I am not even going to lie, I stile a lot of life philosophies from this wedding.

Audrey and Baraka got married in July in a very small wedding which was simple, quaint and deliciously fun. I was in awe of this couple because, and I mean this with no disrespect, a lot of the brides I work with have grandiose schemes of floral adventures laced with over the top theatrics. These two!? They just wanted to get married. The underlying theme of the day was more or less, “Don’t sweat the small stuff…”

For me, as their chosen photographer, this was a great honor because I got to photograph something I rarely get to photograph, honest love. This is not to say that the other couples I deal with do not love each other, just that with Audrey and Baraka it was so loud and obvious that it was about love and everything else was just an add on. When cost fueled theatrics are stripped away, something real remains. And this was real. 

And with my own wedding coming just a month after theirs, they really gave me perspective on what it means to find someone you want to spend your life with and focus on them and not “stuff”.

Audrey looked gorgeous in her dress, but the detail I loved most was the fascinator veil she had on. With her trademark short hair, it was a beautiful addition tot he look of the day. I am also a bit worried that I now know what a fascinator veil is… But that’s just a side “man-note”.

Then look at these strapping gentlemen. Yes, I stole the jeans look on my own wedding day. It just works. Baraka and his best man looked classy yet casual with their dress down, no-tie look. I loved it. Proof that you can in fact do it your way. In fact, one of the best parts of the day for me was when one of the speech makers said, “It is possible to be happy without breaking your bank account.”

And speaking of speeches. This is one of the best parts of a wedding for me. When the pastor/presiding official asks the whole family to put their hands together as a symbol of unity. This has great significance because a wedding unites families. It is very easy to get so swept up in the theatrics that quite often brides and grooms forget this very important fact. Because, wedding planning and fund raising aside, if the two families cannot put their hands together like this then the marriage is likely to be one of bandages and repairs.

But it was a great day for this bride and groom. They got to be united and they did it their way. And at the end of it all, that’s all any bride and groom can hope for. To be able to do it their way.