Buck and Doe
I met this couple a few months ago to discuss their wedding, they were sweet and shy. Then we met again in July, they were much more comfortable to discuss things by then.
Their wedding was this weekend. The venue was the Lazy River Ranch at the Sidetrack Distillery in Kent. The area is all flat, no hills. The barn is the main attraction and the cottages are efficient and cozy. There are power lines and trains to contend with, but I will not do train track pictures. I will not.
There are no ponds, there is a river but it must be a good walk away because you don’t see it from the immediate area of the property. There is no winding path, no vanishing points, no mountains, no big shade trees. There was no wedding party, no maid of honor and no best man. And no wedding planner there for the day’s events. Don’t get me wrong, the barn is great, it’s fantastic. The chandeliers, the slide wide open sides, the mirrors and the barrels. I wasn’t sure how it could be filled to the expectations that I know so many brides have for their wedding day.
Are you picturing the wedding jitters I had trying to plan my shots? The only thing that I KNEW I could count on was that there would be a gorgeous bride in a beautiful white dress and a handsome groom in a tailored suit.
The couple getting married turns out have an incredible talent for creating the atmosphere that they intended to have surrounding them on their wedding day. There love is equally matched by their limitless imaginations. In addition, they communicated very well to the friends that were setting up the decor for them just how and where to put things. The venue was transformed into a woodland wonderland. Antlers, pine cones, flower, fauna, really unusual choices for decorating but worked beautifully. Plus, some of the best candy I ever tasted. (rum filled malted milk balls? Who thought to make such a thing?) The theme dovetailed well with the venue and to my surprise it wasn’t at all “underdone”
Pinterest is kind of to blame for weddings these days. I discussed this a little with other gals there whom had weddings for their daughters long before Pinterest and Facebook showed up to torment all of us mothers and brides and photographers and planners – not that it isn’t beautiful, not that they’re not great ideas but what’s tough is now it seems they’re the social norm. The social media has put pressure – actually MORE pressure, on brides-to-be to want to show their wedding online, the details, to be pinned and pinned again. Let’s face it, pictures have evolved us.
But about this wedding…as a bonus for all involved at this past Saturday’s wedding, God provided spectacular weather, a clear night sky over the area and, you may have heard, a full moon, too! There were special opportunities for some rare shots with the moon high in the sky behind them.
In a way I had not planned on, not having to deal with a wedding party was creatively liberating. There were no personalities slowing things down or interrupting shots. Their’s was a most unique and actually quite visually stimulating event, I was proud and honored to be a part of it.
Congratulations Buck & Doe, Jeff & Patience Melton. I have a feeling that anyone would be inspired to detail their wedding this way and may end up using YOUR images on their pinterest boards for reference.
