Caroline and William may be one of the coolest couples I’ve ever had the honor of photographing!  I’ve been looking forward to their wedding day since they first emailed me.  They wanted to have a surprise wedding to celebrate with their nearest and dearest and they pulled it off!  Here’s how they did it: they told friends and family that they were hosting an engagement party.  Family was invited to a sit-down dinner together at Jacoby’s in Austin.

Family was told that there would be a photographer present to take some engagement photos for William & Caroline.  While there, the photographer would also take some relaxed family photos, while everyone was together and not under the stressful timeline of a wedding day.

After a few family photos, William and Caroline went to the outside of the family line up and revealed to their family that they’d actually be getting MARRIED that afternoon, not just celebrating an engagement after being together for 14 years.  Here are some of my favorite “surprise” faces the family made!

Slowly, friends started to trickle into the cocktail party which they thought was an engagement party.

Just before it was time for the ceremony, Caroline and William thanked everyone for coming.  They also told them about wedding planning and how nothing really seemed to fit.  The huge wedding would be too stressful, but they didn’t want to clean up after a backyard wedding.  So, while their friends and family were all together that afternoon, they were just going to go ahead and vow forever right then and there!

Their sisters were bestowed the  role of ring bearers!

Caroline had a quick wardrobe change and it was time to get married!  She added a long skirt over her white lace dress and added a wedding veil.

They’ve been together for 14 years and now they’re husband and wife!!

I love that we were able to get a group photo of everyone present at their surprise wedding!

Seriously: how fun is this?!?

William and Caroline – thank you SO MUCH for inviting me to document your engagement party turned surprise wedding!  It was so fun to watch y’all’s family’s reaction and to celebrate with you both!  Congratulations!

– Mylah Renae