Wedding days are often frenetic and swarming with activity--that's just the nature of an event that often includes hundreds of people, multiple locations, and a jam-packed timeline. Unless a couple opts for an intimate celebration or a private elopement, it can be difficult to avoid the whirlwind that accompanies a wedding day. But what if at least some portion of the day felt like this shoot does--meditative, calm, simplistic? How might it affect the rest of the day and the memories that linger?

On mine and my husband's wedding day, we arranged to meet at the top of my favourite cliffs in my hometown. My dress was light and the day was early, so it wasn't too much of an ordeal to walk to the top. As I walked the last bit of the pathway, my heart beat fast as I caught strains of violin and guitar from the top, where friends were playing our favourite hymns. Our photographers waited with my husband at the top to photograph our meeting. We spent probably close to 30 minutes overlooking the lake and the surrounding mountains in peace and quiet, just soaking up one another's presence and delighting in our wedding day. When I walked down the aisle later that morning, the nerves had settled and there was no regret that we'd seen each other earlier, even though we both enjoy honouring traditions. Years later, that time of reflection atop the cliffs is one of our most cherished aspects of our wedding day.

If there's one thing I encourage my own clients to do as they plan their celebration, it's to carve out some quiet time for the two of them on their wedding day. And not just to have 15 minutes of photos hurriedly taken before the sun sets, but to indulge in a time of stillness and reverence. Vows are sacred and meant to last for life, which is why I can't think of a better reason than to step off of the wedding day treadmill for a few moments and drink it all in!