TWO PEOPLE CHOOSING TO BELONG TOGETHER

On my grandmothers bedside table is a photograph from her wedding of her and my grandfather: fresh out of the chapel where they eloped in Alaska, just the two of them. Nothing flashy or special, by any means. It is printed out on printer paper and underneath the image are the words “My one and only” written in her shaky, 80-something year old handwriting. The two people in that wedding photo couldn’t possibly know the deep love that would grow, the babies they would bring home, the arguments that would ensue, new houses, new jobs, the cancer, the great-grand babies, many of life’s ups and downs, and one day still- keeping the vow “til death do us part”. They have grown old with this photograph.

I’ve spent more hours than I can count listening to my grandparents share the story of them; their history and what, after all these years, is the most important thing life has taught them. There are countless photographs around their home: on the walls, photo albums on their coffee table, and scattered around the refrigerator as a reminder of the life they have lived, the people they love, and the the memories created together. Their love reminds me what is important in life and has led me to evaluate and re-center myself and the role I enter into on a wedding day. What I have the incredible honor of stepping into isn’t just about this one day; its about your marriage. A life time of choosing this person everyday, of creating a family and a home together. This day, while important and absolutely a celebration, is so much bigger and can’t possibly fit into tiny squares on Instagram or be uploaded onto a Facebook album. Your journey- the one that started with tiny butterflies in your stomach, one of you getting the courage to ask the other out on a date, the first kiss, meeting each others families, the first fight and then the make up, so many tiny holy moments in-between, a question and a YES!- led you to this place. One where people- your people- the ones who carried you here, will gather and celebrate and it will be like nothing that has or will ever happen again, deserves the truth. People are uniquely different- they love differently, they act differently, they dance differently. On your wedding day, I want you to feel comfortable to express love to one another in your own way, whether you're quiet, or full of hugs, or just want to be giggly and sarcastic with one another. With this in mind I show up to your wedding day attentive and focused on the love and truth of this one day- you and your people. I take great joy in documenting the day as it happens and I take a very hands-off, documentary approach to photography so that generations after you can have Images that show what it felt like. During portraiture I give some direction, but I will never have you re-enact anything. This day is so much more than photography and you are free to do and play and enjoy your wedding day with the people you love in a way that you, and only you, know how to.

The importance of this work will outlive me. Future generations will hold these photographs in their hands while asking for more stories of the journey of you and your great love and my biggest hope is that they would see and feel what it felt like to have been there, on your Day One.