A Grand Affair at the Grand Historic

This was an absolutely delightful wedding to be a part of (which as any wedding photographer knows is not always the case).  The groom Brent and his wife Jill were totally composed and set the mood for an actual low-pressure wedding (an oxymoron, I know). They showed up late but not panicked, drank some beers, said a prayer and were on their way down the aisle. They also incorporated lots of little untraditional moments to include the groom’s young daughter in the ceremony, like giving her a necklace and having her light a candle with them. Even for a veteran wedding photographer, it was touching.

The venue was just to die for. It’s a masonic lodge dating back to 1867. The draperies, fixtures, and furniture in all the rooms were so ornate and luxurious. The room in which the reception was held looks straight out of Game of Thrones, with these candle-lit chandeliers, huge arched solid-wood doorways, and a ten-foot tall Jesus on the cross in a dimly lit antechamber. The reception room was fabulously theatrical but also visually overpowering, so thankfully the room where the ceremony took place was a bit more toned down. When it came to the portrait session, we had the option to shoot in any of the facility’s various themed rooms, ranging from elaborate far-east designs to a hunting lodge mock-up and a grand old-fashioned smoking lounge. In the end, we chose this bright, colorful period room that went perfectly with the animated, quirky personality of the couple.

Below are a few of their formals, the bride getting ready with her new daughter-in-law, and a lovely engraved watch Jill gave her husband to mark the day.