Kristy and Garret’s wedding day was beautiful – and hot – and freakishly humid. So much so that we had to abandon our original plan of a pre-ceremony portrait session at Lake Harriet’s Peace Garden. But being a wedding photographer means always having a Plan B, so instead of an outdoor session we switched gears to utilize the indoor areas we had access to at Mt. Olivet. I was lucky enough to have the skills of fellow photographer Erin Dunn for the day, and we each pulled all kinds of lighting tricks out of our bags to make the most of our indoor locations.
We bounced speedlights off blissfully low, white ceilings in a basement bridal room:
We held open doors with our hienies to let natural light into a dark stairwell:
We enlisted the help of a tall groomsman (thank you, Jamie) to hold the a video light nice and high for our stage shots:
We used Erin’s new portable strobe to create images just outside the sanctuary:
With just a few minutes to spare before we had access to the sanctuary and formal portraits could begin, we found a room with beautiful window light and interesting wall decor:
After we packed all our lighting goodies and gadgets up, we prepared for the ceremony. Erin took the high road and shot from the balcony while I covered the event from the back of the center aisle. Mt. Olivet doesn’t allow photographers to change locations during the ceremony and requires that they remain several pews behind the last row of guests. Although this makes the photographer in me want to cry bitter tears of pity, the grown-up professional in me understands that I am not the most important part of this day. I will always willingly and respectfully defer to the beauty and significance of the ceremony itself.
Their ceremony was indeed beautiful and their officiant was fantastic. He involved the guests and had Kristy and Garret laughing and smiling throughout the service.
The laughter and smiles continued on to the luxury bus and into the reception. Each table was adorned with its own gorgeous cake in gourmet flavors like Grand Marnier, Strawberry Torte and Chocolate Mousse. Surrounding each cake were Target chocolates and stuffed Target dogs – a tribute to the place where Kristy and Garret met and work.
About the time that guests starting diving into their table cakes, something happened that I have never seen before at a wedding. The groom walked over to the dance floor, grabbed a guitar, and serenaded his new wife. It was lovely, and sweet, and romantic, and all the gushy things women wish for on their wedding day. Insert sighs and shivers here.
Here are some additional favorite moments from Kristy and Garret’s wedding, and like the images above, I didn’t add any crazy treatments to these images in Photoshop. There are no over-the-top effects or actions. No textures. No bizarre colors or filters. Just simply beautiful moments from a simply beautiful day.
2 comments