So, this past summer, something totally unexpected happened. I was in sunny Florida for my little brother’s wedding, right? And get this – on the DAY OF THE WEDDING, my brother comes up to me with this smirk on his face and drops the bomb: their wedding videographer couldn’t make it due to a family emergency. Then, he asks if I could step in and film their special day.

Let me tell you, the expectations? They were on the floor. We’re talking LOOOWWWWW.

I’ve been the “official” family videographer for years, sure, but this? This was a whole new level of important. Talk about nerve-wracking!

But wait, it gets better – I had no proper video equipment with me. Just my phone (which, thank goodness, has a pretty great camera), but no video stabilizer or anything fancy. Minimal tools, zero prep time, and I’m frantically searching for a store near Jacksonville to grab some gear. Spoiler: no luck.

So, what did I do? I just went for it – full send!

Spoiler Alert! As someone who’s super passionate about capturing candid, unplanned moments, I pretty much rocked it. I ended up creating this beautiful wedding video (not to toot my own horn, but even my brother and his new wife think so too!).

I show up at the wedding, do my thing with my phone, and spend the next couple of weeks editing this masterpiece. The family viewing? A hit! My mom’s in tears, I’m drowning in hugs and kudos for taking on this last-minute challenge. It was so rewarding to see that my basic skills could capture such a significant moment for my sibling.

This is exactly why I love what I do. I get to create beauty and spread joy, especially for the people closest to me.

So, after hyping this up, I bet you’re curious about the video, right? This whole experience just reaffirmed my belief: embracing challenges and new situations is how I learn, grow, and do what I love.