OAK BROOK WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER: MELISSA MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY: THE DRAKE OAK BROOK WEDDING: JOSH + KJERSTEN

Ya'll have heard me a lot this year say the word "pivot." For various reasons, whether it be a change of plan, the weather, or whatever the circumstance that are outside my control happens, this has been the year of taking that (usually on the fly) and not only saying we're gonna take lemons and make lemonade, but we're gonna make freaking champagne! I honestly think that would be one of the biggest job descriptions of a wedding photographer. Must be able to pivot a plan, in the moment, consistently. Honestly, that's what a wedding is. Thousands of decisions of various people that are dominoed together. Now your team, they will make all the difference in making everything feel like it was either as it should be or better than planned. That skillset takes time to develop. My ability to pivot looks so different now that I'm going into wedding season #18 than my first five. But is that now what makes the best champagne? Pressure & time? Goodness knows you don't have time on a wedding day, so be sure to get a team that has had time to develop the pivot. In some form, your day will need to change direction a bit. And if your day went off without a hitch? You've got a good team that pivoted a long the way without you even knowing. There's always changes.

Well, the pivots for Josh & Kjersten's day were changing on them like crazy, even just 24 hours before walking down the aisle. But honestly, I think it couldn't have gone better! The icing on the "is this still gonna happen?" cake was they had to change where their ceremony was going to be the day before the wedding. We're talking find a new spot, tell all your guests to ignore the invite details, and join for a whole new location. (In less than 24 hours from "I do!" The Drake Oak Brook was perfection for it. You don't need to decorate at all. The pavilion & foliage looks like you're in L.A! Josh & Kjersten, ya'll made some killer champagne under a little pressure. Here's a toast to the wedding working out, and a lifetime of even better!