This wedding was one of my more challenging, and gratifying experiences. Sarah and Jay contacted us to do their wedding, and let us know right up front that we would have to do a lot of positioning with them, as they are both blind. When Kyna handed this wedding over to me I was immediately concerned, and felt pressured to do a good job, especially when Sarah told me she was up for a cornea surgery next year that could restore a lot of her sight. So not only was this a wedding where I was responsible for making certain they were well positioned, but potentially for showing Sarah the sights she couldn’t see as well on the actual day. This wedding made me stop and look at the things I am grateful to have, and things we may take for granted at times. I was working with a couple who have a handicap, but refuse to let it in any way determine what they can and can’t do. They said several times people had asked why they would care so much about pictures and were aware it may look silly for a blind couple to be getting professional photo’s of their wedding, but I never felt that way and neither did they. To them it was all about preserving the memory of this day for their potential future children. Not once did they act upset or as if their lack of sight concerned them in any way, which truly struck a chord with me, and gave me an extreme measure of respect for this couple.
All that said, Sarah and Jay were a blast to work with. I immediately got over my nerves after I asked her a most awkward question, “Do you want to do a first look pose?”. I struggled for days trying to think of a better way to say it, but my blunt nature won out and I just asked it straight. Sarah laughed off my nervousness and told me to not worry about what I said or avoiding words. We immediately hit it off right there and it made me much more at ease. They were very easy to work with, naturally falling into the poses I placed them in and showing a real connection between them. Sarah definitely knew exactly what she wanted on her wedding day, with a three page list of the shots she wanted to make sure we got, which honestly is a good idea if you’re worried about missing out on an important picture! The church we took the pictures at was gorgeous and full of her family. After the ceremony we went and took some pictures at her parents old house, a surprise she didn’t tell her mom about until she saw the pictures!
The reception was held at a venue in Baldwin called The Orchard which was a converted barn/silo which they truly made beautiful. We slipped outside for some pictures a couple times, and got some nice pictures from inside the venue. Sarah and Jay looked so natural when posed, I truly loved how their honest affection for each other was very obvious to me while I took their pictures. This family knew how to party, because their dance floor stayed busy almost the entire time I was there!
So best of wishes to you Sarah and Jay, and thank you for letting me capture your special day!
