Once Upon A Time...

there was a boy.

Who fell in love with a girl.

And then

 (long story short)

 they got married.

Jordan Tait has been a good friend for several years. I remember one day rushing into a class we both were taking as I obsessed over a photograph that was due in an hour. As I harshly and loudly critiqued each possible flaw, Jordan interrupting me, said in the most reassuring voice possible,

"Alyssa. It's perfect."

The assignment was actually far from perfect. But the fact that someone thought that I could take even a decent photograph was exactly the boost I needed that day. At that point, I didn't know that Jordan would trust me to photograph the single most important day of his life.

I'm so glad that he did. I've always thought that he and Heather belonged together (so didn't mean to rhyme), and I may or may not have gotten emotional a few times to see the complete wedding day bliss going on between these two.

It's tough describing photo-shoots without comparing them to each other. I don't want to say, "Heather and Jordan are the most beautiful couple I've ever photographed" or "This was the single most lovely day I've ever been privileged to be apart of", or "This was the most gorgeous family I've ever spent a day with", because I've photographed hundreds of beautiful couples and families on similarly beautiful days. I think however, this day was especially beautiful because of the people who surrounded the couple. Jordan and Heather's parents were unbelievably sweet and accommodating to me, their charmingly funny brothers and gorgeous sisters included me in conversations, and at the end of the day, I couldn't have felt less like I had been working.

Like I said, I always feel like it's wrong to declare 

"This was the BEST WEDDING EVER",

because I feel in some way it will disrespect other weddings I've done, or will do in the future.

But I will say this:

This wedding really made me fall in love with life all over again.

And I think it just might have been the most lovely day I've ever photographed.

Congrats, you two.

I love you with everything I've got.