06/17/2026
I never had a chance to write Emily and Aiden anything or say anything so this is what I would say now....
They made it official. 🤍
But truthfully, I never needed a piece of paper to know Aiden was already my son-in-law. He has been loved from the very beginning.
For the past two years, we have dreamed, planned, changed plans, made decisions, and poured our hearts into bringing their vision to life.
And if I'm being honest, it wasn't always easy.
There were happy tears, stressful moments, disagreements, hard conversations, and yes—even arguments along the way. Because when you love your children deeply and want everything to be perfect for them, emotions run high.
Parenting doesn't come with a manual. We spend years learning as we go, trying our best, hoping we get it right. One thing no one prepares you for is how much parenting changes when your children become adults.
For 18 years, your job is to guide, protect, control, help, and be there for every little thing. Then suddenly, you're learning how to step back. You're learning to let go, to wait to be asked, to give them space to make their own decisions and create their own life.
Boy, that's hard.
Sometimes you speak up too much or are to blunt. Sometimes you stay quiet too long but you do it to not be to much. Sometimes you help too much give to much advice, and sometimes you worry you're not helping enough.
There isn't a manual for this stage of parenting either.
And while learning to let go may be one of the hardest parts of being a mom, watching them build a life together has been one of the joys.
I know I'm not the poster child for marriage. Life hasn't always gone the way I hoped it would. I've experienced heartbreak, disappointment, and the reality that love can be hard.
Maybe that's exactly why this day meant so much to me.
Because as parents, we want more for our children than we had. We want them to experience the kind of love, partnership, and support we always dreamed of.
At the end of the day, all you truly hope for is that they find someone who loves them, supports them, and walks through life beside them. I am so grateful that person is Aiden.
This was the happiest day — and the hardest.
For two decades, I've watched countless weddings unfold through my lens. I've seen the joy, the stress, the tears, the family dynamics, and the incredible love that brings it all together. I've helped so many couples and mothers navigate this season of life.
I thought I understood what it meant to be a Mother of the Bride.
I didn't.
As a photographer, I have always anticipated the moments, guided the timeline, solved problems behind the scenes, and worked hard to make sure moms could be fully present—to laugh, cry, eat, drink, dance, and soak it all in.
And when you've spent your life in the wedding industry, the line between wedding professional and Mother of the Bride isn't always clear.
I wasn't behind the camera capturing every moment this time, I was helping create them.
This experience gave me an entirely new perspective. The Mother of the Bride isn't just able to sit back and relax and enjoy.
I spent the day making sure their vision came to life, remembering all the planning and details, helping with the details, solving problems, answering questions, checking on everyone, making sure everyone had what they needed, making sure everyone else's experience is everything it should be, checking to be sure everything is running the way it was supposed to, and coming back around to say, "Emily do you need anything". Usually the answer was no. I was simply being a Mom.
And because of that, I missed so many moments I would have captured through my lens. If I'm honest, I'd rather be the photographer. But I wouldn't trade being Emily's mom for anything.
Emily, you will always be my little Cinderella—sweet, beautiful, strong, and so deeply loved.
I've captured countless love stories, but Emily and Aiden's will always be my favorite one to watch.
Forgive me to all I was not able to talk to or say high to. I actually had someone say "hey letting you do your thing" I thought man wish you would have stopped me and stopped me to be in pictures.
Thank you to everyone who captured the memories I couldn't, because for one day, I put my camera down, put my phone away.
Now I get to relive it all through your eyes.
Get ready—I have so many beautiful photos and videos to share. 🤍🤍✨
