Memories

So just to give you a heads up, this is going to be a long one…so you might want to get comfortable. This past Sunday, Kim got married and I knew that I was going to write about it as soon as I came into work today. I thought about what I would entitle this post even before the wedding…Kim’s Wedding, Table 13 (that was my assigned table), Who Photographs a Photographer’s Wedding?, etc…but as you can see I went ahead and simply titled it, Memories. That word sums up that night in more ways then one.

It first came to my mind when Kim’s parents gave their speeches. They both touched on the fact Kim chose a career path very different from her brothers, a path that was her passion, capturing photos, memories to be exact. Memories of special moments in peoples’ lives. That is why, aside from her wish of having her wedding happen in her parent’s backyard, her second request was to have someone, just like her, that could capture the moments at her wedding, so that she could have memories to hold onto of her special day. She found the perfect man for the job and I know that she will be anxiously awaiting for wedding photos. It’s finally Kim’s turn to be on the other side :)

Her mom’s remarks on her talents, led to a recording of Kim singing “Memories” from the play Cats at the age of 6…it was definitely a surprise to us all, including Kim. The look on her face was priceless. It was the cutest thing ever. Once I heard Kim sing that song, it became more obvious that, Memories, was the perfect word to use to for the blog post.

Memory is a great thing, but we don’t all have the best ones, me included. That’s why I couldn’t be more grateful for photographs. They take us back to the fleeting moments that are the essence of who we are. They make up the past that we cherish, that we hold on to and never want to let go. It’s that big smile, when your future husband lifts the veil or the 1 year old ring bearer who is gabbing away while being pushed down the aisle in his car. It’s your grandmother, who couldn’t be happier to see you marry a wonderful man. It’s all your close family and friends having the time of their life. This was all a part of one of the most beautiful weddings. Not even words can describe how perfect everything was that evening.

The wedding was planned in about 6 months and since I work by Kim’s side I pretty much knew most of the details. I was excited to see how everything that I already knew would come together. It blew my mind. I would never have been able to picture the sight before my eyes when I walked out onto the back porch. It was absolutely beautiful and we couldn’t have had a nicer day in Cleveland. I did get a glimpse of Kim before the night’s festivities began and she was breathtaking. For those of you who know Kim, she is gorgeous without any makeup or fancy clothes, but in a wedding dress, with her make-up done and the glow on her face, made her look even more spectacular. Ok, the groom didn’t look too shabby either :)  All these details, are personal memories I will never forget and if I do, I made sure to take photos of my own.

I told Kim, that I would bring my camera to the wedding to help her capture even more moments, just in case the thousands that the professional photographer took weren’t enough! I definitely took several hundred but I was also told that it was an absolute must for me to enjoy the wedding as well, and boy did I have a great time! My night was full of laughter and dancing, and I was surrounded by many others doing the exact same thing.

Kim’s dad said something that touched my heart, he said that life is a balance and has it’s good moments and its bad, but the goal in a marriage, though it is hard work, is to have more good days. I believe that applies to all the commitments we make, big or small. Our job is to do the best we can in every role we take on but to acknowledge that not everything might go as planned or as we had hoped. I wish Kim and her new hubbie many good days and the strength to get through the bad ones together. That’s the beauty in the vows that we take when we get married, to know that we have ours soulmate by our side when those days happen to arise. I wish them many years of health and happiness! Love you guys!

Below are a few of the memories I have from that night, I hope you enjoy them!