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Hurricane Matthew

Personal

October 14, 2016

5 Things Hurricane Matthew Taught Me:

[As a Photographer and Bride.]

Charleston Engagement Portraits by Natalie Franke Photography #Charleston

As many of you know, Hurricane Matthew hit the low country last Friday & Saturday causing Eddie and I to have to reschedule our wedding to November 26. It was a heartbreaking weekend for us and our families but now that a few days have passed, I realize I have learned so much from this experience. If you are a bride who had to reschedule your wedding, a future bride getting married during hurricane season, or a photographer whose couple had to change their date around- I hope this post can help you through such an unpredictable and stressful time!

  1. You can’t plan for everything (Bride):
    I am a planner. Its just in my nature- I’m organized and I like to plan my year out in advance (probably another reason why I love being a wedding photographer) Our wedding vendors were contracted and everything was decided at least a year in advance, because I wanted my wedding vision to come to life, just perfectly. A rain tent on reserve, cigars for the gentlemen who want to escape the dance floor, Charleston inspired welcome bags for our guests etc… The tinniest of details were executed lovely. You know what you can’t plan for? A hurricane. A hurricane that calls for a state of emergency and evacuates the entire city. You can’t plan for something like that and its OKAY. Give yourself some grace and remember, God has a plan for each and every one of us.
  2. The Importance of loving your clients (Photographer):
    Oh, this is a big one. First I am going to just share a quick story with you all about our incredible photographer and friend, Natalie Franke. I texted Natalie the morning we decided we would have to reschedule the wedding to let her know and she instantly called me. I cried on the phone to her and she just listened. She wasn’t worried about any plans or what would happen next, all she cared about was that I was okay. After I hung up the phone, I realized she is the reason I love my clients the way that I do. She makes you feel so undeniably loved regardless of how busy she is. THAT is why we wanted to work with Natalie. In this industry people forget that what we are creating isn’t about us, it isn’t about the features we get from a wedding or if a wedding is ideal for our portfolios- we are capturing such precious, intimate moments for our couples and they need to feel loved by you through the entire process.
  3. Be understanding (Both): This one I struggled with a lot. Rescheduling an entire wedding is not only exhausting and upsetting for you as the bride but for everyone else involved. People will not be able to make your new date and its okay. Vendors will have other engagements and its okay. Things always work out the way they are supposed to, even if its not the vision you had in mind! As a wedding photographer/vendor I have learned the true hurt and sadness a bride feels when her wedding day doesn’t go the way they planned. Too many vendors last week were complaining online about their clients and the storm and I couldn’t help but feel so sad for those bride and grooms. Be understanding, its a lot on everyone.
  4. You will feel helpless and its okay (Bride): I think this is pretty much self explanatory. I’m going to be very open here- the moment we had to reschedule our wedding, I found myself locked in a small bathroom crying so hard I couldn’t breathe. All I wanted to do was crawl in bed for a month and cry. It was such a devastating moment for me… Weddings are my LIFE. I eat, breathe, sleep weddings. So I just couldn’t comprehend why this was happening to me when I have given so much and loved so many incredible couples over the years. I felt helpless, nothing I could do could change what was happening. The hardest part of this whole thing was having to accept that.
  5. The way you respond, says it all (Both): This is huge. As a bride you can either stay in that state of helplessness or you can get up and make things happen. So thats what we did. My parents and I sat in the living room and rescheduled an entire wedding in a few hours that took a year and a half to plan. I would say 85% of our vendors still could make our new date and I was ecstatic! All of our closest friends and family were extremely understanding and switched around their flights/ hotel bookings. Everyone was so proactive and it was so heartwarming to see everyone doing their best to make it work out for us. It was truly incredible – Eddie and I can’t thank everyone enough for their unconditional love and support through this experience. Its just a bump in the road of the beginning of our marriage but we got through it together!

Now that the storm has passed and everything has gotten back to normal here in Murrells Inlet, Eddie and I are looking forward to a quiet weekend ahead and a pre-wedding honeymoon just around the corner. (Yes, were still going!) Happy Friday y’all!! xoxo

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