This past August I had the pleasure of photographing an old high school friend’s wedding in Stockton, NJ. It was simple, beautiful and meticulously planned by the bride. She even planned the dj’s playlist for the entire evening (which was so good, I asked for a copy). This is a woman who knows what she wants and how to get it. And I love that.
What I seem to notice the more I photograph on location, especially in a location I’ve never been before is that no matter how much I prepare, it’s sometimes all still a surprise when I show up. I tend to have a two-minute window of panic, trying to get my bearings on the environment. Then I realize I can work through it and an instinctual part of me shows up. Such was the case while photographing a key part of this wedding. I had a five-minute time span to shoot formal portraits of the bride and groom at the actual venue. During times like this, when the pressure is on to perform, you don’t think, you just act. I shot maybe 16 frames and then it was time to get married. Ironically (and wonderfully), their favorite shot from the whole wedding was taken during this time. But I love that about photographing weddings. There are moments of adrenaline-filled exhilaration when you’re operating that fast. One great aspect about this wedding was getting to capture Rebecca and Bill’s sense of humor. Check out Bill’s ring below.
