The Unscripted Moments of Your Wedding Day
When you think about your wedding photographs, you probably picture the big moments.
The first look.
Walking down the aisle.
The first kiss.
The family portraits.
The bride and groom portraits.
The first dance.
And yes — those photographs are important. They deserve to be beautifully photographed and intentionally planned.
But some of my favorite wedding photographs are the ones that weren't planned at all.
The moments happening just outside the carefully planned timeline. The expressions nobody noticed. The people interacting when they didn't realize I was photographing them. The funny things that happen when everyone finally relaxes.
Those are the photographs that often end up being some of the most meaningful.
For Lindsay and Brian's intimate Friday wedding at Lauritzen Gardens, there were so many of those moments that I wanted to give them their own post -
CLICK HERE TO VIEW LINDSAY & BRIAN LAURITZEN GARDENS WEDDING POST
The Moments Between the Moments
One of the reasons I love having a second photographer is that there are simply too many things happening at a wedding for one person to see everything.
While I'm photographing one moment, someone across the room may be laughing with a cousin they haven't seen in years.
A bridesmaid might be fixing the bride's dress.
A child might be dancing by themselves.
Someone's reaction during a speech might be priceless.
Those moments don't necessarily make it onto the timeline — but they're part of the story.
And I want your wedding gallery to tell the whole story, not just the parts where everyone was looking at the camera.
When Family Comes Together
One of my favorite things about weddings is seeing people who don't necessarily get to be together very often.
At this wedding, there were family members and friends interacting and catching up, including people who hadn't seen each other for years.
There is something really special about photographing those reunions.
The hugs.
The laughter.
The conversations.
The little looks between people who have known each other forever.
You may not remember exactly what everyone was talking about that evening years from now, but a photograph can bring that feeling right back.
The Best Matron of Honor Ever
And then there are the moments that are just plain funny.
During family portraits, the bride needed to take a little break.
Her matron of honor didn't hesitate — she essentially became a chair and gave the bride somewhere to sit while we took a breather.
It was hilarious, completely unexpected and exactly the kind of moment I love having in a wedding gallery.
It wasn't posed.
It wasn't planned.
And it probably wasn't something anyone thought would become one of the photographs they remembered from the day.
But it did.
That's the stuff I don't want to miss.
The People Who Make Your Wedding Yours
Your wedding isn't just about the two of you.
It's about the people who showed up for you.
The parents who helped you get here.
The siblings who have known you your entire life.
The friends who have stood beside you through every season.
The cousins you haven't seen in years.
The little kids running around the reception.
The grandparents laughing at the table.
The people who may never all be together in the same room again.
Those relationships deserve to be photographed, too.
Sometimes the most valuable photograph isn't the perfectly posed family portrait — it's the photograph of those same family members laughing together five minutes later.
The Kids, the Dancing & Everything In Between
Weddings are also full of little personalities.
Kids dancing.
Flower girls interacting with the bride.
Guests getting silly.
Friends laughing together.
People letting loose once the formalities are over.
Those photographs may not be the ones you expected when you hired your photographer, but they often become some of the photographs you love the most.
Because they're real.
They're your people being themselves.
And years from now, those photographs can bring back not only what your wedding looked like, but what it felt like.
Emotional Moments You Can't Recreate
Some unscripted moments are funny.
Some are adorable.
And some hit you right in the heart.
A parent getting emotional.
A bride's reaction to something someone says.
A quiet moment between family members.
A hug that lasts just a little longer than expected.
Those are the moments that don't need direction from me.
They just need someone paying attention.
That is a huge part of my job on a wedding day: watching for the moments that are happening naturally and being ready when they happen.
Your Wedding Day Is More Than the Timeline
I absolutely believe in having a good wedding timeline.
It helps make sure we have time for the photographs that are important to you. It gives everyone direction. It keeps the day moving.
But I don't want you to spend your entire wedding day worrying about whether you're doing everything “right.”
Some of the best photographs happen when we step away from the timeline for a minute.
When you laugh.
When you hug your grandma.
When your best friend makes you cry.
When your kid starts dancing.
When your family finally gets together after years apart.
When your matron of honor turns herself into a human chair. 😂
Those are the moments that make your wedding your wedding.
This Is Why I Photograph Both the Planned & Unplanned
My approach to wedding photography combines intentional portraits with an eye for everything happening naturally around them.
I'll guide you through your bride and groom portraits. I'll help with posing. I'll make sure we get the family photographs and the important details.
But then I'm going to step back and watch.
Because I don't want your gallery to be a collection of people smiling at a camera.
I want it to be a collection of memories.
The beautiful ones.
The emotional ones.
The hilarious ones.
The unexpected ones.
The ones you remember happening — and the ones you didn't even know happened until you saw the photograph.
That's what makes a wedding gallery feel like your day, not just a record of your ceremony.
And sometimes, those completely unplanned photographs end up being the ones you treasure the most.
