When people ask how it’s going in the wedding industry these days, there’s no simple answer. In the last year, no one has been able to have their big, dream wedding. Most of my couples rescheduled their vows to a future date when it will be safe to have 100+ friends and family all together on a crowded dance floor, and I can’t say I blame them. A handful of others decided to just do the damn thing and have a small ceremony with only immediate family and a few close friends. Everyone who made the choice to move forward despite the pandemic has had their own personal reasons for making their decision, but the one thing everyone has had in common is that they all just really needed something good to happen this year. I can’t say I blame them either. It also did me a lot of good to get out, work, and feel normal for a few hours.
The industry has rebranded these tiny, Covid-safe weddings as “elopements,” “microweddings,” or “mini-monies.” I’m still not really sure which term to use. Some people think that this trend of having a more intimate gathering will continue even after we come out on the other side of this thing. I don’t have any predictions about that. I do feel like my clients who got married during the pandemic ended up having a beautiful, joyful day. Most even said things to the effect of, “Wow I can’t imagine having a bigger wedding than this. If I had any more stress on me or more people to talk to, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much.” All of that aside, I don’t think anyone was exactly excited when they realized they had to change all of their plans, but everyone really rallied. These couples are resourceful and resilient. They created a bright spot in an otherwise dark year.
I ended up photographing Victoria and John’s intimate beach wedding because of some additional Covid- specific complications that a lot of wedding vendors have been facing recently. A good friend of mine was supposed to shoot their wedding as it was originally planned, pre-pandemic, but of course, the date and location had to change and he happened to be unavailable. He sent them my way and I’m super lucky he did! There are people you’re able to get comfortable with right away and then there are people who feel just like the friends you already have in this really bizarre but awesome way. Victoria and John were more like that, which made for a really fun day.
They rented an Airbnb on the beach in Scituate, MA big enough for a to host their immediate family and a couple of friends for a ceremony, reception, and a few days of vacation time after the wedding. The ceremony was supposed to be on the beach, but rain caused them to have to pivot again. Friends and family worked together to turn the living room into a beautiful backdrop to exchange vows against. They also set up a bunch of phones and ipads on tripods so that all of Victoria and John’s originally intended guests could watch the festivities live from home.
Victoria showed me her artdeco, 1920s inspired wedding gown and explained that the original plan was to have a big winter wedding in a mansion. I know the dress was bought with that theme in mind, but the gown’s flowy, bohemian vibe was also perfectly suited for a more casual summer day at the beach.
The ceremony went off seamlessly despite the last minute location change and all the complicated technical elements of the live stream. It was short, sweet, and tearful as Victoria and John read vows they each had written.
During the brief intermission before the first dance, Victoria’s parents realized that they had forgotten the cake at home. Someone ran out to a corner store and grabbed two Entenmann’s cakes to use as a stand in. They stacked them on top of each other and put a few flowers on top. If I hadn’t seen the cakes come out of the boxes, I honestly wouldn’t have suspected a thing. Getting through a day without any hiccups is nice, but sometimes a good story is better. After that, Victoria and John went right into their first dance, parent dances, and speeches in order to keep things moving for friends and family watching at home. They were also able to set aside some time to dance with their virtual guests and say a quick hello to everyone.
After all the formalities were done, we moved on to family portraits. Then Victoria, John and I took a short drive to a lighthouse down the street to take some photos of just the two of them. On the way back, they asked, “How do you feel about getting in the ocean?” I always feel great about getting in the ocean, so that’s not even a question, I was just hoping they were getting at what I thought they were getting at. I’ve been waiting my whole career for a couple to get all dressed up for their wedding and then actually want to run into the water. I couldn’t have been more stoked.
All of the congratulations and props in the world to Victoria and John for taking a less than perfect situation and turning it into something truly beautiful and authentic.