One of the real advantages to being a husband and wife team is our ability to split up for the before photographs with the groomsmen and bridesmaids.

I am a force of nature. I like things to be fun, to laugh and to goof off. That kind of vibe allows me to make friends wherever I go, but it’s not the kind of vibe that would be appropriate for most ladies while getting ready on the day of the wedding. While there is lots of laughing and having fun on the ladies’ side, there is also a sense of stress and formality that I think wouldn’t mix quite well with my own vibe. Charlotte, however, exudes the perfect vibe for the ladies’: fun but contained, always planning, everything is under control, personable but not loud.

My vibe is much more appropriate for nervous, excited men. We men like to talk trash, tell jokes, laugh loudly and be rowdy when we’re nervous, so I fit in with the boys like chocolate on an ice cream sundae. This wedding was no exception. Joel and groomsmen (mostly his brothers) were the best of the best when it came to sheer playfulness and rowdiness. Everywhere we went there was laughter and fun. One of my favorite photos is the “He-Man-esque” pose with Joel’s fist thrust triumphantly in the air (all impromptu, BTW…).

It’s all about burning off nervous energy and getting ready to focus on the hugely important ceremony ahead. And it works wonders. We get relaxed, emotionally open men, with grooms who view their wedding as a great time instead of a burden!

And by the time I get to see the ladies when they’re done getting ready, they’re more relaxed and ready to have fun (be sassy, as I call it). It’s a different kind of fun with the ladies. It’s more of a fashion shoot than a series of gags like the men do. We do our sassy walks, our cougar stares… I demonstrate all of it, too. And I must say, I can sashay my hips with the best of them!

I love the huge emotional swings of weddings. We can go from exuberant energy and laughs early, to tears and joy during the ceremony, to jubilant debauchery with still raw emotion during the reception. And it’s all beautiful, and it’s all meaningful, and it’s all fun!

Thank you Adrienne and Joel for sharing your amazing wedding day with us. It was an honor, and I hope you can make your way back to Colorado sometime to see us again.