The little moments

Weddings are a huge event.  They carry the thoughts and dreams of a lifetime in their few short hours.  So to capture a wedding properly you have to somehow understand a moment that people have thought and dreamed about for their entire lives and somehow capture that perfectly with the imperfect people that you  have actually showing up.

This is balanced against the very real evidence that this is the official history of the event. Years from now people will look back at these photos and try to see what could not be seen when the actual day occurred.  Grandchildren will look upon this “evidence” and say you were so “in love”.

This is a tall order for the photographer because he also comes at this with the reality of bad lighting, less time than optimal locations and the certainty that the moments that go by will not be repeated.  So a few deep breaths are in order.  This entry will not try to capture the depth and breadth of a Wedding, but  one simple strategy that I try to employ. I spend a few moments at each event looking for something simple and clean that is evidence of a deeper bond of love.  These moments are not the classic cutting the cake, or the first walk. Rather it’s the unguarded laugh, the quick smile or the heartfelt hug.  I would like to believe that these moments show that the wedding is just a symbol of the love that was already there.