Connie & Ryan
Storyteller: Connie Chang, USA
What was the best moment of your wedding day?
Because of the pandemic, we decided to have an intimate wedding at Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park, one of our favorite places in the world. We only had 10 days to plan because when I inquired about getting married there, there was only one date available before they closed for the season. We got married in front of 6 of our loved ones, including my brother who got ordained just so he could be our officiant. The best moment of our day was when he was giving his heartfelt speech and I started to cry which then made Ryan cry. It was then that it hit me that we were finally going to be husband and wife after being together for nearly 6 years.
What is your favorite image from your wedding and why?
There are so many! We were very fortunate to have Tyler Rye, one of the most amazing destination elopement photographers, shoot our wedding on such short notice. He took so many incredible photos and really captured the breathtaking beauty of Yosemite. If I had to choose one, I think the photo we picked to be on the cover of our album (above) is probably my favorite. We also used that photo for our Christmas card and wedding announcement and one of my friend's 4 year old commented about Ryan, "He's happy crying." I was surprised that he caught that sweet detail.
What is your favorite story/memory behind a single shot in the book?
Tyler (@tylerrye_) is an adventure photographer, so he's not afraid to do anything to get the shot. This also meant that we found ourselves climbing up to areas that were challenging to get to in a wedding dress and shoes with leather soles. It was also about 35 degrees F at sunrise, but our adrenaline kept us warm. It was all worth it though because we felt like we were on top of the world.
What inspires you to take photos?
My friends are always asking me for recommendations on places to visit and things to do. I love sharing my experiences with others and I find that I do it best through photos.
Photos have the incredible ability to bring you back to a specific moment in time and fill you with the same emotions you felt when that photo was taken. I'll cherish our wedding album for years to come and be able to relive our special day every time I look through it.
What bit of advice would you offer to someone creating their own wedding memento?
When you're choosing photos for your album, be sure to include detailed moments that will help those who weren't able to be there with you feel like they were. Also, I'd highly recommend getting a presentation box to keep your album in pristine condition so you can pass it on to future generations.
Customer Imagery: Connie Chang
Photographer: Tyler Rye
