Essential Stuff

There are always a couple highlights of a wedding for me.  I don’t know what they will be beforehand, but there are usually things that are unexpected or delightful or particularly photogenic.  There were a number at Bethany and Scott’s wedding.

Scott’s Groom-Daughter dance was something unlike I had ever seen before, precious and delightful in its completely unique way (it involved very few steps, but lots of head-rocking).  When Bethany went to say her vows, and the musical group in the park started playing at the same moment, she took it in stride, gave the band a good “shush” (which didn’t work), the improvised with the clip-on mic.  And I had a particularly good view for the reactions of Bethany and Scott as after they sipped the communion wine, which had unfortunately been heated to a toasty temperature from the sun. The first dance, with the sunset, was gorgeous. Though perhaps my favorite moment was a festive spontaneous applause from onlookers as Bethany and Scott walked toward the reception site, where food, and dancing, and family and friends awaited.  A gallery of the wedding photographs is available here.

This is Katie and John.  When I found out they were having their reception at the Barrister Winery, I immediately thought of the beautiful turquoise doors and the loading dock, and how spectacular portraits would look there.  I had shot some senior portraits and done a fashion shoot there, and even shot inside the winery itself, thanks to the very accommodating owners.   But the idea of a bride and groom there—well, I thought it would be very cool.  Fortunately, Katie and John were really excited about the idea.

It was a great location for the reception for other reasons, too.  Sophisticated, yet relaxed.  Fun, and cosmopolitan, it reflected Katie and John and their family and guests.   Katie is a lawyer and John is a policy advisor and scholar in Washington DC, but there is no pretense with them.  Katie is still at home in Spokane, and John loves to dance, and the reception reflected all parts of who they are.  I think the wedding pictures do too, which you can see here.

This is Breelyn and Ryan.  And to me, anyway, this isn’t just them in the picture, but this is really them, who they are:  together, racing through the world, laughing, connected, enjoying the ride, on their way to wherever they are going, loving it and loving each other.

I always tell people that what makes my job fun is that I’m not photographing weddings:  I’m capturing the personalities of two unique people on their wedding day.  And I’ve seen few weddings as personality-driven as Breelyn and Ryan’s.  Creative.  Expressive.  Quirky.  Fun.  Joyful.  Free-spirited.

This was, for instance, the first wedding I’ve photographed where there was, instead of a unity candle or sand ceremony, a “painting ceremony” where they painted a heart together on a canvas.  Or where the bride said the theme of the wedding was “Maps and Birds.”  Or where grandparents were posthumously honored in portraits with hand-held cardboard face images.  Or where a leisurely portrait session led into fountains and up fire-escapes and had to include, by explicit demand of the bride and groom, images of their the bridal party hiking up their pants/dresses, shot from the waist down.  Or where an armless, legless mannequin named “Doris”, dressed something like a flapper,  sat forlornly at a corner table.  Or where simply clinking bells wouldn’t elicit kisses at the reception:  couples were also required to demonstrate exactly what kind of kiss they wanted Breelyn and Ryan to execute.

None of it was forced or unnatural.  It simply expressed Breelyn and Ryan.  But in many ways, their day wasn’t about them:  instead, it was a generous celebration of their families and their friends, and Breelyn and Ryan’s warmth and good-humor was utterly contagious.  I was privileged to share their day with them (click here for an online gallery).

Stacy and David’s wedding almost felt a bit like a reunion for me.  Not only had I done their engagement pictures earlier, but just last year, I was privileged to photograph the wedding of Ryne and Shayley, who happens to be Stacy’s sister (and brother-in-law, obviously).  It was good to see Stacy’s family again.

But as I’ve said many times, no two weddings are alike.  So even if the ceremony venue was the same, and the reception venue was the same, and even the officiant and the DJ (and photographer!) were the same, the day was uniquely Stacy and David’s (images here).  We had a great time doing portraits, both before and after the ceremony (watch for the food workers!).  The toasts were fun and moving.  The dancing was lively, and David’s friends from Montana brought a unique flavor.  Mostly, it was just fun to watch David and Stacy together, connected and enjoying their family and friends and mostly, each other.

Kaleena and Joel are the second couple I photographed this summer who married at the Chewelah Peak Learning Center, which is waaaaay up on Chewelah Peak.  That was good, because I think the altitude and breeze kept the temperatures a few notches below 100.  Not that it would have mattered:  Kaleena and Joel would have had a great time anyway.

They were laughing and smiling the whole day.  A lot of the happy goodies were planned (the sprinting down the aisle after the ceremony, the First Dance Surprise, some goofy portraits), while others were spontaneous (like Kaleena being asked to take Joel as her wife; and the joyful relief when Kaleena didn’t tip over backwards down the embankment).  I’m not sure, but I have the feeling that even if she had gone down, she still would have thought it was delightful.  Nothing, really, could make this day go wrong.  A full gallery of images is available here.