Sharon & Carlos - Wedding

Let me first start off by saying, I'm not a wedding photographer.

Alright! Now that that's out of the way, let me continue in saying oh my goodness, I cannot believe I shot a whole wedding! Like, from start to finish. What??

So, earlier in the year I had the opportunity to shoot a ceremony for one of my sister's close friends. But it was just the ceremony. Not once since I started photography, or even before I entertained the thought if photography could be something I would be doing professionally, did I see myself being a wedding photographer. And here we are, having done a wedding!

I was sought out early in 2023 by my uncle's fiancée, Sharon, to be their wedding photographer in November. I was fully transparent in the fact that I have never shot a wedding before, so the experience was not there, and that I wanted to be sure that Sharon and Carlos liked my style of edit. I personally think that is one of the most essential tasks in finding a photographer.

If you hire a photographer that edits in a completely different way you have envisioned, you unfortunately will not be satisfied with your final images. There are so many ways to edit a photo! Light and airy, dark and moody, true to color, etc. I feel like during this time I was still trying to find consistency through my images, and feel confident in the edits I produced. So when Sharon was adamant that she loved my editing style, I did feel honored to have been considered for an event so important.

This was not a decision I considered lightly. A few anxiety rants to my mom and husband were made along with the internal self doubt that comes with the lack of confidence. What I did conclude however, was that I will definitely learn all that I need to know. The preferred equipment for ceremony vs reception vs getting ready photos; the must-have shots for each part of the day; what Sharon and Carlos considered important for me to capture; and also the learning where I would best capture everything in the venue by touring and looking around in person.

I never want to take on a client that I know I cannot fully deliver or learn in the process to make sure that their experience is worth it. I'm usually always learning with each session that I do. I invested in some education online that focused on wedding photography to help me get ready to be successful. And I did feel pretty prepared!

I kept in constant communication with both the bride and the groom, and I shot their engagement session which helped me get to know them as a couple better! I loved the way their engagement session turned out and knew Sharon was going to make a beautiful bride. She knew exactly what she wanted and had a clear vision, which is very helpful as a photographer!

The months, weeks, and days leading up to the big day had my stomach turning every time I thought about it in anticipation. It truly was my anxiety and self doubt creeping in. I already struggled with imposter syndrome, so this was really putting me out of my comfort zone, which is probably what I needed.

When I got to the venue the morning of the wedding, I made my presence known to Sharon, and immediately started shooting some detail shots of everything before she was scheduled to officially get ready. I was grateful she also had a videographer that I could bounce ideas off of since this was what he was used to doing.

I overall had a positive experience. More so in the fact that I felt like I got what I needed, we weren't behind schedule all that much, and no image was lost once I got home. The running around, sticking to a strict timeline, and trying to catch fleeting moments that can't necessarily be redone was not my vibe, personally, haha! But the entire day was BEAUTIFUL. Absolutely GORGEOUS. And Sharon looked like a princess, and Carlos was a very handsome groom.

Through all of that, this experience only solidified what my gut was telling me from the very, very beginning. I am not a wedding photographer, and wedding photography was not meant for me. My anxiety cannot do this more than once a year! I give so much respect to wedding photographers. They are truly bosses. I would argue they're probably one of the more important vendors since they end up acting as the photographer, coordinator, emotional support, and damage control all in one! I do recommend finding a wedding photographer you vibe with because that trust and relationship throughout the wedding day will put you at such an ease!

Also, fun fact, my daughter was one of the flower girls! So on top of being the photographer for the wedding, I also had to make sure that my daughter was right for the ceremony. (A HUGE appreciation to my husband who was there every minute with Eliana the day of the wedding. Because girlfriend was not having a good time.)

She was crying the entire morning, refused to hold her flower girl basket of petals, and refused to go down the isle without me or Lee during rehearsal. I could hear her scream and cry from the front of the ceremony while I waited for it to start. I thought, yup, that sounds about right. That's Eliana. But as soon as the ceremony music started and it was her time to walk down the isle with the other flower girl, it was as if she were meant to do this, and she did it with a smile. Held her flower girl basket and dropped petals down the isle as if she didn't just terrorize her Daddy 1 min prior. That also made it memorable for me!

I am so incredibly thankful, again, for the trust Sharon and Carlos had in me, and their kind words once I delivered their final gallery. If I didn't believe in myself, she definitely did, as did everyone closest to me.

So here are the images I was able to capture for Sharon and Carlos on their special day!!