Where do I even begin with Stephanie + Bryan? How about... we go way back. Well, with Stephanie anyways. Back to when she was a little girl. We all used to all attend the same church, a church that we still like to call home, Victory World Church. Her parents and siblings all served there as well and then one day when she became an adult (saying this makes me feel old), Craig and Stephanie worked in the media department together for awhile. While she worked there, Stephanie and I began getting to know one another too. This was when our kids were still very young, and I wasn't able to shoot with Craig much. It was a very different season of my life where my place was at home more than anywhere to attend to the needs of my children. We were in need of much help from second shooters, and Stephanie was one of them! I got to know her a lot during that time and one thing I observed about her was how easy going she was and more than anything, she was very dependable. She kept her word with any commitment she made... She also doesn't like the spot light too much, and I really respected that. Not sure if Steph even remembers this, but one day after a wedding, we were driving back home at night together, and I asked her a few questions about her upbringing, her family and her views on certain things. She gave me responses and answers that I will always remember... I often share what I've learned during this convo with many people. She didn't even know she was giving me one of the best advices for parenting. An advice that I try to apply to our children on a daily basis. Craig and I have always had great respect for this entire family. They're the most humble and generous family... We asked this family a couple of favors in the past and each time, they were so overly generous and welcoming. They live a life that truly reflects God's character and His love, and I can honestly say that this is the type of family that I hope we are becoming especially as our kids get older and hopefully wiser. With the type of character and integrity that Stephanie has, I knew that she would have a very high standard for her future spouse. So when we heard the wonderful news that Bryan was the one, we knew that he was going to be nothing less than amazing. We got to meet him at their engagement shoot and had a wonderful time together. He made us feel like we have been knowing him forever! Do you know what makes these two so photogenic? Their smiles! They have the best, genuine, natural, BRIGHT, million dollar smiles. Gosh! We so enjoyed photographing them because of this reason and more... I mean, they seriously couldn't take a bad picture even if they tried.
So... we all know that rain is a sensitive topic and concern on a wedding day, and the forecast was calling for a high chance of rain on this day. When this happens, our biggest concern is not rain itself, how the bride is taking the news. In our business, we say, "happy bride, happy photographer", so as long as the bride is happy, we are good. When Stephanie walked in, any and all concern melted away when we saw her face because as mentioned above, she's the most easy going person who doesn't get affected by things like the weather... things that are totally out of anyone's control. We also appreciated the complete trust that they has on us. As far as photos are concerned, we are trained to work in any weather condition and in fact, although rain of course causes inconveniences, we LOVE rain on a wedding day because it can create some epic images, and overcast is the BEST condition for photos. When we look back at their wedding and the timing of everything, God definitely had a special favor on them. It sprinkled here and there, and it did always at the right time. It started to rain AFTER all the formal portraits which was awesome! Because their was wedding was an early one, we planned doing more shots after their getaway. God's favor continued when Craig had an idea to do a few shots at Yogli Mogli at the Suwanee Town Center. We love that place, and when we asked the owner, he was so graciously welcoming! Wow! What a great guy... he did whatever he could to help us and even the customers that were in there moved to different places even when we didn't even ask. There was a little girl that looked at Steph like she was a princess, and it was the cutest thing. We were surrounded by such kindness... We then went to Sims Lake Park where it started to really rain. But, this was the perfect time to rain because everything already happened and we could all just get wet! Stephanie didn't care at all if her dress got wet and dirty - gosh! I just love that about her... They were both so willing to be adventurous and did whatever it took. I think one thing that our clients learn is that modeling is not as glamorous and easy as people may think. It's actually a lot of work! We all got soaked and laughed through it all... It was a joy to stay with these two to the end and drop them off at their hotel and wish them the best new beginning in their marriage journey. Stephanie + Bryan, thank you for giving us this honor. This opportunity to honor you, serve you and share memories on your most special day all the while capturing priceless moments. It has all been unforgettable. We are so sad that you'll be leaving the area, but so happy to know that couples like you exist and bring so much hope to our world.
May the Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
We love you guys so much and can't wait to see how you impact this world through your marriage and love for one another. Congratulations!
With much love,
Craig + Unchong
