Nick & Chris’ wedding was probably one of the most challenging I’ve had to shoot. When we first met, Nick told me that they have common love of fitness and spend a LOT of time at the beach so it was only fitting that they tie the knot at Iluka beach. So the plan was a summer wedding in January out on the sand overlooking the Indian Ocean… and since it can get seriously hot they provided thongs and fans for all the guests…
Nick & Chris’ wedding was probably one of the most challenging I’ve had to shoot. When we first met, Nick told me that they have common love of fitness and spend a LOT of time at the beach so it was only fitting that they tie the knot at Iluka beach. So the plan was a summer wedding in January out on the sand overlooking the Indian Ocean… and since it can get seriously hot they provided thongs and fans for all the guests.
I wasn’t really paying attention to the weather forecast because in the last four years all my summer weddings have been pretty sweltering so it’s always a matter of making sure I have enough fluids and sunscreen so I can avoid heat exhaustion. In one of the last emails from Chris a couple days before the wedding she signs off with:
“We are really excited for Saturday!! (rain, hail or shine!!)”
Now why would anyone write that in the middle of Summer?! so I went to check the weather for Saturday and it was the complete opposite to what I expected….
Thunderstorms with a 100% chance of rain.
So without a backup plan in sight I met Chris in her hotel room at the Rendezvous Hotel Scarborough and she told me she was fine….
“I’ll just dance in the rain.”
When we arrived at the ceremony it is raining even harder than the morning but everyone was 100% comitted. I have never really tested any of my gear in the rain but apparently it’s weather sealed so there’s really only one way to find out if those claims are true so I just went for it. One of the guests even said “It’s great to see you out there, no hesitation” to which I responded “well if not me then who?” and it was definitely nice to not have any guests competing for photos.
It’s actually pretty cool to be thrown curveballs like this every now and then because we get to show a wedding that’s a little different. It also proves my point when I tell couples that what matters are the people who share the day with you and the moments that fly by. Whatever happens with the weather… it is what it is and my job is to make sure you can relive the day, rain hail or shine. It will be one of the best days of your life and I’ll show it to you!
There was a silver lining though. During the reception the skies cleared up enough to produce an amazing sunset so we still managed to duck out after speeches to make some creative portraits on the beach. To top it off, one of their photos was featured in the Sunday Times on Valentines day. What a win.
Here are my favourite images of the day… enjoy!
