May 7, 2018
On Saturday, wedding season officially began. With my freshly cleaned and serviced camera gear packed safely into my bag, I set off to document my first wedding of the 2018 season. Nervous, anxious, excited – I was full of all the emotions. During a season, you get into the groove of how everything flows and work. But at the beginning, for a brief moment, it’s like starting all over again.
This year already feels different than the rest. It’s my seventh wedding season and my heart has felt pulled into different directions. I’m ready to expand into new areas of education and creative coaching. Over the last few months, I have planned and worked on these new areas and I neglected my love of photographing weddings. I think as wedding photographers, we all neglect it a little during our off season. We become accustomed to free Saturdays spent with family. Sometimes thinking about giving up all our weekends for another full year of weddings seems so daunting.
It’s how I felt this past Saturday. Of course, I felt excitement for a new season, but I also already felt the weight of working so hard and saying goodbye to free Summer weekends. Not to mention struggling with not feeling good enough and thinking there are WAY better photographers than me. But then it hit me in the middle of my pre-wedding prayer. None of this is about me.
As wedding photographers we have chosen a higher calling. We are here to document the love and the moments of incredible people. Yes, we must find balance in our own lives but who cares if we exchange a few of our own weekends to be a part of something greater?! We are creating a legacy! Our photographs capture true emotions, real love, and once-in-a-lifetime memories. Our work is SO much more than us.
So here’s to you, my fellow wedding photographer friends. The season is upon us and it’s bound to be intense; full of hard work, long hours, and aching limbs. We will spend our Saturdays running around like crazy people so everyone else can feel calm and collected. Even though we will be tired and beg for foot rubs at the end of every wedding, I promise you that it’s all worth it. You are going to kick some serious butt this wedding season. You will help dozens of couples document one of the greatest days of their lives. This season is not about getting weddings published, working at a dream venue, or impressing that wedding planner you’ve always wanted to work with (even though that would be awesome); it’s about the people we photograph. It’s ALL about them.
Make this season your best one yet! Remember we are here to serve our couples well and give them our absolute best. I already know you all will do great things this year. Know that I am cheering you on! You’ve got this!
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