Americans for many generations continuously relive the special moments of their weddings through their photographs. I can remember my grandmother pulling out her old photo album as I sat on her lap and she would point to the photos and tell me who all the people were as the pages turned. One photo in particular caught my eye like no other. It was her wedding photo.

I recall her dress and hair looking like something that came straight out of the 20’s. A beautiful array of colors must have been behind that old photograph. She was simply stunning! It was rare at the time for couples to have wedding photos. People didn’t just pull out their digital cameras as they do today. You had to be enormously wealthy to hire a photographer and since people didn’t really own cameras, there was no other choice.

Cameras of that time were humungous and barely portable, and since there was virtually no lighting, the couple often has to have their photos taken at actual studios. This was very costly so almost no one did. Only the memories of the event lasted and, of course, those are rarely passed on. However I was one of the lucky kids who got to see those beautiful pictures of the times of which I will never forget.

Around World War II the 35 mm camera turned all of this around. Starting out as war photography, the wedding photo came soon after. Since the war cameraman had nothing else to do after the war, he turned to taking photographs of everyday people to supplement his income. This was particularly wonderful for bridal parties that wished to remember such a special occasion. Still, it wasn’t like it is today where you can just take any old action shot and people love it. These wedding day photos were more like staged movies and carefully choreographed making people look stiff and mannequin-like.

The 1940’s and 50’s brought change to the wedding photograph with new intimacy and less formal poses. Apparently it was now okay to have a lower bust line and for the groom to actually touch the bride in the photographs. Let’s remember at this time people were still seen on TV as sleeping separately. Even as a child I wondered who got in whose bed to do what? I mean is it like a knock on the door? Do you shout “Hey let me in!”? (No pun intended) How touching!

The 35 mm camera stayed popular well into the 1990’s when the digital revolution came upon us like a freight train. Now everyone is a photographer! I’ve seen people taking photos of the photographer taking photos of the wedding. CRAZY! Everyone wants to see every moment and they want to be able to share that day with their family forever. Although the professional wedding photographer still has a better camera, people are seen snapping their own photos before, during, and even after the wedding. Hey people! Make sure to turn off your night vision eh?

Still, CD’s of photos don’t last nearly as long as the tin plates used in the old days as negatives. You can still get photos printed from the tins of yesteryear but, I bet in 100 years the CD of your wedding day won’t even be able to be loaded on that upcoming monster computer used by your great, great, great grandson.