When Natalie called me about photographing their small, intimate, Friday night wedding, she made sure I knew two things: one being that they were expecting a sweet baby boy this winter, and the second being that she wanted to make sure there was plenty of time for creative portraits. Natalie and Bill have been together for quite some time and decided to keep things low-key for their nuptials. They both had been in plenty of weddings previously and decided against the all the fuss, and doing their own thing. They provided snacks and light bites from Whole Foods, yummy drinks to sip on, held a short and sweet ceremony in the garden, and then everyone went out to Guiseppe’s Italian Restaurant for dinner afterwards.
I really enjoyed getting to share this special evening with these two! These kinds of weddings are my absolute favorite — I’m always honored to be a part of such an intimate setting, and to get enough time to get creative with wedding day portraits. Mix in the fact that Natalie and Bill were up for anything (see photos of them laying down on the floor and also closing their eyes for reference below…), this made for such a fun night. They trusted my presence, they trusted my view, and they trusted in my talent. I was only there for 4 hours total, but with careful planning, preparation and communication, I was able to capture Natalie finishing getting ready, knock out all the family photos, get the coverage of the ceremony, snap a few candids, AND do these pretty cool portraits. Weddings don’t have to be an over-the-top, elaborate, stressful thing. (They can be, but they don’t have to be.) Too many times I’ve seen couples stressed about something as minuscule as the color of foil stamping on their cocktail napkins, or the type of glassware they’ll use to toast at the reception… My best advice is to dial into what you as a couple want and speak up for it! And if you need someone to have your back and advocate for you, I’ll be the first in line. :)
Xo,
Sarah
