I recently posted that I was planning on making a pit stop in Medicine Hat at the end of August. My inbox immediately filled up with requests for family photos. I thought to myself, what a better time to explain why I do what I do; Weddings and Couples!

 When I started photography just over two years ago I told myself I would try everything. So I did. I did newborns, families, portraits, grads, boudoir, couples, and of course weddings. I did this for a solid year. I honestly can say I gave it my all. I tried new things; poses, locations, even processing. I did a bunch of marathons when I would travel to different towns and they would book solid. So I must have been doing something right…right?!

 In the two years that I have been shooting I have done well over 200 sessions.

I have only had one client that wasn’t completely satisfied. I think those are pretty good odds.

 But at the end of the day, I was tired. It wasn’t because I was working a lot. And it definitely wasn’t because I didn’t love my clients. I didn’t feel like what I was providing lived up to the other sessions I offered. It was because what I was doing wasn’t satisfying me. Or maybe a better choice of words would be, I wasn’t loving it.

 I would spend hours shooting a family that I absolutely adored and cared about. Even people that I was really close with. The session would go really well and everything was great. But when I would get home and run through the images, nothing wowed me. Nothing popped. Nothing got me excited like weddings do.

 When I book a session with a client whether it be a wedding, engagement shoot, or just a couples session, I seriously get so soo excited. I look forward to meeting new people, and learning their story. I have said it before, I love LOVE. I love finding out how people met, or the struggles they may have had. I love everything about it. I have the most amazing man in my life. We have gone through some huge hurdles in our time but walking down that isle to him on our wedding day, now that is love. I committed myself, and my whole being to this one person in the entire world. That is love. If I can be a part of this with many different people, every year, I am one lucky lady!

 At almost every wedding someone asks me, “Don’t you ever get sick of doing weddings all of the time?” Honestly, no. I will say though, they are long days, a ton of work, and even more stress after the actual day of. But when I see a girl go from her P.J’s to her wedding gown, I swoon every time. When I see the first look between the couple, ah my heart just melts. The speeches at the reception, while they may seem repetitive, they are all so different in their own way. And there are always a lot of laughs and tears, a photographers dream moments!

 So aside from all of the things I just mentioned about loving what I do, there are a ton of other things that go on with couples that I love. The first email I get is always the sweetest. It is usually from the soon to be bride that is as high as the moon, head over heels in love. Newly engaged is one of the best feelings out there.

 And then there is the minute I walk into bridal prep. This either goes one of two ways. The bride is either calm and collected, or really quiet and freaking out inside. It is my job as the photographer to calm those nerves and get her back on track to the most special day of her life.

And then there is the ceremony. Every ceremony is very similar, but it is the couple that makes it what it is. It’s the moments between them that are so special. The way her looks at her or the little tear in her eye.

 And then there is the reception. You can tell that a whole weight has been lifted off the couple at this point. They are ready to eat and drink and have some fun!

 But my most favourite of all is formal photos. Big Surprise right. I love love love this part. I get to take the bridal party out to fabulous locations and shoot away. I always start with the group photos; after all you can’t keep their attention forever. And then we move onto the bride and groom where I get to capture their love for one another. I can just picture them going through their images later and being amazing by what moments I managed to capture between the two of them.

 Long story short, I love weddings. I truly believe that you should do what you love. I know that I put it out there, I tried other things but at the end of the day I made a commitment to myself when I started this. I said the minute it no longer makes me happy, is the minute I put down the camera. So with that being said, I love couples, I love weddings.

That is why I do what I do

 ~N~