I had been looking forward to this wedding for a while. Parker and I share a bit of history, dating back to when his dad and I were volunteer firefighters together. Over time, Parker's dad drifted out of the picture, but Parker grew interested in firefighting, often reaching out to me for advice. I was always happy to help him out.
One day, in the middle of Oregon, my wife and I spotted a car that had driven off the road. We turned around to help, and we weren’t the only ones. A group of grimy, dirty, but determined guys had also stopped to assist. To my surprise, one of them was Parker! It was such a random but special moment, reconnecting in person like that.
A few years later, Parker reached out again, this time with a different request—he wanted to propose to his girlfriend and capture the moment on film. We planned it out near the Pelican Pub in Pacific City. My wife and I set up the gear; I had a camera on a tripod for the video, and I offered to take their picture with my main camera. She never saw it coming, and everything went off without a hitch.
I didn’t think I’d be asked to shoot the wedding since some brides have friends with cameras, but I got the call. The wedding was set for June 22nd at The Barn at Tamarack Springs in Summerville, Oregon. It was too far for a walkthrough, so I scouted locations during the rehearsal dinner. The Barn at Tamarack Springs is a stunning venue, and I knew I had plenty of options. The casual western theme was right up my alley!
Meghan, the bride, wanted some "hype" shots of the guys. I had a few ideas, but once I understood her vision, I took it to the next level. With a group of firefighters and blue-collar workers, I knew we could have some fun. We pulled the truck around, grabbed some drinks and gear, and got to work. That set the tone for the rest of the wedding, and I knew everything would go smoothly from there.
A second shooter took care of the bride getting ready and captured some intimate shots of her shoes, dress, and rings, while I covered the rest. There was also a videographer, so we had to share some space, but we made it work.
There was a tender moment between Parker and his mom as she tucked a family handkerchief into his pocket. I watched and photographed as they shared some words and embraced. Knowing the family as I do, I couldn’t help but get emotional. That wouldn’t be the last time I shed a tear that day.
Meghan had seen me do shutter drag photos at other weddings and requested the same for the dance floor. Initially, I was worried it wouldn’t get dark enough, but the evening cooperated. With her light wands, we captured some incredible light painting and shutter drag shots. It was a blast and definitely added to my shutter count, nearing 5,000 photos by the end of the day.
This wedding was not only fun to be a part of but also deeply meaningful. Knowing that my photos will become cherished memories for this family made it all the more special. It was the first wedding where I found myself getting emotional.
We made it back safely to our hotel room, which was so cheap it didn’t have AC or an elevator. The fan only blew warm air, and I was tempted to make a late-night run to Walmart for a fan. But I was too tired and ready for bed.
Key Takeaways:
Research hotel rooms better—don’t go so cheap you end up without AC or an elevator.
Keep the "hype" shot idea for future weddings.
RGB light wands are a fantastic way to get people on the dance floor and make for great photos.