Last weekend, I had the honor of photographing Carolyn & Hernando’s wedding at Friendly Crossways in Harvard, MA. Theirs was a DIY wedding from the start – no wedding planner or coordinator, no formulaic venue, no pre-packaged reception. They both worked so hard to make the ceremony and reception their own, and their personalities and attention to detail showed in every facet of the day – from the location to the bilingual ceremony to the creative table settings.
I love photographing these kinds of weddings – everything reflects the uniqueness of the couple. As a vendor, I can tell you that there are lots of benefits to weddings that are heavily planned and choreographed, either by a planner or by the venue: things run on time, there are no last minute decisions to be made, the couple has very little to think about other than enjoying themselves. When a couple plans and runs their own wedding, it’s a lot of work for them both and the day will often have small complications. Of course, as their photographer, I pride myself on helping the couple make those decisions, stay relaxed and keep their event running on time. Besides, in my opinion, the pros of a DIY wedding, specifically the special reflections of love that shine from every nuanced decoration, vow and flower arrangement, outweigh the fact that your night runs a little late. It’s such a special day – make is yours!
Here are a few photos from Carolyn & Hernando’s wedding. Such a lovely day.
