Let me just start off by saying how humbled I am for being able to get to know Elise and Luke. Though just for a small amount of time, it was all joy. Both were very open to me and Joel, and made us feel like guests at their wedding rather than photographers. One thing that stood out was their continued efforts to make me laugh throughout the day. I have to admit, they won. I found myself losing my ‘cool’ and enjoying myself. The whole day was just amazing. From the beginning to the end, Elise and Luke never showed any stress or impatience due to any ‘unplanned’ occurrences. Why am I stressing the light attitude so much? It’s because this is what makes good photographs. When you have people that actually enjoy one of the happiest occasions of their life, it shows in the pictures! Plus, what else can be done? All the planning that they could’ve done was complete. Now it was time to roll with the punches. I wish the best for the new couple and once again, congrats to you both!

Before I leave all my thank you’s, I need to give credit where credit is due. A huge thank you to my good friend and great photographer who helped me out throughout the wedding, Joel Alonzo. Couldn’t have done it without his help and support. Must say, I felt more relaxed with this guy having my back. Pictures in today’s blog are from his and my camera. I wonder if you can tell who’s is who’s 🙂 I guess this also answers the question about which brand is better, Nikon or Canon. See if you can tell the end results apart!

Inspiration:
Coming from taking pictures of a funeral, I was refreshed taking pictures at a wedding. The laughter, the joy, the hugs, the tears of happiness, the anticipation of sharing life’s precious moments with someone else…For a wedding, there’s so much planning that goes into it. For Elise’s wedding, she told me that her sister, mother and other girlfriends helped her so much with all the arrangements. I was happy to see the friends and family’s involvement in her wedding. It seemed like Elise was less stressed knowing that someone else was taking care of the arrangements for the day. But still, the bride and groom pretty much decide on a lot of things for the wedding. From the colors of the table settings to their vows that they will promise to each other and to God. With all weddings, there are always mishaps. Whether it be small such that the groom doesn’t know how to tie a double Windsor knot, or large in that it threatens to rain when it’s supposed to be an outdoor wedding. This is when I get to see the couples reaction. There’s two ways this can go down, stress and anger at the situation or enjoy the moment because it’s out of your control and being angry won’t solve anything. I always learn or am reminded of life lessons when I pick up my camera for a gig. This one was a simple reminder, enjoy life. Through the ups and downs, your attitude is important in being able to see the good in a situation even when there’s nothing you can do to make it better. And believe me, you will not always see the good in a situation immediately, it can take days, weeks or months after it’s happened. If I keep calling it quits when things go wrong, I miss opportunities to lean on my faith and my friends. Life is not 100% scripted. If it were, then I never got a copy of it!

John 10:10 – The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.