At the beginning of June it had not rained for almost eight weeks and we were seven inches behind the normal year to date rainfall, then the heavens opened and now we are an inch ahead of normal. Many of these inches came the day Candace and Alex had planned their beach wedding! It began as a beautiful sunny day, but as the ceremony time approached one could see the sky darken. And just as Candace was preparing to walk down the sandy aisle, the storm arrived and all the guests fled for cover... An hour later the rain subsided and the festivities resumed. They were so calm about it all - I just love it when couples don't freak out and remember what is important - that they are going to marry - rain or shine... Thank you both for an action-packed afternoon...
As I was walking down the corridor of the Elbow Beach Hotel to Candace's room - her mother appeared saying "There's been a catastrophe!" Not comforting words... It turned out that Candace had her dress hanging in the bathroom for the humidity of the shower to remove any last minute wrinkles and the ceiling had been leaking, soaking the bottom of her gown. We hung it in the window and let the heat and sunshine dry it.
This gave Candace a little time to complete her vows...
We did a few portraits in the room but luckily had done a shoot three days before as it was terribly windy on the wedding day. Click
here to have a peek at those...
Alex and two of his groomsmen have a bit of fun pre-ceremony...
And then it came - not just a shower - but a tempest!
Everyone ran for cover - but not fast enough...
I see hearts everywhere - in pebbles, leaves, shadows - and this day in the mark made by the rain on the back of this guest's shirt...
I spent the next hour wandering around shooting the soggy guests making merry... I took a few of this little girl - and she whispered to her mother "I think she likes me" Kids are so funny...
The boys... enjoying themselves...
This interesting creation is a Bermuda Longtail hat. The birds spend the winter in the Sargasso Sea and return here in the spring to nest, producing one offspring each summer.
About an hour later the rain had almost stopped...
Candace and her bridesmaids wait patiently and watch the storm pass and all the guests and her husband-to-be head back to the beach for the ceremony.
Finally Candace and her father are ready to head down the aisle...
At long last the ceremony begins, officiated by Clarence Hofheins. Clarence is an avid golfer and Alex is a golf pro. They managed to play 27 holes together a few days before the wedding, after which Candace joined them and they talked about their courtship. They have been together since their junior year of high school and always knew that they would get married. Alex has always admired Candace and thinks she will be an incredible mother, and Candace is so grateful that Alex is patient, understanding and easy to get along with and loves being with him. And that they are excited about facing the challenges that lie ahead as a team and that she will have a companion there for strength and support.
Their first moments together as husband and wife were so cute - they really do just beam when they look at each other...
As the guests headed back up to the reception we spent a few moments on the beach. I shot while they snuggled...
Despite the drama of the day, and the weather hurdles hindering my shooting, it was a pleasure to witness such an amazing couple. Thank you for being so adorable...
