Weddings and what I look for at them...

A wedding is probably the the highest tension event most of us will ever go through. It seems to be a self-generating combination of what ifs, how comes, and OHHHH MANNNNNNNNNN's! But...in spite of that, by the time the dust clears, in most cases they are a really great time. Today I was going through some files and came up on a wedding I shot in Crested Butte, Colorado. It was one of my most memorable for a multitude of reasons. I have found that through the years I have had incredible customer loyalty and generally remember my clients, if not by name, by the images I shot of them. In many cases they are still floating in my memory. I had photographed this family in the early 70's when the children were young and Dad was just starting his career. The home I photographed in was in Neosho and a wonderful place to be, warm and inviting.

This particular wedding was going to be outside overlooking a fabulous meadow filled with wildflowers in Crested Butte where the couple had met and presently lived. The view was a spectacular John Denver kind of thing outside and the weather sparkling. The deck was large and easily would give everyone a good piece of the view and yet create an intimacy for the wedding we all could enjoy. The mountains, which surrounded us with white tops and tree laden slopes did however contribute to a weather pattern that could be pretty unpredictable. As we were getting ready to shoot the first Claps of thunder rolled through the valley.

That started the fire drill with all of the guys and dads scrambling to save the flowers and other decorations on the deck. Through the following rumbles and cracks of lightening I started the formal portraits inside. In what seemed an eternity to me, I photographed the groups, individuals, couples and family members silently wondering how special the wedding could have been if the weather had cooperated.

In Missouri, when it starts to rain it generally lasts a good part of the day. Not having spent much time in the mountains I figured the day was lost and we would have to accept the fate that was stareing at us......INSIDE WEDDING. The Bride didn't seem to be too concerned and I was amazed at her acceptance of the hand she was dealt. What I hadn't considered and didn't realize, WE WERE IN THE MOUNTAINS !!! It almost always rains in the mountains daily in late July early August. Soon the clouds broke, the sun came out, the deck redecorated, and the wedding was a complete success.

I have several memorable images I would like to share with you from that wedding. There are so many imagers that present themselves that unique to the event.