Our First Wedding Together as a Team
A conversation we have with couples more often than you might think
When couples first ask how long we’ve been photographing weddings together, the answer is never as simple as a number. We usually pause and smile, because the real beginning of our story did not come from a business plan or a carefully mapped timeline. It started with a July wedding in San Antonio, a last minute phone call, and a couple named Ashley and AJ who had no idea they were part of a turning point that would shape everything that followed.
Back then, neither of us could have predicted how much that one day would matter. At the time, it felt like just another wedding. Important, meaningful, and deserving of everything we had, but not something we knew would shape the future. Looking back now, it is one of those moments that feels inevitable, like it was always meant to unfold that way.
Hotel Valencia in the middle of summer
If you have ever stood along the River Walk in July, you know the feeling. The air is warm and heavy, the light reflects off the water in a way that softens everything, and there is a steady hum of life moving around you. Hotel Valencia has a way of feeling tucked away even though it sits right in the middle of downtown San Antonio. The architecture carries this old world romance, with archways, textured walls, and the quiet sound of water nearby. It feels intimate without being small, elegant without being stiff.
Ashley and AJ chose Hotel Valencia for exactly that reason. They wanted their wedding to feel personal and relaxed, like a gathering rather than a production. From the moment we arrived, the tone of the day was set. There was laughter in the hallways, calm conversations while getting ready, and a sense that everyone trusted things would unfold as they should.
When plans change without warning
That morning did not start the way I expected. My son, who was supposed to assist me that day, could not make it. Anyone who has photographed weddings long enough knows that moments like that happen. You learn quickly that flexibility is not optional in this line of work. Still, standing there knowing I needed help and knowing the day was already in motion created a quiet urgency.
As I was heading out the door, I made a decision that felt instinctive. I called Michelle and asked if she could come help. There was no long explanation or detailed plan. I simply told her where I was and asked her to get there as soon as she could. She said yes without hesitation.
That is something couples may not always see behind the scenes. The wedding day waits for no one. When something shifts, you adapt and you move forward with confidence so the couple never feels the ripple.
Stepping into the day together
Michelle arrived while the “getting-ready” was already unfolding. There was no formal introduction to the day or long conversation about how things would work. She stepped in and immediately began assisting with lighting, paying attention to moments, and supporting the flow of the day. It felt surprisingly natural, like we had done this before even though we had not.
What stood out to me was how intuitive the collaboration felt. There was an unspoken understanding of where to be, when to step back, and how to anticipate moments rather than react to them. Weddings move quickly, and the best coverage happens when everyone involved is reading the room rather than forcing it.
Ashley and AJ were fully present with each other, which made everything easier. They were not performing for the camera. They were simply getting married. Those are the days when the best images come from paying attention rather than directing.
The moment that still stops us
Every photographer has a handful of images that live in their memory long after the day is over. For us, one of those images came from this wedding. It happened in a moment that could not be staged or recreated. The couple stood together, close and unguarded, as water fell in front of them. The light was right, the timing aligned, and everything slowed down just enough.
Michelle and I worked together without saying a word. She helped shape the light while I focused on framing the moment. Ashley and AJ leaned into each other and kissed, completely unaware of how everything had lined up around them.
When we saw that image later, we both knew it was something special. Not because it was dramatic or elaborate, but because it felt honest. It felt like them. That photograph still represents so much of what we believe wedding photography should be.
Realizing something had shifted
At the time, we did not name what was happening. We simply finished the wedding, delivered the images, and moved on. But there was a quiet realization that followed. Working together that day felt right. It felt balanced and calm, even under pressure.
Over time, that feeling became clearer. We saw how much stronger the storytelling was when we could see the day from two perspectives. We noticed how moments unfolded more naturally when one of us could stay wide while the other leaned in. We recognized how couples felt more at ease when the energy around them was steady and collaborative.
That wedding with Ashley and AJ became the beginning of us photographing weddings together consistently. Not because we planned it that way, but because it made sense.
Why this matters to engaged couples
We share this story often because couples deserve to know how much experience shapes a wedding day. Experience is not just about years or numbers. It is about knowing how to respond when something unexpected happens without letting it affect the couple. It is about trusting each other completely so attention stays where it belongs, on the people getting married.
When you choose photographers who work as a true team, you gain more than coverage. You gain calm. You gain awareness. You gain the ability to be fully present because you know someone else is watching the moments you might miss.
Ashley and AJ trusted us without knowing the full story unfolding behind the scenes. Their wedding turned out beautifully because they stayed focused on each other. That trust allowed us to do our best work.
Looking back with gratitude
More than a decade later, that July day at Hotel Valencia still comes up in conversation. Not because it was the biggest wedding we have photographed or the most elaborate, but because it reminds us how meaningful these days are. Weddings are not just milestones for couples. They often become turning points for the people invited into them.
Ashley and AJ gave us the space to create, collaborate, and discover something new about the way we work together. They will probably never know how much their wedding meant to us, but we carry that gratitude into every celebration we photograph.
When couples ask us what matters most on a wedding day, the answer is always the same. Presence. Trust. Connection. Those things cannot be forced, and they cannot be rushed. They happen when everyone involved feels supported.
Sitting across the table, years later
If we were sitting across from you right now, coffee cooling between us, we would tell you this. Your wedding day does not need to be perfect to be meaningful. It needs room to breathe. It needs people around you who know how to stay calm, adapt quietly, and recognize when something real is happening.
Our first wedding together taught us that some of the most important moments are unplanned. They arrive when you are paying attention and working in sync with the people beside you. That is what we bring to every wedding now, especially here in San Antonio where every venue carries its own rhythm and story.
Hotel Valencia will always hold a special place in our hearts. Not just for its beauty, but for what it represents. It is where two love stories overlapped and quietly set something lasting in motion.
And that is the part we love most about this work. Sometimes you walk into a wedding thinking you are there to document a story, only to realize later that you became part of one too.
If you’re in the middle of planning your own wedding and want to see how moments like these unfold through our lens, we’d love for you to spend some time in our wedding gallery. It’s where these stories live long after the day ends, and it’s the best way to see how we approach weddings with intention, calm, and a deep respect for what the day truly means. Reach out to us we would love to chat.
