Gosh, I haven’t done a BTS blog post in several years (in fact I think I only did once before in maybe 2019?) But there were so many funny BTS photos from this year that it absolutely deserved its own permanent place on this blog.

Also, 2022 marked the year that Deirdre (my best friend, roommate, and true sister in every way except blood) officially joined my team as my primary second photographer. After begging her for months to let me train her and for her to just try it out, she finally did. This girl picked up a camera for the very first time in January 2022 and shot her first wedding with me a month later. She then proceeded to photograph 20 of my 27 weddings with me this past year. Not only is she actually quite talented at photography, but she has also made this job SO much more fun. We are the best team and she brings a joyful and incredibly kind heart to every wedding.

So here’s to another incredible year of photographing weddings! Please enjoy this humorous peek into the behind-the-scenes of the past year as wedding photographers!

So much dress fluffing and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Besides fluffing 27 wedding dresses, we also helped button a few brides’ sleeves, helped with difficult zippers, pulled briars out of a dress, put veils in, pinned boutonnières, fixed & fluffed hair, and probably did a bunch of other random things to help all our brides and grooms look their absolute best!

What is this veil toss??? 😂😂😂

We were privileged to get to photograph in SO many beautiful Catholic churches this year! They honestly deserve a post on their own!

I also played the role of photographer & bridesmaid for the third time (did it in 2019 for my cousin, and in 2020 for one of my other best friends). This time was for my brother and sister-in-law and I couldn’t have done it without the help of Laura from Laura & Matthew Photography (Deirdre was a guest at this wedding as well as running around helping us all with a million other things).

Here’s Deirdre being my test subject for the light/location in the spring and Deirdre being my test subject again in the fall:

Sometimes wedding party shots require a stool for some extra height as well as standing in a parking lot next to a handicap sign in order to get the best backdrop:

And the last part of this BTS series is for all the editing, traveling, and admin that goes on day in and day out when I’m NOT at a wedding.

2022 saw us photographing weddings in 12 different states all over the east coast and as far away as CA, TX, and FL. We flew to four of them and drove almost 20,000 miles to the other 23. And with that much time spent traveling, working while on the road or in the air is kind of a requirement.

And I have to give Deirdre yet another huge thank you for doing so much driving after weddings so that I could start culling on our long drives back to Ohio. (I discovered that I can edit and avoid getting carsick as long as I put a long sweater or blanket over my seat and computer and make a sort of tent. It not only blocks out the sun so I can see my screen better but it also keeps me from feeling sick like I otherwise would).

And the final part of this BTS is a little peek at the Christmas Gift assembly that Deirdre helped me with one Saturday in December. I love gifting each year’s couples with a beautiful and special Christmas gift and with almost 30 to assemble, it was quite the task!

The final two photos are of Deirdre and me at the end of our first wedding we shot together (photo on the left) and then at the end of our final wedding for the year a few weeks ago (photo on the right).

Cheers to a wonderful year and here’s to all the good that’s to come in 2023!

Xoxo,
Mary Kate