Sigh. My love for my couples is obvious and apparent. I am downright gushy.
I was sitting with another business owner (and friend) over coffee the other day and I was laughing about how ridiculously I love photographing weddings, and how over the top I am about it. In this industry, you’ll find it’s really a love or hate thing. Generally, there are photographers that either think photographing weddings is the best thing ever or they avoid it like the plague. I happen to be the former.
Now, to be fair, I will say that a wedding is usually going to have about 80-140 hours of work involved for me personally, depending on the event. Not including the time anyone in my team puts in. It Includes a tremendous amount of physical stress (I’ve long said I need to start a photographer’s workout plan… but … have not), our gear is so heavy and I spend a lot of time running for shots. I was once told by a chiropractor that I should probably change professions for the sake of my spine. đ It’s filled with emotional stress, because I know we have one shot to make it perfect for our couples, and our couples and families are going through the most emotional time of their lives. And overall it is shockingly expensive to run a photography company… when done correctly. So although it’s not an EASY job, it is one I really do love.
Back to the coffee…as we were talking, I realized that I love wedding photography for one main reason. I love telling stories and I love hearing stories. If photography can do anything, I hope it can tell you a story. One about who your family is, about all the possibilities you have in life, about how beautiful you were on your wedding day and about the person you are going to marry.
I think the reason I love weddings so much that stories are everywhere. Grandmaâs ready to tell you about her wedding day, the way that dad looks at this daughter, the laughter and joy of traditional group dance at the reception. On a wedding day, wow. A wedding day tells 1,000 moments. It’s a day filled with emotion, friends, and family and everyone is looking to have those moments. All you have to do is record the story that is right in front of you. It’s absolutely incredible.
I often hear couples say theyâre really most interested in the âcandid photosâ. What they mean is that they want the true authentic moment. They want to see in images what they feel and experience on their wedding day. The good news is I feel exactly the same way. I will always make sure that we have beautiful formal family photos and that youâre looking (and standing) in a way that you look and feel your most beautiful. BUT 30 years from now, when youâre showing your kids your wedding album they should be able to feel what you felt when you were there. Thatâs what a great image should do. Especially on a day like your wedding.
This wedding was extra special because the bride was actually from California. You might be aware thatâs my where Iâm from. Amanda and Otto decided they were going to do a ceremony in Florida (where Otto lived) and then a reception a year later in Los Angeles. As they were having a smaller wedding, they decided on the beautiful Baughman Center, which is on the University of Florida campus in central Florida. Itâs a lovely wedding venue with a beautiful glass chapel. The reception was held in a historic bed and breakfast in the same area. It was lovely, small and intimate and such a privilege to be a part of.
The other absolute highlight of this wedding is that my beautiful bride also happened to be a vegan blogger. Personally, I have a lot of food allergies so I eat a ton of vegan food simply because it works so well for me.
She. Had. A. Vegan. Wedding. Cake. Just stop it.
My team was literally laughing (out loud) at me as I ran past to shove (yes, shove) more cake into my mouth as I continued with what I was doing. The bed and breakfast actually sent some leftover cake with me, this is how obviously and non-smooth I was about my love of this vegan goodness.
Amanda and Otto, it was a privilege being a part of the most important day of your life.