The best part of being a photographer? I get to "be in" on all the happiest times of life: weddings, babies, family reunions, senior portraits, and so on. This summer is no exception, thankfully. Recently I've photographed a 60th wedding anniversary, family reunion, newborn baby, and a wedding. Yes, each event had it's stressful moments-late arriving cake, lagging church air conditioning on a 109 degree day, but the joy of the day overshadowed those minor inconveniences.
I like to remind brides that at the end of their wedding day, what matters is that she and the man she loves are married. If the flowers of the wedding bouquet are a slightly darker shade than what she envisioned, if the flower girl bursts into tears and refuses to cooperate, if the prime rib is carved ahead of time instead of the moment each guest goes through the buffet at the reception...don't worry about it. Those are the little stories to laugh and reminisce about later.
The best thing to do on those once-in-a-lifetime days? Breathe deeply. Live each moment. Treasure every second.