“Every wedding is a royal wedding, with the bride and groom
the king and queen of creation, making a new life together
so that life can flow through them into the future.”

The words above were spoken by the Bishop of London at the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William, and beautifully describe my approach to wedding photography.

Every wedding is, of course, unique.  And at the same time, every wedding is universal -- the wedding ceremony is a powerful ritual unchanged in its basic intention since the beginning of human history and shared by every culture on earth.

The gradual transformation of the bride and groom as they get ready for the ceremony, from an everyday couple into a king and queen, is magical and ancient.  I can see it through my camera lens -- in the tears in the bride's eyes as she sees herself in the mirror for the first time or the groom's careful adjusting of his tie in the moments before the ceremony, and in the way  that even old friends inevitably speak in hushed tones to the bride and groom before the ceremony begins.

No matter how many times I am privileged to witness this transformation from the ordinary to the mystical, it always moves me to wonder and awe.  And it's the reason I love wedding photography and can approach each wedding with passion and a fresh eye.

As a photographer, my focus is on capturing the moments in your wedding that reveal this mythical journey from everyday life into the ancient, sacred space of a wedding ceremony.  The bride's mother carefully helping her daughter into her gown. The groom solemnly shaking hands with his new father-in-law.  The flower girl looking up in awe at the bridal couple, imaging the time when it'll be her turn.  Sacred moments that, together, create a wedding.

No matter how big or small, elaborate or simple, I approach every wedding as a Royal Wedding, and my role is to capture for you forever the majesty and grandeur of your once-in-a-lifetime transformation  into the king and queen of creation.

For details on booking Faith-Michele James for your wedding, click here.