Andrea & Joel

Photo credit Seth Haley

I met Andrea in 2002 when, through a mutual friend, we ended up on a week-long trip to Colorado and back. 12-hr car rides tend to be a great way to get to know someone, and Andrea and I were immediately friends. We haven't had many opportunities to see each other in the 9 years since, but we've stayed in touch and have always been able to reconnect.

A little over a year ago, Andrea struck up a conversation with a stranger manning a concession booth at a music festival. That conversation led to quite a few more, and a year later Andrea and Joel pledged to love and cherish each other forever. I was privileged to not only attend the wedding, but capture a few memories for Andrea and Joel. 

Until this year, wedding photography was, quite honestly, something I never considered doing. The majority of the wedding ceremonies I attended while growing up began with the officiant announcing that the bride and groom had requested no photography at either the ceremony or reception. When I first was asked to shoot weddings, I felt a certain amount of anxiety: What exactly was "wedding photography" and how did photographers do it?! A highlight of the weekend was observing professional photographer and fellow IPS student Seth Haley at work.