ferrum college wedding

Being a Bridesmaid, Sister, Mom, and Photographer...All at Once | Business

Being a Bridesmaid, Sister, Mom, and Photographer...All at Once | Business

A few months ago I photographed my sister's wedding. Only I didn't just photograph it - I was a bridesmaid, her sister, a mom to the cutest little flower girl ever, and the day-of coordinator for all intents and purposes. I have done this before, only without a child, when I photographed my older sister's wedding and was her maid of honor. It was a beautiful memory I'll look back on forever, and I'm honored that BOTH my sisters chose me to capture their day.

I'll be honest, though - it's also an incredibly hard set of roles to play. I felt like, at any given time, I could only do two roles well. Sometimes I could be the coordinator and photographer, but I had a hard time being the understanding sister and I couldn't put my tasks aside for a moment to be a mom to Willow. Or I could be in the moment, watching my dad and sister share their first look, and tears would fill my eyes so heavily that I could barely see through the viewfinder…

Ferrum College Wedding | Roanoke Wedding Photographer | Josiah + Megan

Ferrum College Wedding | Roanoke Wedding Photographer | Josiah + Megan

What do I say about a day like this? My baby sister, who I swear was only 8 years old just a few days ago, got married this last weekend. Megan and Josiah dated for several years but when I woke up that morning, it felt like everything had happened in the blink of an eye. It was an emotional day for everyone, and as I looked around I realized our family either had huge smiles on their faces or tears of joy on their cheeks. What a beautiful memory.

As I reflect on the day, a few things stick out. One is the first look she had with my dad. I wish I could include every single one of those images, but it's hard to explain the emotion there. It's the end of an era, his last child getting married. I remember the kids - there were 9 flower girls and ring bearers! - that will show up throughout the pictures because almost all of their parents were in the bridal party (and it was a good kind of chaos!). I'll never forget the ceremony or the vows Megan and Josiah wrote to each other and delivered with voices shaking and tears flowing.

It's hard to express how amazed I am at the woman Megan has become, or how thankful we all are that she found someone like Josiah to marry. She asked him out so many years ago and has never regretted that decision. Yet over time, he has proven that his love for her and his love for God and genuine and enduring, and while it's hard to acknowledge that she is growing up and moving away, I can think of no one better to walk alongside her in life…