writing a story of their own: mike and kate

a weekend in paradise. that's really what it was. it was like an ancient wedding, where people came to support a new couple and celebrated for days. we celebrated mike and kate. we celebrated not only them as a couple but them as individuals. their family and best of friends followed them to the spot Ernest Hemingway wrote classics to write a new chapter in their lives, to connect with each other and support the decision they made.

i am fortunate enough to shoot weddings. these days i get to be more selective in determining if i'm a good fit for the couple. i have to connect with them in some special way, or i don't feel good about being the one to capture such an intimate experience. it's more than a job, a paycheck, it's a memory that i get to share. i believe in mike and kate, i have since i met them. and as i grow to know them more my heart swells with excitement for their future.

kate is a hard shell to crack, and maybe that's why i want i love her more. her quiet nature and brilliant mind were intimidating to me for the longest time. but as i watch her the intensity sort of melts and i see this woman that is so beyond beautiful. her heart cares intensely for the people closest to her, and those on the outskirts of her heart probably won't get undeserved attention. if you are loved by kate consider yourself blessed. mike has married someone so externally strong and yet so very tender that as he brushes a hair from her face i see why he was the one that cracked through to her heart. in regards to independence he lacks nothing. he is quick on his feet, intense, and has worked hard to hone his mind, yet he needs her. he needs her to need him, to rely on his kind gestures, and gentle touch.

congratulations mike and kate, what an amazing experience to be part of you committing to forever.