10.10.10... Not planned that way, but probably one of the most memorable dates to get married. A friend of mine (who I met last year when I worked at the Sheraton on Okaloosa Island) got married this past weekend and asked me to be their official photographer. This was my first wedding, but I did my research and preparation for the occasion in the weeks leading up to it.
We met up to discuss the details and fortunately we both wanted the same things from the images. She wanted me to go with her to her hair appointment, follow her and her finance around before the ceremony to capture them getting ready separately, capture the ceremony and of course the reception. After her hair appointment, I drove her back to the Sheraton hotel (where the ceremony & reception were to take place) and followed her up to her parent's hotel room where the bride, maid-of-honor, mother, and a couple friends got ready. The bride, Tasha, applied her make up on in front of a full-length mirror attached to the closet door by the front door.
Before the bride put on her wedding dress, I scampered over to the groom's room in another building and captured him and his best man getting ready for the ceremony. The best man still needed to pin his boutonnière on, so after trial and error, the groom gave him a hand.
Carrying a bag from the groom, I walked back up to the bride's room in time to catch her finishing up. Without informing her to do so, she walked over to the window to watch as the ceremony was being set up outside. Then, without seeing her finance all day, she caught a glimpse of him waiting for her on the walkway and continued to gaze at him for several minutes.
After a few last minute details, the bride and her mom, dad and sister (also her maid-of-honor) waited by the elevator as they headed to the ceremony. Spending the last few minutes as a single woman with her family was both emotional for her and for them.
Now the time for "I do" arrived, and neither the bride nor the groom were hesitant to say the words. The ceremony was small with about 40 guests (including myself) with simple, elegant music being played on an iPod to start everything off. The whole wedding lasted about 10-15 minutes from the vows, to the rings, to the kiss.
The quick ceremony gave me ample time with the wedding party for the post-wedding photo shoot. I started with the whole group and worked my way down to the bride, maid-of-honor, groom, and best man. I took the traditional jump shot several times until I captured the best shot.
Then I cleared the beach of any guests and spent some time alone with the couple. I wanted them to be as comfortable as possible with few distractions. I hardly had to give them much direction as they both found joy in sharing these precious moments with each other as if I wasn't around. That's the way photographers like it.
A close-up of the rings and bouquet was a must-have.
Walking toward the sunset...
Finally Mr. & Mrs. Chris DiSalle made it back inside for their reception. After sharing a dance with each other to their song, "Here" by Rascal Flatts, the bride and her father took the dance floor. This is when the raw emotions began to surface.
The traditional bouquet toss was at hand and two of the people closest to the bride (her sister on the left and best friend on the right) leaped after the bouquet with all their might. Her sister was the winner.
A little Champaign and a little cake never hurt anyone, especially at a wedding...
As a special gift to her sister and maid-of-honor, Tasha presented her with a scrapbook of their childhood together. Her sister could hardly hold tears back and immediately embraced Tasha with gratitude and excitement.
Several hours (and drinks) later, the bride and groom were ready to part from the crowd and head into the night. At their request, the guests lined up with sparklers on both sides of the pathway and lit them up as the newly weds walked underneath. Then, the couple lit their own pair and embraced in a kiss.
From the make-up, wardrobes, elevator rides, barefoot walks, "I do's", soft music, scrumptious Hors d’oeuvres, sparkling Champaign, fluffy-light cake, signature moments, and radiant sparklers, the wedding was an overall adventure (as a guest) and success (as a photographer). Even though I had a place setting, I avoided alcohol and stuck to the meal and cake only. Still, I lifted my glass of water and drank to the toasts for the couple and still managed to click the shutter enough times to capture the moments worth treasuring. Knowing I was able to do that for a friend made my first wedding (as a photographer) more special and memorable than any other would have been.
Now, as I venture on into more weddings in the future, I plan to spend time and get to know the couple and their families to truly learn the essence of who they are as people. That is the key to photographing a wedding. You must know your subjects so that your subjects are known through your images.
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