Meet the Noahs

Brian’s Version

These differences have pushed me to be a much more attentive business person. While I still bring an air of relaxation and calmness with me, I’ve now grown a sense of urgency. This has pushed me to be a better photographer, a better entrepreneur, and a better friend. In the same way, My relaxed nature has pushed Sarah to be much more of a free spirit. She is no-longer tied to to-do lists. She now enjoys life’s little moments. And we keep on growing together to meet in the middle.

On March 7th of 2009 Sarah and I said “I do.” We had a fabulous honeymoon doing what we love to do most: traveling. The Caribbean took great care of us and we especially loved Jamaica. The cruise ship only gave us a few hours there, but we’d LOVE to go back for a whole week. It was so beautiful. But nothing compared to Italy. I was able to spend a week or so in Italy during a break from school in college, and I absolutely loved it. This year or early in the next we plan on going and visiting Venice and Florence. These are the most romantic and beautiful cities I’ve ever visited and I’d strongly suggest honeymooning in Venice, or in one of the beautiful towns along the coast. In fact, It was Italy that helped me fall in love with photography. The landscape, architecture, and the romance of the country captivated me, and urged me to remember it with my camera; a little minolta film point-and-shoot.

For us, this business isn’t just about making a living. It’s not even just about photography. The best thing about this job is that we get to spend the best day of our client’s lives with them. How amazing is that!? We get to experience what you experience. We’re there when your father sees you in your dress for the first time. We’re there when your soon to be husband holds back tears, and tries to calm his shaking hands as he reads the note attached to your gift to him. This is why we’re in this business. We love the conversation. We delight in the adventure. We cherish the new friends. And  we absolutely enjoy traveling to partake in the magic of their wedding day. We’re here for you. We’ve created this business for you.

So tell us more about your wedding. We’d love to sit down and talk about what you hold dear.

Sarah’s Version

Timing is everything – in life and in love. When Brian and I first met, I was not ready for romance. The year prior to us dating was the first I had taken to really enjoy my freedom and independence in single-hood. That time was the first I had really taken to examine myself and heal from old wounds. I had an idea in my mind of the type of godly man I wanted to marry; and when I imagined the kind of wife that man would be best suited with, I knew I had some work to do. So I spent that season of singleness devoting myself to the hard work of character development. Yet, it was not all fun and growth. I had become a bit jaded when it came to men and relationships. Most of my friends were dating or in serious relationships, so I found myself bonding a lot with Brian’s sister, Katie. We were the token single girls in our friendship circles. It was this friendship that led me to a close bond with the Noah family and eventually, more quality time with Brian.

As Brian and I spent more time together, we began to get to know each other on a much deeper level. And without either one of us realizing at first, Brian became the man who changed my perception on everything. I respected so much his grounded faith, the wisdom beyond his years, and the love amongst his family. We stayed up for hours talking about everything and nothing. He became one of the few men I felt I could trust. But I still bitterly thought that all men cheat, their love fades, and any marriage is just destined to grow in resentment towards one another over the years (please know my thoughts on this matter have changed drastically, bit this is where I was at when Brian and I met).  Over time, when I found myself making these statements, I continually began to make exception in my mind for Brian. All men will cheat – except for Brian. All men will go from loving to loathing their wives – except for Brian. And suddenly after a few months, I realized that maybe there is something to this. Maybe Brian is the exception. Maybe Brian breaks the mold. And maybe it would be worth it to risk love once more, but this time to it with a man who knows how to date in a God-honoring way.

We both had some reservations about taking our friendship into courtship. When you begin dating anyone, there is always the risk of it not working out. But complexities and complications are intensified when you serve at the same church and have close relationships with their other family members. If for some reason this didn’t work out, we wanted to be able to still serve amicably with one another in a ministry setting. And I certainly was protective of my friendship with Katie, which risked being tarnished should things not work out. So we decided to “proceed with caution”. A serious conversation of the pros and cons of us taking a stab at becoming more than just friends might not have been the most romantic way to begin dating, but it was the wisest approach to a relationship I’ve ever taken. And it is just one of many ways Brian has continually demonstrated to me that his care for me would be expressed in always looking out for my best interest.

Brian knew of his own interest in dating me months before I was ready to even look at the possibility of a relationship; so he waited. He knew the risks involved in ministry, family relationships, and our emotions when we began dating. So he honored me with honesty and integrity the entire time of our courtship. And on countless other occasions he has continued to chose integrity when it comes to us. His easygoing demeanor makes him a man that many feel they can trust. And I think this is part of what makes him so good at what he does.

As I said before timing is everything. In life, love – and photography. Brian’s trustworthy and honest character lends itself to a relaxed environment where all around him feel at ease. He is never forceful, which allows others the comfort of being themselves. It is in those real moments that he is able to capture the genuine emotion that takes photographs from ordinary snapshots to extraordinary heirlooms. Whether it be an engagement, wedding, vacation, or family time on the couch, photographs encapsulate moments in time that are to be cherished for generations to come. They capture the beauty, art, life and emotion unique to each individual and tell the story of their legacy. Knowing when to pause and wait versus when to press in and grab the images on film forever takes dedication, intuition and a unique sensitivity to timing.