…I photographed a wedding when things finally CLICKED. The couple was Jamie & Abbeigh, and I knew from the moment I first met them that they were everything I wanted in an ideal Abby Grace couple- excited for their wedding, but even more excited to simply be husband & wife. He, a handsome USNA student-then-Marine-Corps-officer, she, a stunning redhead with the most infectious joie de vivre. This effervescence that took my breath away- just being around them lifted my already-elevated spirits!

Their wedding represented a huge shift for me- the first time I’d shot at the Naval Academy, the first time I used off-camera-flash at a wedding, the first time I was 100% comfortable with my wedding day game plan, and as such, could experiment with composition, posing and direction a bit. It was, as cliché as it sounds, a game changer for me.

These two took a chance on me, as did all of my 2012 couples. That year was a HUGE year of growth for me, and I think that growth began at Jamie & Abbeigh’s wedding! So, J +A, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking a chance on me, taking a chance on my dreams, on my desire to serve and bless you with wedding photographs you’d always cherish. Thank you for having a wedding that ended up being a day full of huge “AHA!” moments as I learned what it looks like to truly be the perfect fit for each other as a photographer, for inadvertently teaching me that those precious relationships with clients who turn into friends? They’re worth the wait, they’re worth the hustle.

Happy 3rd anniversary, Jamie & Abbeigh!