No one likes a change in plans, at least not when they are plans you are looking forward to. That has been the story with 2020 wedding planning. Everything that was planned on was more than likely changed in some way. While changed plans are a bummer, the end result isn’t so bad. Liz and Hayden’s wedding went from being a more typical wedding with lots of guests to it just being their wedding party and immediate families. I have been photographing weddings going on 12 years now and the atmosphere of Liz and Hayden’s wedding was one of the least stressful weddings I’ve been a part of. It’s almost hard to put into words how amazing their wedding was. I’ve had a few weddings like this now and I attribute this easy-going, low-stress atmosphere to them being much smaller. I totally get the appeal and reasoning why larger weddings are desired, but I cannot suggest smaller weddings enough because of how much more enjoyable they are for the couple. They aren’t just enjoyable because of the people there, but also because the stress level is so low too. After the ceremony, Liz and Hayden wanted to have outdoor pictures taken. Keep in mind, being January, it’s fairly cold out. This is where the smaller wedding again came in nicely. Liz and Hayden were able to hang out with their guests inside to warm up a bit. After a little time indoors, we went outside to get the wedding party pictures. Ran back inside to warm up and after some time inside again, we were back outside to get pictures of Liz and Hayden together. It was such a relaxing time and I truly believe for Liz and Hayden the wedding had a much more intimate feel. While the smaller size was a reminder of the times we are in, the maid of honor speech was also a reminder of these times as Liz’s maid of honor had to video call her way in. While it is a bummer she couldn’t join, it was a pretty unique situation for her to have to call in and give her speech the way she did. Unique situations like this with weddings are ones that will be looked back on and cherished, and so as a photographer, I wanted to be sure to capture this moment in a way so that it could forever be remembered in pictures. I cannot express just how much I loved Liz and Hayden’s wedding. If I could pass on one piece of advice from their wedding to others planning their wedding, it would be to really consider thinking small.
