I didn't really know what to expect going into Maureen and Ryan's wedding, which took place this past weekend in their backyard. It was going to be a short wedding as they only had me for 2 hours so I knew I had to work extra hard to make sure I capture enough moments without really forcing anything. Well, lucky for me, a lot happened in that 2 hours and it may go down as my most unique wedding to date.
As soon as I arrived, I was greeted by a very inquisitive family dog who just wanted someone to throw his tennis ball. Sadly, I just didn't have the time to do so, instead I took a nice photo. I then made my way around the property a bit and inspected where everything would be taking place. As soon as I found the tent where the ceremony was going to be, I noticed a huge lifted truck painted green with skulls all around. Right then I knew, it was going to be a very different wedding.
As guests gathered, I did my usual thing and took a lot of candid photos. Soon after, Ryan arrived driving a side by side towing his groomsmen behind them. He, along with the boys were all dressed up in very stylish came attire. That was the first of many firsts that day during any wedding that I had previously photographed. As everyone got settled and made their way to the tent area, the bridesmaids and eventually Maureen made their way toward the alter.
The backdrop for the ceremony was simply awesome, as Maureen and Ryan stood in front of his truck. As with most ceremonies these days, theirs was fairly quick, which I'm sure guests in general really appreciate. They soon sealed their vows with a kiss and it was time for another first for me. Out in the open field, they rigged a hay stay stack with some explosives. I was told, along with all the guests, to put ear plugs in. Admittedly, I wondered if they were really necessary. How loud could it be after all? Thank god I did. Andrew, who's wedding a photographed a couple years ago, set up with this monstrous rifle, and fired one shot into the hay stack. Then BOOM. The loudest explosion I have very heard could be seen off in the distance, with the ground and hay flying everywhere. It was really a site to behold.
Once the dust settled, we did all the family portraits. We used the backdrop of the open field along with a beautiful old barn for most of the portraits. Of course, we also took advantage of the big truck for a lot of truly unique photos as well. My favourite was definitely Maureen, in the back of the truck, holding the long rifle giving me one of the best bride poses ever. It was a fitting end to such a fun and unique wedding.
To be honest, that is what I love most about shooting weddings in general. I always have to be on my toes. A lot of the times I have no idea what is going to be thrown at me and I am constantly adapting to different situations. Thanks you to Maureen and Ryan for letting me be a part of their wedding day.
