Today I want to talk about moments. Maybe it’s because the year is coming to an end, maybe I’m just feeling extra sentimental – I don’t know. But what I do know is that time is so precious. If you aren’t mindfully aware of the present moments, you’ll go years without realizing that you haven’t been making any new memories. I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m constantly on the “go go go go” schedule and because of that, I legitimately can’t remember a single detail about my wedding. I didn’t take time to be conscious about the events happening. It breaks my heart looking back and realizing that SO I’m writing this in hopes that you guys can learn from my mistake!
You know that episode of The Office when Jim and Pam get married and Pam is taking mental pictures to help her remember that day? It’s BRILLIANT! I encourage everyone to slow down and do that throughout their special day! Cheesy as it sounds, it works!
As a wedding photographer I’ve come to learn that weddings are celebrations of love.. not just romantic love, but of love from all participants of the day. Parents, siblings, best friends, the people you grew up with, friends of your family. All those people are there because they love you. While celebrating the bride and groom together is the main thing I capture on a typical wedding day, it’s the small in-between moments that aren’t super grand and glamorous that really speak to me. The moments that I’m hoping with my whole heart that the people in the picture are taking mental snapshots of to remember the tender moment happening.
During one of these little moments where I was pretty sure no one else noticed ..a moment that literal magic was happening in my camera frame- I had an epiphany. The bride and her dad shared a private moment together before he walked her down the aisle. Not staged. Not even big enough for a single other person to have seen… but there it was: a moment I’d hope would become a memory.
Any photographer can get couples to climb a mountain, pose them perfectly and get amazing shots. And while those pictures are beautiful.. what do they make you feel? As a photographer, I get so excited to take those adventurous pictures! But then I have to remember, these aren’t MY pictures. 50 years from now, I want the people to look back at the pictures I’ve taken of them and FEEL something. This industry has become saturated with people just doing things for the picture and I think often times, photographers forget that their job is to document memories and not just stage the perfect picture. I want there to be meaning behind the picture. These are the types of pictures that light my soul on fire.
While I was realizing this, I made a vow to commit to capturing MOMENTS. As much as I hope that my couples and their friends and families are taking mental pictures. It’s my job to actually make sure those small moments are documented. These moments may not be Pinterest worthy or may not trend on instagram, but to someone years from now I know that these pictures will bring them joy and a warm feeling in their heart. To me, that’s better than any type of internet fame so many people are chasing.
When you look for your photographer and videographer, look for someone who trusts their intuition. Look for someone down to earth. Look for someone who has YOUR memories in mind, not the perfect picture that they would get out of it.
So what can you do to remember your wedding day better? Don’t let a schedule dictate what could be a really special memory. Take the time to hug your dad. Take the time to dance with your spouse in the living room. Laugh with your mom. Time is constantly fleeting, but memories don’t have to. “We would do well to slow down a little and focus on the significant and truly see the things that matter most.”
