On the tenth day of Christmas, Santa gave to me a bride and groom sniping.

I would like to make clear that no persons were harmed our attacked during this beach wedding. Jennell and Mike are both police officers and I thought it would be fun to pull out their Saturday-night special for a few shots (pun intended) on their wedding day.

Newlyweds dancing.
Eight brilliant feathers.
A duo’s love a-brimming.
A mother and daughter gazing.
Young lady graduating.
Four all aglow.
Three big grins.
Tender sister love.
and a branch full of purple berries.

I received an initial inquiry from Jennell last summer. She was getting married in my hometown the same weekend I was to be in Florida for my ten-year high school reunion and she needed a wedding photographer to document her special day. Well, the stars aligned!

Imagine months and months of planning a special beach wedding to your dream groom only to arrive at your destination and find scattered showers and thunderstorms on the weather radar the entire weekend. I met the couple for coffee the day before their wedding and I was blown away by their composure. I prefaced them with the fickle tendencies of the weather in Panama City Beach, assuring them “the clouds will clear…” and they immediately entrusted me with the responsibility of revising wedding day itinerary as I see fit. Being that my prowess when at-arms with or reading the mind of mother nature is sub par, I went home and said a few hail marys then proceeded to track the weather for the next 24 hours.

I call the morning of and suggest pushing everything up an entire hour and the family quickly obliged. When I arrive at the condo the bride is already teary-eyed eyed as she is reading old letters and poems she wrote for her father which her mother saved especially for that day. It was a very sweet touch.

I snuck the bride and groom away for a few shots of their first look before walking down the aisle. It is always so nice to capture a couple’s emotion in its truest form without the awkwardness of guests staring. The couple exchanged their vows and champagne glasses were raised. As the final glass was emptied…down came the rain.

I guess I’m not so bad at predicting weather after all..but I’ll happily keep my day job!