Being a Bridesmaid Made Me a Better Wedding Photographer

Yesterday my best friend of 20 years married the love of her life. The day reeked of love and devotion and sweet adoration. No, really, standing as one of Melanie's bridesmaids, I felt love seep onto the floor of The Loft on Pine and it left deeper grooves on the wooden floor. Collectively we cried from unabashed happiness and danced until the last song quieted just past midnight.

It was wonderful to be in every moment–to soak up every emotion–without the presence of my camera. This was an intentional decision because as much as I itched to shoot, I wanted more to just be. Be in every second, emotionally present and available to celebrate one of the biggest days of her life.

However, this complete focus on the wedding gave me an entirely new prospective on being a wedding photographer. To be honest, I fell more in love with the gravity of what I do, as a creative. Yes, wedding photographers take pictures, but we do so much more than that. We…
calm nerves…
refill champagne glasses…
set the vibe of portraits…
adjust veils…
fix hair…
take control of the timeline…
smile under stress…
pin corsages…
bustle dresses…
help grandma find her seat…
run after flower girls…
call cabs for drunk guests…
get stepped on during the Hora…
…but, mostly, we capture forgettable moments and make them priceless.

Watching my best friend get married made me realize wedding photographs are the greatest gift I can give my clients and it's an honor to document their love, but also be a vital part on one of the best days. Ever. For this, and so much more, I'm eternally grateful.

(The above photo from the photo booth with my best friends. We met 20 years ago and have remained by each others' sides during life's brightest and darkest moments. This photo? It's a perfectly imperfection depiction of the bond we share.)