Did you know New York is actually more than just a city?
Right? Who Knew? It’s a whole state, and let me tell you, the Northern part is GORGEOUS! Covered in wineries and waterfalls, and don’t forget all the amazing lakes. And that is where we were at, a beautiful wedding in the Finger Lakes area of New York.
The couple was beautiful, and you should have seen this dress in person. The bride’s uncle was a fashion designer in Los Angeles, so he made the wedding gown. Just…wow.
Although I’m based in Middle Tennessee and photograph weddings throughout Nashville and beyond, I always enjoy traveling for a destination wedding in New York. I have photographed thousands of weddings in my 35 years as a photographer, everywhere from Alaska to the Turks & Caicos. (By the way, an elopement to the Bahamas is always a great thing.) However, this New York wedding was one for the books, three days long and so much fun. Family flew in from all over the country. Between winery tours, lake trips, and plenty of great food, the wedding became a three-day reunion.
Stephanie and Rob had met back in college, started dating…and never stopped. And now, just a few years later, they were tying the knot! The cool thing – I met them back in college too and they asked me to come up and shoot the wedding. And when I say up, I mean it – we all graduated from the University of South Alabama, waaaay down in Mobile, Alabama. And now, here they were, up in New York, about to say their “I Dos”.
The weather was perfect, the guests were smiling, and the wedding went off without a hitch.
One thing I’ve learned after photographing weddings for more than three decades is that no wedding ever unfolds exactly according to the schedule. That’s okay. Some of my favorite photographs have happened in the unscripted moments between the planned ones—a father quietly taking a deep breath before walking his daughter down the aisle, grandparents dancing together during the reception, or the bride and groom sharing a quick glance when no one else is watching. Those are the moments I’m always looking for because those are the photographs couples smile at twenty years later.
People assume photographing a friend’s wedding is easier. It’s actually the opposite. When someone you’ve known for years trusts you with one of the biggest days of their life, you feel that responsibility just a little more. That’s a good thing. It reminds me that every wedding deserves my very best.
Remember, you don’t hire a photographer to push a button. You hire a photographer because they see what you don’t.
Behind the Lens with Brody Hall
By the time a couple reaches their wedding day, I believe they’re already married in their hearts. The ceremony is simply the moment they get to share that commitment with everyone they love. My job isn’t just to photograph the dress or the first kiss. It’s to preserve the moments they’ll want to remember long after the cake is gone and the flowers have faded.
