When I was searching for my dream wedding photographer I knew what I wanted – authentic storytelling. You hear those words thrown around the internet a lot and the meaning varies to different people, but to me it means focusing on what’s important. When I take photos I want to look for sentiment, meaning, and moments that take your breath away. I want my stories to take you to that very place, and make you FEEL. I want you to see the relationships between family members and friends and look back on those memories. Here are some real wedding examples of authentic storytelling and how I go about it. You’ll notice a lot of what I focus on isn’t just the bride and groom, but family, friends, and the venue.
Let’s look at an example during the toasts at this heartfelt wedding earlier this year at The Transept in OTR. Here is a photo of the bride’s grandmother sharing her well wishes for the couple and her advice from years of experience. You can see in the foreground the bride and groom, seated with their parents and both grandmothers. All of the guests are very attentively listening.
Then, the bride’s mother (and father) smiling at her mother as she spoke. This was a really special moment shared by many generations in this family.
The Grandmother’s advice had an unexpected twist and she had the entire room laughing and cheering. The expression on the bride and groom’s faces were filled with joy! What a real moment!
After the Grandmother’s toast she sat down and the couple high fived (pictured) and hugged her. You can still see all of the guests laughing and cheering. She took down the house!
Then I also like to include shots of the room and the space. What it felt like to give viewers a feel for the energy of group. You can see this wedding was a lot about family gathering and spending time together. Notice the grooms brother to the right sitting with his children, and other close relatives at surrounding tables.
And I love to add in small details of things like the meal, florals, and the table settings. Both with and without guests seated (florals by Carly Messmer)
To see more from this wedding at The Transept in OTR click here.
