Erica & Shaun were my first couple of the year. And while EVERY wedding is unique, and special, and amazing, I was really craving something new and exciting and inspiring…something to really dig my teeth into. As a busy Daytona Beach Wedding photographer, I’ve seen weddings on boats, weddings in airplane hangars, I’ve done shoots on horseback, on ice, heck, I’ve done a naked wedding! So what more could there be for me to experience? When I walked in to meet my bride with blue highlights in her hair, who promptly handed me a gigantic box of crystals to use, I began to have an inkling that this just might be the one. I’ve never worked with crystals at a wedding, and it felt AMAZING. Sparkly, shiny, and colorful! I was in HEAVEN…. and then the bouquet arrived…
RAINBOW bouquet! A kaleidoscope of color cascading down ALL for ME to work with! Ok, ok, I know it’s not about me. But for just an hour at the start of coverage, I take these items… shoes, rings, bouquet, etc, and make art out of them, and it’s one of my favorite moments of the whole day. It was truly breathtaking.
Once I realized this couple was different, I just kept taking in all the cool details of their big day. The groom had a handlebar mustache, blue shoes, magenta tie… the ceremony site was covered in flowers. We set forth to document not only their celebration, but every detail of their big day.
Working hard for hours on end, I suppose we looked hungry, as the caterers brought out a soup shooter and asked if we wanted one. Being a vegetarian since I was 12, I politely declined, only to hear my bride proclaim that the ENTIRE WEDDING WAS VEGAN!! Be still my heart. I downed the delicious peppery butternut squash soup shooter in seconds. Ah.Maz.Ing.
So I know it’s not about me. AT ALL. It’s about the love between two people. It’s THEIR day. It’s THEIR celebration, with THEIR friends and family. I get that. I do this multiple times a week, so I know. But it’s rare that a wedding fills ME with such emotion, such joy, such happiness, and inspiration. (and such amazing food… THREE vegan bar dinner buffet??) I thought I was immune to it all. Don’t get me wrong, I will ALWAYS love my job, and my couples, and will never trade it for the world. Every single day I feel blessed that I am able to do what I absolutely love for a living. But every once in a while along comes a couple that changes you. So it is my pleasure to share their blog, and I hope the images I captured are as inspiring to you as they were to me, and can bring a little light and color to your life should you need it.
A little about the couple: Erica and Shaun met at school for Oriental Medicine where they bonded over traditional Chinese medicine, British tv, and Tolkien. Being vegan themselves and as they wouldn’t buy animal products in their day to day life, they saw no reason to during a celebration of their love. They are both passionate about animals and the environment so they thought it would be a great introduction to meat free meals for those who had not experienced it yet. While they were prepared for complaints, they didn’t receive any! People raved about the dinner and desserts. The crystals and rainbows were one of the highlights for Erica. One of her treatment specialties is sound and color healing which incorporates all sorts of instruments, sacred geometry, and lots of color in the form of crystals, lights, silks, etc. Facilitating these sessions bring her a lot of joy and connection to the universe. This was a feeling they wanted the wedding to carry. Joy, enlightenment, connection, and positivity. Crystals are all over their home and they even create geode art that incorporates real crystals so there was no way they weren’t going to have them at the wedding. They were even given as favors. For Shaun, his favorite part was the ceremony. Being literally surrounded by nature and saying their vows brought him joy. He was also super jazzed about the food. He’s so passionate about introducing people to meat-free options. He has a document saved of all his favorite meals and products that he’s always updating and sharing with people.
From all of us at Jennifer Juniper Photography, we wish you a lifetime of happiness together! Thank YOU for letting us be a part of your big day.
