Next week I’m going to be shooting a styled shoot and I’m really excited about it! Morgan from Lets Talk Eventz is putting it together so I know it will be the best styled Arizona wedding photo shoot you can imagine! She’s putting together an English Garden party wedding vibe and I’m HERE FOR IT!
The first thing I’m doing to prepare for this shoot is checking out photos and videos of the location to get some reference ideas. Because it’s not an actual wedding day, I’ll have more room to put my own artistic spin on things, so I’m trying to prepare for that as an artist would by finding reference material to be inspired by.
One thing a colleague suggested was to come up with some creative ways to get romantic sound bytes. Yesterday I was scrolling through love poems looking for some that would be a good fit. While I didn’t find any that felt quite right for a styled shoot piece, I definitely enjoyed getting all wistful for a bit.
Here are two of the poems I came across that spoke to me:
There’s a faith in loving fiercely the one who is rightfully yours
especially if you have waited years and especially if part of you never
believed you could deserve this loved and beckoning hand held
out to you this way.
I am thinking of faith now and the testaments of loneliness
and what we feel we are worthy of in this world.
Years ago in the Hebrides I remember an old man
who would walk every morning on the gray stones
to the shore of baying seals, who would press his
hat to his chest in the blustering salt wind and say his
prayer to the turbulent Jesus hidden in the waters.
And I think of the story of the storm and the people
waking and seeing the distant, yet familiar figure,
far across the water calling to them.
And how we are all preparing for that abrupt waking
and that calling and that moment when we have to say yes!
Except it will not come so grandly, so biblically,
but more subtly, and intimately in the face
of the one you know you have to love.
So that when we finally step out of the boat
toward them we find, everything holds us,
and everything confirms our courage.
And if you wanted to drown, you could,
But you don’t, because finally, after all
this struggle and all these years,
you don’t want to anymore.
You’ve simply had enough of drowning
and you want to live, and you want to love.
And you’ll walk across any territory,
and any darkness, however fluid,
and however dangerous to take the one
hand and the one life, you know belongs in yours.
Today, my love – I am giving you a meadow.
A meadow is a wonderful place to begin something new.
We have seen this full run of seasons;
summer, autumn, winter and spring
passed over in each other’s eyes, held hand in hand
I know what seasons look like on your face
I am comforted, I am hopeful, I am sure.
So now in this summer, I give you a meadow
full of wildflower, full of promise
so we may begin in earnest.
Let me tell you – how I want to build you a garden here,
A corner devoted to each season –
There daffodils in spring, here falling leaves for autumn
From an oak tree that bends but cannot break in winter storms.
And every year, roses in summer
Blooming over and over, recounting the fragrance
by which I loved you first, and love you now.
I long to see the trees grow older and take their shape
Against the prevailing wind provide some shelter
For each sacred herb and flower, that may feed us
And to sit at the end of day beside you, always beside you.
Let us be entwined together, anchored securely in this earth
Never one removed from the other,
each bringing life to the other.
Today I am giving you a meadow,
Tomorrow I am making you a garden.
There’s a bit of a hopeless romantic in me but being almost 13 years and 3 kids into marriage can dim that a bit. I can’t wait to take the time to dive back into that side of myself and dig deep to create a romantic piece that showcases the gorgeous Schnepf Farms Farmhouse as well as all the talented vendors who will be working to create a lush garden wedding in the desert!