06/22/2026
Aidyn and Abigail | A Wedding at Pole Barn Chic
Most of the time, I have months to get to know a couple before their wedding day. Six months, a year, sometimes longer, and often I meet their mothers somewhere along the way too. By the time the day finally arrives, there is already a rhythm between us, a trust we have built piece by piece.
Aidyn and Abigail were different.
We met them on their wedding day. That is just how it had to be. So I will be honest with you: I walked in nervous, keeping my expectations measured the way you learn to do after enough years, because you never quite know what to expect when you arrive cold, with no history between you and no rehearsal of trust to lean on.
And then the day unfolded, and it surprised me.
I left feeling like I had made real new friendships and captured work that reinspired me. Somewhere in the middle of an ordinary day, something quietly extraordinary happened. For that, I am grateful.
Let me set the scene.
Pole Barn Chic.
It was refreshing, and I do not say that lightly. After photographing weddings at so many venues over the years, you start to learn what truly stands out and what you come to appreciate. The folks at Pole Barn Chic were not only kind and fun to spend the day with, but they showed a real kind of friendship, the sort that comes from people who are not just playing the part of business owners but who are simply genuine, warm, and real.
They felt like old friends.
That is rare, and it is the kind of thing you cannot manufacture. You either have it or you do not, and the team at Pole Barn Chic has it. They pay attention to every detail of their property, building a space that is designed to be both beautiful and fun to wander through. I count them among the small group of venues I proudly recommend, the ones that carry that kind of energy. You feel inspired the moment you pull in, before a single photo is ever taken.
And the couple themselves.
Aidyn and Abigail were a breath of fresh air. They were not only kind, but they let me run free with every idea I had. They treated me like they had known me for years. That kind of trust, especially from people who had only just met me that day, is a gift, and I do not take it for granted.
I am thankful to call them new friends, and to know them as the amazing people they are. I wish them a life filled with adventure and a future they get to write together, one chapter at a time.
This day also came with big changes I am still adjusting to.
We had two new assistants helping us, and there is a story behind that I want to share. I recently started bringing on new assistants because our longest-standing assistant, Tara, suffered a stroke. In an instant, she nearly lost her life.
Tara has been more than someone who works alongside us. She has been a friend, and I would go so far as to say she is like a sister to me. The minute we heard the news, we went to the hospital. Thankfully, she was in good spirits, and even then, in that hospital room, I was grateful I could still make her laugh in such a dark and uncertain moment of her life.
I truly pray for a full recovery. We miss her out here at these weddings, sharing the moments and creating new stories as the team we have always been. Her health will always come first, and we will support her every step of the way.
Tara, there is always a place for you here. You are family, and that does not change.
So with all of that on my heart, we welcomed two new faces to the team.
I want to thank Jordan and Kaylee for being there with us. I always try to be someone enjoyable to work with, but the truth is I sometimes get so caught up in managing the gear, settings, and chasing something creative for the couple that I can only hope I am focused enough to be a good boss, teacher, and person who welcomes people into my world and builds a solid team that creates great experiences for the couples we capture.
Thank you both for your help, and for giving up a weekend to help us make a couple's memories even better. You stepped into a team that was adjusting, grieving, and taking a chance on letting new people into our world, and you made the day lighter just by being there.
That means more than you know.
This wedding taught me something all over again, something I was starting to think had become hard to find.
It taught me that it does not always have to feel like business as usual. Sometimes you find a venue that treats you like family, a couple that welcomes you like family, and new faces who just might become part of your business family too.
It reminded me just how important the people beside you really are.
I am grateful for my life.
I am grateful that after all these years, after everything, I can still be surprised.
I also need to pause and truly thank my wife.
You have been at my side through all of it. Through all these years, we have endured deep pain and hard seasons, and we have also stood together in the sunlight on a perfect day. We did it side by side, ready to take on whatever came, no matter what it turned out to be. That is why I love capturing weddings with you.
It lets me feel, again and again, the deeper connection I have with you and our marriage, and the story we are still writing together.
I love you.
Final thoughts
I have been a visual storyteller for over fifteen years now, and I have been lucky enough to be part of so many adventures that were never mine to keep, only mine to witness, protect, and capture.
If this work has taught me anything, it is that the day will surprise you if you let it, that the people who walk in as strangers can walk out as family, and that the story is never really about the photographs.
It is about the love that made them worth taking.
I am still turning the pages.
I remain excited for what is to come, and regardless of where the story leads, I know this much: I have loved the journey.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this entire story.
I cannot wait for the next chapter.
