Julie and Andrew show us who they really are on their wedding day!

Oh what to say about Julie and Andrew!?  I don’t even know how to describe such a fantastic couple!

We have a special place in our heart for sweet Julie because she was referring us to all her friends back when we first started Radiant, long before we did her wedding photography or she was even engaged… she was one of our first true fans and we love her for it!

And I have to say that Andrew holds a special place in our heart because he’s simply hilarious and a ton of fun to hang out with! 🙂

(Yep, that’s him!)

(Told you he’s fun!)

We’ve gotten to know Andrew and Julie pretty well throughout their engagement/wedding process, I was even invited to Julie’s bridal shower which not only made me feel like a VIP, but also gave me the chance to spend time with her friends and family before the wedding so that on the day of, they were more comfortable with me and trusted me enough to let me into their world a little bit so I could capture it better!

So thanks to all of Julie’s family and friends for bringing me in and letting me feel like part of the crew on the day of. 🙂

We are firm believers that our relationships with the people we’re photographing can totally make or break the overall feel of the photos.  There’s something to say for earning the trust of the people you’re taking pictures of. They have to feel comfortable enough with you to be truly vulnerable around you and to allow you to not only witness them being real with who they are, but to let you capture that and show it to the world.

The buzz word for our style of photography is “photojournalism” and it now makes more sense to me then ever when I think about a journalist as someone who others trust  to reveal who they are to the world.  They trust that the journalist will do it with truth, accuracy, and beauty.

And I think it’s the same with pictures.  When we’re exposing people’s true emotion and personality to everyone, they have to trust us to do it right.  And the better they know us, the more willing they are to let us do that.

A wedding is a very emotional day (obviously!) and we’re with the people involved every step of the way.

We always tell couples that no matter who you choose for your wedding photography, make sure it’s someone you’re comfortable with because you spend more time with your photographer on your wedding day than you do with your fiance!

(We were with her before the dress was even on!)

When you’re hanging out beforehand with your bridesmaids, and you start re-living moments from the bachelorette party…

(or admiring each other’s shoes…)

…do you want some weirdo hovering over your shoulder hanging on to your every word and making you feel awkward enough that it  shows on your face every time he interrupts your natural moments and shoves a camera at you?  Or would you rather have a friend (who happens to also be a professional photographer that you hired) standing there snapping shots of you and laughing along with the stories you’re telling? I can tell you right now which one’s pictures will turn out better!

(I love all the photos of brides breathing deeply right before they walk down the aisle. She’ll be OK once she sees him!).

So Julie and Andrew both did a great job of letting us into their lives, being vulnerable, honest, and emotional around us… and let me tell you, that means the world to us.

We can’t even describe how much more a wedding means to us when there’s a real connection there between us and the couple.  Not only does it help them be more natural and real in front of the camera but we inevitably add our own emotion to the photos.

Even if we wanted to separate ourselves from our art, we couldn’t do it.  It’s just a part of us.

Photography is a fluid combination between ourselves and the people we’re photographing, so the better we relate to one another, the more spectacular that intertwining turns out!

Sorry, I got a little carried away with all that… back to the people of the hour, Julie and Andrew!

As a whole I’d say their day was a HUGE success!

Everything about the day was beautiful…

… everyone there had a GREAT time…

….and of course, Andrew and Julie emerged from it as husband and wife!

That’s a pretty perfect wedding I’d say!

I’ve already thanked Andrew and Julie both privately and publicly, but I’ll say it again…. you guys have meant the world to us!  Thank you SO much for your kind words, support, encouragement, etc., etc, etc, etc. (that’s right, 4 etc.’s!)  You guys are awesome and I feel like I’m totally doing you an injustice with this short little thank you, but I’m just out of words to describe you.  So I’ll just put a giant smile here and hopefully you’ll know everything that it means! 🙂

Lucky for us, we get to spend even MORE time photographing Andrew and Julie during their upcoming “Unique Session“!  If you don’t know what that means, click here! Keep an eye for that session because I have a feeling, it’s going to be a great one!  By the way, if you haven’t seen their engagement session, make sure you check that out, it’s a fun one!

Click to see the rest of the photos from Julie & Andrew’s Gilbert, AZ wedding!