The story of my last wedding of 2017 begins on a cold October morning in Shediac, NB. The ladies were getting ready in the lower level of the groom's family home, and through the large patio doors we could already see the ceremony spot overlooking the river. The sun was rising past the side of the house and embankment, casting its light on the arch awaiting the ceremony, still wet with cool morning dew. I immediately decided that I needed to do something with that, and soon enough my socks were wet* and I had some lovely pictures of the dress in the sunrise.

The morning proceeded at a nice leisurely pace, for everyone but Vickie, who was still trying to perfect the last details of the ceremony and reception. Wanting to make sure things were literally done by her hand (with her well practiced calligraphy skills, also available for your special event), she worked until she was literally dragged into the makeup chair by her bridesmaids.

After Vickie was laced in to her lovely dress by her mother, she stepped out onto the patio where her bridesmaids and flower girls were waiting. I don't really need to tell you what they thought. You already saw the last picture ;)

I then headed out to Hotel Shediac to pay a visit to the groom and his entourage. After a lot of tomfoolery and a little bit of suiting up, we headed down to the hotel bar/restaurant for André to rather ceremoniously serve his groomsmen a drink before the main event. The bartender was suitably impressed with his skills.**

I then chased them back to the house to get ready for some first looks and the ceremony.

At the house, the ladies, looking great, were already well prepared for the first looks. And unbeknownst to André, his first look would be of his dogs, who he had previously been told wouldn't be permitted to attend the ceremony. Then, with the ladies watching from the balcony, he finally got to lay his eyes on the the one he was really waiting for.

We had a few minutes to kill before the ceremony was due to begin, so we took a few shots out in the field, and then the procession began.

A small and joyous ceremony of family and friends by the river side, laughter or tears in everyone's eyes. The sun already lowering in the sky, casting a golden glow through the arch - it couldn't have been happier or more romantic.

Time for the festivities - as if the whole day hadn't been celebratory already. Across the yard, the pig had already been roasting for some time, and had achieved an expert level of crispiness***. With the smell wafting by, some of the guests were having trouble waiting and already getting a bit grabby with it (lookin' at you, Gino). As the guests filed into the tent and took their places, I got to watch the sun set over the Scoudouc River**** with the wedding party (and my camera, of course).

We then headed into the tent, the wedding party making a grand entrance, where after some heartwarming (and, of course, hilariously embarrassing) stories and videos were shared, the dances very quickly lead into a rocking party, with the Big Bad Party Band taking the helm.

What a great way to finish the wedding season! Thanks Vickie and André for inviting me to capture your big day! Congratulations on your wonderful wedding day - a great way to start the next big chapter.

*Sometimes I feel like knowing when to and when not to take off their shoes is one of the hardest choices a wedding photographer makes in the run of a day. On this day, I chose poorly.
**She wasn't. But being the groom affords one a few luxuries not otherwise available on a regular day. ;)

***As a vegetarian, attempting to remain positive and descriptive about a pig roasting pains me a bit, but it was a proud centrepiece of the event, so it's my job to give Babe his 5 minutes of fame regardless.

****I had figured it must be called the Shediac River, but the maps appear to indicate otherwise.

*****I need to come up with a better footnoting scheme.