On Friday evening, August 19th, Dave & I packed up the kids, my gear, and my assistant shooter Jody and made the long drive to Port Williams, Nova Scotia for Dave & Candace’s wedding the following day. On Saturday afternoon, Jody & I met up with the girls at Candace’s parents’ home to photograph them getting ready. The weather forecast was calling for some thundershowers for a bit in the afternoon with up to 1mm of rain. As the time for Dave & Candace’s first look quickly approached, the rain was pouring down…. and then the wind came. It was like a hurricane came through suddenly, upsetting their tent and some of the tables out in the backyard, soaking everything. We watched out the window in horror as her brothers and father were literally on the tables trying to hold the plastic down to keep the linens & dishes dry. But, too much damage had been done, we were already running way behind schedule, and the sky was still dark. A few stressful moments and a couple of phone calls later, a meeting was held on the back porch to discuss the options, and the difficult decision to postpone until the next day was made. The next task was for everyone to start calling all 200 guests to notify them of the change of plans…. only two hours before the ceremony was set to begin.
The next day was a beautiful sunny day, and Jody and I headed back to the Berry household for wedding day #2. Things were noticeably more calm, and the ceremony & reception areas had been reset and were looking gorgeous.
After spending some time photographing both the girls & guys getting ready, David & Candace met in a nearby apple orchard for their first look and portraits together. I LOVE that they did this as it allowed them to relax and snuggle and have plenty of time for photos. Following some portraits with their wedding party & family, the evening’s events began at their 6pm ceremony on the lawn at the Berry’s beautiful property, followed by their absolutely stunning reception. It was all quite stunning, actually. The people, the scenery & decor, the live music performances, and especially the dessert table =)
Here is a very lengthy preview of their wedding…
Here are just a couple of shots from day one. Jody took this first shot from the window as they were trying to salvage what they could after the wind slowed down, and this is Candace on the phone with Dave…
Their meeting & prayer…
Wedding Day attempt #2
If you haven’t noticed, Candace’s parents’ home is simply fabulous.
The guys were getting ready just up the road…
Their first look…
Candace, her three sisters, a new sister-in-law, and a close friend…
Dave with his dad, three brothers, and a close friend….
And then it was time to be married =)
Candace’s dad actually officiated their ceremony…
And here is a look at the most magical of receptions. Dave & Candace, with lots of help from their family, did all of this themselves…. and it was incredible.
This table of cheesecakes, pies, fruit tarts, etc was the most beautiful thing. They also had locally made wine & beer!
See?? Magical.
There were several live music performances, as there seems to be an unusual amount of musical talent in this group…
Candace’s brother-in-law was the most entertaining emcee I’ve ever encountered. Some of my photos were blurry because I was laughing too hard. Anyway, he had put together some very fun kissing games highlighting various kissing styles (with way too much graphic detail), and this is their parents showing the kids just how to do the always popular French Kiss.
Wedding day # 2 was absolutely incredible, and definitely worth the extra wait =) Congrats you guys!
