Jessica + Chris

Chris and Jessica are charming and persuasive, and so I bring you this blog posting slightly ahead of schedule. ( ; These two were married on the lawn over a cliff over the sea between the tent and the sea, all of which are behind a massive private house somewhere in that grey zone between Whiterock and South Surrey. It’s a nice big house with a huge back yard overlooking the ocean and the owners occasionally rent it out for weddings. If you are interested in the contact info for this place, send me an email. A large portion of the yard was covered in a tent to shelter guests from the elements, which happened to be favourable that day. I love tents. The back of the head table was a lush garden backdrop, and I was able to shoot almost the whole evening without flash and capture the shifting natural ambiance of the evening. (Kudos too to the decorators who hung the lights behind the table.)

Normally I don’t have time to shoot an abundance of detail shots, but as it turned out I had some time and a fabulous backyard to work with. Jessica’s dad is an excellent landscaper and his handiwork became a playground for Jessi’s lovely accessories. I must admit that I am quite proud of my ring-with-ant shot. I had to do several takes, anticipating the ants’ curiosity, walking a fine line of provocation, intrigue, and violation of personal space.

Both of Jessi’s parents walked her down the garden path to where Chris was waiting. It was the first time her dad had worn the family tartan, and he was brave enough afterward to join the rest of the family in a group pilates formal photo. Think yoga boat pose. We headed out to an old farm for photos and broke some rules and got into some buildings. When we returned and the couple re-entered the yard to the classic Hockey Night in Canada theme song, tables went up to the buffet only after their representatives duked it out in a highly competitive game of musical chairs. I have included a fight picture which gives a rather good sense of the yard and scale of the tent. There were some live musical numbers by family, and later tangos on the edge of the cliff by the sea. A great wedding.

Jessi’s Makeup by Oz Zandiyeh