In just 24 hours, we will know who will win the cover of The Pink Bride Nashville Summer/Fall 2014 Magazine.
I don’t know exactly why I feel super nervous. I have a few ideas though….
1. I’m super competitive, mostly with myself. Not so much with other photogs; we all have our love for photography in common and most of us even share a love for our community of clients. But-
2. I NEVER win door prizes or drawings; I refuse to buy a lottery ticket. I know I won’t win. So winning off of votes and asking people to take time to hit a button for me, terrifies me, BUT-
3. I’m astonished at how many of you, some of you I do not even know, are telling me that you’ve voted for 3 days in a row now. I already feel like a winner. But the idea of not winning the cover makes me wonder that if we don’t win, will that let you guys down, too? AND-
4. Then I realize it’s not just my heart on the line. There’s this gorgeous Bailee who got married and is now in the final 4 of making the cover! She’s relying on us to help her win because now it comes down to who can get the most votes. AND THEN-
5. There are the others who put their hearts into making Bailee’s portrait gorgeous. More than the 12 hours and 4,000 images Bobby and I took, all to come down to just ONE that could make the cover, there is that gorgeous dress someone designed, those beautiful stunning romantic flowers that Caprice of The Enchanted Florist put together, that cardigan Bailee eyeballed and wondered “should it be in the pic, should it not be in the pic?” and the gorgeous grounds of The Carnton Plantation that were maintained and created. AND-
6. God’s beautiful day. Just a couple of hours before this image of Bailee was captured, she was (Sorry to tell this, Bailee) bawling her eyes out in her hotel, watching with her hands folded, the rain pour from her hotel window. She just knew her nearly 2 years of wedding planning had been smashed by a single storm. When I arrived at her hotel door, my hair wet from running from the car, I paused at the doorknob and braced myself. I had seen several rainy wedding days- and rain nearly always led to the most beautiful, full, saturated, colors in the greens and in the sky. So I opened the door to a crying Bailee who jumped to her feet and ran to me for a defeated and worried hug. And I told her to believe. The storm would pass, we would drive to Carnton, and it would be beautiful.
And you know, it came true. God brought the sun out for Ms. Bailee on her wedding day.
Bailee- I want you to know this now, before the news breaks on whether we’ve won this magazine cover or not. I’m thinking about you nonstop over the next 24 hours. I am holding my breath with you.
We may not win this cover. But we MIGHT. We were both stunned to hear when we made the final 4 and we will still have at least one page of your wedding story in the magazine. THAT is remarkable. Already.
So right now, this anticipation we are feeling- it’s like that rain on your wedding day. And when this rain, this heavy moment (both mega fun and a little stressful maybe) passes, whether your gorgeous face is gracing the cover of The Pink Bride magazine or not, I want to make sure that you see what the rain has brought to you- not this moment of winning or losing, but this mass group of people, most know and love you, some have only read about you and watched your wedding video and read your blogs and love you. It’s brought you this great community and this great life moment that you can never forget, and guess what?- your wedding day has not just come and gone. I remember you were so sad when the day was over and there was nothing to plan, but just look at this- I have been stunned to see the life in your wedding day even months later and the inspiration it has given so many brides; I know this all to be true because it’s brought all of this community and inspiration to us, too.
Alright. I’m done now. *sigh* We should so all be together in some kind of party thing when the winner gets announced. I’m a ball of nerves if you can’t tell HA! Okay. Here we go. 24 more hours. *fingers crosses*
| LOVE, |
