If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 100 times– Lindsey Bennink is the unsung hero of Hannah Bryerton Photography. As I’m hitting publish on this blog post, it’s officially striking midnight on her birthday… and I couldn’t imagine a better time to shout her from the rooftops.
Lindsey has been my wedding-day assistant since 2021, and despite people thinking I’m slightly off my rocker for willingly documenting weddings as the primary (and usually sole) photographer… she is what makes every ounce of it possible.
She’s been by my side through a pandemic, two separate wedding seasons where I was miserably pregnant, countless days filled with WNY’s most unpredictable weather, and some of my largest + most stressful events to date. (I know she would want me to mention to the world that she doesn’t NEED this job; she already has an entire career as an educator. She actively chooses to endure such chaos alongside me for the pure thrill of it.) This also feels like a stellar time to mention that at our very first wedding together, she let a swinging door shut right in my face about ten minutes into our day. I forgave her and kept her around anyway. Needless to say, it took time, repetition, and a few epic failures to become the team we are today. But, dang, have we had fun doing it.
Every season, she threatens that she might hang up her title and call it quits soon, but I fear that the day she does… I might be forced to do the same. I’m not sure that HBP would feel complete without her anymore.
So please allow me to spend the rest of this blog post telling you why– celebrating the adventures we’ve had together, love and joy she brings to everything she touches, and just a few little things that make my weekends spent with Lindsey so extraordinary.
Before you learn anything about her role on a wedding day, you should know that she’s one of the most intentional, compassionate, and loving moms I have ever met. Every weekend she gets in my car to go to a wedding, she’s leaving behind this beautiful family of hers.
I am truly so grateful for Matt, Macklin, & Laikan’s willingness to share their beautiful wife & mom with me. It’s a sacrifice I will never take for granted.
If Lindsey knew I was writing a full blog post dedicated to her existence, I’m confident she’d react similar to these two photos below. She knows full-well how many hidden, behind-the-scenes gems I have nestled away on my hard drives from over the years. I’ve joked that I’m simply waiting for the perfect time to release them to the world… and when better than this very monumental birthday, paired with the beginning of our fifth wedding season together?
I’m only joking! Lindsey, you can breathe a sigh of relief. However, the day you actually do decide to retire from this job… I make no promises for what images may or may not surface upon your resignation.
To know Lindsey is to love her. She truly does it all and she doesn’t do ANY of it halfway- not just at HBP, but really in every aspect of life. On a wedding day, she will carry your train through wet grass and mud, jump in to help bridesmaids bustle the gown, and ensure that veil stays perfectly in place through even the strongest gusts of wind. She’s a consistent, calming, helpful presence that makes every moment just a little bit sweeter. I’ve gotten to the point where I obviously *can* still document a wedding without her, but truly… I just don’t want to. Everything just goes smoother when Lindsey is around.
She helps carry all my gear and takes on the title of “human pack mule” every wedding weekend. And she even does it with a smile on her face… most of the time. (Believe me, though, some of that gear is HEAVY; she’s earned the right to complain every now and then) She spends the entire day anticipating my next move, preparing for what’s coming up on the timeline, keeping us all on schedule, ensuring every moving part stays in motion… which ultimately equips me to do my job to the best of my ability.
Preparing details for styling. Cleaning the getting-ready space. Rearranging furniture. Packing gear bags. Changing batteries. Switching out lenses. Crossing items off the shot list. Communicating with other vendors. Being my second set of eyes for moments I may otherwise miss. Forcing me to drink water while eight months pregnant. Parallel parking the car. (Embarrassed to admit that last one has occurred more than once…)
Remember when I said she does it all? One time, she even took my chewed gum to the wastebasket in her bare hand… which would be kind of gross for some people, but exorbitantly disgusting for her because she’s actually a huge germaphobe. That was the moment I knew things were getting serious between us.
She holds babies & befriends even the shyest of flower girls and ring bearers. Cries through all the private, handwritten vows. Helps pin on countless boutonnieres during time crunches. And most crucial of all… never says no to Chick-fil-A after a long day.
She is the best test subject for all lighting scenarios. Though often against her will, she obliges begrudgingly and is present, nonetheless. Given the choice between this task or organizing family formal photos… I know she’d still choose this 100x over.
Most of all, she loves our couples so well and cherishes their memories as if they were her own. She pays attention to the littlest details & values the importance of doing a job thoroughly in a world where that truly is no longer the norm. I always say that every friendship is built upon finding someone who is willing to give a sh*t equally as much as you do… and, gosh, does Lindsey do exactly that.
Lindsey— here’s all the world’s french fries & bubbly wedding reception Cokes to you, my friend.
My emotional support human. The most loving, hardworking, hilarious, outspoken, and deeply-kind spirit. A confidant I didn’t even know I needed, but am so thankful life gave me. My role model in pursuit of raising kind, downright good humans. A consistent sounding board through really ugly & equally beautiful seasons. The often overlooked & underappreciated, who continues to show up and do it all for everyone in her life. Your big heart and relentless mission for being the good this world desperately needs will never be lost on me.
I love you like I love Chick-fil-A, Taylor Swift’s entire discography, and the feeling I get the moment a DJ starts spinning early 2000s rap music. Which as you know by now… is a whole lot.
Thank you for all you do for me, my family, and our couples. I never dreamed I’d find someone who cared about the littlest details of my business in the same way I do, but God really showed up and showed out when He brought me you. I’ll keep you for as long as you’ll let me & be endlessly thankful for every moment I get to! xoxo
