You're getting hitched (YAY!), but perhaps you're not super into the idea of an overly manicured-wedding. We will surely get along swimmingly.

I am here for the adventures, here for hearty, uncontained laughs, and here for not taking life too seriously. I've never been crazy about the wedding industry (which, let's be honest, is quite a vicious beast). But I DO love love. And pretty things. And making art. When I peer through the lens, I don't just see a wedding. I see humor, irony, quirks, texture, and color. I see people who are geeking out, goofy, nervous, unabashedly happy, imperfect, and going through a gushy mess of emotions. That doesn't mean that I don't love a good portrait (they're actually my fave). It just means I approach them a bit differently to capture what's real. It also means I don't shy away from the awkwardly embarrassing dance moves and runny mascara because I believe that IS the stuff of gold. My view is that it's the small, sometimes messy human details that really matter.

There's a long list of why I work in this sector of the photo world. But more than anything, I think it's because weddings are some of the last remaining spaces that feel truly free of cynicism and fear. On a selfish level, they serve as a salve and antidote to much of what I cover in my other job (photojournalism). They offer a precious refuge for the kind of hope and optimism that can sometimes be difficult to summon these days. They reflect so many aspirations that we hold dear. They are a brave statement in a messy world, and that's worth a lot these days.

The Lovely Lens is a photography company based in Brooklyn, New York.