on a day it was sure to rain

Elsie & Loren’s wedding was my first of the year; the first “official” small wedding with four hours coverage, and I was really anxious to make it a beauty. Not only did I want to give them gorgeous photos (like I do for everyone I shoot), but I wanted to prove that a photographer didn’t need more than four hours to capture all the amazing moments of a small wedding.

It was going to be perfect; on the beach, in winter, a bride who’s five months pregnant, her young nieces & nephews playing Metallica’s “Fade to Black” on wind instruments…ack! The stars were lined up perfectly; but the clouds had their own agenda.

It was definitely scheduled to rain that day. In fact, it had rained that day; just a couple of hours before the ceremony it poured and when I arrived less than an hour from the countdown, the skies were dark and the clouds were rolling in. I was so bummed! Plan B was to have them married in a small banquet room at the hotel, but anyone who’s ever been to a wedding in California knows that no matter how pretty, a banquet room just can’t compared with the Pacific coast in the winter time. We’re talking white puffy clouds, blue sky…all the things we Los Angelinos have to wait till winter to get (and enjoy).

I won’t say it was a miracle that it didn’t rain during their ceremony, but I will say it was a miracle that the sand had completely dried by the time it came! I shot with my best digital (using a wide angle lens) and my best film camera (my Canon EOS 1v with my 35mm lens) and man, it was like it was meant to be.

I’m still culling their digital shots, but I got my processed film back today and I wanted to show off what all my brides get included in their coverage: a couple of rolls of really nice film. I won’t go on anymore about the virtues of film (but ohhh, I am tempted when I look at these images); I’ll let these photos (not photoshopped or adjusted) speak for them.

Elsie, I honestly don’t know if I’ve shot a more beautiful, glowy kind of bride. Maybe it’s because you’re pregnant, maybe because your adorable empire waist material dress and jacket were just too darned cute. Maybe it’s because you were marrying a man who is so obviously, blatantly head over heels in love with you.

The whole thing made me want to grab Mr. Susan and squish him tight. And I did! (He was there assisting me.)