I thought I would never get married.
Someone I used to be with for a long time believed that marriage was just a label, something that people think they need in order to be happy. He said it enough that I started to believe him.
And if we did get married, we said we wouldn’t hire a professional wedding photographer, or have much of a wedding at all. It would be quiet and simple, something that could fit in a few photographs from a friend.
Hi, my name is Emily Lacey and I got married in April 2019 to the love of my life. It wasn’t quiet. It wasn’t small. And I needed more than a few photos.
Small, intimate weddings or elopements can be extremely meaningful and beautiful, of course, but when I imagined that for myself before I met my husband, it was through a different lens. A lonely one. A wedding that no one would go to because it was a wedding that would never actually happen.
Sometimes life surprises you. My previous relationships had been unhealthy and unstable. But what I now have is something strong and real. So when my wedding day came, it meant even more to me than I thought it would. I knew now this wasn’t about labels and security. It was about building a life with someone, rather than building a life around someone.
I was so lucky to have Gaby as my wedding photographer. To have her capture the day I never thought I’d have in over 800 pictures. She surpassed all our expectations not only with the quality of the photos, but with the way she rounded everyone up for poses and how smoothly she made the day run. She became my lifeline since the moment she arrived, making me laugh and telling me what happens next.
Her second shooter, Kamal, was equally wonderful, taking pictures from unique angles, making sure the lighting was perfect, and consistently helping me with my dress when the whipping wind was breaking records.
We had around 100 people at our wedding, and like all weddings, there were a lot of moving pieces. Gaby and Kamal covered everything that mattered most to us, and it felt like we were making two good friends along the way.
When our wedding planning was still in the works, I was hesitant to invest in a professional wedding photographer—not because I thought it wasn’t important this time—but because there are so many expensive aspects of weddings. You have to pick and choose what you put more money into.
I am here to tell you that the pictures matter the most. Because without them, you just have a wonderful day that is gone before you know it. But with them, it’s a day you can forever hold.
On this blog, I will dive into everything that you might not know about weddings and wedding photography. Things that I wish popped up in the top ten search options on Google when I was trying to figure everything out myself.
Remember, sometimes life surprises you. So keep your mind open to being in magazine-worthy pictures. Even if you think it would never happen for you, or if you think you wouldn’t look as good as the other brides you see.
Just you wait.