Near the end of November, I had the opportunity to photograph Alaina & Denis’ destination wedding in Negril, Jamaica. It’s always exciting to shoot in new places. But I’ve come to the realization that no matter how beautiful the setting, it’s the people that make it special. While a wedding is a manifestation of love and commitment between two people, it’s also a coming together of family and friends. So in truth, it’s a celebration of all kinds of love. And I think it’s so fitting because in life, there’s love, there’s also friendship, and family. Alaina and Denis met in university, so besides their closest family, their good friends were also there to celebrate their big day. Witnessing all this love, I couldn’t help but think that as a photographer, I couldn’t ask for more.
Here’s the story of Alaina and Denis’ wedding day: a celebration of love in all its forms, by the ocean with the sound of waves, in beautiful Negril.
Door games are such fun Chinese heritage wedding traditions. Often with random and crazy challenges for the boys.
Like drinking a cup of mixed sauces (consisting of something sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy).
Or doing push ups at the same time.
Or singing along to Bruno Mars’ Marry Me.
Or doing the Single Ladies routine.
You get the idea ;)
This is what happens when boys put on boutonnieres – they go on backwards :D
What a year you have been! My second year of being a professional photographer full time and being self-employed. I documented many weddings, Document Love sessions, as well as baby and family sessions. I didn’t realize just how many until I started putting this post together last week. I met new couples, new families, but also saw faces I already knew. I had the opportunity to travel to Mexico, California, Stockholm, Iceland (twice) and Jamaica this year both for destination weddings and for personal travel. It was a great year in many ways.
There were also times when I felt lost, overworked, unappreciated and exhausted. I came back from an awesome workshop in March feeling inspired and hopeful, not knowing that there are always two sides to every coin. I felt lost for a time and didn’t really know why I wanted what I wanted. It was a scary feeling. It’s so much easier to work towards a goal when you know and understand what you want. But without that purpose, it felt empty. I asked myself hard questions, and wondered. Months went by and I didn’t seem to have an answer. Instead I lost myself in the kind of busy that is the summer wedding season. One day I was taking a break and surfing on Pinterest and came across a pin that said “It feels good to be lost in the right direction”. This stopped me in my tracks and pulled me out of the dazed state I was in. That quote described perfectly how I’d been feeling – lost. But what I didn’t realize was that even though I was lost, I was lost in the right direction. After all, I quit my day job for a reason. I wanted to be a full-time photographer, I wanted to have full control of what I do with such a large portion of my time, I wanted to do what I love and I wanted it to be meaningful to me.
I had to go back to the start – why do I love what I do? I realized that never really changed – I love stories, I love photography’s ability to tell stories, to capture moments, to create (in some way) an infinity out of a finite life. But, I also came to realize that because of how much I love what I do, I had become a bit of a workaholic this year without knowing it. I am now a firm believer that too much of anything is not good for us (even chocolate). There needs to be some sort of balance and harmony. I don’t regret working hard. After all, if you don’t put in hard work, how can you reap the results. But, I do feel that there are other things in life I want to do and try while I’m still young. I didn’t want to get out of one rat race just to get into another, more self-imposed this time. Life seems long, when we were young, it felt like we’d never grow up. How many years do we have in one lifetime? 60, 70, 80? The problem is we think we have more time.
I’m asking myself, if I only had one more year to live, what are the things that I would want to do the most? If I were to die tomorrow, what would I regret not having tried? I don’t have the answers yet, but I definitely want to find out.
To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.
I feel I was able to do some of that through my work this year and the past few years: to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other and to feel – people at their truest selves, in moments when they forget they are being photographed, I have captured some of that. And I’m glad I did, whether it’s the tears rolling down a groom’s face as his bride walked down the aisle, or the way your grandma looked as she hugged you after the ceremony, or a giggle or laugh that is the trademark of a child that only a parent can know.
Thank you 2014, for the lessons, the heartaches, but most of all, for those moments and those connections.
2015, I’m looking forward to meeting you!
Here are the favourite moments, highlights, and favourite photos from the year – through my lens.
If you’ve been to my site before, you know about my love of Iceland. So when Gita contacted me about photographing an anniversary portrait session in Iceland for her and Matt, I almost fell off my chair. When we met, we just chatted away about travel. I learned that we share the same love for travelling, new experiences and the open road. I also learned that they’d be celebrating 14 years of marriage at the beginning of September. So the trip to Iceland was pretty special. September couldn’t come soon enough for all of us.
I often get asked what I think is the most important thing to consider when working with a photographer. And at meetings, I always get asked questions like what kind of camera I use, whether I use Nikon or Canon, etc etc. While those questions are legitimate questions, I think the most important thing is whether you feel a connection to your photographer and their work. Working with a photographer is like making friends, if you have a connection with them, it’ll be a much more rewarding working relationship. Because photography isn’t just a product, and what your photographer tries to capture isn’t just what the eyes can see.
Thank you Gita & Matt, for bringing me to Iceland to document this milestone in your life and for trusting me to do it.
Ever wanted to be in two places at once? You can at the Bridge Between Two Continents. :)
If you’ve been to my site before or know me personally, you know about my love of travelling. I love exploring new places and new cultures, seeing everything through new eyes, with a sense of wonder. Traveling forces you to focus & connect with the present and just stay in the moment. You are reminded that life can be simple again. So I love destination weddings as well. Every time I come back from a trip, I’m left wanting more. So next year I’m going to be a free range photographer for a few months :)
I’m going to be in Europe (and potentially Asia) from August to December, 2015. If you or anyone you know will be getting married or would like to document some memories, I’d love to hear from you!
Elegant Destination Wedding on the island of Nevis | As featured on Jet Fete
At the end of October I had the opportunity to photograph a destination wedding in the sunny Caribbean (my first!). Sarah and Nate tied the knot on the tiny island of Nevis in the Caribbean. When they decided to get married, they knew they wanted a destination wedding, but didn’t want the typical destination wedding places. So when they visited the island in January of last year, they knew that this unique and remote island was the place. Their ceremony was held at an old church in Charlestown, and the reception was held at a seaside restaurant venue of The Four Seasons Nevis.
Surrounded by their nearest & dearest and the beautiful scenery, it was a magical day. Thank you Sarah & Nate – it was amazing to be part of your day and document it all!
Before a first look with Nate, Sarah had a first look with her dad. It was really sweet.
