A Couple’s wedding ceremony is a confession. It is a private and public confession of their love. If you see images from wedding ceremonies photographed by Sterling, you’ll see that he has captured fleeting expressions in moments that can be called “indelible.” He loves that word. No one can erase something that is indelible. If something is indelible, it has a “forever” quality. And that’s a feeling familiar to many wedding day experiences.
A Couple’s Indelible Moments Mirrored By Memory
The indelible ink of that special day is like a tattoo. Instead of actual ink on skin, the events, expressions and emotions of a wedding 
ceremony are permanently inked on the souls, hearts and minds of the couple’s friends, and families.
But, wait a minute, they cannot all see every tiny event that makes the ceremony event. Consequently, that is why you have Sterling there to capture the mini-moments without hurting the grand moment.
Those indelible moments, inscribed in time become photographs, usually within one hundred twenty-fifths of a second because the human eye blinks every one-hundredth of a second. Those ceremony moments become more memorable and indelibly sealed when people see and share the photographs. In the smooth vision of wedding photographer Sterling, the ceremony is a triple strand of pearls. Each strand symbolizes the moments of your wedding and each strand has a name.
To help you understand more about wedding photography in general, and how the mind of an artist works, we gave each strand of the triple strand of pearls a name, below.
Couple’s Indelible Ceremony Moments: A Triple Strand of Pearls
At Sterling Photography, we entitle the first strand “Event.” You see, Sterling does not see the ceremony as one event. Instead, he sees it as a strand of events threaded together: the processions, the vows, the rings.
It’s his day too! Some photographers forget about the groom’s reactions. His reactions to the event are precious pearls
Then they are joined by even smaller events: the glances, the smiles, the tears, the cringes, the laughs, the looks, the hundreds of 125ths of a second that make up the minutes and moments of the ceremony. No one knows the author of this quote, but it rings true: “We take photos as a return ticket to moments otherwise gone.”
The First Strand of the Triple Strand of Pearls: Events
Symbol of the unified moments of your wedding, as we mentioned above, the moments of your special day are symbolized by a triple strand of pearls. The ceremony actions and reactions will become part of the mythology of the family.
- Dear Bride,
- If you cry or if you trip on your train, drop the ring or you say your groom’s name incorrectly during vows, the moment will be remembered in mythic proportions.
- Dear Groom,
- If you drop the ring, shed a tear, get the giggles or wipe her tears with your handkerchief, you will be making epic memories. A couple’s treasured moments are the “off-script,” individualized events of the organized program.
And Sterling Photography International is there for those tiny, breath-taking, jaw-dropping, life-shaping events. Sterling’s photographs will put them in your hands forever. Photography is translated from ancient Greek to mean “writing with light.” On your wedding day, expressions will become the indelible writing in the minds and hearts of families and friends. Thus, they will become part of your combined family history.
The great philosopher, Plato said, “Every heart sings a song, incomplete until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.”
The Second Strand of Pearls: Expressions are the Indelible Confession at the Exchange Vows
One moment on the strand of time. A Pearl of Reverence.
Sometimes before the wedding, a couple is shy to the point of blushing about showing their feelings. And it may seem awkward at first, but with coaching, prompts and gentle directions, your engagement session or formal bridal shoot will help you relax.
On the wedding day, the very nature of the ceremony might not help you relax! But it is a life event that draws out your emotions.
For many people, the commitment made in their vows is the “decisive moment” in their life. Sterling always reflects an honest reverence at being history’s witness to this event.
Indelible Impressions: Covering The Decisive Moment in a Wedding Couple’s Life
Sterling learned about “the decisive moment” from the works of Henri Cartier-Bresson. He is one of the founders of modern photojournalism. Henri Cartier-Bresson “proposed an amazing and still highly debated concept in the history of photography: the decisive moment.” Now, “the decisive moment” is a concept defining the decisive moment for our deep and curious readers. “This moment occurs when the visual and psychological elements of people in a real-life scene spontaneously and briefly come together in perfect resonance to express the essence of that situation.”
Sterling: Man on a Mission to Capture the Indelible “Decisive Moment” of your Ceremony
Some artists believe this is the unique mission of the art of photography as opposed to sketching, painting and video! Only the trained, experienced photographer can freeze time and capture this fleeting instant in the flow of life.
Knowledge of such concepts divides the professional from the guy next door. He is the one who bought an expensive camera but shoots weddings free.
Ceremony Advice According to Sterling after Hundreds of Indelible Ceremonies
As a wedding professional, Sterling soothes wedding couple’s nervousness by saying, “Just go with the flow. Just let time carry you, moment to moment.
Memories like pearls, glow with beauty as time passes. Photos help keep them safe.
Just look at each other as you act and react to the words of the vows and slowly exchange rings.” He adds, “Just listen- and focus on each other’s words and the comments of the officiant.”
You see, we all subconsciously know that idea of the Decisive Moment. This is true even if we couldn’t put it in words. We certainly dress for it on a wedding day. Goodness, it generally takes a bride six months to pick out the shoes.
We anticipate it with every accessory and plan every detail of decor. Decisive Moments of style, emotion, reverence and revelry: It’s part of the idea that makes some people nervous in front of the camera—sometimes.
Love Before Style
Grace Ormonde is a luxury wedding planner and wedding book author. She is as well, an accomplished magazine editor. Grace says “Being in Love never goes out of style.”
How to Be Indelible: Be Authentic
But a wedding couple’s bravery comes through when they forget the style, the flowers, and the food. When they forget the finances. Then they just concentrate on the love. (Sterling believes this is the force that puts the wow factor in his images—Love.)
Maya Angelou wrote, “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
How to Capture the Couple’s Expression: The Second Strand of Wedding Pearls
At your ceremony, here’s what happens while Sterling is computing composition, color, contrast and lighting: Expression–All the feelings of the moment bubble up and they show in your face. And they show in the way you hold your shoulders, the tilt of your head and the tension in your hands.
Your Expressions Make A Moment…A Memory…Tears of joy…
Unless you are a trained actor, you cannot hide the expression on your face.
You especially cannot hide your expressions from a trained photographer and concentrating artist like Sterling–and you don’t want to.
This is one of those life events where the expressions on your faces are confessions of the feeling in your souls.
Truly, souls are difficult to photograph. So, Sterling will photograph those wonderful Expressions. Thus, that’s the name of the second strand of pearls in our triple strand necklace.
The Richest Strand of Indelible Pearls: The third one, Emotion
The third strand of pearls in our wedding necklace is Emotion. It is the Indelible authenticity between two people, the foundation of the ceremony. And it is indeed, the “wow factor” in every beautiful photograph. Sterling has often said he does not just shoot the appearance of a thing, a person or a moment, but the emotion. The real wow factor of any photograph is found in the way it captures emotion. Also, it is captured in the way it makes the viewer feel or re-live that emotion.
The emotion of love never fails to shine through these special ceremony photographs. And let us not forget the immortal words of Dr. Seuss, who actually said, “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”
Terrific Take-Aways from Part I and II of Our Coverage of any Couple’s Wedding Ceremony Images
In wedding photography, there is a time and place for fashion photography and prompted moments.
Moments in a Wedding are pearls on the strands of time.
Likewise, there is a place for food photography and formal posing and styling.
And there is even time for the paparazzi fun of the party pics.
But the ceremony moments belong to the couple.
The great photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson states, “You just have to live and life will give you pictures.”
At Sterling Photography International, we are inclined to agree with part of that statement. However, only part of the time. We do believe that emotions of life make photographs live, but you need an artist, a photographer to make them live on…
So, if you are a wedding couple who is a little nervous about your ceremony photographs, just relax. The moments of the event will be precious. The expressions will be beautiful. And the emotions unpredictable. They will all be strung like pearls on 3 strands of time: Event, Expression, Emotion. And the Sterling photographs will help you remember every moment “in between.” Indelible.
