Shotgun wedding!

Traveling for a wedding is so much fun. Traveling with your wife as the wedding coordinator is even that much better. I trekked down to Maryland to the horse farm in the rolling hills overlooking the rivers, with my wife Melissa from Stylish Occasions by Melissa, for the wedding of Jenn and Billy. You may remember Jenn and Billy from their engagement session in the same location. We drove down on a Friday afternoon leaving the babe home with the grandparents. We checked in at the Kitty Knight Inn in Georgetown, Maryland and then headed over to the farm for the rehearsal which Melissa was walking everyone through. Then to the rehearsal dinner at Granary Restaurant where we had a wonderful surf and turf meal.

Saturday was wedding time. It started early for my wife helping set everything up at the ceremony/reception site. Before we knew it, it was time to get ready. Arriving at the farm my wife did some finishing touches as well as helped the caterer out with a few things. While I was waiting for the bride and b-maids to get back from their hair session I shot some dress, shoes, flowers and other details around. It was then time to photograph Jenn and the bridesmaids. Just my luck the overcast morning had just gone to full sun.   Not a photographers friend but I worked it out in some shady locations as well as a sunny spot or two in the hay fields. Needless to say, girls don’t like going into hay fields. However they make for amazing pictures as you’ll see below. The guys then arrived and I rocked it out with them for a bit as a stream of family and friends started arriving super early. We did managed to hidden amidst the farm grounds and equipment during this time. I had the guys in on and around the all the farm equipment which was almost a bad idea since Billy loves to play in the grease. He stayed pretty clean however.

It was then wedding time. Billy and the reverend made their way from the side of Billy’s parents house, followed by the groomsmen escorting the bridesmaids out of the house. Then it was time for Jenn to be escorted from the house with her dad and grandpa. She was escorted down through the bright sunshine overlooking the rolling hills of wheat across the farm. It was almost magical. The ceremony went off smoothly, well almost. As expected, Jenn had a bit of a time getting Billy’s ring on. But they wrestled it on and things went smoothly after that.

Time for some family pictures under the beautiful trees on the farm and then it was wedding party time. This party was a hoot. Cracking jokes along the way and yet again, bridesmaids don’t like being in wheat fields. But I got them back in there again anyway. Then just a few with Jenn and Billy in the wheat and up to the fence row section of the farm on a pimped out 6 passenger golf cart. I think we had about 9 on it though. It was fun! After a few more with the party I took the newlyweds over to Billy’s truck and then around some barn and farm equipment. I had also told them when we were down for the e-session that I would be getting them in one of the silo’s for a shot or two. And didn’t let them down.   Some amazing images came out of those silo’s however.

Reception time! It was cranked up by a live country band the Mason Dixon Band. They were really a great band that played some great classics! They definitely had the crowd up and dancing. A little surprise was cooked up by the groom and his groomsmen. Ya see, they are country boys and what else would you expect but some gun play! So, they pulled their guns out of the car and proceeded to do some Skeet shooting in their wedding attire. It made for some great pics and everyone had a lot of fun. Then the festivities continued with the garter/bouquet, dollar dance and a little cake face painting. At the end of it all the brides sister had a big surprise scheduled. They had kept fireworks a secret the entire time from Jenn & Billy and created a wonderful show to finish things off.

Overall, I suggest fireworks at receptions along with cake smashing, dancing, and people having fun but the gun play was a new one for me. I may have to see it again sometime before I can recommend it. However it was a lot of fun and it really shows through in the pics below. Enjoy!

Rehearsal night

Bridal shoes

Really colorful flowers

Bride in the hay field

Just Jenn

Billy in the barn

A beautiful setting for the ceremony

I couldn’t get enough of this hay field

Gettin’ down in the hay

Silo time!

Into the silo we go for some alone time

Shootin’ the skeet

An appropriate ring shot

Dancin’ the night away

Face painting using cake, hhmmm

The aftermath

Fireworks to end the evening