With wedding season just about over, I'm now able to catch up on weddings from the past month. The first one I'm proud to post is Annette and Andrew's. They quite possibly chose one of the most unique and beautiful locations I have had the pleasure to photograph, This Old Barn. The backdrop for the wedding, with the hay bales and fields was so picturesque. As soon as I arrived at the wedding I quickly started grabbing photos of the decorations and eventually people as they arrived. The rest of the day went by so fast, but I managed to get so many great photos.
It was a relatively small and intimate wedding which is always fun to photograph. As I mentioned in a previous post, this allows me to get even more photos of guests and moments between them. Not that I can't do that with larger weddings, but when the crowd is much smaller it's just that much easier to get in close. As people arrived, I got a ton of good candid photos and I also peeked in once in a while to see how Annette was doing. Overall, it was a very relaxed wedding and no one seemed nervous at all.
Once it was time for Annette to make her way down the isle, everyone smiled as she did so. Andrew was of course beaming and there were tears of joy in the crowd as well. The ceremony was really nice and there were some truly genuine moments. When photographing during the ceremony I always look for reactions in the crowd. Those sometimes end up being some of the best photos of the day.
After the ceremony was over, there was a quick congratulations inside from everybody and then it was off to the fields for all the formal family portraits. It was almost impossible not to walk away with fantastic photos seeing as how the backdrop was just perfect. We took advantage of the wide open field and the hay bales. When we finished the family photos we had some fun with just the bridal party. One of my favourite photos of the entire day was when Andrew tried to jump up on the hay. Let's just say he came up short the first time. I will say this, they were quite big. I don't even think I would have been able to make the leap.
The next stop for the bridal party portraits was at the top of the hill. It overlooked Mount McKay and also, the wide open field with which we just came from. Not only did I get in close on a lot of the portraits, I also made sure to step back quite a bit and get some nice expansive photos that show off just how huge the property was.
We then made our way back to the main area and mingled for a bit. I just love this part of the day because everyone is just so relaxed. I was able to snap a few more photos of Annette and Andrew along with a lot of candid photos. Before we knew it, it was time for the reception. What I liked about the reception was that it was split up nice. Everyone ate, then there was a break to wander outside, then some speeches, and another break. Eventually it was time for the 'pie' cutting. I didn't count but I believe there were at least 10 different homemade pies. I'm sure it was more. I'm not one for sweets, as my wife would attest to, but I had a slice of pumpkin and blueberry. Both were fantastic. Of course the whole layout of the pies was beautiful as well. From what Annette told me, she handled the decorations for the whole wedding.
During some of those breaks, I always made sure to follow the guest outside and there were no shortage of request for quick family portraits. Something I have been doing at some of my recent weddings is bringing my little Instax Polaroid printer. I use my Fuji X-T1 and print directly from it. I can't stress enough how popular it is. Once people see and hold the little polaroid in their hand and watch it magically expose in front of their eyes, they alway tell other family members and friends. Before I know it, I'm getting multiple requests.
As it got darker, it was time for the first dance. Everything was lit up beautifully and with the guest gathering around watching, it made for the perfect first dance. After that they had the parent dances and eventually the guests. And then my night was over. I am still amazed at how many photos I came away with. Annette and Andrew were the perfect couple to photograph as they did anything I told them to. If I had an idea for a photo that I wanted to try, they did it without hesitation. Having such an easy going and kind couple to photograph made my job that much easier. Thank you!
