This weekend was one of my favorite weddings of all time.
It was a wedding on the beach, where I photographed 2 all day coverages, covering both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding day.
The couple, their family, friends and I talked countless of hours, playing guitar, talking about food, music, how the couples' parents met, their quirks, and love for each other.
So as much as they want to savor every moment of this day, so did I.
Here's the story of my 2-Day Weekend Elopement at Ocean Isle Beach.
Mom fixing her veil as she does a first look with the Bride's Dad
Rehearsal Dinner
My friends and now whom I consider family(hopefully feelings are mutual) are at their beach house after a night of drinking and dancing on the slightly warm concrete. The air was cool and the sky was full of stars.
a happy snapshot of bride and her Mother-in-law
when they were babies toddlers
I sat down while they settle in their rooms for the weekend
Father in Law and his son arriving in the driveway.
First Impressions
The first time I met the bride was at the Harp, an Irish Bar in Wilmington, off of Greenfield Lake Rd. My friend Devon the wedding planner invited me to hang out with them. She's been incredibly amazing.
She introduced me to the crew, amongst them was the Maid of Honor and the Bride. She had asked me to talk to them about my rates and services of my wedding photography while we queued up our songs for Karaoke.
Later that week, I got a text message from the bride that they want to set up a meeting with me, I offered Luna Cafe, she agreed.
Good News
I texted Devon and said that I'll offer my wedding photography for free to her good friend Elizabeth.
I think IF we took off the stress in pricing, I can remove the barriers of awkwardness that surrounds the expense and whether or not if its worth photographing the wedding.
(Do not ask your photographer for a free wedding photography. We may get paid thousands per invoice but many photographers take less than 20 clients per year. If you're really serious about life, your wedding, the people you surround yourself with, pay them.)
Luna Cafe
The first meeting with the bride was held at Luna Cafe. This is my favorite way to get to know the bride or couple. We discussed what she wanted, what kind of vibe she was going for, and what I can offer her.
She wanted a VERY down-to-earth wedding photographer for her day, capturing REAL and INTENSE moments, those slices of time of what she wants to remember. She exclaimed that the grooms family are tightly knit. And said that I should expect a lot from them.
We went through www.fearlessphotographers.com to come up with what kind of shots we can get. I chose this site because rather than having a cliché Pinterest board of orange and teal photos of couples getting married in Amalfi Coast or an elopement castle in Edinburgh, maybe a vineyard in California, I showed photos that are real and CANDID PHOTOS.
The Elopement was at had a beach house at Ocean Isle Beach. Instead of mimosas and chocolate covered strawberries, we had morning Yoga, charcuteries, and volleyball at the beach.
She wanted capture their love for each other. She's put emphasis on family. Everything else is unimportant. She knows how important wedding photography is to her.
I knew I was the right one for the job.
Wedding Photography Offer
I offered her this.
Your wedding photography is completely free. We're going to go through what my premium wedding clients pay.
I went an extra mile to photograph their Rehearsal Dinner
2 Day Photo Coverage
Edited Photos
Creative Planning + Shotlist
Unlimited Downloads
Online Gallery
Rehearsal Dinner
Just cover my accommodations + food. There's no need for a contract or invoice.
Note:
- I used my professional gear
- I brought my printer to print photos during dinner.
