MY KIND OF WEDDING: Analisia & Eric’s WEdding On The Lake.

I got booked for a wedding on the lake! I had never met Analisia and Eric before in my life, but they called me and wanted me to shoot their wedding and were confident that they wanted me and no one else! I HATE “selling” people or pressuring people into booking me for a wedding or even seeming like I’m trying to ‘sell’ someone, so I asked Analisia and Eric how they were so sure that they wanted me for their wedding. Immediately, they both said “Because we know that you’d be our friend.” Although Analisia & Eric didn’t know this when they told me that on their consultation call, this really touched me deep because I do not accept every wedding that is offered to me. I want to shoot weddings and be there for someone’s special moment with people who I could call my friend. I want to work for good people. I want to make my friends proud, and I want relationships to last well past the wedding date. Not that we have to hang out or talk on the phone every single week, but rather people I can hang out with again and share stories with. People I can introduce my wife to, and that we all could hang out as couples. At the time they booked me, none of this was explicitly said on my website like it is now. Later, I would revamp my entire website to reflect me and who I am!

I didn’t know it until the day of the wedding, but Analisia & Eric were 100% right, and called it immediately; Analisia, Eric, and their entire group of family and friends were exactly my kind of people, and I believe vice versa. I drove up to Apache Lake the night before to camp in my car (one of my favorite personal hobbies) and to meet Analisia, Eric, and their wedding party for the first time. EVERY SINGLE PERSON welcomed me into their group, and EVERY SINGLE PERSON was open, straight shooting, no-bullshit, and was there to be there for Analisia & Eric’s special day. I won’t speak for the entire group, although I have a feeling they would strongly agree, we were all fast friends, and I found myself talking to every single person about their lives, dogs, music, beer, relationships, work, and other not politically correct topics (my favorite.) All of us got rowdy the night before, and got to know each other. This made for the day of the wedding to be EVEN BETTER than it would have been without spending time with each other the night before.

The day of the wedding was perfect. and I mean "PERFECT.” And by “perfect” I mean “perfect with all of its imperfections.” No wedding day is “perfect” and I’m of the opinion that perfection does not exist; and that’s the point. The day of the wedding was combination of the night before in all of its rowdiness, fun-loving, and open environment, combined with the touching, loving, and vulnerable moments. I choked up three times while I was taking photos; once when Analisia did a first look with her dad and brothers. All the brothers surely thoughts I was a panzy-boy as a result of this, because none of them were crying. I choked up again listening to Analisia & Eric’s private vows to each other (especially with what Eric had to say which will remain between them two and no one else.) And then of course again during the ceremony as they walked out.

THIS IS MY KIND OF WEDDING. Period. I am grateful and blessed to have met Analisia & Eric and captured their perfect day on the lake. But more importantly, I am grateful and blessed to have gained two new friends. Not just acquaintances that I met one time to shoot their wedding; no. Friends that I will introduce my wife to, friends that I will return to the lake with, and friends that I will shoot the shit with as long as they’ll have me!