As many of you know, I (Natalie) was also counted among the 2010 Fairmount Photography brides. After nearly two years of planning (not recommended for those of you wishing to preserve your sanity) Ben & I tied the knot at an outdoor ceremony in the sweltering heat at the Old Mill in Rose Valley. We fell in love with the location as soon as we saw it. It had everything we were looking for: an opening in a grove of trees for an outdoor ceremony with an air conditioned indoor site that could fit our 200+ guest list. I've learned a lot of lessons from attending so many weddings over the last few years. Perhaps the best one is the importance of going with the flow and just enjoying every moment. The brides I've met who have been able to let go of all the details and mini-dramas that occur with weddings are the ones who have the most fun. I think I surprised a lot of people on my wedding day. I am a notorious over-planner, and you might say I'm a bit obsessed with details. But on my big day I just went into automatic and trusted everyone to do their jobs and it was all perfect. (OK, it wasn't completely perfect, one of our busses to transport our guests broke down, it was ridiculously hot out and the Phillies scheduled a surprise game to start the same time as my ceremony so traffic was horrific, but none of that mattered because I didn't let it. And I was bride, so if I didn't care, then other people didn't either.)
I have to say, it was truly one of the most amazing days of my life. It was so much fun to have so many of the people I love most in the world in one place for the day—it felt like that dream that ended too fast! It was the kind of experience I wish for all our brides & grooms, which is part of why Matt and I make it a priority to remove as much stress from our couples as possible.
The first thing most people asked me when they heard I was getting married was, "Who is going to take photos?" Well, photography was the first thing I had set when I started planning. I'd had photographers locked in before I was even engaged. I work with so many talented people that narrowing down the list was not easy, but I managed to choose four people who I thought would balance each other out. Each photographer covered two portions of the day so that no one spent the whole time working. A special thanks to each of my photographers—who are also my co-workers and my friends. They have given me such an amazing gift. Every time I look at my wedding photos I feel amazingly blessed. Blessed to have such a talented group of friends, blessed to have married such a kind, wonderful and handsome man, blessed to have been surrounded by so many wonderful friends and family members. Who could ask for anything more?
The photo on the left is the only time I held a camera on my wedding day. Someone had to get a shot of the photographers!
People seem surprised when I say I had four photographers at my wedding, but honestly it was hard to narrow it down to just four. Each of them brought such a beautiful perspective to the day. Here are a few photos from each of them:
Sarah is the one who got me started in wedding photography. We were classmates and roommates in college, and afterward I was her steady second photographer as she got her CT photography business started. I love working with Sarah because we are both very competitive and she always pushes me to be a better and more creative photographer. I photographed her wedding a few years back, so it was fun to have the tables turned.
Matt
You all know Matt—he's the other half of Fairmount Photo. After taking so much time to help him realize he enjoys photographing weddings, there was no way I was letting him out of documenting mine! His work is always a great foil to my own. He sees photos I would never consider and always surprises me. I really couldn't wait to see his photos.
Melissa was my detail lady. She was the year behind me in college, and I used to call her Natalie 2.0 because she followed in my footsteps and then improved what I did. I asked her to document all my wedding day details because she has a designer's eye and always find beautiful patterns and inspiration in the little things that most people would just walk by. She definitely did not disappoint — and she made me feel a lot better about folding all those paper cranes and assembling all the programs at the last minute!
Colin, another former classmate, is a commercial photographer in Philly, and not really a fan of photographing weddings. I love his non-traditional perspective, and he was the perfect guy to run our photobooth during the reception. I don't think there was a party in college where Colin wasn't taking crazy photos of people.
Thanks again to all of you! What a priceless gift :)