Viewing entries tagged
romance
I have found that it is a key element to quality, honest, and captivating work as wedding photography - the element of trust. When a couple offers it to you as an artist, the canvas is blank you are given the chance to create in the midst of realtime moments of lasting emotional impact and gravity. All the more, that trust is a profound gift when the bride herself is an artist.
i don't often have the opportunity to shoot on the east side of the state...i figure that there are plenty of incredibly talented and capable photographers in the greater detroit area that couples look to hire when planning their east side wedding. but this past weekend i headed east to join rachael and andrew for their wedding celebration, and it was awesome! my wife and i first officially met rachael while on a trip to israel last summer. although we attended the same church here in grand rapids, we hadn't been introduced. and i must say, experiencing israel in the way that our group did has a way of making everyone family. we depended upon one another and grew close as we spent two weeks in the summer heat of the holy land.
so when rachael got engaged and asked if i was available for her wedding, i was so excited to share in the next chapter of life for her and andrew. it was funny, because andrew even told me on the wedding day that initially he wasn't totally sure about me, haha...as that makes sense because often the first point of contact for my couples is with the bride. but it didn't take long for us to hit our stride as friends on saturday. it was beautiful to see these two interact, completely infatuated with each other but even more...a desire to pledge their very lives to one another.
a&r - thank you for the joy of sharing in your day. i know you two are currently enjoying the beauty of the hawaiian sun, but i hope this wedding preview allows you to enjoy and relive such a wonderful day!
blessings,
npe
so i'll tell you right away..i am pretty sure i broke every rule for the reasonable number of portraits for a bride and groom in one blog post. but hopefully once you scroll down, you will understand why! when a couple is this easy to photograph, and the light is this wonderful all day, you just can't help yourself!
i met whitney a few years ago as a guest at another wedding i was shooting and had the wonderful privilege of photographing her mother's wedding in 2014. when couples ask you to capture their wedding day after witnessing your work, especially for family members, it is probably the highest compliment i can receive. and the day was so much fun, seriously. ben and i could totally pass off as long time friends i am pretty sure, with the fact that we couldn't stop laughing at the awesome awkwardness that photos can sometimes be!
thank you b&w, for the gift of celebrating beside you two and your beautiful families. leland will always hold a special place in my heart, and the fact that your wedding was there makes it all the more magical! lets relive this past weekend, what do you say? i loved working through these images...pretty sure i cried while editing your vow photos. love you guys!
- npe
it was a whole lot of fun and laughter, thats for sure! whitley and adam love each other, and they do the perfect job of not taking themselves too seriously, all the while loving every moment of life and exuding an overwhelming happiness. who wouldn't want to be around that all the time? it was perfectly complimented by the stunning venue of the hidden vineyard wedding barn, a place i've been waiting to photograph for a while!
saturday was beautiful, and as always..a privilege to witness. thank you whitley and adam for inviting me along for your celebration. you guys trusted me and i hope it was worth it! i loved working through this preview and i hope it brings you right back to the magic of saturday*
blessings,
- npe
i realized it at the very start of my career, even if i didn't fully understand the weight of it....wedding photography is just as much about relationship as it is about art.
now, it goes without saying that the artistry of a photographer stands tall in a world of social media and visual overload, but the subtle threads of real relationship behind the photos are what bring those images to life in an honest and captivating way. the great honor of sharing in the wedding day of a couple is something that settles on my heart with a weight of gratitude.
and this past saturday was yet another wedding where the esteemed role i had been given was a gift all in itself. jordan and matt have quite the story, both individually and together as a couple...and to join them in this moment in time at their wedding was truly a privilege. quite moments and prayers among siblings, a ceremony rich in humble love and purposed vows, joyous celebration and beautiful details...it was a dream day, and i am pretty sure everyone who attended would agree.
thank you matt & jordan. i know the choice of photographer was a question heavy on your hearts, and i am so grateful to have walked beside you two on your wedding day. may God bless you and keep you...and remember, never stop dating. but you already knew that, didn't you? haha
much love,
- npe
it was another one of those wedding weekends where everyone is watching the radar. trust me, i was watching too...the addition of severe weather and soaking downpours certainly can add a whole new level of needed creativity and spontaneous reorganization to a photographer's task. but saturday i saw play out the reality that i have come to know when it rains on a wedding day...the way the bride and groom go, the day goes.
the temperament and response of a couple to the unpredictable uniqueness that becomes their wedding day will always set the tone for the day.
and it must be said, that michelle and nick responded to the weather with clear eyes and full hearts, and the day was perfect. no amount of rain could dampen the spirits of these two, with friends and family surrounding them as they pledged their lives to one another. the venue was stunning. detailed beauty everywhere you looked. and to top it all off, these two even received a personal congratulatory video message from their favorite red wing, nicklas lidström...talk about awesome!
it was an honor to share the day with you, nick & michelle. thank you for your trust in light of the weather woes we worked through. you two and your joyous spirits were an inspiration to those around you and i am grateful to have witnessed your beautiful day!
all the best,
-npe
its not every day that you have a couple hire you two years out. i know i may not have been as excited as these two for this past saturday, but i can say that two years certainly does build up the anticipation...and their beautiful day did not disappoint!
i could sense their authenticity and kindness right away when we first met over coffee. its the type of meeting i leave, truly hoping that the couple hires me, simply and selfishly because i want to be their friends and see first-hand the impact they have on those around them. yes, they are that cool, haha! and what do you know, i was given that incredible gift!
katie & zach's wedding was about as perfect a michigan summer day as you could get. and it was wrapped up in love and affection, with a wedding party that adored these two, and family and friends that knew how to shower a bride and groom with love. from the incredible details that katie and her mom worked tirelessly on, to the tears zach shed as his bride walked down the aisle to him..it was moment after moment of beauty.
zach & katie, thank you for the honor of joining you on your wedding. thank you for your testimonies and for beginning your marriage on the foundation of the gospel. you two are an inspiration and encouragement to everyone around you. much love you two!
blessings,
-npe
i was standing with her at the end of the night. guests had made their way out to gather for the sparkler exit and her new husband was saying goodbye to grandpa in the corner. susie recalled, with deep gratitude in the tone of her voice, a conversation she remembered having with her mom...where the topic of taking mental pictures of special life events had been discussed.
'my mom told me how she remembered carrying me up to bed, and thinking of how heavy i was getting...and how this might be the last time i let her carry me because i was getting so big. she made sure to remember everything about that moment'
and there we stood, just about to run out through a flood of love and sparklers...and susie reminded herself to take a mental picture. justin joined us, and off we went, heading for the tunnel of sparks and a final few photos..
what a good reminder that was for me, standing there at the end of what was a wonderful day. we benefit greatly from the purposed practice of slowing down in the midst of life, and settling our senses enough to hold the moment in grateful appreciation. i didn't get the chance to meet susie or justin in person before their wedding day..but it didn't matter. these two graciously welcoming me into the beautiful mayhem of what a wedding day can be, breaking at the seams with moment after moment of laughter and love. and what a day it was!
thank you susie and justin, for the trust you placed in me, and for the incredible honor you gave me of helping to cement those fleeting moments into your memories forever. it was so much fun to be back to the states for such a celebration. i wish you both the very best. continue to cultivate a love between you two...serve one another with a selfless love, and never, ever, stop dating ;D
much love,
-npe
it has been a bit of a crazy week...but every moment spent on this wedding day preview for christie and phil was a breath of fresh air. so many details, so many smiles, so much laughter, so much celebration...and to live it over again through the editing process was just a joy.
traverse city was stunning as always and the grande traverse resort was a perfect backdrop for phil and christie and their gathered friends and family to dance the night away. it was said during the toasts for the evening that nearly everyone if not every single guest had come from out of town to join these two on their wedding day...and if that doesn't speak of the incredible support that surrounds phil and christie, i don't know what does!
thank you p&c, for the incredible privilege of joining you on your wedding day. it was beautiful from start to finish, and capturing those moments and memories was a true honor. blessings in your marriage as this new chapter of life unfolds. love you guys!
all the best,
-npe
i sometimes find it hard to communicate my heart as it relates to the work i do. certainly my aim is never to speak in arrogance or pride...but to honestly recognize the gratefulness that rests in my mind week after week, as i continue to find employment as a wedding photographer. yes, this is my job. yes it required and still requires a lot of sacrifice and dedicated hard work. yes i have my bad days. but as cheesy as it sounds, i honestly often forget that i am working...when photographing a wedding.
this past saturday was yet another day where the lines between work and play were blurred...where spending those hours with erin, ross, and their family and friends had me focusing on the details not for the sake of expectation, but for the sake of pure enjoyment and the fulfillment of capturing a gorgeous day with honest beauty.
those that know erin and ross will tell you that you would be hard pressed to find another couple who is more welcoming, accommodating, thoughtful and gracious. my wife and i had the privilege of spending time with them in arizona for their engagement session and we were witness to some of the very best hospitality we have ever experienced...i guess it might help a little that ross is a manager at one of the country's most premiere resort hotels. and that essence of accommodation carried over into the wedding day, with a couple who graciously gave me their trust and lived in the moment...the moment of a day to remember.
thank you e+r for everything. its hard to sum it all up, but i am sincerely grateful. i hope you enjoy the peek into your day, as it was a true pleasure to share in it with you. blessings to you two on your marriage.
grace and peace,
npe
