Last Saturday, May 30 2015, I was asked to be the wedding photographer for two friends. As anyone that has been in this position knows, this rarely ends well. All kinds of things can go wrong, and long-term friendships can turn into long-term bitterness. Fortunately, that is not going to happen here.

Kelly and Phil have been together for some time. They finally decided to tie the knot at the Bethel Community Centre in a low-key event attended by a select group of friends and family. No releasing of doves. No ticker-tape cannons. Just a minister and the people they loved. And it went well. Very well.

“Just turn up and get what you can”, Kelly said to me. There was no running order, no rehearsal. Talk about laid back. I didn’t even know what form their ceremony was going to take. We had never discussed religion. Were they Catholic? Anglican? Greek Orthodox?! I accepted the challenge, and the edible Nikki and I ‘just turned up’.

This was new. Normally I would scout the venue and identify the best locations to shoot in; know which formal shots were needed and who was going to be in them; plan a theme for the bridal party shots between ceremony and reception. I was winging it on this one. I didn’t even know until they were walking toward me that there would be two page boys. Exhilarating, for sure. Also a little scary. After all, I want the shots I take to be something they can look back on with happiness on their 50th wedding anniversary. That’s my goal at every wedding. You can’t afford to screw these things up.

And I didn’t.

The ceremony went off without a hitch, though it was delayed for thirty minutes by the late arrival of the bride’s daughter. I had been asked to take around 25 photos, nothing too formal. Just family shots. OK. Screw that.

I took almost 300. The best 81 I put online here for the guests and family to see, and, if they have a mind to, buy. If not, they can see these whenever they want at no cost. A nice reminder of the day, I hope.

Putting them online is also a great way for the happy couple to see their photos while honeymooning. They were last known to be in a hotel somewhere on the Canadian Atlantic coast, watching the sun set from, I believe, the vicinity of a jacuzzi. I’ve sent the link, got bridal approval before posting the photos. Me smart.

The after party went without the usual wedding shenanigans. No fights, nobody going into the bushes with someone they shouldn’t, no vomiting. That’s the great thing about a small ceremony, inviting selected guests means you don’t get all the drama. Compare it with the big weddings where you have to invite all the long-lost cousins, nephews and nieces and feuding relatives with axes to grind.

As a wedding photographer you stay sober for the whole event. Consequently, you can usually see trouble coming from a mile away as alcohol loosens inhibitions and tempers in equal amounts. Sometimes you just choose to be looking the other way peering intently at your camera or photographing a yucca plant. I think of it like Vegas. What happens at a wedding stays at a wedding, right?

No worry about such things here! Though there was plenty of food and drink, all was well, making for a most enjoyable celebration. I was still shooting until they cut the cake. Then the camera went away and it was time to just party with our friends. Nikki and I began to get pleasantly buzzed thanks to the surprise gift from the bride of a bottle of Jack Daniels. And then it was time to dance. Or at least, what passes for dancing in my world. But that’s another story.

Thanks for letting us be part of your day, Kelly and Phil. It was an honour and a pleasure to be there.

Enjoy your honeymoon. Hope you like the photos.