I HATE YOU PHOTOS PROFESSIONAL

(IвЂ™ve always been a little skeptical of those first look shootsвЂ¦ I mean, maybe I got the one man in this universe who doesnвЂ™t want to break down with overwhelming tears of joy in front of a random photographer, but I honestly canвЂ™t imagine any of my friends doing that. We didnвЂ™t have a вЂњfirst lookвЂќ with a groom overcome by emotion as he sees his rapturous bride. The most I saw of Rob before I walked down the aisle was a brief glimpse of his arm before he walked into the front of the church.

I donвЂ™t have a picture-perfect sweet moment holding hands behind a door. Well, I think my sister may have teared up a little, but that was it. So letвЂ™s fast-forward to the day of the wedding. Bridal portraits in my mind are more about getting comfortable with your photographer, getting a chance to figure out if you need more dress alterations, and hopefully getting a picture that your husband can put on his desk at work (weвЂ™re still working out that last one).

After all, they donвЂ™t have that much to do with marriage. Now, I donвЂ™t want to be too harsh on bridal portraits here. There is no gentle glow, and no effortless breezy beauty in my pictures.Д¬hurch backgrounds- not so popular these daysД«ut it is definitely a picture of me.

I HATE YOU PHOTOS PROFESSIONAL

My makeup and hair is done, but it still somehow does not come close to that magazine quality my hair looks a little greasy, and maybe if I had sprung for a professional make-up artist my face would be a little less shiny. Front and center is me, looking just like I always do except maybe a little stiffer. My bridal portraits feature none of these things. WeвЂ™ve all seen it happen: our friends get engaged and married, and suddenly our Facebook newsfeed is littered with magazine-worthy images of the happy couple in a field, laughing together, taking a romantic dip in the ocean, or just smiling at each other while a perfect breeze gently tousles the brideвЂ™s impeccably wavy hair framing her gorgeously understated make-up. I just want us as a society to examine those reasons a little more.

To you folks: I hope you have the most stinking adorable photo collage spread out across your living room wall, and IвЂ™m not saying you did it for the wrong reasons. Also, IвЂ™m not trying to offend anyone who had the photos I am going to talk about. I think you can just about find a wedding photographer in any price range, and although I suspect that I paid too much for what I ended up with, that was completely my decision. By which I mean photos that have very little to do with your wedding except for the fact that they were probably taken on the same day and you and the lucky guy are dressed up in a fancy white dress and a perfectly tailored suit.Д«efore I get started, let me say a few things: I am by no means trying to jump on the вЂњwhy do wedding photographers cost so muchвЂќ band-wagon. Those are all photos that our parents and grandparents have in a dusty old leather album sitting all but forgotten in a closet somewhere. I am not referring to the traditional family or wedding party picture, or even to the usual first kiss, first dance, or cutting of the cake photos. Wedding photos (and engagement photos, and family photo-shoots, and all the other things that we happily shell out money to commemorate with the perfect photo) have become such a huge part of our culture.

I hate you photos