Best of 2021 Wedding Photography
I’m happy to present my Best of 2021 Wedding Photography!
Happy new year! It’s been this winter fun reflecting back on all of the great times I had with my 2021 wedding clients.
The pandemic of 2020 forced many brides and grooms to put their wedding celebrations on hold. Gratefully, the vaccine rollout of 2021 allowed more wedding couples to safely gather with their friends and family. Still, the ongoing pandemic continues to be a source of uncertainty for engaged couples. If a theme resonated for my 2021 wedding clients, it would be their capacity to be flexible.
Even in normal times, there is so much that goes on during a wedding that can surprise you. This past year had some unique challenges for my clients that they overcame.
For one couple, there was wildfire smoke blocking mountain views. After the pandemic forced another couple to have a Zoom wedding, their long anticipated wedding reception was dampened by rain. At another wedding, there was a rush to locate a spare suit for a family member two hours before the wedding. A groom on crutches could not dance but instead sang songs for his bride with the band playing behind him. One engaged couple started a CSA farm from scratch to grow their own food and flowers for their wedding day. Their hard work created wonderful accents to their story that they shared with their loved ones on their big day.
It just goes to show. You can plan all the things, set the tables and get everything “perfect” on your big day, but in the end, weddings turn out the way they turn out. They have a wonderful life of their own.
All of my wedding couples smiled at adversity and gracefully overcame whatever wedding day hiccup came their way.
Having positive attitudes made each wedding an authentic reflection of who each couple was. Regardless of what happened, the true beauty of it was found by focusing on the bigger picture.
My wedding clients could finally celebrate their love alongside their friends and families bearing witness to it. What truly mattered.
For what is a wedding but a wonderful, sweet slice of society pie. A sacred event that celebrates the best things in life – our loving relationships.
As I sorted through my Best of 2021 Wedding Photography, I kept that thought in mind. As a Montana wedding photographer, you expect to find excitement from people attending a wedding. But this past year was different. You could tell that the pent up energy of the world made this year’s weddings more rich and rewarding. The societal faucet of normalcy was partially turned back on. A return to the ability to come together and feel human again.
As a visual storyteller, it warmed my heart to see my 2021 wedding clients and their loved ones embrace this moment. To truly savor these time-honored celebrations that I think many of us have taken for granted.
Beyond the obvious celebration of two people in love, to me, weddings are one of the few places where the young and the old can get together and honor what matters most.
Weddings are a chance to show the youth the ways of community – this is how we act in the good times. These are the things in life we value. These are moments that are worth everything.
This year nothing was taken for granted.
Personally, I’m thankful that I got to be in my element again; making people feel seen, laughing and joking with them, and photographing people being authentic and real. It was such a wonderful release for so many people. You could tell that the guests needed the celebrations just as much as the couples needed them.
I love witnessing the mixing pot of friends and family at a wedding. Most people know either the bride or the groom, but not many others. Strangers meet and mix. The stories start coming out. The laughter, fueled by good food and libations begins. Then the groups become one to dance and sing all the lyrics of a song with the people brought together by a newlywed couple. All awesome ingredients to honor and celebrate love.
The wedding event galvanizes a couple and their path forward.
This past year I was so grateful we could all gather. I’m proud to showcase my Best of 2021 Wedding Photography.
Looking forward to what this new year holds. -M
