During the reception Megan asked me if they would get to see some teasers to be able to share with their family back home and I exclaimed “of course!” What most clients don’t know is that I blog every wedding (unless privacy is requested) and feel a duty to share at least a little something about their day. Sometimes certain weddings strike an emotional chord in my heart and I feel the need to pay my clients homage by telling their story from my point of view. More and more my work is embracing more of the journalistic approach and I treat each wedding as assignment but instead of photographing for a newspaper I am photographing for my heart. The love and laughter of a wedding day fills me up – it is what keeps me going in this field and why I love weddings so very much.
“What does love look like?”
When one thinks of love often we think of fairytale endings in childhood books or of the last romantic comedy that you watched – rich with drama and happy endings. These stories are wonderful and heart warming but are rarely based in fact. The movies tend to depict an all consuming kind of love – made of hearts and flowers and big grand gestures but the truth of real love to me has always been sacrifice – give and take and the pull on your heart when you look into your loved ones eyes. It wasn’t until I was married and started having children did I really and truly consider the other kinds of love shown on a wedding day. Of course there has always been an importance to photograph parents and grandparents but I mean the symbolic gesture of giving your child away to be taken care of by someone else. I love going to weddings where parents have been married for 30,40, or 50 years and the couple has this amazing relationship to draw inspiration from. Which was the case for Marc’s parents – two wonderful people who still look at each other like they are teenagers on their first date who love and laugh together in this perfect dance that is beautiful to watch. Whenever clients indicate there is a divorce, which was the case for Megan, I try to keep parties separate and pay respect to new wives/husbands etc.. So colour me surprised when 5 minutes after seeing his daughter in her dress Megan’s father gave his ex wife a big hug and told her that they did good and then she looked up at me and requested a photo together. Once again during his speech he called her up and although Megan’s Mom didn’t utter a word (not a public speaker but her love for her daughter shone through her face) but he held her next to him as a unit – ultimately still united in love for the daughter they had created together. It was beautiful – and so incredibly thoughtful – Megan was moved to tears and frankly so was I. I am a child of divorce and most children always wish for their parents to get back together but that just isn’t always a reality. For me the setting aside of their own issues – whatever they had been – to be united for their daughter was the perfect example of true love. Our children are beings that occupy space in our hearts – scalding us with worry, love, tenderness and they make us so incredibly vulnerable. Megan and Marc are so lucky to be flanked on either side by such amazing examples of true love I know they won’t just have a loving marriage but that they will also make wonderful parents (one day – sometime in the future – no pressure *wink* *wink*). Megan and Marc – your family, your wedding party and your guests and you – were just lovely. It was a true honour to be a part of your day – it was one of the special ones that I will keep close to my heart. I wish you all the joy and happiness of life as you begin this journey together. I post this as I listen to my husband enthusiastically reading a bed time story to both our boys after a long day of swimming, running, hugging and kissing and lots of relaxing. Thank you for your patience while I have been on vacation and without further delay here are your photos… 
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