Mr. and Mrs. McGrain

We love the idea of living a simple life. Think of all the best parts of minimalism and apply them to the Catholic family: detachment from things, plenty of time for prayer, the ability to focus on what is most important, etc. Although we pray for simple and contemplative lives, the world makes it hard to undertake this mission with its many ways of distracting us. When we worked with Carolyn and Jimmy to build their wedding day timeline, we saw them bring this element of simplicity into their wedding day.

Often, wedding days are heavily influenced by social media and the cultural expectations of what should happen during the day. Our brides and grooms are usually less susceptible to this, but we’ve heard stories from other photographers about how crippling the expectation can be for couples. Instagram tells you what is most important about your wedding day and what shots you must have, and quite frankly, Instagram is missing the main point.

When we started asking Carolyn and Jimmy about if they wanted particular shots, they didn’t. The size of their bridal party? One each. Where was she getting ready? In a room provided by the church. It became clear early on that this was going to be a beautifully simple wedding. Carolyn and Jimmy were most concerned about photographs of their Mass and photos of them with their maid of honor, best man, and family. Their hearts were prepared for and anticipated a marriage. That was the source of their joy.

Carolyn and Jimmy, if we could go back in time and marry each other again, we’d imitate so many aspects of your wedding day. Your nuptial Mass was beautiful and we loved every second of it. Fr. Smith’s encouragements were not only relevant to you, but they were a refreshing reminder to all in attendance. From our perspective, we watched two people who were ready for marriage take that final step together. Your families’ and friends’ joy for you was tangible. We cannot wait to see how God continues to bless you!

Love,

Amy and Kyle