After a rainy start to my wedding season, I’ve definitely been loving these warm summer wedding days. And not only that, but outdoor ceremonies and open air dance floors- double bonus!

Over the last year, I’ve started to dabble a bit with film photography.  I have such an appreciation for it!  I’m not sure I can pin point exactly what I love about it just yet, I just know that when I see a film image, it makes me stop and stare at it just a little longer.  Maybe it’s that dreamy bokeh (blur for you non-photography folk) in the background, or the slight grain that makes it look timeless.  But shooting film forces you to slow down.  It’s not like digital photography where you have the freedom to fire away with a memory card that holds over 1,000 images.  With film, I’m forced to be intentional.  Because I only have 36 images on one roll.  Because of this increased intentionality, I think it’s making me a better photographer- whether it be film or digital- all together.

When I received Chris and Amber’s save the date a few months back, I was so excited to see that the 3 images they chose for it were all film.  So it was only fitting that I shoot a little bit of it at their wedding too.  Sure, it sets my workflow back a little bit as I wait for the film to be processed, but it is worth the wait!  Not to mention the excitement of having to wait a few days to see what you got.  I’ve sprinkled quite a few of those images in this post.  My hope is that you can’t tell the difference.  And hopefully because everything has at least a little bit of that film aesthetic.

This day was one of the most perfect, low stress wedding days I’ve had the opportunity to capture.  From a sweet first-look between both the bride and groom and the bride and her father, to an emotional gift exchange between mom and bride, these are also some of my favorite candid moments.  It’s easy to look at the most perfectly curated feeds with perfect getting ready rooms that are tidy and filled with light and think “Gosh, that’s what I need for a perfect picture.”  And while I love a pretty room with great natural light, this time of day is more about capturing emotion for me.  Sure I can tidy up the room and move around furniture to create a more appealing environment for pictures (which I often do), but if capturing the emotion of what’s happening right in front of me is not my priority, then what am I really doing?  I’m realizing this more and more as I continue to shoot.  I’m shooting from a photojournalism perspective.  As Mary Marantz puts it: I don’t want someone to look at the image and think “Wow, that’s a cool thing the photographer did.”  Rather, I want them to look at these images and feel the emotion that’s going on in the people within the photograph.

For Amber and Chris, this day was about their love and celebrating it with their closest family and friends.  And that’s just what they did.  Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs!

Vendors:

Venue: Toledo Country Club

Coordinator: Bee for the Day

Flowers: Hafner Florist

Dress: Belle Amour Bridal

Videography: Fordham Footage

DJ: Class Act by Bob Norris

Cake: Strachn Bakery

Tux: Men’s Warehouse

Makeup: Jeanne Hooven

Invitations: Minted