Nashville Wedding Podcast – Episode 102: Setting Goals For Your Dream Wedding With CJ Dickson from CJ’s Off The Square

BEHIND THE LENS

A note from Jen

Purpose and passion and the lessons of over 17 years of weddings...

I'm writing this today staring out at the bright blue Colorado sky, near Boulder, CO where I live with my husband of nearly 17 years and our 8 year old son. We moved here to chase the mountains and adventure and a life fully lived, after over a decade in Nashville, TN. 

It might seem silly to say that I believe part of my purpose here on this earth is creating photos at people’s weddings. But here’s the thing. Life is absolutely going to life. There are going to be days and seasons that are freaking hard and awful and the world feels like it’s burning down (literally, metaphorically, in all the ways). And there are going to be days full of so much love and joy and bliss and peace that you wish you could just bottle it up for all time.

And I feel so strongly that that’s WHY a wedding matters. And why your photos matter. And why making it so intentional and purposeful to you matters. To create the space to intentionally create beautiful new memories together. Because it’s a weekend to say that this love (yes, all love) and these people (yes, all people) MATTER. It exists. It is real. And it’s worth celebrating the f*** out of. In a radical defiance of everything telling us to be scared and wall up our hearts.

And it’s worth documenting. My purpose in this is to be present with what’s there on your wedding day—all the joy, love, and whatever else is showing up—and creating the record of it. A record of what is true to you. So that when the days hit hard, you can point back at this anchor of joy and love, and know that it exists. It is real. It is worth celebrating.

Sending all the love, wherever this journey of life is meeting you today. xoxo, Jen