for their teacher. And they topped it off by throwing her a bridal shower after the reveal. Miss Smith insists none of the children gave away her surprise, and I believe it. These children were the most well-behaved and sweet children – even in an exciting time for them. These photos are even more special now. Less than two weeks after I photographed this sweet kindergarten class, school was suspended due to Covid-19. I know it was meant to be for all of these kiddos to share in the wedding of their teacher, even if it wasn’t possible for everyone to come to the ceremony! Kelsey and her mom created a special table at the wedding to honor her class – a banner of one of these special images, a display of the dress and coloring sheets made from a group photo of them all. I know she loves them as much as they love her <3 As of yesterday evening, it’s……… Goodbye, Miss Smith and Hello, Mrs. Moeller! But changing her name will never dull the memory created on this day. Memories with Miss Smith/Mrs. Moeller will always have a special place in their heart, because she shared hers with them <3 Wedding Dress | She Said Yes in the Heights Engagement Ring | Taylor Made Design & Jewelry Hair & Makeup | Karen Millican Surprise Crew | Mom, Friends and Staff of Hugh Goodwin Elementary School

A post shared by Flying Pig Photography ? (@flyingpigphotography) on Jun 5, 2020 at 8:12pm PDT

The wedding took place on May 30 at a cattle ranch in Arkansas. Even though social distancing measures had to be kept in place, it was a spectacular day.

Featured image: Unsplash

The coronavirus outbreak has caused many industries to come to a standstill. In the wedding industry, vendors like photographers, musicians and caterers rely on some form of face-to-face contact to carry out their jobs.

As many put their lives on hold, others are getting creative to maintain a sense of normalcy, like photographer Lex Alinsod from the Phillipines.

Although this wedding photographer couldn’t perform his job as normal, he found an inventive loophole to still do what she loves.

Alinsod shot an engagement photoshoot over FaceTime for couple Poy and Jeryl from the Philippines. The pair have postponed their November wedding due to COVID-19, but still wanted to have beautiful images to remember their engagement.

“What inspired me is the drive to still create art and to express myself despite the pandemic. I was inspired by one of the photographers I look up to- Alessio Albi who shoots models virtually using facetime. I want to incorporate it to my field which is wedding photography,” Alinsod told Wedding ETC.

Alinsod used his Photoshop skills to add graphics to the photos. He also asked the bride-to-be to write letters to her partner that he then superimposed onto the photos.

Alinsod says that a Facetime photoshoot brings its own unique challenges.

“The process of shooting on FaceTime is very much different from shooting with an actual camera. There’s an extra challenge to it. Other than directing the poses of the couple, you’ll need to also direct the placing of the camera. Prior to shooting, I asked the couple to give me a “virtual tour” of their place so I would know where is the good light and to also determine where will I let them position.”

The only difficulty he faced was in the quality of the photos because comparing the quality of screenshots to an actual shot from a camera is way different. 

This unique photoshoot goes beyond the pandemic, proving that creativity and love cannot be stopped. Despite the tough current climate, this couple will always have these stunning shots to remember that their love is real and survived the unexpected.

For more, visit Lex Alinsod’s Facebook page and Instagram.

Image/s: Lex Alinsod

Essential workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic have faced much heartbreak over the last few months. Those who were meant to tie the knot during this time experienced even more sadness over having to cancel their big days to join the fight against coronavirus.

This past weekend, 100 couples from 15 different provinces in China married in a group wedding after their own were cancelled. The wedding was held at resort city Sanya in south China’s Hainan Province.

The group wedding was organised by the municipal government and supported by about 50 enterprises to honour all the workers who had to put their big day aside to work on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The couples were also provided with free round-trip airfare, accommodation, wedding photos and honeymoon tours.

Take a look at some of the stunning images from the big day HERE.

Feature image: Unsplash