Yesterday was my 3rd wedding in 4 weeks. But this one was VERY different from the other two. I actually attended this wedding as a guest – not the photographer. Somehow I had forgotten how much fun weddings can be when you aren’t working! I was actually able to drink beer since I didn’t have to worry about out-of-focus pictures. And, I got to Cha Cha with my brother, Eddie. And even better . . . this wedding was at the beach – which is my favorite place in the world. What more could a person want? But even though I wasn’t the hired photographer, I had my camera with me and took quite a few pictures. Professional photographers have a name for guests who bring their cameras and try to record the entire day – while often getting in the way of the professional. We call them Uncle Bobs. Often these friends/relatives are serious hobbyists and have very nice equipment. I didn’t want to be an Uncle Bob (or should I say Aunt Bobette) yesterday, so I tried to stay out of the way of the “real” photographer. That meant I wasn’t often in the position to get the great shots. But, I still had fun.

There were lots of other things that made this wedding unique. Anna and Johnny wanted to keep things simple – the way they live their lives. Anna was escorted by her father, Steve, and brother, Nathan, down an aisle lined with seashells with the beautiful Atlantic Ocean as the backdrop. The flowers were purchased from local growers. Friends and family helped assemble the table decorations by putting the flowers into re-usable Mason jars. And the food was mostly organic – purchased from local farms, co-ops and the like. Another difference, and one that made a significant impact on me, were the vows. Anna and Johnny wrote their own vows speaking to each other about trust, love, and commitment. And when they exchanged rings, they stated “I am honored to be your wife/husband.” WOW. Just WOW! And when Steve gave the toast, he mentioned how wonderful it was that two such decent people managed to find each other in the crazy world in which we live. And he was so right. Anna and Johnny are two very decent people who have definitely found their soul mates. And I am honored I was there yesterday to be a part of their wedding.

A friend commented last week that she noticed my blog entries were getting longer and longer. I could write a book about all of the wonderful things that happened at Anna and Johnny’s wedding. But, I won’t. I’ll just show you a few pictures and add a little more commentary.

Most brides and grooms wait until the end of the ceremony to kiss. But Anna just couldn’t wait! As soon as she was escorted down the aisle – she leaned over and gave Johnny a kiss. I knew right away that this would be a moving ceremony.

During the ceremony, Anna and Johnny wound three strands of rope into a circle called a grommet. The three strands represented Anna, Johnny and their friends and family joining together. Then they spoke their vows which brought tears to these old eyes.

The reception was heavenly. Good friends. Good food. Good music. This was definitely my kind of party.

After most of the guests had left and the sun was starting to set, we went back out on the beach for a brief photo session. I was planning to take just a few pictures – but everyone really got into it. The colors in the sky and water were simply incredible. At one point, Johnny even asked if we could do the “jumping picture.” Now, that’s a man after my own heart! In the jumping pictures, Anna was hindered by her gown – but Johnny soared. We took pictures on the beach until the sun had set and it was too dark to continue.

Yesterday was a joyous occasion. But many of us longed for the person who was not with us. You see, Anna’s mother, Dottie, was a very dear friend of my family. Dottie was a tremendous mother who loved her children above all else. Dottie passed away nearly 12 years ago after a valiant fight against cancer. But I’m sure Dottie was watching the celebration. When I saw the birds in the last picture, I even thought that maybe one of those birds was Dottie – coming to make sure everything went as planned – but a little late, as usual. Dottie would be so proud of the woman Anna has become. And she would love Johnny – just as we all do.