Best Wedding Photos of 2014

We just got back from a week in Mexico, and trust me, it was an inspiring week! Now, before you start thinking that we just lounged around by the pool and beach for a week, let me tell you why it was inspiring.

We were photographing a multi-day Indian wedding, and it was absolutely beautiful! So many amazing colors, such a great location (Moon Palace Resort in Cancun), and some great traditions. The one tradition that stood out to me most this time was the Vidai after the ceremony. The Vidai is a time where the bride says goodbye to her friends and family as she leaves to join her new husband. This is an old ritual that was done many years ago because brides would often leave their families for years in order to go to her new husbands house.

This was a really emotional time for Trisha’s family because she in fact is moving away to England with her new husband in a few short days. So this ceremony was quite real for them as they were saying goodbye to their sister, daughter, niece, Auntie, and cousin. Carissa and I both had to hold back the tears as we photographed them flowing from so many faces. Carissa even said to me after this tradition was over “Our daughters can never move away!”

So, the reason this was so inspiring to me this week, and why I’m so excited about the weddings that we have in our calendar for 2015, is that weddings are important. Starting a new family is important. The emotions that are shown on a wedding day are real. And we have the privilege of capturing them. I am humbled. We are humbled. And most of all honored that so many of you would allow us to come into your lives, and create the beginning of your new family heirloom. Your story.

Thank you to all of our past and future couples. You mean so much to us, and we are so thankful for the role we get to play in your lives.

Without further ado, here are the glimpses into our favorite photos from 2014…get ready, there’s quite a few 🙂

“Getting Ready” Moments!

We love being part of the anticipation of the big day and shooting the little details (which may have involved hanging a wedding dress a few storeys high)!

“First Look”

Whether the Couple see each other for the first time at the aisle or a first look, this is one of our FAVORITE moments of the day! The joy and sometimes tears in the groom’s eyes when he sees the love of his life is amazing!

“Seeing the room”

Brides (and maybe Grooms a bit) are dreaming, preparing, putting many many hours planning all the little details what the wedding day will look like! We love capturing that moment when the bride sees all her hard work pay off!

“The Kids”

Maybe it’s because we’re parents of adorable kids (so we’ve been told), but one of our favorite things about weddings is when kids are worked into them! Here are some of our favorite kid moments!

This was also one of my favorite moments. I love it when a man marries a woman, and also knows that he’s becoming a father at the same time. John gave his new daughter a special necklace right after giving Vitalija her ring to symbolize his love for her and that he will care for her as a father. More tears behind the camera for sure!

“Giving away the Bride”

This is always an emotional role as well, Father of the bride. For so many years they have looked after their precious little angels, and now they’re turning them over to the hands of a new man. They trust them. They love them. But it’s still hard. I look forward to (and also kind of don’t) that moment where I can walk my daughters down the aisle and when the pastor asks who gives this woman to be married to this man…I will say with confidence…”His mother and I do.”

“Little bit of FUN!”

OK, enough of the sappy stuff! Sometimes we need to have a little fun at weddings too!

Who wants to go first at saying their vows?

You can’t keep this kid quiet for long!

“Wedding Parties”

We had some pretty awesome wedding parties this year! Here are a few of them.

“Ceremony”

You would think that going to 1-3 ceremonies every weekend that we would be tired of them, but we still can’t get enough of hearing a couple become man and wife and joining together their two families. We are reminded every time the importance of our vows!

Then there’s our favorite. “Husband and Wife portraits”!

“The BRIDE”

Oh and by the way, veils are SO NOT OUT! I love them!

“Ring Shots”

“Celebration”

And to bring every wedding to a close is the awesome reception! WE LOVE the party! This groom even jumped on the drums!

I LOVED this setup for the desserts, but more than that, I loved that at the very end of the night…after everybody had left, Morgan and Amber got to share their own dance in their magnificent reception room.

“Sparkler Shots”

And to end most weddings, we jump out into the cold night time air and do some fun sparkler shots!

And that brings us to the very last photo that I took in 2014…or maybe it was the first of 2015? Either way, we went out with a bang, and had the time of our lives doing it! Thank you to everyone who has been a part of our lives, and to God for blessing us with family that supports us, a strong marriage that lets us walk through things together, and a community of people to pour our hearts and souls into so we can see a world of stronger marriages start to take hold!