what I will miss the most about you

By now you’ve probably heard that after this weekend, I’m no longer shooting weddings. This was a decision that was a little abrupt, but I feel good about it. Portraits (especially the 4-legged variety) are my first love, and I look forward to spending more time in the studio doing those.

But there are so many things that I’m going to miss about shooting weddings (and a good number of things that I will not). What I will miss the most is you…the look in your eyes when you’ve just gotten married, and you’re searching for your mom. That’s where we all go when something huge in our life happens, right? We go to our mom. We want our mom. Then you see her, and you just look at each other.

When I see a moment like that, it makes my heart happy. When I’m able to capture a moment like that with my camera…wow. It’s an unbelievable feeling. I feel that I’ve just captured all hope for humanity; the purest, most basic love that happens every day–everywhere–and for the most part goes unnoticed, even by those engaged in it.

To take a moment like that, print it, and give it to the bride, or her mom, and see the look in their eyes; to let them know that that love does not go unnoticed, it makes my heart cry. But in a good way.

This is what I will miss the most.