Typically when I write a blog about one of my couples, I write about how pretty their wedding was. I write about their venue, what the dress looked like, their decorations, and the small details. I know those things help make their wedding story, but I don’t feel like I’m doing my couple’s justice by focusing on the “pretty things” and not focusing on all those special, emotional moments- the real reason that I’m there to photograph their day.
So for John and Ciara and for all the amazing couples that come after them, I promise to focus and blog about the moments that truly matter. While your wedding venue may have been beautiful and your dress may have been perfect for you, I believe that at the end of the day, all that matters is that you married the love of your life. Nothing else.
When I first met John and Ciara, my first impression was that they were so sweet and as they started to tell me their love story, even though I didn’t know them, I felt like they were meant to be. John and Ciara met on Christian Mingle and on their first date, John brought Ciara an avocado because she already had the flower (John’s last name is Flower!) and from there the rest is history.
I feel like I got to know John and Ciara well before their wedding day and that just made the big day so much sweeter for me. I’m just really glad I was there. I left John and Ciara’s wedding with a full and grateful heart. How blessed am I to witness a union between two good people? The kind of people that you leave their presence and just feel GOOD because they radiate so much joy and love.
One of my favorite moments from their reception is the bridal party wrote a poem for John and Ciara and they each took a turn reading a verse. The poem was about how John and Ciara first met and how much they belong with each other. My favorite part was “A month after they met, Ciara and I went on a trip to the ocean. And on a balcony in Florida I could see a new love in motion. That weekend we sat for well more than an hour, drinking wine out of paper cups and talking about Mr. Flower. Since those early days, I’ve seen Ciara light up when John is near. In her words, he’s a big teddy bear and that’s definitely clear. With him, she always has the biggest smile on her face, and has mentioned before how John is her safe place”
I’m so honored that they chose me to photograph those special moments. From “I do”, to the toasts, to grandma and grandpa lasting the longest during the anniversary dance; those are the moments that I’ll always remember as well. Wow, I love my job.
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