As a Canberra wedding photographer I’m often asked what has been my favourite wedding.
This is a really tough question. I love weddings – probably why I’m a wedding photographer! When I’m shooting a wedding I find myself energised all day long (and trust me they are long days). I think it comes from the intimacy that is shared when you are spending the day with someone on what is often described as one of the best days of their lives. Clients really feel like friends – even family. As one groom said to me recently, ‘We’ve formed a bond that just can’t be broken!”
Over the years I have photographed all kinds of weddings, from the formal cathedral ceremonies to ceremonies on the beach, from capital cities to small bush towns, ranging from big 250+ guest weddings to wee 35 person intimate affairs. Each wedding has been as unique as the people who are celebrating.
The one thing that each wedding has had in common is the love that was shared by the bride and groom. I find that I tend to attract loving couples. I’ve never had to deal with the dreaded “Bridezilla“ or “Groom from Hell“. I’m really starting to think that these are just fictional characters made up by TV producers, as I only seem to meet couples who are getting married simply because they love each other. And provided that you remember the love you have, then really you’ve got everything it takes to make for the kind of happy, relaxed wedding that everyone will enjoy and remember.
I also find that my awesome couples have an appreciation for high quality photography and understand what it takes to achieve that level of quality. Great wedding photography takes a collaboration between me the bride and the groom.
While of course I play a big role in telling the amazing story of your day, the day is not all about the photography. My preference is to give the bride and groom room to breathe. To enjoy the day and be in the moment, and not to be taken out of the experience by me. When you are given time to soak in the experiences of the day the magic will follow.
My goal in documenting a wedding is always to find and tell the story of your day. That includes finding the little sub-stories going on around the bigger plot. 50 years from now, when you’re celebrating half a century with the love of your life and you are looking through the images of your wedding album, what is it you want to see on those pages? This is what I’m thinking about when I’m photographing your wedding.
Really there is no single wedding that I would rate over any other. Each wedding and couple are too awesome to rank. It doesn’t work like that. Not when you are shooting the right couples for the absolute right reasons.
