Helen Joy’s Photographer Blog

Helen Joy George 5/10/16 Helen Joy George 5/10/16

myles and amy | san diego, ca

If I were to try to describe Amy and Myles in one word it would be. . . thoughtful. It was obvious that their wedding day had been planned with the utmost care and with so many thoughts of each other scattered through out the day. Not only was the day full of reminders that they know and love eachother deeply, it was obvious that they love their family and friends well.

For such a planner, I was blown away and so honored when Amy told me multiple times "I trust you completely, just do your thing." What a gift to feel free to create and enjoy the day with them without the added stress of trying to fit myself in a box. The result is just incredible. Looking through the pictures I feel like I'm there, inhaling and exhaling that warm California air and watching it all unfold again.

If I were to label this wedding I would say it was equal parts old hollywood and geek chic. Star wars and vintage froggy video games found their way into their day as well as STUNNING flowers that were edgy and classic. We started at the old Lafayette Hotel and ended the day at Karl Strauss Brewery.

When all was said and done, fun was had (the dancing pictures are my FAVORITE) and love was declared; tender and heartfelt and full of confidence.

I can't imagine anything better to be a part of.

hotel | the lafayette

ceremony & reception | karl strauss

florals | whimsey florals

make up | medicine of beauty

hair | amber duke

Helen Joy George 9/27/15 Helen Joy George 9/27/15

mr darcy and his bride | the wedding of ruthanne and stewart

"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

-Mr Darcy

The sun rose up behind her grandmother's antique lace wedding gown and illuminated "their field". The field that Stewart started loving Ruthanne on a night camping with friends in college. The field that Stewart professed his love to her in a beautifully and unashamedly romantic gesture of reenacting the scene where Mr Darcy professes his love to Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice. The field where Ruthanne said, "thank you but let's just be friends." The field where they, one day ended up getting engaged because Stewart did not give up.

And then, on a dewy August morning, I watched them walk towards each other, then run, ending a tearful and joyful embrace.

This kind of love is rare and I was so honored to document the day for them.

Their wedding day.

www.helenjoy.com

Helen Joy George 9/8/15 Helen Joy George 9/8/15

christopher + emily | hickory nut forest

“Seeds germinate in soft soil. I plant my seed of love in your weaknesses, not your strengths.”

- Avatar Meher Baba

It's no secret that hands on, intimate weddings are my jam. I love them and truly, I feel like that's how a wedding should feel. They should feel like you're being embraced by all of those closest to you, either by pie baking or dress fluffing or a thousand other things that loved ones love to do on your wedding day. I find a lot of weddings are like shows that everyone shows up to with anxiety of things not being perfect and there is a detachment emotionally between people when that happens.

I met Emily several years ago at a doula training. She is just completely genuine and thoughtful and totally the type of person that you would want to have along side of you while giving birth. Emily was almost my labor doula with my 3rd baby. 2 of my 3 prodromal labor hospital runs she was there talking to me on the phone, sharing in my excitement or swinging by the hospital room to adjust my hips. Emily wasn't there for my actual active labor, but just as I was being wheeled in for a very unexpected c section after more than a day of labor, Emily came to relieve my labor doula and went into the OR with me. Her presence was just like her wedding, a warm, sweet, genuine embrace. She took pictures for me, held my hand, rubbed my temples with oil and laughed and cried with us as we brought our baby girl into the world. So Emily is kind of like family to me and I will always treasure her.

I was honored to be able to be there for her on her wedding day and capture the sweet love she and Christopher have for each other.

They were married at Laughing Waters Retreat Center in Hickory Nut Forest, NC. When I pulled up I was in love. Everyone was cheerfully bustling around decorating and spreading buckets of wildflowers all over the grounds. Special women in their lives were dropping off desserts and laughing as they set up. Mama's were nursing babies and children were everywhere. It just felt so very warm and nice.

They were married in a Jewish ceremony with lots of thoughtful traditions. The whole ceremony started with a traditional Mexican blessing. My very favorite part of the ceremony was hearing person after person stand up and share a blessing or advice about marriage, from deep and beautiful poetry to jokes about figuring out who washes the dishes, it was all so encouraging and it just felt so uplifting to hear such positive words in a culture and time when there aren't a whole lot of positives being said about long term relationships.

Emily and Christopher had set aside some special time after the ceremony to go right into doing pictures of just them. It honestly felt as intimate as a birth as they whispered and giggled and recounted their experience of the morning. They were totally up for taking off shoes and climbing river rocks to get the shot and those candids of them are some of my very favorites.

Christopher and Emily, thank you both for letting me be there and for the honor of telling your story through photos.