The Beatles had it right: All you need is love! When Crystal (head ninja at Cherry Blossom Weddings, LLC) first approached me about doing a gay stylized shoot, I can’t say that I didn’t have some reservations. For Crystal, she is very outspoken and gay marriage is a big part of her business. She decided to showcase that with a stylized shoot that reflects her brand and fun/quirky personality. But when it comes to me and my business, I’m much more traditional and tend to be low key in my opinions and what I believe.

I definitely had some hesitation when it came to participating in this photo shoot: did I really want to put my name behind something that some people consider “taboo”? How would showcasing these images impact my business? Would there be any negative backlash when it came to people’s reactions to the images? And (you’re going to laugh at me), but I worried what my mom would think.
Yup, go ahead and laugh now.

Alright.
Got that out of your system?
Good.

Those are all valid concerns, even the last one!

As humans, we want to be accepted by everyone and don’t want to put ourselves in a position where we are vulnerable. For me, I was raised in a very traditional Catholic household and my parents are very devout to this day. They instilled their values in me, and (now that I’m an adult) I’ve taken what they taught me and melded it with my own set of beliefs.

I quickly realized that a lot of these fears were unfounded, and at the end of the day, if I were to lose fans or have people not “like” my work; it wasn’t the end of the world.
Whew! What a liberating thought!
So with that in mind, I came on board and had the pleasure of photographing for Ronnie and Stinson.

All You Need Is Love

So now we come to another confession of mine: I have never photographed for a same sex couple before, and was a little nervous. After looking online for posing inspiration and there only being about 6 options, I knew I was just gonna have to wing it.
I wasn’t super comfortable with that idea because I’m used to being in control of the photo shoot, and was entering into uncharted territory. But after taking about 3 pictures, Ronnie and Stinson made me realize that all you need is love.

When it comes to photographing any couple, I want to show something real. Not a fake smile or stilted posing, but the real essence of a couple and their personalities! These two handsome men were so sweet and “in love”, and I know what to do with a couple who is in love! After I let my pre-conceived notions of what the photo shoot should or could be, I treated them like any other couple and started to document their love story, how they interacted with each other, and making sure to get Stinson’s “good side” 🙂

Crystal and her team taking a picture with our handsome men!

As hot as the day was, the guys were doing amazing and not complaining about anything! But I’m sure we all breathed a sigh of relief when we headed into the air conditioning to take pictures inside the venue! Crystal and her wedding ninja crew transformed Press 626 Cafe and Wine Bar into an intimate wedding reception venue, bringing together all the florals (from Studio Posy), bright and bubbly stationary (by PaperDolls Design), sparkly cake (by Shockley’s Sweet Shop) and ruggedly manly cups (from O’Connor Brewing Co.).

This was truly an amazing shoot to be a part of and I’m so thankful to Crystal for bringing me on, and the guys for being so patient with me as we figured out what worked (and what didn’t work).
Ronnie and Stinson, I wish nothing but good things for you in the future and hope that you continue to always remember the love you have for one another. Thank you for being brave enough to share your love with the world, and for reminding us that at the end of the day, all you need is love.

Love What You See? Want to Have Your Own Session?!

If you’ve finished looking at this elopement that reminds us all you need is love and are thinking to yourself – I wanna do that too! Awesome!!! We would LOVE to create a custom photo session for you and the ones you love! Feel free to message me by hitting the { CONTACT ME } button or by giving me a call at 757-749-5350. I can’t wait to create some magic for you!

VENDORS – Venue: Press 626 Cafe & Wine Bar | Event Stylist: Cherry Blossom Weddings, LLC | Florist: Studio Posy | Suits: Men’s Wearhouse | Stationary: PaperDolls Design | Cake: Shockley’s Sweet Shoppe | Linens: Waterford Event Rentals, LLC | Props: O’Connor Brewing Co.