Jen and I first talked in the summer. Her and Peter had been married 7 years now and had never had proper portraits taken of them, not even at their own wedding. She’d been eyeing my work for a while and when we started talking at a 4th of July party, the she brought up the idea of doing a re-do of the wedding portraits they never had. YES I said, ABSOLUTELY, please email me, seriously!

(and yes this is her original wedding garb!)

I love doing wedding portraits- the excitement of the day and the bubbly anticipation of the lifetime together. But there is something even more compelling to me in working with a couple who has been through it (it, you know, the struggles, compromises, joy, pitfalls, and triumphs of committing your whole heart to another imperfect human being) and still manages to hold that promise sacred and an stay in love with eachother.

This kind of love is fascinating and so meaningful to me. The butterflies and fairy-tale ideas are often gone but in my experience, they are replaced with a deeper sense of security and care. Something rooted in the commitment to not quit on each other when things get ugly. Then born from obstacles, overcoming obstacles, experiencing redemption and growth in each other and ourselves, and then doing it all over again. There is power and fulfillment of committing to that process with one another. It creates us into more full human beings – learning to love ourselves through someone else’s love, and in turn better love the world around us. And I know this doesn’t come without it’s battle scars, but to me, the growth that that inspires is what makes it so beautiful.

Jen did email me a couple months later to set up a shoot, “we’re really going to do it!” I was so excited to help create these images for them. So often after years of marriage we as couples forget to take time out and just remember how much we love each other, connect on a different level than just normal life maintenance. I see these portrait shoots as an opportunity to reconnect and remember how much love got them to where they are today. And then come away with visual reminders of that love to continue reminding you long after the session in over.

Here’s to love- messy, wonderful, heartbreaking, soul filling, unexplainable love. Thank you guys for sharing your love with me, as well as with my camera.