Two years ago today I woke up on a wedding day in a new apartment to the sound of heavy rain beating against the windows. I did what most people do when they hear heavy rain…I just hung out and laid in bed, relaxing. What’s more relaxing than laying in bed on a Saturday morning listening to rain falling? I mean, they have sound machines that mimic that sound!

When I finally got out of bed to go get some food and start prepping for the wedding that day (which was two hours away, like most of our weddings) I noticed that the carpet in the very front of the apartment was completely soaked through. And, there was water covering the tiled foyer. What the what?? Even then it didn’t occur to me that yes, a flood was in progress, and yes, if there’s water in the apartment, there’s water in the car. And if there’s water in the car, well, there’s not a lot you can do because you can’t take the risk of flooding the engine.

Once the gravity of the situation set in, I panicked for a second. John wasn’t working with me then, so he was at work, where I couldn’t contact him. I was literally all alone. This wasn’t something I’d thought would ever happen, especially not on a wedding day of all days. So, I just packed up all my gear. Unplugged the electronics, and then put Lucy in the back bathroom in the tub with food and water til I could get back. I put my wedding outfit and the stuff I needed in my backpack and literally waded out out of my neighborhood holding my Kelly Moore bag in my arms thinking to myself this is so unreal.

To make a long story of a crazy morning short, I made it to the wedding in one piece and was able to photograph it as planned. Despite all of what had happened earlier that morning, I enjoyed being there with that couple. I genuinely like and enjoy my couples as people, and this particular couple was no different. Being a part of their wedding was fun for me even with all that had happened back at home.

It was that day though, that I realized a few things about my job. First, there’s no calling your boss and saying you can’t come in if you’re sick or your home goes through a natural disaster. You’re the boss, and there’s no one else who can cover for you. Unless, there is…I also learned how important it is to have good friendships with people in your industry. My friend Anna was my second shooter that day, and I couldn’t have made it through the day without her. If there’s ever a day when I absolutely couldn’t get to a wedding, I know one of my industry friends would cover it for me, or find someone to help out. These relationships are important for so many reasons, but having someone in your field who has your back during life’s unexpected moments is priceless.

If you’re wondering what happened after the flood, we ended up moving across the street into a third floor apartment. I joked that we wouldn’t be dealing with a flood again there unless there was a tsunami (fingers crossed). There hasn’t been any more flooding in the past two years, and we’re thankful, because it was definitely an ordeal! Today, I woke up to a beautiful, sunny morning and I’m grateful that everything is dry 🙂