The. Most. Joy.

I was however many days old I was on this wedding day when I saw a new peak in the amount of joy I knew was possible on two people’s faces. I hopped in the car for the two hour drive up towards Greenhouse Two Rivers knowing what was coming but honestly having no idea. On one hand I knew the spot, knew the planner (Taylor from AMANDA REED Weddings is a friend and is so wildly talented), knew the dj (Brock has been one of my closest buddies for years), and thought I knew the couple. We’ve hung out a bunch actually. Lunches and coffee together. I was there the moment he proposed while they got ice cream together. I was there wandering through the woods for their engagement session. I stood in absolute awe on the Bentonville square as they gave me a present for their wedding, an absolutely beautiful quilt that Jill made herself that is actually sitting next to me on the chair in my office by the window (my favorite spot to sip coffee in the mornings). I knew, but I didn’t know. You know?

If you want to have a truly meaningful wedding day here’s the secrets in order…

Find a place where you’re truly ok with who you are and capable of being happy with that.
Fall in love with a person who accepts that so whole heartedly that you can care for them and kind of trust that they’ll do the taking care of you in return.
Plan a whole day around publicly promising to each other that you’ll just keep going down that same road together, forever, no matter what.

That’s actually it. The flowers, the cake, the bridesmaid dresses, the rings, and yes… even the photography isn’t really that essential of an element. Get those three things right and you’re all set. Now backfill whatever space is left in your hearts with intentional decisions about where this is all happening, who is coming, and how you’re going to remember it all and you’re set. That of course is where the photography comes in (you knew I would sneak it in there somewhere).

So these two did just that. They’ve both been through so much. They’ve both lived lives filled with happiness and also heartbreak and loss and they’ve both cried about it, processed it, and found each other and this day about all of that healing too. So I’ll say it again, I knew… But I didn’t know. I didn’t know I’d be there with Jill’s mom when she saw the memorial to her late husband and the tears would flow. I didn’t know that Ransom would take almost 2 full minutes to turn around and see Jill simply taking time to breath in the gravity of the moment and be in her presence while he collected his thoughts and his words. I didn’t know that a bounce house could bring so much laughter, that a first look with a brother could be so intimate and deep, that a cocktail made with sake could be absolutely delicious, or that 100 people would happily stand in pouring rain cheering their hearts out for two people who just started their lives together and couldn’t wait to get to the after party regardless of what the weather apps warned.

I love this job, so so much. Not for the awards or the applause, not for the deposits in my bank account or the adventures but for the moments like this wedding where I get to see two souls find absolute joy in each other and I am blessed enough to be invited in close enough to not just see it, but to tell the stories about it through the photos I capture. Jillian, Ransom, you two are absolute magic.

I love yall so much, thank you for sharing your joy with me. XO - Miles.