Lately, I’ve been sitting with a sense of unease about the wedding industry. I adore the beauty of wedding days, the flowers, the music, the intentional design choices that reflect a couple’s style. But underneath all of that, I keep coming back to one thought: somewhere along the way, we’ve drifted away from the true heart of a wedding. The point isn’t perfection, performance, or content creation. The point is love, commitment, and gathering your people to celebrate something sacred.
The Ceremony Is the Heart
The ceremony is the anchor of a wedding day. It’s where two people stand together, surrounded by loved ones, and promise their lives to each other. That “yes” is sacred. It’s the reason everything else, the party, the toasts, the dancing, exists in the first place. Without it, there wouldn’t be a wedding day.
And yet, I so often hear people talk about “getting through the ceremony” so they can get to the fun part. Somewhere along the way, weddings began to feel like productions. But weddings aren’t performances. They are promises. They are about connection, legacy, and memory.
When the Industry Feels Disconnected
The wider wedding industry has, in many ways, lost its grounding. Too often the focus is on creating “epic” images for Instagram instead of capturing what the day truly feels like. Don’t get me wrong, I love a stunning portrait in beautiful light. But if that’s all we chase, we miss the point. A wedding isn’t about staging cinematic moments to impress an algorithm. It’s about celebrating love with the people who matter most.
Photography as Memory First
Before wedding photography is art, it is memory. Yes, it can be creative, editorial, and visionary, but at its deepest level, it’s about preservation. The quick glance across the aisle. The squeeze of a hand. The sound of your friends’ laughter during toasts. The way your family cheers as you walk down the aisle together. The unpolished, imperfect, beautifully human moments of your day. These are the photographs that will matter most 20 years from now.
What Couples Deserve
As a wedding photographer, my philosophy is simple: your wedding day isn’t about me, or about chasing content. It’s about you, living the experience fully. That’s why I encourage couples to build breathing room into their timelines, to pause after the ceremony before rushing into portraits, to actually enjoy cocktail hour, to linger with their friends and family. Because when you slow down enough to be present, the joy naturally shines through, and your photographs will reflect that.
The ceremony is the reason we gather. The celebration is the way we honor that “yes.” Both matter deeply, and both deserve space. From vows to dance floor chaos, from sacred words to unfiltered laughter, every part of your wedding day is a reflection of your story. And none of it should be rushed, or curated only for someone else’s approval.
My Advice for You
- Write down your values. Return to them when you feel pulled in different directions.
- Honor your ceremony. Don’t rush it or treat it as something to get through. It is the heart of your day.
- Pause after the ceremony. Hug your people, share a toast, let the joy sink in before moving on.
- Celebrate fully. From the quiet pauses to the dance floor, soak it in. This is your once-in-a-lifetime gathering.
- Trust your photographer. I’ll make sure you get the portraits you want, but I’ll also preserve the candid, fleeting moments you may not even notice in the moment.
Your wedding day isn’t meant to be rushed through. It’s meant to be lived, to be felt, and to be remembered. If you’re planning a wedding in Wilmington, whether downtown, at a coastal venue, or barefoot by the ocean, I’d love to document your day in a way that honors the ceremony as the heart of it all, while preserving the joy and connection that ripple through every moment
Ready to start dreaming about your wedding together? Let’s connect and talk about how we can create space for presence, connection, and timeless photos that feel true to you.
