Gaea & Mike

Our time with Gaea began in the home she grew up in. She has been the most courteous bride I’ve ever met, in fact the only one who’s ever answered me with Yes Sir and No Sir, showing a respect that I haven’t seen in recent years. My dad taught us from the time we were young boys to show that kind of respect. My dad was a marine, and we were boys. This is a strikingly beautiful young lady, a New Yorker, a contemporary and sophisticated woman, and yet when we walked in the door she warmly greeted us, and then sat down for some good conversation with all of her friends and family. It may not say much to some of you, but it speaks volumes to me about her priorities.

It was a very free-spirited morning with a casual, yet steadily growing charge in the air for what the day might bring. Gaea dressed in the back bedroom while mom helped her with her necklace, and the house and the morning had a very intimate and personal feel.

I watched her sitting, so peacefully on the stairs. She looked as if she’d prepared for this moment her entire life, and in her poise and stature there was a calm, but in her eyes you could see her soul leaping. Then we were off to Calloways to meet Mike.

Studying them through the lens, there’s more than just a love between them. There’s a true friendship. I don’t think I’ve seen another bride look at her groom with such intensity. Nothing but devotion and commitment and almost an aching for what life will look like afterward, just the two of them, together, married. Mike is steady. He wants nothing more than to make her smile, and for her to find peace in knowing that he’s there for her. He had a grin on his face that spoke his heart. He was ready for this day, to be here, finally, with her, in front of friends and family and God. Sometimes as photographers we spend so much thought in the planning and anticipation of a wedding day, especially when we’ve shot a couples’ engagements the year before. Then the day comes, the sun sets, and the time has come to go. For the bride and groom, they have a great beginning and the first chapter in their married lives, but for us, our part in the day has reached the end and it’s hard to say goodbyes. All that’s left is to say Thank You for letting us share in these moments with you. We sincerely appreciate the blessing.