I was exposed to the world of
weddings before I even got my drivers licence. At sixteen photographing my first wedding I learned things that I never knew at the time would help me the exciting duty I was assigned this year of being a bridesmaid.
I get the question all the time as a wedding photographer, "Are you
ever nervous you're going to mess something up on someone's wedding?'
and "Do you ever get nervous you're going to miss something?!". And
while both the answers to those questions can be
a "yes, sometimes." I truly believe it was a blessing getting exposed
to weddings so young. The reason being I was able to see the beauty in
it all rather than the stress. At sixteen, yes you see the stress of the day,
but at that age I didn't fully comprehend
the magnitude of a wedding day that transcends far beyond the actual
day. I didn't see the fights between the mother of the bride and the
bride over what silverware to go with, the altercations with the florist
when they didn't do the center pieces right etc.
But don't get me wrong, I did see beyond the magic, I saw the simple
reality. The reality that the moment that bride put on her wedding
dress, tears well up in her eyes, and she doesn't remember the 101 times
she got frustrated with her alterations. The moment
the groom locks eyes with his bride at the end of the aisle, he doesn't
remember his groomsman showing up 15 minutes late for photos. Or the
moment the toasts are being said, that no one is thinking about what
color napkins are on the table. BECAUSE the reality
is that at the end of the day they are marrying their best friend and
all those other details are secondary! It taught me that the stresses
of planning a wedding need to continually be put in perspective.
Although I have not been a bride yet, I have been
around many and I have realized the happiest brides are the ones that
take each moment for what it is. The ones that laugh off the small stuff
and laugh with the ones that are in the room and enjoy every bit of it
good and bad.
All that being said, within the last few months, I was pronounced a
bridesmaid for not 1 or 2 but 3 of my closest friends!!! The experience of being a
bridesmaid is very different than being a bride's photographer. As a
photographer I strive to be just like a bridesmaid,
but with a camera in my hand. Meaning I'm there to serve my brides
anyway they might need me water, extra bobby pins, etc. However, when it
is one of your best friends' most important day of their life, it
multiplies the emotions.
You might ask why am I writing this blog?
WELL, I decided to start a blog series called #BethyTheBridesmaid about my experience with being on
the other side of the camera. Which will be 3 times in 2016. It will be a
place to tell silly stories about my friends,
lessons I have learned, and of course helpful tips from those planning a
wedding. Most of you here know me as "Bethany the Photographer", but
you will get to know me as the friend, Bethy... 2016 is going to be a
good one and I can't wait to share it all with
you!
XOXO,
Bethany
[Here's one my BEST friends Annie and I at her wedding last year. I was the Maid of Honor.]
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