May 3, 20192 min read

Mr. and Mrs. Rich

Rain.

It’s been raining a lot lately here in Kansas City and it has me reflecting on Matt and Ali’s wedding day (also so sorry I didn’t blog this sooner!) Rain. Snow. Wind. Harsh Light. All these things can be intimidating and discouraging for a wedding photographer. These elements make our jobs harder, unpredictable, and less than ideal for that “perfect photo” as deemed by our peers. But Matt and Ali’s wedding finally helped me to put all my ideas and thoughts of what wedding photography should be, into reality; that wedding photography is a much deeper understanding of connection rather than perfection. This couple could have literally cared less about the weather. Their priorities were aligned exactly where they needed to be. Placing emphasis on connection in spite of the imperfections that were out of their control. They put their relationship, their family, and their friends before all the little junk. Which is exactly the kind of couples I want to surround myself with!

I know what you’re thinking, “but Jill all my details and my plans.” Look I get it, a lot goes into planning your wedding day. I’ve been there, I've done that. But if it doesn’t go to plan, being able to lean into what the day holds is ultimately where you’ll find the beauty and happiness. Ali couldn’t control the weather. She couldn’t control her grandmother being unable to attend. And she couldn’t control the tears that would inevitably flow throughout the day. But those very same tears, those very same moments with her grandma, and the very same rain would make the day uniquely theirs.

I’m P R O U D of these images. Why? Because they weren’t easy! The odds were against us. But we pushed through to make the day blow all of our expectations out of the water. And as a wedding photographer this is a day I’m extremely proud to put my name next to. No, maybe we won’t get published in magazines or in other blogs or re-shared on Instagram, but at the end of the day what does that actually matter? What matters is the heart of my craft and the experience I strive to create for my couples regardless of any curveballs. And I think I can confidently say I delivered on both of those goals.

Matt and Ali:

If I have any advice for you stepping into your new roles as husband and wife, it’s to apply the same relentlessness you did for your wedding day, to your relationship. You work. You communicate. You laugh. You apologize. You forgive. You love. Defy any expectations you once had about how amazing a marriage with your best friend can be, by living a love so strongly that you can't accurately describe it with words. I’m cheering you on in the best way and can’t wait to see what your future holds. Let the rain pour, so you can dance in it.

- Jill