Theirs was a romance straight out of a movie.
A hometown friendship turned into so much more.
Jill and Payton’s life took so many twists and turns before their love story began, but one thing that was constant was a foundation of friendship that never wavered. They both grew up in the sweet, small town of Joplin, Missouri, right in America’s heartland. They shared the same values, the same friends, the same memories even as they lived in different parts of the country. When Jill would come home to visit her family, they always found a way to connect, and as time went on, during one hometown visit, the pair began to recognize their souls belonged together.
Even though Jill was living in Tennessee and Payton in Missouri, they didn’t the let physical distance between them stand in the way of the two of them being close to each other right from the start. They talked for hours on the phone each night, scheduled FaceTime dates where they would make dinner and dine together even when they were five hundred miles apart. Each one would drive an entire day just to spend a short weekend together, but they made the most of every hour they got by each other’s side.
They’re both old souls, who belong more in the 1920s than the 2020s, and true to form, Payton has an antique typewriter that he used to write Jill the most beautiful love letters. Sealed with real wax, and mailed to her, Jill read, cherished and saved every single letter, placing them carefully in the top drawer of her nightstand. Payton knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Jill, and when he began planning his proposal, he enlisted a friend to get the letters from Jill’s drawer and overnight them so that he could use them to surprise her with a gorgeous ring. As you can imagine, it was the easiest “YES” of Jill’s life!
Jill is like family to us, and now Payton is too, so it was such an honor for us to get to capture their once in a lifetime day at the beautiful Halestine Estate in Springfield, Missouri. Even though there were thunderstorms in the forecast all week leading up to the big day, God parted the clouds, and we ended up with the most gorgeous day and even got some glow during their husband and wife portraits! We couldn’t have been more thrilled! We could go on and on about these two, but we know you’re here for the pretty photos, so let’s just say, we have SO many favorites that it was SO hard to narrow them down! Jill and Payton, we love you!!
shoot credits
venue: the Haseltine Estate
floral design: Floral by Rebecca
bride’s dress: Augusta Bridal • bride’s shoes: JJ’s House • groom’s ring: Olive Ave • groom’s tuxedo: The Black Tux • groomsmen’s suits: The Black Tux • linens: Poised and Polished Events • hair: Kenzie Powderly • invitations: Basic Invite • photography: Amy & Jordan • rentals: Poised and Polished Events • catering: Infused Catering coordinator: Nancy Smith
