Why you should set aside a day for wedding portraits

I never thought I'd be a proponent of this,b ut recently brett and I Had a chance to spend a day adventuring around Monahan sands in our wedding clothes and it was seriously SO MUCH FUN and totally wroth our time. 

We had about thirty minutes on our actual wedding day to take pictures of just us (funny enough, we had a first look, but we didn't want anyone-- not even the videographer or photographer to see it-- it was so sacred to us that it just be us and no one else....) which seemed fine at hte time. But after doing this shoot in a fun environment, with no rush, no need for my hair and makeup to stay absolutelyperfect for a ceremony and such--- it was a really sweet time for Brett and I. 

Kim had us bring our vows (which I printed out and did a simple calligraphy for our names) and had us say them to each other and enjoy the moment. 

It was a rush of emotion and memories repeating our covenant words to each other. 

We both cried and blubbered through them and I can tell you why... because in so many raw ways, our vows have all been manifested in our marriage. We've failed at them. We've trudged through them. We've upheld some of them so well and so poorly. It was epic to say them out loud to one another-- we even laughed a few times because we could think of specific arguments or selfish moments within our marriage where said vow was at work. It was beauitful to think that Brett's iron has sharpened mine. ANd my iron has sharpened his. All in this dance (sometimes feels like a battle) called marriage. 

Practically I loved just getting to take time to hug Brett. To kiss him. To run around with him in a big billowing dress. To be unashamed of my physical relationship with him. When we took our engagements and even some of our weddin gpictures, we were physically awkward. If you didn't know, now you do--- we waited until marriage to have sex, so some of the ways we interacted with each other in our pictures just looks super awkward. 

But in these pictures, I think we look far from awkward, and just super pumped to be with one another. I do wonder if there are ways we could have been a little more comfortable with each other during our engagement and wedding pictures. Nowadays, as a photographer, I don't know what people's relationships are like-- speficially their physical relationships, but I always assume they might need guidance with what to tod with their hands or they might just need me to help them slow down, enjoy their time with one another, and to relax as much as possible so their pictures can accurately capture who they are. 

That's what I valued about this day Brett and I had together, and if i could convince any of my future couples I photograph to spend a day before or after their wedding getting dressed up again for a handful of hours traipsing around town getting ice cream, walking thorugh botanic gardens, or going to the drive-in all dressed up in their wedding garb... I'd try to convince them every time. 

July 2, 2018

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