Every wedding and video shoot has its own unique challenges and forces us to learn and re-adapt. Today’s post and lesson is, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN!
Imagine my surprise yesterday evening at 5pm. Having sat at my house all morning listening to constant wind and down pouring rain I drove an house south to Ollala, Wa with my windshield wipers at full speed. The Edgewater House (the venue for yesterday's wedding) was down a long winding dirt road, covered with fallen leaves and tree branches. I was shocked when I arrived at the venue and saw all the chairs and altar set up outside. "What's your contingency plan if it rains?," I asked one of the workers there. I thought obviously they must have a tent or some sort of covering they can bring out and cover the main ceremony area, or at worst move the chairs and such inside the residence. "We don't have one," he stated bluntly, "the ceremony isn't that long anyways, lol." A fine and respectable answer of course, but my video equipment nor the bride's dress/hair can easily survive a constant downpour of rain for even a few minutes, let alone a whole ceremony!
I found out later that the groom had suffered many sleepless nights this week, having seen the weather forecast called for wind and rain on his big wedding day. He told their photographer and myself that he sat last night in sheer panic, worried about what they would do if it rained during the ceremony.
I'm happy to report that except for a few drops during the "first look" which caused us to push it back a few minutes (not a big deal considering the groom was still getting ready, imagine that! lol) not a single drop of rain fell during the entire ceremony. We were even able to get some amazing shots of the bride and groom on the altar with some spectacular storm clouds behind them to truly cap off a whirlwind of a wedding afternoon. It wasn't until after we took the last picture of the cocktail hour before going inside for a quick break that the first drop of rain fell. I took my tripod inside and grabbed a glass of water, returning to the covered patio not two minutes later, the skies opened up and the rain began again. If we had done anything differently during the last 2 hours of ceremony/picture taking we would have been caught out in a monsoon!
Everything else was able to be staged inside for the rest of the night and although it wasn't ideal, I don't think anybody really cared. The food was great, the dancing was dry and everybody was able to celebrate long into the night surrounded by family and friends.
I'm so glad that everything worked out as well as it did for my most recent newly weds. Sometimes when people plan spring weddings and rain appears you think "well they certainly took that gamble." But I don't think most people would count on or expect rain on the weekend of August 29. Whatever forces at be were certainly in good favor that day and for myself and the couple I am extremely grateful!