Dan + Sarah
Lying in my bed, staring up at the ceiling awaiting the morning sun to seep through my basement bedroom window, I anxiously recap all the shots I will do with Dan & Sarah. As I sit in my bed, awaiting the couple of hours it takes for my wife to get ready before we head off to Oregon I recall when I met up with Dan & Sarah for the first time to talk about their wedding, I was secretly SOOO excited I was shaking before they saw me. I remember when they told me what it was going to be like, I was thinking to myself "Is this real life...Is this happening?" I felt beyond blessed to be asked to do this wedding for them. I met Sarah previously at my brother & sister in laws wedding, she was a bridesmaid. When she asked if I would do it she said "We just want someone that is fun to hang out with and takes cool pictures" I thought to myself, "I love that someone can say that now." I have worked so hard on building up a reputation that people can trust and believe, and to have Sarah say that simple thing to me made my world. As I get myself up and take a shower, well I mean you don't need to know about that... We packed up the car and off we were...
About eight hours have passed and here were, approaching the sunset. As the sun set beyond the horizon I tried to keep a well composure as my wife was just loving the Oregon scenery. We get to the location of where we were staying and I thought "Wow, me likey...". I said my hello's and I anxiously awaited the morning call from the seagulls.
...It's 3:30 a.m. and my brother, who was attending this wedding and got to lodge with us, is snoring harder and more vigorous then a combination of Shrek the Third and a dying allergenic old woman beside me. I ended up making him leave the room so I can be well rested to perform my duties. The hours pass and I get up and drink some coffee, I get dressed, put my hair up in a ponytail and I take the first shot of my year long highly anticipated Wedding shoot... and wha-lahh! Everything was just up hill from there, the bridal party was so relaxed while Sarah was drinking mimosas and having a good time, & Dan was at the reception hall making things look awesome! As I captured the day I remember thinking "What will they want to look back on? How can I tell their story the way they want their story to be told?" Wedding photography is story telling, but in a creative awesome way, the way that only you can tell it. So, I did my best and it was so fun!
I remembered it was just me, Dan, Sarah, and my wife Kara, we were finishing some last shots and then they were going to get married, but we had to run up this sand dune to get up on the top, my wife Kara, asthmatic as she is, trekked right along with a five in one reflector that was trying to send her to the moon because the wind was that wild, and Dan & Sarah kept on rolling, didn't care if the wind was messing up their hair, or getting in their eyes, we all kept pushing towards this sand dune because it was important to them. This is where they had gotten engaged, so to take some shots (non - alcoholic) up there was important for me as a Wedding photographer. We get up to the top, and start taking awesome pictures, with the sun blasting on us and sand in our eyes we truly made magic happen, I was so pleased with these images because I was literally shooting blind, I couldn't see through my viewfinder, nor could I use my screen for live capture, because the sun was so bright and sand was in my eyes, it was crazy but they turned out exactly as I had hoped for.
As the day progressed I became a bit saddened as I knew this long awaited day would come to an end, I don't like it when Weddings end because I feel like I have this somewhat relationship with them (shaking my head and laughing because I don't know what kind of metaphor to use) so it is like saying goodbye.
This truly was a dream come true for me because I envisioned traveling for my photography, but to do it with great people and great times will be one for the good ole books. To Dan & Sarah, may your marriage be so fruitful I can taste it, and let God do amazing things for you guys! Peace & Love
- Topher
