Aria Suite Wedding | Kelly & John
Las Vegas is the land of extravagant cityscapes, intricate décor, ultimate fun and the land of MORE MORE MORE (“how can I cram MORE into my 3 day vacation?”). As I planned for Kelly and John’s wedding in a luxurious Aria suite, I planned to capture the most important backdrops: gem covered casinos, flashing lights and sparkly gold walls. True to Las Vegas style, I planned our photo session down to the T, like a well-planned Disney Vacation, speed walking through crowds from location to location, grabbing napkins from Starbucks on the way to wipe the sweat dripping from limbs, and onto the next beautiful photo location. Pose and go, pose and go, pose and go. That’s what my clients are paying for right?
How wrong I was.
It was nearing the end of the night, as all events go, time was running away…. quickly. Next on my agenda was our sprint to our Gem-tastic backdrop and sparkling cityscape. Kelly and John had the decision to make, continue walking around the strip on our photo excursion or to go straight to dinner where friends and family were waiting. I could audibly hear my heart pounding in my chest and my pose list feeling heavy in my pocket. What if I didn’t get those gems I had planned on??
As I look through my client’s dazzling wedding photos, it’s not the grandiose backdrops that pull my heartstrings. It’s the vows that the bride and groom handwrote and recited. It’s the memories of a real, authentic, genuine relationship, reminiscing of ups and downs, without cheap imitations of glitz and glamor. It’s the stories of love strong enough to sacrifice for one another, even a beloved Jeep to provide a ride for another and adopting, not just one, but several fury babies. It’s the faith that glued their relationship together. It’s the joyful tears shed in recounting the last 7 years. It’s the loving dedication to family members that were longingly missed. It’s the party poppers that friends used to shower newlyweds in confetti. It’s the toast and cheers given in an intimate Aria Suite with smiling faces and warm wishes.
In the end, our session ended and our bride and groom walked hand in hand to dinner, forgoing our glitzy backdrop photo locations. As they entered the restaurant, Kelly and John were greeted with shouts of joy and jubilation. In that moment I realized, the memories that shine brightest for our clients are not those of glitzy photo locations, but the memories spent with friends and family during their destination wedding.
“It’s not about the well planned photos; it’s about the memories.”
Thank you, Kelly and John, for reminding this wedding photographer what is really important. Congratulations! May each year to come be filled with more warm and loving memories than the last!
