GETTING CHILLS IN FAYETTEVILLE . Amanda + Brad WEDDING STORY
There are some stresses that come with this job. People tend to dream wedding days in sun and bright days. As a photographer in some form or fashion people think the weather falls on our shoulders. As much as we all wish we could phone in our weather requests, there is just little we can do about changing the weather for our brides big days. What we can do however is be prepared for any situation and to have gained enough trust both through our relationship with our couples and through our work. There is a lot to be feared with weather that is undesirable, what if my hair gets ruin, what if the dress gets wet, what if my photos don't look good, what is the guests are miserable, what if, what if, what is? If you can just step back for a second, yes you have put months and maybe years into planning this one day but at the end of the day if you and your fiancé are married isn't that the purpose of the whole day?
Two weeks ago I got a call from Miles asking if I was available to shoot a wedding on March 11th, in my mind I said yeah my 2018 calendar is filling up but I think that date is available. Much to my surprise he meant March 11, 2017. I was available and I was excited to be working on a wedding. To me I just thought this would be another wedding, I was nervous because I had no time to build a relationship with a Bride who was a little nervous already about her photography. Thankfully Amanda and I were able to sit down and talk the Wednesday before her wedding and we were able to talk through all the scenarios that could happen if it rained, which it was about a 100% chance on her day. Thankfully we walked out of this meeting with an understanding with each other that if she showed up, looked hot, and got married I would handle EVERYTHING else photo wise. Fast forward just a few days there we are, 100% chance of rain and freezing weather. Amanda looked at me when I walked in and was so down, she wasn't worried she wasn't frantic, she was calm because she knew at the end of the day she was going to be marring the man she had been waiting to marry for over a year! Amanda's mom after the ceremony pulled me aside and started to thank me for being available and willing to work the way that I did. Half way through her sentence she stopped and started to cry, I knew just from the emotion of the day people were going to cry but in this moment I just wrapped my arm around her and said she's married, and this is an amazing thing! Tiny proceeded to tell me how special the day meant and how she was over joyed and thankful to God for allowing the day to come. I should tell a little of the back story on Amanda and Brad. Last year Amanda was in and out of hospitals and was touch and go for a while. Their original wedding date was March 11, 2016 but do to these health situations they had to post pone. With this back story in mind this next sentence hit me hard. Tiny looked at me, fighting back tears, and said "I prayed a year ago, Lord rain, shine, sleet or snow please let my daughter have the wedding she will always remember. And today the Lord did every one of those things and I can't thank you enough for capture it all!" These words still haunt me. With that in mind, go into this blog post with your mind open, maybe even go through the photos more than once. Watch how a Bride set on walking down the aisle to the man who has stood beside her in hard times and in good. I hope that to any of you that are reading this that are future brides or some day brides I realize everyone wants "the perfect day" but what makes that day so perfect is that you both embrace each other and the day. The photos will turn out, don't worry about that, show up, look hot, get married. Promise, we have the rest under control.
