Arielle & Brad's Wedding
They say a photographer’s job is to tell a story. If that’s the case, then I certainly had my job cut out for me at Arielle & Brad’s wedding. Every moment was spurred by a story from the past, an inside joke, or a meaningful shared passion. I actually ended up leaving out a few pictures from this album because they probably just wouldn’t have made sense out of context and/or it wasn’t necessarily my story to tell.
But where were we? We were in Moncton, at Arielle & Brad’s place, where the ladies were getting ready for the day. They started things out not with the bacon and egg buffet I’ve seen many times before, but a gorgeous and healthy spread of wholesome ingredients. It’s almost like she Didn’t want to feel tired and bloated by mid-day or something. ;)
I can’t take credit for that carabiner shot…well, I took the shot, but very specifically by request. They’re both passionate about climbing (and the outdoors in general), and this was just put together with some of their every day gear. Then I came back inside and played with a mirror a bit. The inside of Brad’s ring was a sight to behold, and I had to shoot with a much narrower aperture than normal to be able to get it all in. You can either google what that is or not…I won’t hold it against you. But that’s when Arielle brought me out the hand carved bowl in which brad had first offered her the ring and proposed to her with. “Ah! And here I’ve been playing with this mirror like a schmuck! Give me that thing!”
When it came time for Arielle to put on her chosen earrings, it was immediately apparent that it had been to long since she’d worn any at all. After much effort, they still wouldn’t go through. Next up came a needle and some precision work (don’t worry, the needle operator is actually a doctor!), and eventually the earrings found their way into Arielle’s ears. And I’m pretty sure no one even passed out. I call that a wedding win.
Once her mother finished doing up her dress, and she had wowed her father with a first look in the back yard, Arielle decided it was time to get in some climbing practice (okay, she just needed a picture of her scaling the wall in the dress). Although she owned the wall, she also owned one shoulder of her dress. But I had already taken pictures of the dress anyway, so NBD.
Meanwhile, back at Brad’s parent’s place, the men were getting ready to suit up. And once the vests were on, and the shoulders brushed off, we headed into the back yard for some group photos.
Waiting in the front drive and polished to a shine was Brad’s wedding chariot: a Honda CB360 that he inherited from his father, and had put more than a little TLC into. He wouldn’t be leaving on it after the ceremony, though. They had other plans for that…
Speaking of which, it’s time to head out to Blueberry Hill Farms for the ceremony itself. With not a cloud in the sky the sun beat down on the grassy field where the rows of chairs and all their people were assembled for their wedding.
After the I do’s and the mosquito swatting were all complete, they hopped back into their Westfalia and drove off into the sunset.
Okay, the sun wasn’t quite setting just yet, and they kinda just wrapped around the loop and came back for the family and group photos, but it was still a great exit 👌🏻
After all the ‘usual’ romantic shots, we moved onto the firefighter (he’s a volunteer firefighter), the climbers (in her dress she needed a little assistance), and the travellers (VW and Honda). We actually went in to start the reception but then soon popped back out again when golden light was coming in through the barn doors, to catch the last moments of sunlight as it fell down through a break in the trees.
Then the reception could go on as planned ;)
Once the sun was fully set, and the moon was out (and the limbo was underway), we headed back outside again for the bonfire. Just a few quiet moments and quiet pictures there, and my night was over.
What a unique and wonderful day. Congratulations, Arielle & Brad on doing your wedding your way, and thank you so much for inviting me to enjoy it alongside you!
