Gift to a friend.

My first wedding film was done as a gift to a childhood friend. I joked with her that it would get me out of bridesmaid duties and be cheaper than a gravy boat (neither of course true). But the truth is, it didn’t feel like I would simply be going to a wedding. It felt like a story, and I wanted to capture it.

We grew up together, biding our time as awkward teenagers by skipping classes to hide away in our favorite coffee shops and talk about our two favorite subjects: books and boys. Everything was discussed to the finest detail, like who would choose her favorite blue flowers for her arrangements (Jessie) and who would probably get married slightly inebriated at a Vegas drive through chapel (me). Even for those of us who didn’t grow up planning our fairytale wedding, it is a ritual I think so many of us can relate to: reaching through the nebulous future for this one snapshot, imagining who we’ve grown to become and the person with whom we get to share the rest of our lives.

So when the day came that Jessi introduced me to Nick, I knew that once foggy future had come forward to meet us. They were downright adorable together as they, looking only at each other, smiled and told me the story of the proposal and the early formations of wedding plans. I thought back to all the giggly coffee shop conversations and I knew what this day meant for her, more than I ever had understood with other weddings before. I wanted to capture it all.

Their wedding video, imperfect as any first attempt at a new experiment, is still one of my favorites. Handheld shots made bumpy from laughing or tearing up, the soundtrack a faded piano recording of their song… I had an absolute blast making it. Watching it now, I see not only the beautiful dress and the big iconic moments, but also the wedding jitters, the secret smiles, the comfort they take in one another when they get a moment alone. It’s unconventional for a wedding video, but my friend tells me that when they want to remember their wedding day, they don’t look at the pictures, perfect as they are– they watch the film.

It was done as a gift to a friend, but as I’ve gone on, I’ve been surprised to find that magic and meaning in every film I make for every new love story I’m briefly invited into.