Today’s post has weighed heavy on my heart. Over the past few weeks some of my dear couples have lost loved ones.

If you think the wedding is just about the bride and groom, you might be wrong. While the sacriment is important, it’s also about the relationships of the guests: the family and friends. Otherwise, why not just do some legal paperwork to make a marriage official? The relationships are what I, as a bespoke luxury wedding photographer, strive to capture. It’s the reason I pay attention to the words people say, as well as they way they say them, on a wedding day. And it’s the reason I know well in advance if a dad (or a grandma in Shelly’s case) is going to be emotional when he sees his daughter in her dress for the first time.

Cristina lost her sweet father earlier this week, so I’m even more thankful she had me photograph her wedding at the Sagamore in NY. Similarly, Morgan recently lost her mother. Morgan posted some of the photos I took at her wedding at Meadowood Napa Valley of her and her mom on Morgan’s wedding day.

While other photographers can take artsy shots with moody lighting on a wedding day, you have me photograph your wedding because I make it effortless for people to be relaxed and themselves, and because I can read relationships. You don’t have to tell me who your favorite aunt was growing up, because I can sense it. You don’t have to tell me that your pledge sister is more like your real sister, because I already know.

Looking back on the wedding photos you’ll want most in 5 years, they’re not of the centerpieces or the shoes. The wedding photos you’ll want most in 5 years depict the relationships of those closest to you. They are your cheerleaders, your support system, your girlfriends. Your grandmother. Your mom.

Talk to you soon,
Dale