planning your wedding will be one of the most exciting things you’ve ever done. Stressful at times, but you’ve been dreaming of this day since you were young and now is your chance to make all those dreams come true. After much anticipation, your wedding day will finally arrive and it’s more perfect than you ever imagined. The joy you feel is unfathomable. You think you might burst with gratitude at the sight of everyone who is there to celebrate you – your bridesmaids who make you feel like a princess, your mom who does everything in her power to make it the best day of your life, your dad who fights back tears and squeezes you tight seeing you in your dress for the first time. You can’t help but feel proud as you watch the wedding you designed come to life before your eyes, every detail from your imagination suddenly resembles the cover of a magazine. And then there’s your fiancé… You realize that the reason you’re overflowing with gratitude, joy, and love is all because of him. Because he’s your soulmate, your best friend, and the love of your life and you simply cannot wait to marry him. Today, the entire universe feels like it revolves around the two of you. You spend the entire day in absolute bliss just trying to freeze every moment.

A letter to the bride

Dear future bride,

you’ll be a little bit sad when it’s all over… Thrilled, of course, to spend the rest of your life with your now husband. And relieved that your mind is finally free to think about other things (because let’s be honest, you think of nothing else in the months leading up to the big day). But also a little bit sad that the best day of your life is now only a memory. 

If you're anything like me...

And if you're anything like me...

And if you're anything like me...

getting your images back will be the second best day of your life so far. Scrolling through your gallery whisks you right back. When you first relive these moments a few weeks after your wedding, the memories are still fresh, so the nostalgia hasn’t reached it’s full strength. But as the months go by, you realize that the memories are fading ever so slightly, and you desperately want to keep them alive. So you flip through your album once again, and it all comes rushing back… You remember the depth of your joy from the size of the smile on your face. You remember how stunning you felt, and the photos prove you were right – you were positively radiant, glowing with beauty and grace. You see the happiness in your friends and family’s faces and feel that surge of gratitude once more. Their joy was all for you... You can almost hear the birds singing in the trees, your husband’s voice as he vows to be by your side forever, the cheers from your friends and family as you share your first kiss, and the sweet melody of your first dance. You can feel the warm breeze across your face, your husband’s arms around you as you pose for portraits, your dad’s kiss on your forehead as he gives you away, and the energy on the dance floor at the end of the night. Your heart beats a little harder, tears threaten to spill down your cheeks, and you can’t keep the smile off your face. Just like magic, it’s like you’re there again. And that’s when you fully understand the power of these images. The emotions they evoke that only grow stronger as more time passes. And you wonder how you’ll feel when you look at them 20 years from now or 50 years from now with a grandkid on your lap. And even though you wish you could actually go back in time and relive it all, you’re filled with gratitude that at least you have these photos to get you as close as possible.

you’ll realize that the best decision you made throughout this journey (besides saying “yes” to the love of your life), was hiring the photographer of your dreams. The photographer who’s work you adored from day one. The photographer who was worth every penny, no matter your budget. The photographer who you trusted without a doubt to capture these priceless memories for you. The photographer who understood the power and meaning these photographs would hold for you, the emotion preserved inside every single image, and the decades of joy they would provide. 

And if you're anything like me...

I hope i can be that photographer for you.

Love, 
Amber

A portrait from our wedding day. Credit: Lauren Fair