Scruffy Weddings

ade Ben so special was everything that happened in between those photos. We had a very small, intimate wedding with only our closest family and friends. Before the wedding, one of the things I worried about was whether having vendors there would feel awkward or noticeable because our guest list was so small. There really wasn’t anywhere for someone to disappear into a crowd, and everyone there was someone we knew and loved. Within no time at all, Ben just felt like one of the family. He was so chill, relaxed, and easy to be around that having a camera there never felt intrusive. Nothing felt overly staged or uncomfortable, and we never felt like we had to perform for the camera. He somehow managed to be present for everything while still allowing us to actually experience our wedding. And then we got the photos back. They are phenomenal. Every time I look through our wedding photos, they send me right back to that day. Even now, they make me tear up. I don't just remember where we were standing or what was happening when a picture was taken—I remember how I felt in that moment. I can feel the excitement, the nerves, the overwhelming happiness, the love from our families, and all of those little emotions that made the day ours. That is what Ben does. He doesn't just document a wedding. He documents the feelings. There are the gorgeous portraits and all of the pictures you expect to want from your wedding, but then there are the little moments—the expressions, interactions, laughs, and glances that you didn't even realize were happening. Somehow, he captured those too. Years from now, I don't just want to remember what my wedding looked like. I want to remember what it felt like to be standing on that mountaintop, surrounded by the people we love most, marrying my best friend. Ben gave us that. And to me, that is worth everything. Our wedding also came with its share of unpredictability, including a thunderstorm and an hour-long ceremony delay, and Ben remained completely relaxed through all of it. Nothing about the day going off schedule seemed to faze him. His energy was exactly what you want around you on a wedding day—calm, flexible, fun, and completely unfazed. I think one of the best compliments I can give him is that when I think back on our wedding, I don't remember feeling like we had a photographer following us around. I remember Ben being there. He laughed with everyone, fit right in with our families, and somehow simultaneously felt like another person celebrating with us and the person responsible for documenting it all. When your wedding is small, every person there matters. There isn't really an "outside" of the group. Ben walked into that kind of environment and somehow immediately became part of it. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose Ben without hesitation. Of course I would choose him because our photographs are stunning, but more importantly, I would choose him because he gave us something I didn't fully understand the value of until afterward. He gave us a way to go back. Every time I open our wedding album, for just a little while, I am there again. And I don't think I could ask for anything more from the person we trusted to document our wedding day.