Beginnings. Origins. Destination Wedding Request.
Beginnings. Origins. A Destination Wedding Request.
Recently a new corporate branding client asked me to photograph her destination wedding in Florida. I was honored, flattered and hesitant. Let me backtrack, I haven’t photographed a destination wedding in years.
Wedding photography has always been a big chapter in my career. I started out shooting big Chicago weddings, spending eight vibrant years capturing love stories before transitioning to destination weddings in Key West for another eight. But life threw me a curveball—my daughter started school full-time, I went through a divorce, lost both my parents, moved back to Chicago, and then COVID showed up like an uninvited guest. Some good stuff happened in there too...Needless to say, my days of globe-trotting wedding shoots were put on hold.
Fast-forward to life in Chicago, where I’ve shifted gears to focus on personal branding, corporate/actor headshots, and online dating photography. Whenever asked if I still did weddings, my go-to reply was, “Only if you’re getting married in Italy—then call me!” But oh, the universe has a way of nudging you back toward your old flames, doesn’t it?
Things started with a fun detour—a favorite and fun local dating coach hired me to photograph her 20th wedding anniversary celebration. She wore her original wedding dress paired with sparkly white sneakers (talk about chic meets comfy) and even brought her mom along to the party. The shoot was at the stunning Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue, and the joy and energy of the session reminded me why I fell in love with wedding photography in the first place.
Then came the curveball of all curveballs. Out of the blue, a bride from 18 years ago messaged me on Facebook. Yes, 18 years! She had proposed to her husband at Sloppy Joe’s during a getaway to Key West, and naturally, they decided to have their wedding there. The weekend was magical, but despite my gentle reminders, she never ordered her wedding album. Her husband even tried to nudge the process and his wife along by ordering prints as a surprise for their first anniversary—still, no album order.
Now, as most photographers know, client files don’t typically stay intact for nearly two decades. Between moves and hardware failures, I wasn’t optimistic. I told her I’d check my offsite storage which is in another state, but with a giant disclaimer: “Don’t hold your breath.” Months later, I made the trek, dug through the labyrinth of boxes, and—miraculously—found her file! Dusting off an ancient DVD drive, I crossed my fingers and plugged it in. Against all odds, the images were perfectly preserved. But then came the real kicker—I couldn’t find her Facebook message to contact her.
Determined, I combed through her client folder, emailing, texting, and calling with the contact info I had. Within an hour, she called me back—thrilled—and dropped this gem: “Today is our wedding anniversary!” I didn’t even check the actual wedding date beforehand! Talk about cosmic timing.
Now here I am, rekindling my passion for wedding photography. Small events, elopements, destination weddings—let’s bring them on! Sometimes, revisiting the past is the best way to rediscover what truly sparks your joy. What in your past that gets you smiling?
Oh, and yes, I did book that Florida destination wedding. Italy? Still waiting for the call!
