Holly and I have just returned from New York where we had the opportunity to photograph Ethan & Janet's wedding.  I received an email from the groom this morning thanking us for a job well done.  Hearing the role that we played in making the couple's day a more enjoyable experience is something I truly treasure.

Here is what Ethan has to say:

"We're amazed at how much we've learned in the process of getting married... 

One aspect of the wedding that surprised us was how important our photographer, Paul Rich, was to the experience of the wedding day.

We had decided to do our formal photographs before the ceremony--mainly a practical decision so that we'd be free to enjoy the cocktail hour. Otherwise, we would have probably chosen to do the tradition of not seeing one another until the bride walks down the aisle. However, we're very glad that we had that time together before the ceremony.

Paul joined Ethan while he was getting ready (and Paul's wife/co-photographer Holly was with Janet) to take spontaneous shots. Once we reached the venue, Paul took posed photographs of Ethan and his best man.

Once Janet was ready, Paul had her come out (making sure Ethan didn't peek) and captured the moment of us seeing each other for the first time that day. It was a wonderful moment! Janet looked beautiful and Ethan (who is typing this and whose eyes are starting to water) was very surprised by the dress--he had thought he knew which dress she picked out (there was a photo of her in a dress on Picasa), but he was wrong!

Neither of us are terribly comfortable posing for photographs, but Paul was great at relaxing us and keeping our smiles genuine (Paul is very funny). The photo session with Paul and Holly really set the tone for the day: we felt beautiful, comfortable, and like stars!

We can't wait to see the photos Paul took--he showed us a couple in his camera's viewfinder and they looked amazing!

After the formals with our family (Paul had memorized all their names!), Paul and Holly became very unobtrusive while they continued capturing all the spontaneous moments. We had told Paul that the food being served was very important to us (our wedding was at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and the chef, Dan Barber, is the 2009 James Beard Outstanding Chef of the Year). So Paul arranged for unprecedented access to the kitchen so he could take the best possible photograph of each of the courses.

So the lesson learned is that picking your photographer is crucial--not only for documenting the day, but also as a key contributor to the experience of the day itself.