This wedding has meaning to me. It was a personal victory to photograph Angie and Josh's wedding on a few levels. First, Angie is a portrait photographer. She has been the head manager at a portrait studio for more years than I can remember. She is gifted and certainly has an eye for photography, understands posing, composition and most importantly that each client is different and requires different aspects of your talent and professionalism. Second, she knows a lot of photographers and to be selected as "the one" was an honor! The third reason is personal and I didn't even share it with her. I think she knows but I wasn't going to bring it up. Thank you Angie.
I've bored you by getting too vague but sometimes it has to be done. Let's get to the nitty gritty of this amazing wedding.
The wedding and reception were held at Bowling Green Country Club in Front Royal, Virginia. This place has lighting every wedding photographer prays for. Lighting that makes me giddy! I know, it's corny but if you dabble in photography even a little, you know this is paramount to a good image. You'll see what I mean here in a moment.
Here are some of the detail shots
There's a moment, when the bride is ready and she looks around knowing she's ready, seeing that her friends and family are too. This is it, she thinks. That's when I ask for the shot? Which one? Where I ask the bride's mother to look face to face with her daughter and right into her eyes. I tell them both, "I just want a shot of you two looking at each other," knowing I'm plotting for a moment they need and a moment I want. Neither has realized that they haven't even soaked it all in. I know the moment is powerful and evokes tears of love and joy. I can see into the future of looking in my own daughter's eyes on her wedding day. I imagine a mother feels like she sees her precious little girl all grown up. Maybe in those seconds she sees her at birth, then at age five, then as her rebelious teenager and the final image, her beautiful daughter as a bride. She begins to cry. They both begin to cry. They both think of how they love the other, how beautiful each of them are. They are lost, even if only for a second, into a bond and a moment that is moving. Here's that image.
And then they get after me for making them cry. I know it was worth it and nothing a good laugh and a little face powder can't fix.
Let's get on to the tall handsome prince Josh. Did I mention that Josh is tall?
Josh with his mom.
A few ceremony shots
A few portraits from their bride and groom session...
The reception was beautiful. Here's that light I was referring to. Windows galore! Loved it.
The first dance. The chandeliers made a beautiful back drop.
The toast
Typically I wouldn't run on and on and on and on. Oh wait, this is the toast and that's what tends to happen. It didn't happen on this day at all. I'm not just being nice either. It's true. I have to give credit to Angie's sister who did a great toast. I loved it. Perfect actually. Heart felt, funny and obviously touching as you can see here . It wouldn't be fair to leave that out as I go into my award for my favorite speech of all time.
The longest speech I think I've ever been privy to witnessing was about 45 mins. If I had a photo of myself crying, I'd insert it here. You heard me right, 45 minutes. So as toast time approaches you can imagine my fear. I think silently, please don't pull out a stack of 8x10 papers.....typed! That definitely didn't happen on this night. This guy rocked it, had me laughing, and was a classic that I will NEVER forget. Why can't they all be this good? The grooms brother gets up and says only a few words. "If you guys have trouble.... don't call me. I'm busy." Now I'm not good at retelling jokes so that may sound bad, but trust me the delivery was perfect. You know he obviously didn't mean it. It was good, great and if I had a trophy for best wedding toast, I'd definitely give it to him. Here are Josh and Angie when he said it.
And the man of the hour
The cake
And off they went on the big journey we know as marriage. To love someone and to have that person love you back is a gift and a gift I'm happy they both have been given. Thank you Josh and Angie for a wonderful day. I wish you a long and happy life together.
beautiful!
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