On Tuesday afternoon, Nate and I were enjoying a lazy day at his grandparents’ when our phones started blowing up with texts and messages from brides writing us things like “Sooooooooooooo excited guys!” and “Congrats!!!” We were so confused at first that Nate asked if a bride mistakenly posted somewhere that I was pregnant!
If you live under a rock (or more likely- aren’t a Disney bride), you may have missed the grand announcement on Facebook. Once upon a time, Nate and I (and other non-Disney photographers) were allowed to photograph weddings inside of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks, but sometime around four years ago, that policy changed and we were all banished to the Disney resorts. On Tuesday, that evil curse ban was lifted, and now we’re once again allowed to photograph park weddings. Huzzah! Everything was sunshine and unicorns until…
… Looooooong story short, some people took the new rule to mean that in-park engagement and family sessions were now allowed. After checking with our friends at Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings and hearing it isn’t so, we thought we’d share our two cents:
Our stance on in-park engagement and family sessions will remain the same as it’s been the past four years: Root Photography won’t photograph any sessions inside the parks until we hear specifically from Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings that the ban has been lifted. We photograph too many Disney weddings to risk that relationship and any bad Disney karma (which I’m pretty sure comes in the form of poisonous pixie dust or even worse- bad vendor meals!)
Buuuut, there’s one more thing I wanted to confess here today: I’m 99.9% sure Nate and I won’t photograph in-park sessions whether they’re allowed someday or not, and I kinda feel like we should talk about that.
Here’s the thing: I’ve been a Disney nerd since I was born. I mean… I literally took my first steps in Disneyland!
Disneyland and Walt Disney World are my happy places. One of the things I love most about photographing Disney weddings is that even though I miss being a cast member sometimes, I still get to work closely with the company. Working with the familiar faces at Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings is as close as we come to having a “normal” 9-5 job with coworkers!
That being said, I can’t walk into Disney’s Grand Floridian without thinking of the awesome couples we’ve gotten to photograph there. It’s become a work venue for me because we’ve spent so many hours there, cameras in hand. I can’t walk through the lobby without peeking next to the grand staircase and looking for a DFTW wedding planner, or look at “my fountain” by the pool without noticing the sunlight and which angle I’d be shooting from if we were working. The buildings on the ground are no longer grand vacation rooms, but “getting ready rooms” for our brides. I’m not at all saying it’s a bad thing, just… Different.
I hope you can understand why we won’t be booking sessions inside the Magic Kingdom. The other parks someday, maybe– But not the Magic Kingdom (and rarely at Disneyland for the same reason.) See- When I walk down Main Street, I don’t want a camera in hand. I don’t want to look around the park for the best light, or hunt for hidden corridors to pose couples. I want to sit at a bench on Main Street and think of all the times I’ve sat there with my Mom during the years “people watching.” I wanna ride Thunder Mountain and remember how I’d “accidentally” bump into Nate on every turn when we first started dating. I want to walk through Fantasyland and remember meeting my best friend Casi for the first time, and how AMAZINGLY efficient Nick and I were at Dumbo “short walk” and “long walk.” I want to walk by Philharmagic’s Fastpass Return clock and remind Nate for the 100th time that’s where A WOMAN SPIT ON ME.
If I’m gonna do a “shoot” in the parks, it’ll be of our nephew Hall getting his first haircut on Main Street. Or my brother’s first time taking his kids to Disney World. Or follow the tradition set by my Mom nearly 20 years ago and always be the last guests out of the park on our last night of every Disney vacation. :)
BUT- If you’re getting married in Epcot, we’re allllllll over that! :)
I love this post for so many reasons. You guys are so sentimental and I love it. I’m sad you didn’t get to shoot any of our in park events but we are happy for brides who now have the opportunity!
I’m a bit sad to hear that, BUT totally get it! I always get asked to plan Disney trips, and told I should be a Disney TA. I reply no. It is MY place. I’ll give you tips, share what I love most, but no, I don’t want it to be my job. I do it for fun for me. I’m STILL hoping to catch yall in WDW next January so we can hang out as friends!
Excited for you guys though! pretty close to home, and you guys take the best Disney pics!
Interesting…
Good for you guys!
Very awesome – love that you guys thought this through! I have to admit that the last time Kyle and I were in WDW together, we were on a “secret” trip because I didn’t want to worry about meeting up with anyone or scouting out locations. Sometimes you just have to play!
I definitely understand where you are coming from with this. It was hard enough on my last trip when I was in EPCOT and I kept thinking about the last mile of the marathon. Haha. I can’t even wear clothes that I wear to work to have fun because it automatically puts me in the work mindset. It would be sad to take the magic out of magic kingdom.
Just promise to keep posting pretty main street pictures from you fun non-work times! :)
I hear ya… but I’m happy to do in-park sessions if they are allowed, even if I do walk through the park and remember all the awesome couples I’ve had the privilege of working with in the parks… I can’t imagine anything better!!!
That’s great! You should keep thing special for YOU! That’s a wonderful idea. Now, I just need to plan something like a vow renewal at Epcot so I can FINALLY get some Root photos!
I love everything about this post!!
I was redirect to this site by going to http://www.thebobloblawlawblog.com
Well played.
I love all the pictures from when you guys were still allowed to photograph in-park events (that’s when I started following your blog), so YAY for the policy change! That said, it’s definitely understandable that you guys want to make sure the MK remains your “happy place” and not something that reminds you of work. I do hope that one of those occasional DL shoots will apply to us for an anniversary session though!
Oh, and that’s neat about continuing your mom’s tradition! We have a similar one about how we leave the park on our last day. :)
Ok, you made me tear up, not for your not wanting to do weddings in the Magic Kingdom, but for remembering your first steps at Disneyland, sitting and people watching with you and your never complaining to just sit on a bench at the Magic Kingdom with me, and being the last guest to leave the park on our last day to visit knowing we would be back soon. Most of all for the memories we have shared at the Magic Kingdom. We did have good times and we will always hold them dear to our hearts.
I love you honey and now to make new memories. . . . .
Jensey, as much as I loved your last post, I LOVE your Mom’s reply, too! Because, yes!!, the memories that I have with my husband and children from the MK are priceless to me and kinda sacred to our family. That’s why I love going back again and again and again. I just got back from a Mother/Daughter trip that was so much fun……..but I missed my hubby…..
Disney-lovers all know what you are talking about…..WDW is not just a vacation location, it is much more than that to us. I can’t even explain my love of the place to others…..especially those who say to me “AGAIN, you are going again?” (Hate that question!) Thank you so much for your eloquence and openness.
PS….Huck pics, please!!
As a Root bride—- I can more than proudly say that locations come and go, but pictures last a lifetime <3.
Nice post, I totally get it. I worked down in Epcot a few years back and just “working” in the park every day took away a bit of that specialness. I had vacationed MANY times growing up to the park and Disney has always been my playground and special place.
Totally off topic, but I read Nate’s lens post which was very informative but was wondering which model of Canon camera you use?
So glad you found the lens post, Jolene! :) We’re currently using the Canon 5D mkII and mkIII with our replaced mkII as a spare.
Thanks Nathan! All those “9th with Nathan” posts are great, you should write more! :D