I met Angie and Julian down in Key West at Julian's sister's intimate garden wedding. It was a quaint, beautiful and emotion filled day with great conversation and an abundance of touching moments between close knit family members (I think there was 10-ish people there in total).

Throughout the day, I learned that Angie and Julian live in New York City (a place I visit often for weddings since so many of the couples I photograph live there)... They also seemed to have this inexplicable magnetism to them. The only way I can explain it is like a warm energy that just makes you want to know them. At one point Julian's Mom explained to me that Angie and Julian had been together for 9 years and their impending wedding was certain to be "a wild one". I wasn't sure what that meant, but I smiled and congratulated her on celebrating two weddings for her two children so close together. I also learned that Angie and Julian were quite accomplished in the tech world, but they also love a good party with their merry band of kind hearted NY friends.

Towards the end of the evening I approached Angie and Julian to say that I'd love to connect with them, keep in touch, and perhaps link up the next time I'm in the City.

I'll never forget Julian's reply... With a serious but still friendly expression, he said quietly, "Are you sure?". I stared blankly back at him, as he added "be careful", this time with a rye smile.

Angie, sat beside him and giggled. I suspected she'd heard similar exchanges before. Alas we each whipped out our phones and followed one another on Instagram. 

As I left the wedding that night extremely happy with how the whole day had gone, I wondered to myself, who did I just meet? What had I just gotten myself into?

A few months later, Angie's name sprung up in my inbox as an inquiry to photograph her long awaited wedding with Julian. The three of us jumped on the phone and shared in the excitement for telling the story of a wedding that they had been dreaming of for years. It sounded like such an intentionally planned and expressive event that was sure to be a real treat for everyone in attendance. Not to mention the venue, Deer Mountain Inn in Upstate New York, looked like a cinematic dream.

The wedding came and went, and was every bit as beautiful, eventful, eclectic, energetic, wild and just plain memorable as it promised to be. And as I flew home the day after, flicking through these photos on my computer, I realized I had an answer for what I had gotten myself into. This!

This is what I had gotten myself into...