Meet Sidney Redd | Destination Wedding + Couples Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sidney Redd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sidney, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
Wow, this took a lot of thinking. What genuinely makes me happy is this current stage of my life. I’m finding out who I am, what’s truly important to me, and the relationships that I value most. I’m finding out who Sidney really is. Sidney outside of her career; Sidney outside of her husband; Sidney outside of her family and friends; just Sidney. There is nothing more empowering than this. It brings me genuine joy to finally begin to take care of myself and my needs. Honestly, it may sound selfish, but I think we all need to be sometimes. We all deserve that.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I started this very selfishly. I was planning my own wedding and simply wanted the opportunity to see more of what people were doing; the product of wedding planning. I assisted my first wedding and fell in love. I had no gear and not a lot of money to invest in any, but I knew I needed to figure it out. I am currently a NICU nurse. While my job is very rewarding and I am passionate about it, it’s also mentally and physically taxing. I’ve seen and done things that I would never wish on my worst enemy. NICU nursing is a true honor, but it is hard. I can still hear the hysterical crying of parents over their children. I have memories I will never forget. This doesn’t happen on wedding days. On wedding days, I am with people on the happiest days of their lives as they know it. Oftentimes, we share tears, but tears of joy. There’s happiness. There’s excitement. I hear more “congratulations!” than “I’m sorry” or “I have bad news”. I can’t imagine NOT starting my adult life as a NICU nurse, but even more than that, I can’t imagine ending it this way either.

None of this has come easy to me and if I have ever portrayed that it has, I am sorry. Becoming an entrepreneur and deciding to capture the biggest moments of people’s lives is hard, but as cliche as it sounds, nothing comes easy. Although I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into, I refuse to back down. It’s not work. It’s not another task to check off. It’s my passion. I get to turn couples’ special moments into cherished memories that reflect their love and style. I thrive off of capturing the in between moments; authenticity; movement; natural feelings. Each moment is captured intentionally.

I will always show up for my couples. No matter what. I want the best day of their lives as they know it to be just as perfect as they do. My job is to not only deliver photos, but to deliver a connection; a sense of calm; to be their #1 hype girl and bestie. With my genuine love for them and their wedding day, I’m able to capture their love for exactly what it is: raw and genuine. The photos I deliver will allow them to relive every single moment filled with tears, laughter, joy, sincerity, and happiness over and over again for the rest of their lives.

I am proud of myself for taking a leap of faith and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I’m thankful to have joined such an amazing community and to have been trusted enough to capture life’s most intimate moments for so many. I live for the moments when “clients” become close friends and I gain the opportunity to capture their precious love story as life goes on and their family grows.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My best friend and I would HAVE to stay at The Dewberry! We need to take full advantage of the Spa and Wellness experiences they offer when we’re not out and about exploring the beautiful city. We’d check out the hotel’s Citrus Club so we can enjoy the rooftop bar and downtown views. We’d also head to Church and Union for apps and a cocktail before heading to dinner at Tempest! We can’t miss out on a great historical tour to see all of the gardens and churches. Brunch at Stars before shopping on King Street would be amazing! Rainbow Row is a MUST! Cypress Gardens is an ABSOLUTE MUST! Catching a sunset on the beach on Sullivan’s Island would be a picture perfect moment. Barbecue at Home Town before OR after sounds phenomenal. We definitely can’t miss out on a sail with Sail Mental Heeling starting at sunrise. Oh my gosh, can you imagine?! Ugh! I could go on and on! There’s so much to do; so much fun to be had!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Oh my gosh, my family! My husband, my parents, and my sister have been absolutely AMAZING. They’re all my biggest cheerleaders and I simply would not be as successful as I am without their love and support.

ALSO, I’ve had the best mentors: Luke and Ashley Photography; Sincerely, Christina Photo; and Because I Am Photography. The four of them have all had significant impacts on my journey. They’ve taken me under their wings and taught me all that I know. I will be forever grateful to these kind, self-less entrepreneurs. I want to be just like them when I grow up!

Website: https://www.sidneyalexandreaphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidneyalexandreaphotography

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sidneyalexandreaphotography

Other: Tik Tok: @sidney.alexandrea

Image Credits
The personal photo was taken by Sarah Vanderford Photography
The additional photos were taken by Sidney Alexandrea Photography second shooting for Rebekah McClure x The Family Films