Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life. It’s something you’ll remember forever, filled with memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Of course you’re going to remember the big moments — that “I do” and your first kiss as a married couple. What about the smaller moments? That’s what photographers are for.

What’s a wedding without a million photos to remember each and every second of that special day?

There’s also the “befores” of a wedding — and when you’re sending out those “Save the Dates” for your big day you’ll want a cute photo of yourselves as a couple on that. Today, engagement photos are just as common as the day of wedding photos as well.

Wedding photos are one of the most important parts of your wedding day, so of course, you’re going to want to hire a special photographer to make sure you capture those moments forever.

Iowa State students Chelsey Rouse and Annie Eischen strive to do just that. Rouse, a sophomore, and Eischen, a junior, are still busy with school work but make time for that which they are passionate about — photography.

Rouse is a new face to the photography world, but just as passionate as the next person. Just past May, Rouse said she stumbled upon a photography blog and realized how amazing being a photographer could be. 

“I had no camera, no experience, and no idea what I was doing, but I went on a whim and ordered a camera that very day,” Rouse said. “I had no idea if I’d be god at it or would even like it, I just knew that I would make myself be good at it.”

Rouse quickly found out she loved it. “Part of what excited me most about photography was that it provided me with the opportunity to combine my creativity with my passion for the business world.”

Rouse has utilized social networking sites in order to target potential clients and has since gained a following. Her Facebook page — Chelsey Rouse Photography — currently has nearly 900 likes.

As a bit of a beginner in the world of photography, Rouse is always looking for inspiration from other photographers. Rouse said she constantly looks at other photographer’s websites and blogs for inspiration. 

“I also gain inspiration from each individual client. Everyone’s personality is so unique and I try my best to make that shine through in their photos,” Rouse said.

Rouse has been focusing more on senior portraits than anything, but said she has found out that she enjoys engagement photography as well. 

Rouse said she has turned down clients asking for wedding photography in the past because of the pressure, but has found that shooting engagement photos are something she not only feels comfortable with but something she can find enjoyment in.

“Anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with weddings,” Rouse said. “I worked as a Bridal Consultant all through high school, have dedicated countless hours to my “Dream Wedding” board on Pinterest and even began college with an Event Management major in hopes of becoming a wedding planner.” 

Needless to say, Rouse wants a perfect wedding for herself someday — and that, of course, includes photography. “I want everyone else’s photos to be perfect too.” 

Perhaps some day, when Rouse gets a little more experience in the photography world, she’ll shoot weddings. But for now, engagement photos are just right.

Rouse has just finished an engagement photo shoot, and said that it was an amazing time. “I love love. It makes me so happy to be able to capture sweet little moments between two people who are so blissfully in love,” Rouse said. Perhaps that is why she’s been found to be a skilled engagement photographer.

The last engagement shoot Rouse was a part of was something really special. Both bride and groom were Iowa State alumni — and continue to be loyal Cyclone fans today. Because of their love for Iowa State, the couple chose to have their photos taken in Jack Trice Stadium.

“It was the perfect place to capture their love for each other and love for ISU,” Rouse said. “It was also crazy to see the stadium when it was empty and the field wasn’t painted — the pictures were taken on our bye week.”

As Rouse keeps her focus on engagement photos, fellow Iowa State student Annie Eischen has found enjoyment in taking pictures of the bride and groom on their special wedding day as well as engagement photo shoots.

Eischen found her passion for anything involving creativity at a very young age, but while in high school, she began taking photos with a small digital camera for fun — and it grew from there.

After investing in a decent digital camera, Eischen had friends and family members coming to her with photography gigs, knowing she would be reasonable and fun.

From there, Eischen began a small side business called Annie’s Easel. Eischen specialized in more than just photography — she also painted murals and participated in art shows across Iowa this past summer.

Like Rouse, Eischen has found inspiration in each separate person she photographs. “I love the feeling I get when I’m done with a shoot and realize these photos are going to be something that a family cherishes forever.”

Eischen said she, similarly to Rouse, enjoys taking engagement photos. “I like the one-on-one aspect of the shoot,” Eischen said. “I can witness the excitement they have about getting hitched. It makes me all sorts of warm and fuzzy inside.”

As Rouse indicated that she may feel added pressure to a wedding day shoot, Eischen said she feels differently. 

“I have been blessed to work with clients that have full trust in my abilities so it has been easy so far,” Eischen said. “If I sense any stress, I analyze the situation and come up with a way to resolve it. If the bride is unhappy, I’m unhappy.”

Eischen recently took photos for a wedding and found it to run very smoothly. This, Eischen said, was probably because the bride was very organized and had an itinerary set up for Eischen. 

Eischen said that the bride told her what kinds of photos she wanted, but also left Eischen with complete freedom to do what she felt would look good.

Eischen arrived at the wedding for the ‘first look’ shot — the bride getting ready with her bridesmaids. Following that, Eischen headed over to the church where the wedding would be held. There, she figured out the lighting so she would be prepared for all the photos she would be taking during the wedding.

Eischen’s next step was to was to head to the reception area to plan out some photos and angles for the photos she would be taking during the reception. 

“Once the wedding party was all spiffed up, the fun really began,” Eischen said. “One of my absolute favorite moments of the entire day was when I caught the first reaction of the groom seeing his bride-to-be.”

Eischen said she understands that wedding and engagement photos are some of the most important pictures a person will have taken during their lifetimes. She advises future brides and grooms who are booking photographers to really try to feel out not only the photographers photography style, but also their attitude before committing to a photographer.

Rouse and Eischen both have found passion in photography, as have many people before them, and many people will after them. Both offered some advice for aspiring photographers.

“Practice, practice, practice,” Rouse said. “Try new things, even if you’re unsure of how the photos will look. Read photography blogs, surf the photography category of Pinterest and look at other photographer’s websites to gain inspiration.”

“I strongly believe anyone can be a photographer but it is your attitude, personality and spirit that will set you apart from the rest,” Eischen said. If you cane leave a shoot and know you did your best to make them happy, you are guaranteed to be successful.”

Eischen added, “There is no such thing as a bad photo, unless it is completely black. Then, it’s a really bad photo.”