I mentioned in a column a few weeks ag that I have an irrational fear of weddings and funerals. Apparently, my decision a few years ago to go to the Indianapolis 500 and miss a cousin’s wedding was the selfish, but career-smart, option.
Shooting Alycia and Kendall Till’s wedding, and having one of my best friends getting hitched this past weekend has officially changed my opinion of the whole wedding world.
Shooting my first wedding was awesome. Alycia, who happens to be a great local photographer herself, and her husband were very accommodating of my inexperience. I feel the images produced were great, and I look forward to delivery day.
I was wiped out after about 12 hours of shooting, so instead of sticking around for the party, I headed home to hit the sack.
This past Saturday, one of my best friends, David Jensen, married his best friend Andrea, in Sylvan Lake.
Jensen is a longtime friend who I have spent the last 10 years sharing my love of motorsports, automobiles, video gaming, and local sports with. We even lived together for a number of years.
This was my first time being invited to be a part of a wedding party, in more of active role, as opposed being the young child and ring bearer for family weddings.
The wedding was a quick one, with just about everything packed into one Saturday. I left home at 7:20 a.m. to make it up there for the 9 a.m. rehearsal.
Then it was off to hang out and get ready. This is where weddings get fun, when all the groomsmen get together for a couple hours before ceremony. I had a couple drinks, then ordered pizza to our room, but otherwise it was tame.
The ceremony went off without a hitch. Left hand over right hand, stand still, smile. Those were the things I kept in mind.
I was thrown off guard when my bridesmaid leaned back at one point towards the end of the ceremony and said the age old phrase “that’s what she said,” in response to something said during the sand-pouring portion of the formality. Luckily, I was able to contain the giggle.
The day got more and more exciting as we all took off in some classic cars, an old Chevrolet Nova, an old Dodge Express and a more modern Nissan Skyline for photos. These cars suited the couple quite well.
As a photographer being photographed is a weird experience, but being able to share in their day made it a lot of fun.
Then it was time for dinner. Being on Thanksgiving weekend we had a huge feast of turkey and all the fixin’s.
I am not a trained public speaker, but I am also not someone who gets incredibly nervous. However, having to speak in front of a large group of people, about 70 per cent whom you have never met, was a bit of a challenge.
My attempts at humour were taken well, at least from what I heard. Jensen said he was impressed with everyone’s speeches.
Finally, it was time for the party. I am not saying I was there to party, but after a long day of tuxedos, dresses and wine, throwing some cowboy boots on and having some rum, beer and dancing was the perfect way to cap it off.
I have the unique opportunity to share with thousands of people some of the experiences in my life, but until this wedding, I didn’t realize the fun you could have while sending a great couple off into their future.
Thank you David and Andrea for allowing me to share in your special day, it means the world to me.
