There are some weddings that I would shoot all over again, if for nothing more than the sheer pleasure of reshooting them. Justin and Margaret’s wedding is absolutely on that list.
Justin and Margaret dated for over thirteen years before they got engaged at Wonder Lake in Denali National Park (aka: the Alaskan Tundra). Their love of everything outdoors led to a wedding at Camp Pinnacle in Hendersonville, NC.
Traci: Will there be any special moments during the event that are out of the norm? Justin: We’re essentially running a summer camp for the weekend. Camp will open on Saturday morning, we’ll have camp activities (kayaking, SUPing, rope swing, mountain biking, etc) in the afternoon, a bonfire that night, more camp activities on Sunday and then maybe we’ll squeeze in the ceremony.
I mean, who wouldn’t want to be invited to this wedding? They even designed their own camp logo.
What made this camp wedding so awesome though was not even the cool activities they had planned around the ceremony; it was Justin and Margaret themselves that made it so much fun. They have playful, joyous and laid-back personalities that add an element of celebration everywhere they go. Quite simply? These are MY kind of people.
They served popcorn during the ceremony, they did their signature hand shake and fist bump after exchanging vows and their friends stood up and started singing to them as they walked down the aisle.
And then there was the reception…Margaret rapped, people danced like crazy and when Justin and Margaret exited their party? They did so in a canoe. It was hilarious and fun and easy going. Just like Justin and Margaret.
Traci: What is the most important thing to you about your wedding photography? Justin: For it to feel real, to capture the important moments, but also the little things that people may not notice. Margaret: That it truly captures the little candid moments – somewhere between editorial and fine art.
When you photograph such a fun wedding in a gorgeous setting with a laid-back couple, there is an overabundance of “favorite shots”. However, if I had to pick just three, I would narrow it down to the following three:
The ring shot. Since I was not invited on the amazing Alaskan engagement trip (maybe next time?), I had been thinking for weeks about how to give them a photograph from that moment. From one of their parents, they had received a print of the mountain and lake where they got engaged. During the reception, it finally hit me: I had a computer in my pocket! I searched for the image of that print on my phone, set it up behind a little pot of peat moss that they used as centerpieces on the table and laid the rings in the peat moss…it gave the impression that the rings are right there in the forest at Denali National Park. This place and moment was so important to them and I was so thrilled that the image turned out the way it did.
The veil shot. That’s the one where Margaret’s veil twists around her face, revealing one of her eyes. The image is quiet and peaceful and speaks to the natural beauty that Margaret possesses.
Finally, the laugh shot. I love the photograph of Margaret looking at and reaching to touch Justin while she is also dying laughing. This image represents who Justin and Margaret are as a couple and for that reason, it tops my list.
Justin and Margaret, I truly adore you. Feel free to pack me up in your suitcase for any future adventures! Cheers!
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