to create heirlooms. Photos aren't just reminders of the past, they are part of our lives. If I can, I like to go to a client's house before a shoot, because when I take a photo, I'm already thinking of where it will hang on the wall. I'm trying to create art.

to capture beauty. My wedding photographers made me feel so beautiful that I want to pass that on to other brides. My kids will look back at my Trash the Dress photos and say "Wow, my mom was pretty cool."

to imitate life. Film is alive. It's grainy, rich in texture. Only film can produce the delicate, timeless images I want to create.

to share creativity. I'm not about imposing my philosophy on a client. I use a variety of mediums—film when I can, digital when it's called for. Lately I've been toying with instant (basically new kinds of Polariods). I love my brides to come to me with their ideas.

to connect with people. All my life, I've been obsessed with connecting. (As a pig-tailed little girl, I was known to introduce myself to strangers at the supermarket.) When I'm capturing a moment, like a groom seeing his wife for the first time on their wedding day, I tend to get so caught up in the emotion of the moment I want to preserve it, not just because it's my job, but because I was there, a small part of it, and I want that emotion to live on.