The booking process for Marc and Angie’s wedding was definitely a unique one, to say the least. Marc was actually referred to me by my husband, and from the start there was a bit of back and forth, a little miscommunication, and honestly some confusion. I wasn’t sure if they were actually wanting to book, or if my husband might’ve been unintentionally pressuring them to work with me. Most of the communication was happening between Marc and my husband, and I think it was mainly through Instagram. I was pretty left out of the loop, and it felt weird not being directly in touch with the couple. Eventually, I got Marc’s contact info and was able to reach out myself. We chatted, discussed all the details, and finally got everything squared away. They opted out of an engagement session, and we were officially set.
Come the wedding day, there was still a little bit of that communication gap, but that’s something I’ve learned can happen and is totally normal — every couple is different, and every wedding runs its own way. What made this one especially new for me was that it was my very first Catholic wedding, and I actually didn’t even realize that until I arrived. I had no idea how long Catholic ceremonies could be or that the day would be split up the way it was, but honestly, it ended up being such a great learning experience that I’ll always be grateful for.
The day started at what I believe was Angie’s mother’s home, where she and her bridesmaids were getting ready. I took some photos and filmed a cute little video montage of all the girls getting dressed, sharing sweet speeches, and giving their gifts. One thing that made this part of the day special (and slightly challenging) was the language difference — Angie isn’t a fluent English speaker, and while I can understand and speak a bit of Spanish from school, I’m far from fluent. Thankfully, communication flowed surprisingly smoothly, and her friends and family helped translate when needed. It honestly turned out to be such a wholesome experience, and it reminded me how valuable learning another language can be.
After wrapping up at Angie’s, I headed to Marc’s family’s home to capture him getting ready, some shots of his mom helping him with his suit, and a few quick portraits before heading straight to the church. That’s when I realized this was, in fact, a Catholic wedding — and there were certain areas I wasn’t allowed to move into during the ceremony. I didn’t even know at first that I could walk down the center aisle, so I stayed off to the sides out of respect until I double-checked with someone in the back and got permission. The ceremony itself was long but incredibly beautiful. There were so many moments I’d never witnessed before — like the laying of the rosary that’s wrapped around both the bride and groom, and the floral offering to Mother Mary, which ended up being one of my favorite and most emotional photos of the entire day. There was something so spiritually moving about that moment, and I could truly feel the depth of it while shooting.
After the ceremony, we took family and friend portraits, then some bridal photos outside of the church. One of Marc’s top requests was photos with his Toyota MR2 — this stunning red car that holds a lot of sentimental value for them. I’m pretty sure my husband actually met Marc through their shared love of cars, and from what I gathered, that car has been around since the early stages of Marc and Angie’s relationship. I’m not a car photographer, but honestly, those shots turned out beautiful. My husband was there throughout the ceremony and reception since he’s friends with Marc, and at one point, Marc even asked me to grab a few photos of my husband, and their friends all sitting together — those made it into the gallery too because they were just too fun not to include.
After the photos, I learned there would be a long break between the ceremony and the reception — something that, as I later found out, is common with Catholic weddings. So my husband and I decided to grab lunch nearby and ended up finding this amazing little potato bar in the Tyrone/Fayetteville area. Since we don’t get out that way often, we decided to explore and stumbled upon this massive antique store that looked like two houses connected together, filled top to bottom with treasures. I wanted so many things but somehow resisted (still regretting that decision). The time flew by, and soon it was time to head to the reception venue.
When we got there, Marc was outside chatting with friends, and I mentioned I’d arrived early to get some detail shots. He let me know the DJ was running late, which, as any wedding photographer knows, is just part of how weddings go — no day is ever perfectly on schedule, and that’s totally okay. As the DJ set up, I took advantage of the quiet time to capture all the little details — the entrance sign, the table décor, the food setup, and the small guest gifts. Once everything was ready, the entrances began: bridesmaids, groomsmen, and finally the bride and groom, who went straight into their first dance.
Now, confession time — I had no idea that their son was their son until that moment. Throughout the day, I’d been taking photos of him because he was adorable and full of energy, but I didn’t realize his connection to them. When I mentioned it to my husband, he was like, “Yeah, that’s Marc’s son — I went to his birthday!” which I somehow missed because I either had to work that day or was sick, I genuinely can’t remember. Once I realized, I felt so silly, but thankfully I’d already gotten some great shots of him. Their first dance as a family ended up being one of the sweetest moments of the entire night.
As dinner began, I took a short break and sat with my husband and a few of Marc’s previous coworkers and their wives, chatting and learning about their lives — one couple was from New York, and we talked about that for a while. I always let guests and family eat first before grabbing a plate myself (if I even eat at all), and I try not to take photos of people eating unless specifically asked, because those tend to be… less flattering moments. Eventually, my husband had to leave early since our babysitter needed him to pick up the kids, and we live about an hour and a half away, so I finished the night solo.
One of the funniest moments of the reception came courtesy of the DJ. Since it was a primarily Hispanic wedding, he started calling out different countries — “Cuba!” “Honduras!” — and everyone from each place would cheer loudly and wave their hands. Then he called “USA,” and I quietly raised my hand while everyone around me laughed, which was just one of those funny little moments that made the night even better. The evening wrapped up with the bouquet toss and the classic shoe game, where they guessed who said “I love you” first and other fun questions. There wasn’t a cake cutting — I think there was a delay with the cake being delivered, and since my contracted time ended before midnight, I didn’t stay to see how that played out.
Overall, this wedding was such a meaningful experience for me. It challenged me, taught me, and gave me so much appreciation for new cultural and religious traditions. I left feeling more confident and better prepared for future Catholic weddings — and in fact, it helped me tremendously when photographing Alondra and Felix’s Catholic ceremony later on. Every wedding teaches you something new, and this one definitely left a lasting impression on me — not just as a photographer, but as a person.
