'Life After The I Do': Wedding Photographer Revisits Lovebirds

NORTH FORK, NY — Mary Latham, who lives on the North Fork, made headlines with her "More Good Today" project: She spent three years on an epic cross-country road trip to find stories of goodness and gratitude — all in memory of her beloved mother, whom she lost to cancer.

Along the way, Latham chronicled her journey with words, stories, and images, capturing the kindness and acts of pure goodness she found in every corner of the country. And when she returned home to the North Fork, the community celebrated her dream fulfilled.

Now, she's continuing with her passion for storytelling, focusing her lens of kindness on the "Where Now: Life After The 'I Do'" project, as she heads back to interview couples whose nuptials she captured as a wedding photographer with MALA Photography. Her goal, she said, is to see how their love stories have evolved.

The series of short films will be shown every Wednesday this summer on Latham's YouTube channel.

It's the perfect way to celebrate 10 years of life as a wedding photographer, she said.

Latham said she was inspired by a couple she photographed at the beginning of her career.

"On the day of their wedding, I was driving an old pickup truck and when we had to move locations the bride jumped in the back of my truck with not a care in the world in her white dress," she said. "That couple, Margaret and Brad, and their super easy-going vibe was what got me into this career from the start."

After their wedding, Latham didn't see the pair for some time. "Eight years later while I was on my 'More Good' road trip, Margaret reached out and offered a guest room in their new home in Indiana. I ended up staying with them and getting to see my photos displayed around their hallway — including my favorite photo of them in the truck."

She also was able to meet the couple's daughter Olivia.

"During my visit, Margaret asked if I could recreate a photo she loved from her wedding day. After we took the photo Margaret and I got to talking and she mentioned how at one point they almost had gotten divorced because of how challenging it was after their child was born. Between that conversation and the pandemic that shut down a lot of my business, I was inspired to start this project. I thought it would be interesting to go back and see these couples and what their life was like now years later through a photo and also a super casual sit-down interview."

The experience has been comprised of deeply meaningful moments, not the least of which was just seeing her photos hanging on the walls of the couples whose love she captured as they set out on their lives together.

"Honestly, just seeing them still fighting for their marriages and working through their challenges was what impacted me the most. I get very invested in my couple’s stories and it was so hopeful to see them like this, years later," Latham said.

The YouTube videos she created are reminiscent of her epic road trip, during which she traveled to 50 states, visited 154 host homes, and traversed 43,000 miles — searching for stories of good and hope.

"This form of storytelling was a lot like 'More Good' because I wanted to keep it as raw and honest as possible. The 'More Good' road trip was not a filtered Instagram photo of kindness and perfection. It was stories of traumas, challenges, and heartbreak of people around our country and how they chose to give back or create something to help others," she said.

She added: "With this project, I’m trying to shine a light on marriage and relationships a little more relatable. We are not the perfect family photos we display on social media and these marriages are not perfect. They are hard work, full of challenges, but they are also full of choices. The choice to continue to stay. The choice to continue to fight for the person we chose."

Bringing couples back to the same location, or recreating the same photo they posed for on their wedding day, tells the story in a way that little else could, she said.

"It's where they were — and where they are now. When I arrive to do the second part of the project, the interview, I usually show the couple the photos in a slideshow fashion," she said. "First, the wedding photo pops up and then slides across to the recent one with their kids. It’s cool to watch them see it and realize how much has changed for them since the original photo."

After she's spoken to the couple for about an hour, Latham "sneakily" takes out her phone and tells them she's going to take a home video of them answering some questions, she said.

"At first there is usually a concern about appearance or lack of makeup but I comfort them with the fact it's a very old vintage grainy app — and also that the point is to be honest! They don't have hair and makeup done at 8 p.m. after putting their kids to bed so we have to stay truthful. They usually laugh and completely agree and we start filming."

The interviews have taught Latham a life lesson about marriage, that it's important to find someone you enjoy being around and that you have fun with, she said.

What she's trying to convey is critical in an Instagram-focused world, she said. "The message I’m hoping to send is to be more honest and real with the way we portray our stories. Social media does a phenomenal job at making us jealous of others' seemingly 'perfect' lives, when in reality we are all going through hard stuff. If I can make these couples, and their marriages, a little more real and relatable for other people who might feel alone in their problems, that’s a success to me."

As for Latham, she finds fulfillment in being able to look back on a decade of her business and in maintaining long-time relationships with her clients.

"I love the people I’ve photographed and I love that I can continue to work with them with family photos, or just see them out on the town and give them a huge hug. I feel very fortunate that I’ve had such wonderful people to document and that we continue to try and stay in touch," she said.

The first official story featuring three couples will go up on Latham's Youtube channel Wednesday at 8 p.m.