Skylor + Makaela | Rockaway Beach Wedding
You might think staying with complete strangers at their vacation house to photograph their wedding would be awkward and stressful. And you’d be right. I’ve done this for a few weddings now, and in the first few hours after arriving, I have intrusive thoughts like, “What the heck are you doing here? This is too personal and invasive!” But I keep going anyway because leaving would be even more awkward. After those intense first few moments pass—after I’ve met the grandmother and aunts and engaged in lots of small talk—something changes. I start to observe a completely different group of people. I get to see them let loose; I hear the guys chat and fart on the sofa. I now have a backstage pass into someone else’s world. Someone else’s life, and be able to observe the people and moments that are important to them. And that’s when I get to do what I love most: document. They trust me now.
I photograph a lot, especially at weddings like this. It’s not uncommon for me to take over 10,000 photos. From those, I’ll deliver 1,000, blog 100, and select 1–2 for my portfolio. The main reason I shoot so much is that most moments have micro-moments, and if you only take one photo of a scene, you might miss something even more magical just a few seconds later. The person’s head is just perfectly positioned, capturing a moment where the groom’s feet are all off the ground, the exact moment where the light illuminates the right part of the scene. I don’t want to create a collection of staged, perfect photos for people. I want to document their stories and show what actually happened, whether it’s a three-day beach vacation/wedding or a six-hour wedding with friends. If it’s the start of your story with your person, I want to honor it and document it honestly.
They started their time together with a bridal shower complete with all the kids’ participation. Above, they are scrambling to make up the toilet paper bridal gowns.
Afterward, the kids turned the toilet pepper into confetti. I love it when there is so much going on that everyone forgets about photos and just enjoys the moment. That’s when magic happens.
The groom’s daughters are not from the PNW, so when they found a baby banana slug, they were excited and naturally made a house for him with a leaf fence.
Skylor (the groom), walking past the bride’s getting-ready room.
This is the bridal blockade. An East Coast tradition where people create a blockcade that the groom has to get through in order to get to his bride.
After the first dance, the girls surprised Makaela with a dance with her. Then they got everybody to come in the middle and dance together.
One of the guests wanted to take a photo of me.
They finished off the night in the theater room watching a beautiful slideshow made up by Makaela’s friend.
