I always knew I loved shooting weddings. I loved seeing the Brides face light up when she sees her Groom during their first look, the smile that never came off his face has he look across the room to his new wife, and the joy coming from the parents in gaining a new son or daughter.  But I never felt like I was fully discovering my WHY in wedding photography.

It was at my own Wedding that I had a new sense of love for shooting weddings. I understood the importance of the minor details that helped told the story of a wedding day. My wedding photographer is so darn good at what she does. She told our story so beautifully and I will forever have those photos to hang on the walls of my home, and share with our children, and THEIR children someday.

If someone would have asked me why I shot weddings prior to Creative at Heart, I would had told them I loved the atmosphere of a wedding day, I loved watching the love between the Bride and Groom, and I love the pressure that weddings have. But I knew deep down inside there was another reason why I loved shooting weddings. Something so deep that I just couldn’t explain.

And then it happened. I finally had a concrete answer to my WHY. WHY do I shoot weddings? Yes I love watching such raw emotion unfold in front of my camera. Yes I secretly love the pressure. Yes, it’s pretty. Yes I have amazing Brides who love their Groom. But WHY do I want to capture details, moments, smiles, laughs, snuggles?

I finally had my answer. And I have Creative at Heart and Abby Grace for opening my eyes!

I shoot weddings because of MARRIAGE. Weddings are just the foundation to a lifelong marriage with unconditional love, forgiveness, and loyalty. I shoot weddings so my couples can see where it all started, because years of unconditional love, forgiveness, and loyalty aren’t achieved without some arguing, sleepless nights, and maybe a few long drives to clear your head. During those moments of struggles, it’s beautiful to have photos to look back on and REMEMBER why you married that person. Smiles across your face, happy tears in your eyes, that reminds a person why they married their spouse. Without those photos, in the darkest of moments, they may forget.

Let me take this one step further. I shoot weddings so generations to come have timeless photos of REAL love of their parents and grandparents. Imagine sitting down with your children and sharing the love story with you and their daddy. I can hear the conversation now, “Mommy, you looked so pretty”, “Look how happy Daddy looks with you”, and then of course “Wow Mommy, you were so skinny” – Because that’ll be what MY kid says…….

I can tell you first hand how important it is to have those photos. My grandparents will be married 55 years this August and to sit down with your Grandmother, watch the smile come across her face as she’s talking about her wedding day, there’s nothing more special than that, no better bonding moments than that my friends.

Look at my grandparents! Aren’t they the cutest?! I love these two. I know it wasn’t always easy to be married to each other, but they never gave up on eachother. They always fought for love. I had so much fun taking photos of these two!

So my WHY. My WHY is to document the love stories my couples can share and in 55 years, by Brides can sit with their granddaughters and PROUDLY show off the love and the day that is celebrated yearly of the start of their marriage.

Now that I better understand my WHY, I can’t wait to see how this will transform my business. After discovering my WHY, I can better serve my Brides and their handsome Husband!  I know WHY i’m shooting their wedding, I have a goal.  That goal includes more than just shoot pretty pictures to share on my blog and social media, that goal is to give my Bride and Groom beautiful photos that will stand the test of time and be there to share for DECADES!

Discovering my why in wedding photography was an emotional one, but it was full of HAPPY tears.  Thank you again Abby for those tears!

Get ready friends, it’s going to be an AMAZING wedding season!