Intimate Atlanta Courthouse Wedding & Dinner Party Reception | Mattie & Brennan

Weddings
Written By Grey Kenna

Atlanta, Georgia — June 2023

Shot on digital, 35mm, and 120 film.

On the first day of June, surrounded by their closest loved ones, Mattie and Brennan said their vows in gorgeous marble courtroom of the Historic Dekalb Courthouse in Decatur Square and then had an intimate dinner party to celebrate at their favorite restaurant. It was one of my very favorite days of this summer – intentionally and lovingly planned down to every small detail. Stacks of their favorite books lined each windowsill, adorned with greenery and tealight candles. Atop the piano sat a display of framed photos of their beloved grandparents, who could not be at the wedding in person but whose love and longstanding marriages stood at the heart of this day for both Mattie and Brennan. They each incorporated charms with their grandparents’ portraits into their attire for the day – Brennan’s pinned to the inside of his suit and Mattie’s strung onto the handle of her bouquet.

Their ceremony was one of the most beautiful displays of love and commitment I have ever witnessed – traditional Irish wedding blessings and a bell ringing paid homage to Brennan’s heritage, handwritten vows made the perfect addition to the exchange of traditional vows, and a reading of “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver (one of my personal favorite poems) preceded the exchange of rings that would symbolize their marriage. When Mattie and Brennan re-entered the courtroom together for the first time as newlyweds, they had their first dance and then got to greet each guest with hugs and happy tears, which resulted in my favorite photograph from the entire day.

That evening, M & B celebrated with their guests on the patio of their favorite restaurant. “We won’t have a traditional reception or anything, just pizza and wine at our favorite restaurant with our favorite people,” Mattie had explained when she originally described the vision for their wedding day to me. I loved it as soon as I heard those words, and I knew it was something I wanted to document for them. In wedding planning, I think it takes courage to set aside tradition in pursuit of a celebration that truly resonates. Courage, and also: creativity, deep thoughtfulness, imagination, intentionality.

Their decision to have an intimate dinner party reception allowed them to spend the evening of their wedding immersed in conversation and laughter with their closest loved ones without missing a minute of it. I reveled over the entire scene – Neapolitan pizza and Italian wine enjoyed on an open patio, string lights illuminating the table as the sun set on this early summer night. After having cannolis for dessert, Brennan and Mattie’s mothers each delivered beautiful toasts with handwritten notecards. A lively round of Irish toasts and blessings followed, during which every guest offered a simple wish or a blessing to the newlyweds, each followed by exclamations and sips of wine. Down to every last little detail, it was so beautiful – each table setting included a handwritten name card, a sprig of dried lavender, and a packet of wildflower seeds stamped with the phrase, let love grow.

I’ll remember this whole day and especially this evening with Mattie and Brennan and their loved ones for a long, long time. It was elegant, intimate, serene, modern, thoughtful, and so deeply beautiful – inspiring, in every sense of the word. I feel so blessed to now call these two people my friends, and so profoundly grateful to have documented this day for them.

Cheers to the Hamiltons —

Grey Kenna
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