Doing what I do, I have been to a lot of weddings! I was even in a few as a bridesmaid, a maid of honor, and once, way back in 1997, I was a bride, though I am not the same person as that 20 year old in the poofy white gown!
I love weddings! I love that they are the beginnings of fresh chapters in the lives of families and couples. I love how they have evolved! I love that the most romantic of legal contracts has become more available to couples of the same sex, and that it has become more and more acceptable to tailor a wedding day to represent the couple whether they are men, women, or one of each!
I love that the ceremony can revolve around deeply held spiritual or religious beliefs, or that it can revolve around a couple's deep reverence for Star Wars or super heroes! I love that it can also just be a sweet celebration of two people in love and their commitment to each other!
I love that more and more jurisdictions are relaxing the rules on who can officiate, because it allows couples to choose someone meaningful to them. It's a testament to true religious freedom when a couple can invite someone who represents them to sign on the dotted line of their personal marriage contract.
All that being said, weddings have really been on my mind lately, and not just because I am constantly shooting and editing and assisting with wedding photography! I've spent the last 8 months planning my wedding, and today marks 30 days until the big day!
These are some unplanned photos that my friend, Melissa Southern, managed to catch when Jeff surprised me with a ring at sunset on top of Grandfather Mountain during the Nature Photography Weekend, back on June 1, 2013!
Now, our April 18 wedding is just 30 days away, and it has been on my mind today what that means. . . Obviously, the most important days are April 19 forward, but for all of the planning that we have done to make the 18th a beautiful beginning, what is something I can do to make the rest of the days that follow just as beautiful and special?
Then I saw this video. . . No really, take the less than 3 minutes and watch it! Maybe grab a tissue or two! I'll wait. . . . . . . . . . .
Photos. They're what I do. They're part of who I am. They are all that is left of moments that make up life after those moments pass.
So, starting April 19, 2014, right here in this space, in addition to the weddings I shoot and the memories I preserve for others, you'll see a photo of Jeff and me. . . It might be goofy, or sweet, or sweetly goofy, but I think it will be a cool way to honor and commemorate our marriage, even as we do the same for the beginnings of so many others!
All Images ©2013 Melissa Southern
All Text ©2014, Jennifer Tallman, Magnuson Photographic
Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited.
That was a lovely video
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