Having my clients write about the experience of being photographed has been far more informative for me than I'd ever imagined. When I came up with the idea, my thought was that it would be helpful to people curious about what to expect, but with each new submission, I've found amazing insight as to the things that are most important to my clients... which has inspired lots of new ideas and aspirations!

I've worked with countless couples and families over the years, mostly at times in their lives that are monumentally important to them. The images I capture pepper my website and social media feeds for a while and then fade out of my portfolio as I eventually and inevitably update with newer material, but those memories live on in my clients' albums and on their walls and in their memories for what I can only hope will be decades and beyond, and reflecting on that is truly humbling to me.

Today's guest post is from Samantha. Sam and Corey have been clients and dear friends now for five years (!!!!), but despite that, most of what she wrote below was new to me. Reading her words is a welcome reminder of the importance of trust and connection in my role, and I couldn't be more grateful that I've earned that with them.

Corey and I met Annemie at 9am on January 12th, 2013. Her studio was off of Foster Street at the time and she had the most delicious scones waiting for us. This may sound like a minor detail, but Corey had committed us both to a three week sugar detox challenge to kick off the year-of-the-wedding and those scones were the ultimate treat. So was meeting Annemie.

When planning a wedding there are dozens of details to sort out. Your wedding day is partially for you, but, in our case, it was also for the family and friends that we invited as witnesses to join in celebration of our love. We mostly prioritized our guests: amazing food, the best DJ, shuttle service, welcome bags, a detailed map of everything to do in the area.

The photographer was for me.

I am not as comfortable in my own skin as some might think and I wanted the person involved in every aspect of our wedding - responsible for capturing every intimate and grand moment - to feel like a friend. I thought this was a tall order, but Annemie was just that. It turns out, the photographer was for our guests too - we still regularly hear that many of our loved ones favorite photos together were taken at our wedding.

Fast forward and we will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary this Fall. Since the engagement and wedding photos, we have worked with Annemie on professional headshots (looks us up on LinkedIn!) and, most recently, she captured our best work: Max. This past fall Annemie joined our family for a morning of playtime with our then 9 month old. If I thought inviting someone into my hotel while changing into my wedding dress was personal, let’s be real about inviting someone into your house when you have an infant. Thank goodness Annemie was an old friend at that point! If you are considering the baby plan - do it. We didn’t this time around because, well, first-time parenthood is no joke. But I wish we had more photos from Max’s first year and I think the excuse to get out of that haze during the first weeks home with the baby would have been good for me! If and when we have a second child, I hope Annemie will capture our completed family from newborn until... well, forever.

Some families are good at taking nice photos on their own. We are not that family. We both have iPhones with decent cameras and a shared google album at capacity with pictures of Max. What Annemie has given us goes far beyond what either of us could ever dream of capturing. You know how you know you’ve found “the one” when you genuinely like who you are when you are with that person and you are really being your true self, goofy awkwardness and all? That’s how Annemie’s pictures are. They capture our true selves - and we’re in love with the realness.

You know you've found "the one" when...