You know what we love? Hearing couples who didn’t originally have their weddings documented get the chance to recreate those portraits later on (yesterday’s winter elopement + this vow renewal come to mind). Take Stacie + Todd. They didn’t get photos during their wedding—their $5k budget went straight to welcoming out of town guests to California—but always wished they had. When they mentioned that to Heather Selzer this year, she knew she had to make it happen…
Recycled cotton paper pretties by Honey Brush Design. Gorg!
Stacie says, We got married in Yosemite National Park at Glacier Point in 2014. The Meadow fire broke out just before our wedding and we feared that we’d have to reschedule, but the hardworking firefighters with Cal Fire tamed it just long enough so that we could get married with giant plumes of smoke and blazing pine trees behind us… As soon as the ceremony was over, our friends gathered to snap a few pictures on their various cameras and we high tailed it out of there. Later that evening the fire forced authorities to order the evacuation by helicopter of dozens of hikers and tourists.
After the wedding, I knew instantly that I wish I had been able to afford a professional photographer. I tried telling myself for a long time that it was no big deal and the photos you have reflect the experience you had but I thought about it all the time! There are several things that I would do differently if I could go back, but not getting a professional photographer is the only “regret”. I want to have beautiful photos of me and my husband from our wedding that our great-great-grandchildren can look at way down the line and know more about who we were. I didn’t realize how bad I would want those the wedding was over and I couldn’t go back and get them.
M Creations Floral Design included Mondial roses, and a 5-year old succulent with spray roses, scabiosa, dahlias, tulips + a mix of winter greenery with pink lanterns hanging from arbutus marinus.
Stacie bought a new dress from Lulus but created a cover up from her old dress (an eBay find she was never 100% happy with) by removing the liner and cutting up the middle of it, to wear during the shoot. That and lots of other little details helped them recreate the vibe of their actual wedding!
If I were to give advice to a bride, I would say absolutely hire a professional photographer. And not just the one that you can afford. Hire the one you want. The photographer that has magical work. The photographer who will make you feel comfortable. The photographer who knows what they are doing. Because you can’t go back and capture the wedding. But! For anyone who absolutely cannot hire a professional photographer, do know there is hope! Find the photographer you love and ask if they can do a wedding portrait session for you. One cool thing about this is that it is one less thing to stress about on your wedding day. You can simply enjoy your wedding day, then once it is over—however long in the future it takes to save the money you need—you can schedule a shoot and be able to really focus on the photos without being pulled in a hundred different directions.
So happy you two got the photos you deserve. Props to everyone below who made it happen!
Photographer: Heather Selzer / Florist: M Creations Floral Design / Makeup: Powder Room Beauty Bar / Stationery: Honey Brush Design / Assistant & Stylist: Killian Abuan / Candles: Harlow & Heart / Champagne: One Hope / Bride’s Dress: Lulus / Necklace: Billy Sky / Wedding Rings: Kirk’s Jewelry
