I love wedding photography, love is in the air, and once in a while so are the place settings. This wedding I photographed was at a beautiful barn location featuring horse stables and a great wooden water tower! Like many Arizona weddings, I photograph they take place outdoors. Getting ready on location followed by an outdoor ceremony and outdoor reception to follow. Before the ceremony began a somewhat common occurrence of a microburst emerged and every centerpiece, place setting, utensil, flower arrangement, candle, and glass took to the sky for a brief moment as all the guests covered in fear of the dust charging through the ceremony space came down on them. Then, it seemed all at once, CRASH! Everything hit the ground glass shattered, flowers broken, candles snapped in half, and spoons bent in the way I can do with just my mind. Okay, nothing happened to the spoons other than hitting the ground adding to the eruption of sound. I was busy covering my lens to avoid dust scratching the glass or working its way into the barrel. Thereat my feet I saw a beautifully folded napkin. I didn't even think about it... I picked it up and started walking to the scene of this horrible crime and began to pick up whatever I could that wasn't a total loss. There was a significant pause from the almost 100 guests sitting in the ceremony space before they saw my lead as a wedding photographer now turned groundskeeper. Not one chair remained filled as everyone jumped into action to help where they could. After 10 or so minutes the place was cleared, glass swept, items organized into piles, and staff already replacing the setup with what was left. Other than the endless stories from family and friends during the wedding reception and beyond the bride never knew this happened minutes before she walked down the aisle. Although that story of excitement gave everyone a moment to remember this couple had so much more to celebrate and here are just a few of those wedding photos I captured at this San Tan Valley Barn Wedding in Arizona.
- Rob
