Living in a world that is so full of complete counterculture
of what Catholic's believe to be true. Often times it seems as if we are truly fighting a battle that we will never see the end of. I think that in a world so confused anywhere from why they are, to who they love, to what they do or don't believe in. All politics, pronouns, and all that aside- just to be a Catholic is just not what the world wants. I have been thinking of the goodness the Lord has brought to my life- the way he literally walked into a life that had no true knowledge of the faith she grew up in. A 360, and then another into this wild world of traditional Catholicism- a worlds different from the 17 year old that for the first time discovered the goodness of God.
I won't tell you with my full testimony yet, but I do want to tell you the story of how I decided I wanted to be a strictly Catholic Wedding Photographer. That part is my favorite- the biggest reason is because I grew up loving art, loving creating, and basically did that every single day- ask my mom, babysitter, grandpa. I was 15 years l'd when finally my parents bought me my first DSLR camera- I had been wanting this since my coolpix (they still make them too). I captured about everything in my sight because I was 15 years old after all. For many years it was a 4-h project, a night shooting nature in my backyard, and every once in a while some photo shoots with my friends I somehow convinced to do so.
It wasn't until a few years ago I though- I should start doing this forreal. So I booked a retreat with a bunch of stranger photographers from all over the USA , flew to Utah alone, and just went for it. We took some of the most beautiful photos, but to be completely honest I knew less than nothing what I was doing, but to my surprised I learned a whole lot in those 3 days and I still think fondly of those days!
After that I was off to the races and I started shooting friends, strangers, and eventually booked a whole year of weddings- most of them I didn't even meet until their wedding day. I fell insanely in love! Days full of being creative, laughing, and just living a true dream- and at the end of the day I sit in my car and cry before driving home EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!
So I completed many more weddings at that point I had ever imagined, but I craved to niche down to what at even the beginning I had hoped for- and that was to photograph Catholic weddings. It felt lofty, but the more I prayed, the more I shot, the more I realized it was attainable, but only if the focus continued to be on the Lord and not money, profit (though my husband reminds me are also important). In reality- this point of my life I thought I would have 1.5 babies, but the Lord has not yet blessed us, maybe because he desires for me to do this ministry for just a little longer- although I would gladly bring my babies along with my husband to celebrate all the holy marriages!
Being Catholic is not some thing I do occasionally, but something that has radically changed my heart and now I realize the true goodness of being able to capture that love God so graciously gives us and to share that with holy spouses, families, generations to come, and hopefully it spreads through the whole world. The Catholic church is what this world is missing- the traditional faith where priests speak with masculinity, with peace, with passion. Where the laity see's the Eucharist as the Lord Jesus Christ and humbly admits that we are not enough in his presence. With true penance, sacrifice, and reverence for the sins we have committed and those of the whole world.
I have a feeling that the Lord really rejoices in these images, this art- because you might forget this, but you are art, God's beautiful creation.
So in the end- this is all for God- that's why I am a Catholic wedding photographer!
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