There is a difference between a pose and a moment.  One is contrived, manipulated, secured and checked off the list.  The other is organic, a slice of life, a reflection of the couple and in my opinion, a memory maker.

Today’s moment is one of my absolute favorites.  It’s flirty and adorable and I can’t help but smile with them every time I look at this image.  It happened right after the toasts.  He kissed her, smiled at her, and then put his hat on her head.  It’s real love; their specific real love.

Those are the moments I strive to capture throughout the day and it’s one of the biggest reasons I do not work from a shot list.  This second image happened just seconds later at the instruction of the coordinator.  It’s sweet and I’m glad I captured it, but it was not the one chosen for the Christmas card.  Why?  Because it’s not a moment. This image doesn’t hold a fond memory for these two.  It’s a really cute image but it doesn’t tell me anything specifically about Brett and Megan and the way they love each other. Had this been on a “must-have-shot-list” I might have been so wrapped up in structuring the details of this second image that I would have missed the actual moment unfolding just seconds earlier.

I’m so honored that my couples trust me enough to capture their specific moments.  To me, the moments are priceless for the memories they hold.  And really, what is sweeter in marriage than a lifetime of memories?