I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE photographing weddings. I wake up this morning after Lisa and Ted's wedding--my feet, neck and back feel the work I did yesterday. They had a salsa band, and man oh man did this group love to dance, Midwesterner and Colombian alike. But my sore feet are way overridden by the lasting feeling of happiness I have from photographing their wedding. I feel this way every time I photograph a wedding: exhilarated.
I so enjoy documenting all of the emotions--the anticipation and nervousness beforehand, the solemnity and seriousness of the ceremony (and sometimes the funny moments that happen during), the joy of the couple at the end of the ceremony, the fun and celebration of the reception, the details of the setting. It seems to me that a wedding is one of the few times in a couple's life when they are surrounded by most of the friends and family that are dear to them. It's such an incredible opportunity to celebrate a gathering of loved ones and the joining of two families. I especially love photographing the older generations--grandparents and great-grandparents as they watch their families grow.
I imagine what the photographs will look like when this newly married couple's grandchildren see them. Will they see how much their grandparents loved each other? Will they see their young faces so full of love and surrounded by so much love?
I feel such gratitude to the families who invite me in with my camera. It is such a life-giving, life-affirming experience for me.