Byron Bay Wedding Photography – Mike and Natasha

July 5, 2015

I’ve wanted to share this for some time, but have never been able to come up with the words to do it justice.

It was a crossroads in my life, a moment of clarity, a moment of thanks.

So…..here goes.

I’m 40, it’s not a big deal though, I constantly get told “You look about 38, seriously!”….but sometimes that makes a big difference, being a bit older and wiser.

Here’s one. Speeches! I have heard some crackers over the years, and it’s one thing that just reassures me, time after time, that I need to be at every wedding reception. I always stay to the end.

As time goes on you appreciate different things in life…..the small intimate things, things that touch hearts, make people happy, and these are what you keep holding close to your own heart, giving importance to, and basing your own future years on. These are words of true wisdom.

Well, the words that were spoken on the day where Michael and Natasha, ‘soul-mates’ as they say, who went from two and became one, were words that made me cry, and laugh, and made me feel happy, to the point where it just gave me an overwhelming feeling of extreme privilege to be doing what I do.

It was one of those moments where you feel like the luckiest person in the world. Privileged? I was paid to be in a room full of beautiful people, to listen to their stories, humbled in a corner, unable to raise my camera.

I love what I do, because of moments like these.

I was absorbed in every moment. It wasn’t one person, it was one after another of pure and utter… love. This was a room full of tears, and a room full of deep chested hysterical laughter, and they just took turns one after another, for hours on end, and everyone there was just as absorbed as me. It was a small group of people who were all there because they were something very special in another persons life, and for the right reasons. I’ve heard many speeches where this is mentioned, but this was one where those words were written from.

Mike and Natasha, two people who met and fell in love, after each having lost love and made mistakes, met, and sparks flew. It was present in every moment of their day.

To be a bit of a cliche, it made me realise where romantic comedy movies come from.

They gave me hope, that love is patient, love is kind, and love…..well it does come to those who deserve it……and it makes the world go round, and it’s what WE are all about as people.

When two people join together as one, it’s not just 200% that they become, it’s what I think the real meaning of evolution is, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch…even if it’s just for one day.

I absolutely adore these two Mike and Natasha, I connected with them, I think we were all brought up the same way. Two people who I know, would never say a bad thing about another person…two beautiful people who were destined to meet, fall in love, and well… no more soppy stuff, this is their day!

But! To take a step back from that very intense room full of beautiful food and words of love, here are their vows that they spoke into each others eyes, under a fig tree.

They wrote them together, repeated by each other, Natasha after Mike (ladies first of course).

“You are my beloved, and my teacher.

I promise to always express my emotions to you.

I promise to base our relationship on mutual trust.

I promise to relate with compassion.

I promise to encourage you, cherish you, and trust you.

I promise to nurture your dreams, because through them, your soul shines.

This is my sacred vow to you, my equal, in all things.”

“I, Natasha, take you Michael to be my handsome husband in life.”

“I, Michael, take you Natasha to be my beautiful wife.“

…and the rest is history, something just “meant to be“.

I walk away knowing, that they will make the world a better place, and in a simple way, I touched on that moment that we realise what we are all about. Love is a powerful thing.

…Also, it’s nice to get a mention now and then, a little something special I got to just make it something even MORE personal to me. A nice word at the end of Mike’s speech, just for me, and luckily, just after he asked Natasha if there was “anyone else I have forgotten?”

Natasha – “Matt!” (pointing at me)

Mike – “Oh right, we couldn’t forget Matt, we saved you for last Matt”. “Matt, our photographer over there”. Matt makes a bow…….long pause with hand on chin….”What can I say, it was just meant to be….Thankyou Matt………….Matt has a…. magical camera, I cant describe it in any other way.”

Matt has a buzz all over.

Something like that just makes you realise that you are doing the right thing……and how lucky you are, and the fact that this special little gift came at the end of a world of emotion, well it was a little special.

So have a look at some pics of the day.

This is a song that Mike and Natasha first danced to as one.

Jack Johnson – Angel (iTunes)