A little backstory first….when I first became a photographer over 15 years ago, I swore I would never shoot weddings. I hated everything about them. Mind you, my only real experience with weddings at this point in my life was attending them as a small child (and being forced out onto the dance floor to try and catch a bouquet surrounded by crazy women). Fast forward to someone I knew begging me to shoot her son’s wedding when I was in college, me saying ‘no’ a million times before finally agreeing to do it. I shot that wedding, loved every minute of it, and I was hooked.
Fifteen years later, I still love shooting weddings every bit as much as the first (probably more so since now I don’t have butterflies in my stomach the whole time). I have literally shot hundreds at this point. I have never counted, but I estimate I’ve photographed at least 350 weddings over the years, and that is probably underestimating it. There are a lot of things about shooting weddings that some photographers hate - it is a high pressure day with emotions running the gamut, quick pace, and a lot is at stake since it is a day without do-overs. I’ll just say it, weddings are stressful, and that isn’t for everyone, but I thrive in that kind of setting.
Here are some of the reasons why I personally love photographing weddings….
1) There is always a technical challenge to solve. I love that every wedding is unique and offers a new set of challenges. Weddings are a lot like novels, especially dramas. Every wedding is always a new cast of characters with new plot twists, locations, and other variables to figure out and make come together. Even with a completely well planned out wedding day, there are always challenges for the photographer to figure out and “make it work moments”….whether it be the lighting, the weather, timing, or simply finding the right backdrops for every shot in a not very picturesque setting. Every wedding presents a new set of challenges, and for someone who hates monotony, it makes for a fun day of work every single weekend. Being able to stay creatively engaged to what I am capturing makes my work so much stronger, and weddings provide just that type of environment for me.
2) Weddings are inspiring. So many moments, wonderful people, details, and places to explore! Not to mention, the fact that a wedding represents so much hope and happiness. Yes, weddings may be stressful, but in the end, every single wedding is a celebration and gathering of people who come together because two people fell in love. If that doesn’t give you inspiration to work from…..
3) The friendships I’ve developed. I have become close friends with several of my brides over the years, a few of the guests I’ve met, and most importantly, many of the other wedding vendors. Weddings have allowed me to meet some truly wonderful people I would not have met otherwise, and for that I will forever be grateful. I get to work with tons of talented individuals who share the same passions as I do, and I always look forward to seeing their faces when I show up to work….photographers have kind of a lonely existence otherwise. Without employees, these wedding vendors becomes a large network of co-workers in a sense, and family in another.
4) The variety. No two weddings are ever the same. One summer I was at the same venue SIX weekends in a row, and I never got bored. Every single wedding is always different, and amazing….new details, new challenges, and a new love story to capture. That never gets old.
5) I get to preserve history. This one is definitely my main ‘why’. How many people can say they get to preserve history? A few, but not a lot. Capturing moments of time for forever, well, that is absolutely priceless and will always make my job worth it. I also get to capture moments that escape the day - since I get to be places with the groom the bride isn’t, and vice versa, I get to provide them with a visual story of their day they were not able to experience otherwise, and that is priceless and very rewarding to me. And let me tell you a quick story…I just had a past bride write me and tell me her daughter came to her asking about the day her and Daddy got married. Being able to sit down with her and show her their wedding album was a priceless moment for her, and one I was able to help facilitate. She said she was so thankful to have someone who truly captured the emotions and every moment of the day for her to share with her daughter….priceless.