37 FramesThere’s a quote we stumbled across recently that stopped us in our tracks:
“Your purpose is not the thing you do. It is the thing that happens in others when you do what you do.” – Dr. Caroline Leaf
At first glance, it feels like a life philosophy. But the more we thought about it, the more it felt like the essence of what weddings … and our work … are really about.
Because here’s the truth: your wedding day isn’t only about the flowers, or the photos, or the food (though yes, we’ll make sure all those are exquisite). It’s about what those choices create in others.
The tears in your mother’s eyes as she sees you in your dress. The pride radiating from a father’s speech. The joy bubbling out of friends who’ve flown across oceans to be in one room together. Your purpose isn’t the thing you do … it’s the ripple you cause. And weddings, when done right, are tidal waves of ripple.
Purpose Is Not Perfection
We live in a world obsessed with Pinterest boards and Instagram feeds. The temptation is to think purpose lies in perfection … the flawless table setting, the “must-have” shot, the color palette approved by Vogue.
But purpose is rarely photogenic in the moment. It’s messy, unpredictable, alive. Purpose is rain in Hakuba that forces everyone closer together under umbrellas. Purpose is the sound of your guests gasping when Mount Fuji appears from behind the clouds. Purpose is in the way people feel years later when they remember being there.
Weddings as Mirrors
A wedding is always a mirror. It reflects not just who you are as a couple, but how you make people feel when they’re around you. Are you playful? Grounded? Adventurous? Traditional with a twist? That energy … your purpose … is what your guests will carry home.
It’s why we believe weddings are more than events. They are cultural artifacts. Living testaments to who you are, and how you’ve impacted those who love you most.
The Invisible Work Behind Purpose
Here’s the paradox: purpose doesn’t just “happen.” It’s crafted. Not staged, not forced, but curated with care.
- It’s why we plan obsessively.
- Why we photograph relentlessly.
- Why we film with one eye on the details and another on the bigger story.
Because our job isn’t to “do the thing.” Our job is to create conditions where purpose can take root. Where the love you’ve nurtured shows up in your people, and lingers for decades.
Purpose in Destination Weddings
Why do couples fly across the world to marry in Japan? It’s not convenience. It’s not ease. It’s purpose.
- They want their friends to remember the quiet of a Kyoto temple garden.
- They want their children to look back and know their parents stood beneath cherry blossoms, saying vows under a sky that felt eternal.
- They want their families to be changed by the beauty, the kindness, the omotenashi of this place.
The purpose isn’t the passport stamp. It’s the imprint left in everyone who witnesses the day.
Your Purpose, Our Promise
For us at 37 Frames, purpose means this:
- We’re not just wedding planners. We’re architects of atmosphere.
- We’re not just photographers. We’re memory-keepers.
- We’re not just filmmakers. We’re curators of feeling.
Our purpose is never just the thing we do. It’s what happens to you … and to everyone you love … when we do it.
Final Reflection
Purpose is not in the photos, though they’ll be exquisite. It’s not in the flowers, though they’ll be breathtaking. It’s not even in the vows, though they’ll echo in your hearts.
Purpose is in the way your guests remember how they felt. The way your children hear the stories one day. The way your life is marked, not by tasks completed, but by lives touched.
We do this, not for the timeline. Not for the spectacle. But for the ripple.
Because your purpose is bigger than you. And your wedding? That’s where it begins to flow outward, into everyone who loves you.
📋 Planning | 📸 Photography | 🎥 Film by @37frames
🗝 Crafted with soul, sweat, and maybe one too many espressos
37 Frames
