Suzanne Simmons Photography

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You can get there, but you might not get back up. #tbt

Sometimes I think back to certain moments in my photography career and I just have to laugh.

Today I was nursing my cup of coffee (while battling a nasty head cold) and my mind went back to Brenna & Rob's wedding at Frontier in Brunswick, Maine. Brenna & Rob are my kind of people. Even though they got married back in 2012, I remember their day as if it was yesterday. The weather that October day was a smidge chilly, but otherwise perfect. Fluffy white clouds graced the sky, the foliage was just about to turn along the Androscoggin River, and the light was absolutely perfect. After so much time planning together and photographing their engagement session during the winter prior, their wedding day was like a day spent with old friends (as is often the case for me).

Looking back through their images, there are so many back stories that flash through my mind. What led to each shot. Who was laughing at what. What song Cinnamon was playing.

And then there is that one shot that just makes me laugh.

To capture their portraits, we visited many locations around Brunswick thanks to a family friend's zippy car. One of the shots I wanted to get was with the Swinging Bridge and the river in the background. Now, ladies are often wearing gorgeous high heels and are used to the harder footing and sometimes they aren't the most comfortable. Guys get the short end of the stick. Their shoes often LOOK like they should be comfortable, but they aren't at all. And your instinct is that their shoes would be better for walking around, but they usually have absolutely no traction. At least the ladies have a heel to catch!

That leads me to the part that made me laugh. Brenna & Rob and I had built a very trusting relationship leading up to their day and they knew that I could capture the images they wanted. In order to get that shot with the Swinging Bridge and the river in the background, I needed to get them to a lower area along the water's edge. We gingerly made our way down the embankment. I helped to guide them into position. And then I needed to get back up the incline. Turns out my footwear wasn't all that conducive! Bounding up to the top like a mountain goat, I knew the shot would be worth it, but goodness was that going to be fun to get up!

And I was right. The shot was so worth it for me. The clouds and bridge were perfectly mirrored off the water, the foliage in the background... it was all perfect. The real laughs came after as we had to make our way back to the reception. I made my way back down to Brenna & Rob to help them back up. The combination of Brenna's gorgeous dress with high heels and Rob's slippery dress shoes made for quite the sight! Planning a route to the top was a feat all in of itself. Oh my did we laugh!

Brenna & Rob, thank you for trusting me to capture your story. And for all the laughs. ðŸ’•