Angela & Chase | 10 Years After I Do!

If you’ve been following along with my “After I Do” series, you’ll know that I’ve been catching up with past wedding clients to see where they are now. All of this has been in anticipation of the ten-year anniversary of my business, which happens to be TODAY!

Indeed, today’s couple is the couple that started it all. They were the first to take a chance on me by asking me to photograph their wedding day, and it’s really their wedding anniversary that I’m talking about when I celebrate ten years for my business.

There are so many things I could say about Angela and Chase. I initially met Angela because we were both pre-med in college; she went through with it and is now a doctor, but I jumped ship early. Angela and Chase met in high school but attended different colleges, and they dated long-distance until deciding to get married. When they asked me to photograph their wedding, the possibility of wedding photography as a career wasn’t even on my horizon. Photography had long been a hobby, but I thought that it might, at most, be a great side job. Of course, I don’t really recommend doing it this way (with no experience but a hearty dose of naivete and optimism), but Angela and Chase knew the situation and were on board, and I’m so grateful for it now looking back.

In anticipation of the ten-year anniversary, I visited Angela and Chase in Portland, Oregon, to catch up in person and to photograph a new set of portraits for them. They are now parents to a four-year-old boy named Elliot. It was wonderful to see the three of them, since I hadn’t seen Angela and Chase since their wedding. Over dinner, Chase asked me in the most delicate way possible, whether I cringed when looking back at their wedding photos. Well, yes. Absolutely. These look nothing like my work now, and even looking at my crazy watermarks is a bit much. But these images still capture that moment in time, ten years ago, as the start of something for all of us.

So thank you, Angela and Chase, for dealing with and still loving these crazy wedding photos and for that leap of faith that kicked off ten years doing a job I absolutely love. I am forever grateful. And happy 10-year anniversary to you!

So… How has life has changed in the last 10 years?

Together, we have gone through 9 job changes, moved across the country, bought our first house, added a cat, a dog, and a child to our family, and lost a mother and two grandparents.

What is an unexpected lesson or a challenge you’ve had to overcome in the last 10 years?

Life itself can be challenging, and having each other to lean on has made each of those challenges more manageable.

Do you ever look back at your wedding photos? Do you have any favorite images from your wedding day?

Definitely! I love remembering all our friends and family celebrating with us.

Looking back on your wedding day, is there anything you wish you had known or done differently?

We really didn’t know much at the time about what weddings should be like (or can be like), and I think it was a good thing since we were fairly low-stress about it. I did my own invitations, flowers, decorations, and our family made the cake. I wish I did my own hair as well, since I ended up really not liking the hairdo that the salon did. Don’t trust small town hair salons to do classy hair!!

Any advice for couples who are about to get married?

Take the time to do things you enjoy together even when life is busy.

Top three hopes or things you are looking forward to in your future?

Watching our son grow up, continued development of our careers, enjoying adventures together

Anna Wu is a wedding and portrait photographer based in San Francisco. She creates beautiful, soft, and timeless imagery while capturing the most fleeting of moments. View her work at annawu.com, follow her daily adventures on instagram, and contact her to book your own session today.

After I Do

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Karen & Sam | 3 Years After I Do

Stephanie & Ian | 2 Years After I Do

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Adrienne & Jenton | 3 Years After I Do

Christine & Scott | 5 Years After I Do

Raquel & Andy | 6 Years After I Do

Jessica & Young | 2 Years After I Do

Grace & Andy | 3 Years After I Do

Bridgette & Ryan | 3 Years After I Do

Pauline & Justin | 1 Year After I Do