maureen mcgovern was right. there is a morning after.

I’m going to call this my first “official” portrait of newlyweds Melody & Mike, although I may have posted some portraits taken on their wedding day already. This is the morning after their wedding; early morning as a matter of fact. [I know this because in order to prep for this job I had to get up 2 hours earlier and drive up the mountain again.] I love working Morning After sessions; they’re my favorites because they’re essentially Portrait sessions.

But there’s definitely something different about shooting a couple who’ve been married ten years compared to shooting a couple who’ve been married about 12 hours. I prefer the latter when I have a choice.

All the stress and anxiety that goes into planning a wedding is gone; so see? The color of the napkins really didn’t matter at all, did it? The stress of actually standing up there and getting through the ceremony is over. You don’t have to practice your vows, no more worrying that you’re going to start to giggle during the most serious parts. [I did, and so did Mr. Susan, and we've still been married over 10 years, so there.]

It’s all forgotten, because now you’re married to this person, your best friend, and it’s like…this is the best moment of your life. Oh my God, anything is possible. Remember that feeling when falling in love? You think anything is possible. You can be anything, do anything, go anywhere; as long as you have this person beside you, as long as your’e together. Here’s an insider tip for you: when you get married, you get to experience that feeling all over again.

The morning after, you’re laying there, you’re not event thinking about the future yet: babies, houses, college education savings accounts and gathering memories and gathering things (two people living in one house can gather a lot of things). Hell, you’ve not even gotten used to the feel of that wedding band on your finger. It feels tight, it feels loose, it feels weird. You’re probably thinking about the mess that your room is, about getting back home and you may feel a little quiet because you both just did this amazing thing. Jeez, you got married!

On the other hand, you may be thinking about that chick with the camera whom you let into your room so early.