All my closest friends keep badgering me:
“Dude, you’re a fucking photographer—where the hell are the pictures of your daughter’s wedding?”
Fair enough.
Before I riff on that, let me be clear: Emma and her new husband Tom hired a professional photographer for their wedding.
Not me. Thank goodness.
Photos, on that special day, were supposed to be off-limits. I was there to be a dad, not a documentarian. Still, I couldn’t resist snapping a few casual shots on the sidelines—just to add a little iPhone seasoning to what the pros were already cooking.
Enjoy.
I’ve been to a lot of weddings in my life.
But this one? This one was the best.
Intimate vows. Personal touches. Forever friends. Memorable toasts. Family. Dancing. Backyard DIY. A tent. A big fucking tent. Crisp spring air. People in love. Laughter. Drinks—lots of drinks. Yard lights. Plateware. Dresses. California flair. In-laws and outlaws. Jam sessions in the barn. And memory after memory, stitched into the seams of the day.
Wow. Just… fucking wow.
I will never, ever forget it.
Here’s the toast that Shannon and I gave to Emma and Tom. I wrote it. She shaped it. We shared it together.
I grew up in a sporty family—my dad was a coach. I’ve got a brother and a sister, so there was plenty of boy energy flying around. My poor sister had to practically shout to be noticed. Dad loved having boys.
When it came time for me to be a dad, I didn’t have a preference. I just knew I was ready to love whoever showed up.
And then… I became a girl dad.
Emma was born on January 18, 1997, at 10:29 a.m.
From the moment her big, soulful catfish eyes met mine, I knew—deep down, irrevocably—I was meant to be a girl dad.
At 2, she was eating sushi. Always had a sophisticated palate.
At 3, she met a blue parrot in Hawaii and was smitten. Out with Grams and Sweepie.
At 4, she played “Stop in the Name of the Law!” in the Bahamas with her Baba (my dad). It was a game where the goal was to stop the big waves from hitting shore. She thought she could. Maybe she still does.
At 8, she became a film director—point-and-shoot camera in hand, casting 4-year-old Audrey in every scene. Audrey obeyed every single command. Emma called the shots.
At 14, she won a big photography contest—on her iPhone—beating out seasoned pros with massive camera rigs.
She and Audrey have been my favorite subjects to photograph… their entire lives.
Some of my fondest memories are of them hanging around my summer studio on Cape Cod. I loved having them nearby. Still do.
I truly can’t imagine being anything other than a girl dad.
And now, at 28, Emma has found Tom. Together, they’ve built a beautiful, simple, fulfilling, precious life.
So let’s raise a glass—
To my Emma.
To her Tom.
To their story.
May it always be one worth photographing.
Girl Dad.
