It was a normal Friday night for me, that last day of March when I received an urgent phone call from a fellow photographer. She had been taken very ill and was in the hospital. She was scheduled to shoot a wedding the next day in Napa. Frantically she asked if I was available to 1st shoot the wedding. My heart raced as I thought, ‘is this an April Fools Joke?”; but said, “Yes absolutely!”. I couldn’t believe it, this was the first wedding I would ever be the primary shooter for and I had less than 24 hours notice!

Saturday morning, as I gathered all my gear, I reminded myself that I had shot over 20 weddings and was fully capable of taking amazing photographs.  As I drove to the hotel to meet the bride, I listened to relaxing meditations, to calm my mind. As soon as I stepped into the hotel room, my nerves calmed and I knew that everything was going to be okay!

The day was gorgeous and the bride was so very understanding and pleasant. She was truly one of my most favorite brides. So easy going and calm. It was one of the most important milestones of my life! I never imagined that my first wedding would occur this way and run so smoothly to boot. It is those unexpected moments in life that test our fortitude and strength. How we handle the curve balls that come are way, is a testament to how hard we work, how confident we are, and how bad we want it!

By the end of the day, I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to go back to 2nd shooting. I thrived off the stress and anticipation of capturing each and every moment. I find that the more responsibility that is bestowed on me, the harder I work and the more I succeed. Having weddings lined up already for 2018, I can’t wait to find out what the future holds for me. See you at the alter!