COLUMBIA, SC


Catholic Ceremony


WEdding

A fun fact: I have told my family in the past that I would NOT do weddings.



I know Pam through my sister! They were high school best friends that lasted through college and now after college. Pam messaged me, asking if I would photograph her wedding ceremony. They were keeping it small and intimate, only having immediate and close family attending. This would be my first time I photographed any type of event. I made sure to reiterate that to her, and she told me that she was confident in me and liked my style (which is always comforting to hear!). I already planned on shooting a wedding in November, so I felt like this would also be an opportunity for me to get a little fraction of what I could probably expect for the ceremony.


The ceremony was all I had to photograph, she said. And it's a Catholic ceremony. So, when I was doing my research, I realized that a Catholic ceremony is very traditional, with multiple important parts that is considered significant. Lengthier than an average ceremony as well. I made sure to check in with Pam about her must-haves when it came to the ceremony, and I felt very prepared. Nervous, since this was my first, and it was something incredibly important, but also excited to challenge myself and to see what I could capture that would tell their story.


When I got to the church, I made myself aware of my surroundings, what I could do and couldn't do, where I could stand and couldn't stand. I met with Pam so we could get some getting ready shots, and I love the ones I took of her by the window! The room was incredibly tiny, the size of a small, full bathroom, and the light was extremely limited. Once I put her by the only window in the room to let some of the natural light in, I felt like I was able to get exactly what I was wanting in that tiny room. The light framed her beautifully. I was able to get images of the details of her dress and her bouquet. Ugh, so gorgeous!


I enjoyed the ceremony! I'm glad I did my research so I knew what to expect, and I was able to follow along pretty well, especially to keep track of all the important moments. Family formals went very smoothly as well! Once everyone had the opportunity to take photographs with the bride and groom, I wanted to make sure that the couple had a good bit of portraits in the church. I am so glad we stayed behind, because I adore the way the portraits turned out. As a new man and wife, these portraits reflected their love and personality with each other so well. Some of my favorites are from after the ceremony in the church!


Pam wanted to be able to have couples portraits separate from the church as well, so we ended up going to a local park in Irmo! Irmo Town Park is so beautiful. I love the aesthetic. It has a little gazebo and amphitheater, a bridge that goes over a little lily pond. A good bit of green field. Such a good place to do portraits! When we got there, they were already used to my direction as far as posing and went straight to it! They were so natural. Probably also from the pure happiness of getting married. I could feel the love radiating from them!


I am so grateful for the trust Pam had in me to properly capture her wedding ceremony. I was able to learn a lot, and I actually had a lot of fun doing it. A fun fact: I have told my family in the past that I would NOT do weddings. They seem stressful, and I lack the confidence in myself to give what is probably expected. Even though this was just the ceremony, I do feel like I am more prepared to do a wedding I have booked in November for family. That, and I plan on binge watching my favorite wedding photography educator as I had done to prepare for this one. While I still will not necessarily include weddings as part of what I offer, it will definitely make the decision easier to weigh if I truly would want to if I were asked because of this wedding!