Once COVID hit in 2020 I was constantly worried that I would get it and have to miss a wedding. I did everything possible to protect myself from getting it but in the end, it did get me. I had met up with a friend for dinner and she was fine but the next day she came down with COVID and despite feeling OK I started making plans just in case for my upcoming weddings that weekend just in case. I kept testing negative and was feeling fine so I went to the wedding the day before (thankfully a short one that was outside and I was masked!) and in the middle of the ceremony I felt it hit like no illness had hit me before. I reached out to Kevin, who was already slated to be my second shooter for this wedding, and let him know that I was going to need him to be the main shooter the next day and also would need the second we’d chatted with about possibly filling in because I could tell I was going down. When I got home I tested blazing positive and was glad I had such a solid backup plan in place because while I made it through the wedding I had that night, I was getting worse by the minute.

I contacted Lexi and Bruce and let them know what was happening and who was filling in and I felt SO BAD. I have never had to do this in 18 years and I hope I never have to again. However, even if I was in a bubble there was no way I could photograph a wedding. I could barely talk due to a sore throat, I was coughing non stop and by the morning of their wedding I was so loopy that I wouldn’t have been able to drive to their wedding much less be in a great frame of mind to photograph it.

The whole day I never worried once because I knew that they were in much better hands than they would have been had I have tried to force myself to make it through. Kevin stopped and met my husband on the way home and dropped off the cards and I got their edit out to them within a couple days because I’m sure they were anxious to see the results from people they didn’t hire and trust. Thankfully their fears were put to rest and Kevin and Amy did me so proud. I asked friends if they could tell there was a significant difference in image quality and no one had any idea I hadn’t been there and that helped make me feel better.

Sometimes things happen. What makes a photographer a professional is how they handle it when things go wrong. While this may not be my finest moment as a photographer, I’m glad that I have such a wonderful community I’ve built around me to support me when things happen and clients that trust the process and know they’re in good hands no matter what happens.

Ceremony & Reception: Bella Amore on Enchanted Acres

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