so it all started the day (thursday) that i thought i was going to die. (not literally but nearly so). my house mate, zan approached me and told me that there might be an opportunity for us to be the official photographers at a traditional wedding happening saturday (today). all was confirmed well before i felt human but that didn't impede my excitement and my nerves....a wedding? wow? i've never been the 'official photographer' before, yes i've been the 'official unofficial photographer' at a friends wedding but there was no pressure, i was there for fun to take fun candid shots of all my friends and family. this time it is going to be different. as the expression goes, the buck stops here. there is no one, not even technology, that i can pass the buck onto should every shot be over/under exposed or god forbid the lens cap was left on? i could see a riot of 500 guests rushing towards me to see who could stake the gringo first, for all i know i'd have started a new guatemalan tradition at weddings, as saint patrick ushered (or killed, not to sure on the official story) all the snakes out of ireland, the weddings would spell the end to the gringo infestation or guatemala.
enough of that. there will be no riot and there will be no expulsion of gringos from guatemala (well not on my account anyways).
i have just finished the first portion of the day. up at 7 and at the salon for 8. the salon is where the reception will be held and in what i am to understand is guatemalan tradition the groom, his friends and some family are in charge of the set up. my role was to follow the groom and catch him in all his pre ceremony glory while zan would follow the bride as she embarks on her day of nerves and anticipation. not having yet spoken to zan i do feel as though i got the shorter end of the stick on this one (i am not saying i wanted to follow around a bride on her wedding day but setting up a banquet hall for the festivities that would follow was not how i envisioned my first gig as a wedding photographer!
time has run out and i have to run to the municipal building where the ceremony is to take place. odds are this will resume in the morning,
{pausa}
wow, what a night! well afternoon and night! it was so very cool i feel now that i should warn you that this will probably run on as it was a night of firsts and i have to share.
i left you as i left my house on my way to the municipal building where the wedding was to take place. when i arrived i was full of nerves. as i mentioned this was my first wedding and i didn't know what to expect, how to act, where to be or what to do. the front of the municipal building was locked. i freaked. {deep breath} the groom gets out of his car with his parents. the door to the building opens. and from somewhere deep within a calm takes over.
{maybe it was the dozens of huge political events, rallies and fundraisers i organized and oversaw during the past decade or maybe when you are FOLLOWING YOUR BLISS peace finds you and not the other way around. maybe it was both.}
on the front steps i took some photos of hugo, the groom, and his family with the tall columns stoically standing guard in the background. from there we moved into the garden, i quickly assessed what i thought would be the best shot, overruling 'dad' and directed them to my preferred position in the garden. after a few minutes with them in the garden and sea of colour and smiles began to flow through the front door. ensuring that they were wedding guests with hugo i made my way over to them to begin what was to be a very long day full of hundreds of photos, smiles, traditions, excitement and love.
confirming with the groom, mc (a more serious and officious role than back home, so much so it is shared by two people!) and the mayor (he was officiating the ceremony) that i could stand up on the raised platform where the ceremony was to take place, take my photos and use my flash. then realizing that the time was upon us for the bride to arrive. rushing down stairs to the front steps, regaining my composure and my heart rate. i waited.
but not for long! minutes later the bride arrived in her decorated car and done up self. she was wearing a white veil, traditional to us westerns, but it complemented her traditional mayan dress. a stunning combination. she was dead nervous and it was visible and justifiable. and it was my job to calm her down if there photos were going to turn out. with a few jokes and funny faces she had relaxed to the point of no more clenched faces just lovely smiles.
leading her into the building shooting all the way in. pausing on the stairs for some classic shots. and continuing on her way into the hall. this is where i left her and made my way up to the front of the room just to the left of where the soon to be man and wife would sit.
they were both nervous and it was amazing to share with them such a special time in their lives. the mayor who was officiating the ceremony was, as most politicians, very verbose and from my cramped position kneeling on the ground it seemed to last longer than it actually did. but after 50 minutes the newly married couple made their way down the aisle and out main hall to the balcony and awaiting masses.
after a longer than 'normal' (north american standards) receiving line it was finally MY TIME! now MY TIME was to be short and i was prepared for that having mapped out 6 positions around the garden and around the columned outer-hallways to take some formal couple portraits. it was going smoothly until some of the family who were sort of following us at a distance decided that they were not going to miss the opportunity of having a professional photographer in their midst and not getting a photo of them in these stunning 'positions' aka locations.
end of part 1
stay tuned for more....
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