The Best of 2016: Weddings
Before I officially close the 2016 chapter of my business, I wanted to share two blog posts on the "Best of 2016"! First up, was Part 1: The Best of Engagements (see it here!) and this week is Part 2: The Best of Weddings!
I had the honor and the privilege to work with some pretty awesome couples in 2016, and I wanted to be sure to share some of my all-time favorites from their weddings. These images make me fall in love all over again with my job, and were narrowed down from 4,198 overall wedding favorites from 2016! But I wanted to share only the best of the best on this post today!
I hope you enjoy some of my favorite images from the wedding days of couples married in 2016! If you want to see last week's post on Part 1: The Best of Engagements be sure to check it out here!
I love working with couples who are the best of friends and who love to show each other affection! I am a hopeless romantic and for me even the little things like holding hands, hugs, and forehead kisses make me all mushy. I love having the opportunity to capture these little moments for my couples and the way they show each other love on their wedding day!
I love working with couples who think family is everything! They make family a big part of their day and they graciously welcome me in as an honorary family member at their wedding. These couples will take the real, honest moments over the ones staged to perfection. Throughout a wedding day there are so many heart-warming and emotional interactions between the couple and their family, and it is always my goal to capture as many real moments as I possibly can!
I love working with couples who trust me when I suggest a creative idea on the wedding day! My couples are totally up for sneaking out at sunset or near the end of the night for some alone time together . . . and an opportunity for amazing sunset pictures! My main focus for my couples is to be a mixture of photojournalist and creative artist. I also really enjoy capturing the venue where the wedding is held in a unique way!
I am passionate about working with couples who believe in creating a beautiful marriage (not just a beautiful wedding). The whole point of the day is the actual marriage ceremony and I hold this time of the day with very high regard. I know some of my couples have been together years and their families are so excited to witness this very sacred moment in their love story!
I always tell my couples that I basically try to be as invisible as possible throughout the wedding service. This results in some pretty hilarious behind the scenes photos, but I know this is such a special moment for the couple so I wouldn't have it any other way! So far I haven't been able to use my cloak of invisibility anywhere else besides wedding days! Ha!
I love working with couples who lead with a grateful heart and who aren't afraid to hit the dance floor (most likely barefoot)! I believe in creating the BEST photographic experience possible for my couples and one of the ways that I ensure this is by forming a friendship with my couples.
A bride and groom should connect with their photographer, trust their photographer and be EXCITED about the whole process! If you think about it, besides immediate family and the bridal party, no one beside the photographer is there from the start of the day until the end. Shouldn't that photographer be someone you feel relaxed with and who has a good sense of humor? I think so!
The following moments are some of my favorites because I remember the moment as it was happening and can't help but smile at all the fun going on! After getting to know my clients at their engagement sessions, they are total pros and know what to expect on the wedding day! I believe this also allows my couples to be themselves because they are with a friend, not just a vendor.
Most of my couples laugh just as much as they cry on their wedding day!
I know how truly important the wedding party pictures are on the wedding day because these are the people the bride and groom love and cherish as friends! To be honest it can sometimes be intimidating to capture the wedding party because most of the time they all know each other really well and I am like this outsider who has to break into the group. I build it up in my mind and relate it to the new kid trying to sit at the popular table in the lunch room.
But, thankfully, I have been so blessed to have such amazing brides and grooms and their people are more often then not, so awesome and friendly right from the start! When I have the opportunity to not only become friends with my couple but also work with a wedding party who have really great attitudes, it just serves as a reminder to me for why I love my job!
These moments right here are another reason why I love my job! Capturing these memories of when a bride and groom first see each other on the wedding day is always so wonderful. I get to glimpse such real, honest emotion, and I get to preserve these moments in time for them. These images will serve as a legacy to each couple's love. How amazing will it be when, in 20 years, my couples look back on all their portraits and not only see a moment from their wedding day, but feel the emotion from their wedding day.
"At last . . ." - Etta James
I love working with couples who love the little details, but are ok ditching tradition and who believe timeless always wins out over trendy. I believe in capturing images in a way that is timeless and that will endure beyond today's trends (you'll see no T-Rex dinosaurs chasing people or Instagram-colored filters here).
I think I enjoy looking at old photographs of my grandparent's wedding so much because everything looks so classic and photojournalistic verse staged or photoshopped. I love it when couples have a vision for their wedding day, but just want classic, iconic, candid, and joyful images that show what the day really looked like. I believe there is a place for creativity as a photographer but it's all in your approach, composition, lighting, and in-camera work!
I have always been inspired by love stories, and I believe the most romantic, honest photographs are timeless.
Join the Conversation!
Did you enjoy something about this wedding post?! Did something about my story speak to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts and read your comments below! I want to thank you all so much for participating in my community and joining in on the online conversation. If you would like to share what you've read, please use the share button below!