I have been in the Colorado wedding photography industry for the past 8 years and along the way I have heard some interesting stories from other people in the wedding world, I have read some crazy posts on social media and I have heard too many times people say things like “I wish I had hired a different wedding photographer because my photographer missed ____ (insert super important moment that is next to unfathomable how it could be missed by a photographer___” or “I wish I had prioritized wedding photography more in my overall wedding budget”. However, until Emily and her Mother reached out to me I had never personally encountered or heard from someone directly affected by something like this – and to be honest, my heart broke for them.
When Emily initially reached out to me her message started with “We have kind of a special situation…” The stories that followed were absolutely heart wrenching and down right terrible. I was honestly embarrassed that someone else in this industry would have handled a wedding day so carelessly that the couple re-booked the venue, re-bought the flowers, re-did their hair and makeup, re-gathered their immediate family members and did the day all over again.
They hired a photographer and paid good money and that photographer didn’t do their job. It’s not that they didn’t do it well. It’s that they didn’t do it at all.
As wedding photographers, we are hired to preserve memories. And when we don’t do that, we have failed in a huge way. And with that being said this post isn’t intended to bash this original photographer. It’s about shedding light on how we can all be better and do better in this industry.
Do you want to know what happens on a wedding day sometimes? Life happens. Real weddings happen. Weather happens. There are multiple guests to wrangle and coordinate, sometimes the mountains are covered by the clouds, sometimes the view isn’t perfect. Does that mean as photographers we should just sit on stairs and not do our f-cking jobs? Absolutely not. Absolutely NOT. As wedding photographers we are not hired to fluff our portfolio. We are hired to document people’s moments and freeze memories. These are their moments that only happen once. These are one of the only days in an entire lifetime where their entire families come together. Sometimes these are the last times they see the older generations in their family. And sadly, some photographers choose to prioritize their portfolios over capturing the moments that actually matter.
It’s truly sad how many articles there are out there in our industry, how many pieces of education that photographers read about curating these beautiful events, detail photos, couples portraits and then these photographers end up focusing more on that than getting the things that matter the most. The emotions that tell the story of the day, the in betweens, the guests, the things that people are going to cherish the most in 50+ years – just forgotten because it wasn’t going to be “worthy” enough for some website slideshow.
Photographers end up worrying more about their ideal client in terms of what they look like and what their wedding day looks like and how extravagant their details are going to be instead of connecting with their clients as actual human beings and holding their story and their memories close to their heart while they’re capturing such an important day. I am not one of those photographers. Yes, the details matter and everyone loves a stunning backdrop and perfect light, but if all of those things don’t fall in to place I’m not going to document the story of the day any less than I would on any other wedding day.
This is exactly why I throw my personality out in full force on my website. This is why I strive to get to know my clients on a personal level. This is why instead of having rolling slideshows of perfect lighting with perfect backdrops and perfect detail photos I showcase the full story from getting ready through the end of the night for all of my couple’s wedding days because that is what matters the most. I care more about capturing a couple wiping tears off of each other’s faces, the emotional reactions of guests during ceremonies and toasts, the laughter, the tears, the joy. That is what it is about and that is the way it deserves to be documented.
I have pondered writing this since I documented this wedding day “re-do” in October and, through tears, have wondered how to truly showcase this situation and bring light to this issue that seems to be taking place in this industry and it comes down to one line: people over portfolio. Forget everything else, throw away all of the stigmas and focus on each couple as individuals and document their day with integrity in a way that they’ll be proud to share with their families, their friends and future generations that will only be able to look back on that day or the memory of the people involved in that day through a photograph.
Even though we couldn’t bring back their day exactly as it took place we worked together to make it as special as possible. Jake’s Mother pinned his boutonniere, Emily’s Father walked her down the aisle to their first look, we re-did family pictures and took pictures with their adorable dogs and then we frolicked around the Lionsgate Event Center property capturing stunning bride and groom photos that showcase their wonderful personalities and love for each other.
Colorado Wedding Venue: Lionsgate Event Center
Florist:
Hair and Makeup:
This is the reason why I chose you as my photographer! Your pictures were of the COUPLES and their weddings. You’re so great at capturing the best moments of the day. I can look back and remember it whenever I like ❤️????
Thank you so much, Jordan! <3 I loved shooting your wedding and all of your family members and friends were amazing too!!!