wedding industry culture | image by Misha Lee Tame
My 2020 began with an engagement ring and a healthy dose of hustle. Like most in the wedding industry culture, I had a busy wedding photography season on the horizon and within a matter of months. Then, I was going to marry the love of my life. Smells a little bit like naive bliss now, doesn’t it?
image by Misha Lee Tame
Naturally, COVID-19 was nothing short of a double whammy punch to the gut. Weddings were officially off the table. I lost the income I had expected, along with the dreamy wedding day I’d been waiting years for. Alas, we did what we had to do—we postponed, hoped for the best, as did my couples.
Months passed, things got worse. Then things changed.
image by Misha Lee Tame
Wedding Industry Culture Shifted
It started with the intimate inner-city elopements, back-yard weddings, and cozy, home-cooked receptions in people’s homes. Guest lists of hundreds shrunk neatly down to just immediate family and dearest friends. The people that mattered came, and they cared and loved a heck of a lot more. In a group of a few dozen or less, joy and intimacy feel so palpable and electric. My car rides home from these events were filled with reminiscing. I felt so connected to my couples, their stories, and loved ones. I thought I had missed weddings and quickly fell in love with what they had become.
image by Misha Lee Tame
My Own Wedding Changed
My turn to tie the knot eventually came. In the backyard of my folks’ place, I said yes to forever with my best friend surrounded by 15 of our closest humans and their facemasks. We ate take-out, popped champagne, played board games, and had our pets with us. It wasn’t the wedding I planned or thought I wanted, but it became a dearly treasured experience I would never exchange for another.
image by Misha Lee Tame
What’s Next For Wedding Industry Culture
So here’s my message and it’s short and sweet: let’s embrace the losses. Let’s ride with the wedding industry culture shifts and challenges instead of against them. What 2020 stole has left us an aftermath of simplicity and blessings—the little things. The love we get to share. Less of the noise, the excessive long guest lists, and the Pinterest-perfect pressure.
Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean we can’t have nice things or a pretty color palette, no way! Making weddings gorgeous is part of the fun. The difference is what mattered all along becomes more clear when it faces a global tragedy. Truth be told, we’ve held our creative subconscious—and our clients—to the mercy of status, aesthetics, and what will publish well for far too long.
Here’s to 2021 and more weddings about what matter.
-Misha Lee Tame
image by Misha Lee Tame
Thoughts From Photobug Community
We’d like to thank Misha Lee Tame for sharing her thoughts on wedding industry culture and how our resilience has led us to more beautiful celebrations of love. To submit your own pitch for an article you’d like to share with our readers, first read our submission guidelines and then pitch your idea here.