Ashland, Kentucky
Curiously, I spent the morning planning and organizing the details for a honeymoon that didn’t get organized, for reasons unknown to me. What an interesting 'project', pulling from my own adventures to create this just-in-time life experience for others. I was amazed my judgment would be trusted. I really needed to get this right. I organized a stay for them in the grand old Mount Summit Hotel in Farmington, PA.
About noon a torrential thunderstorm unloaded on us, casting great doubt on the prospects for a happy photogenic wedding in the park. Rather dark foreboding clouds coming in from the west suggested we were going to be crammed inside a small room for our wedding event and reception. I was not looking forward to doing the wedding photos with flash under fluorescent lights. We guys fled the house and went to Shoney’s and tried to settle Bill down. He was a nervous wreck and his bride to be was little better. The climate did not help.
We went back to the house about 2 PM to clean up and suit up for the nuptial festivities, fervently praying that there would be a dove with olive branch showing up and a parting of dense cloud soon thereafter. In fact, about 3 PM the clouds parted and a magnificent cerulean sky presented itself; the air taking on the clarified sensibility of an October day. Photographing this wedding in Ashland’s Central Park was going to prove easy after all, except for one snag. The preacher never showed up. We set up in the gazebo, placed folding chairs, detailed the reception, ad infinitum. 4 PM came. The preacher didn’t. An hour later Bill and Judy were pacing the park, melting down.
Somehow a preacher was found who came just long enough to perform the barest essentials to make it legal. He was in attendance about five minutes, if that. In that hour of agitated waiting I was able to organize all the attendees and make a fine set of hundreds of pictures in the most glorious light. Ultimately I loaded 655 images on the bride’s computer. Perhaps most entrancing were two beautiful young girls in white satin with blue ribbons dispersing white petals on the glistening flagstones of Central Park
With the ‘paperwork’ made legal and anxiety levels in freefall, we shifted attention to a colorful reception. A couple hours of happy time ensued with dancing and photo ops. People eventually drifted off to other destinations. A dear friend in attendance wanted to go to dinner. We enjoyed a splendid shrimp dinner in a fine Italian venue and then Gayle offered to drive me around Ashland at sunset and I was able to collect wondrous intense images in that brilliant aureate sunlight that colorizes just before dusk. I finally got back to Bill and Judy’s house about 10 PM. They headed off about 10:30 PM for Lexington. I stayed up three hours indexing and organizing wedding photos.
I never planned on organizing weddings, honeymoons, and making a sunset photo journey when I got up today, but then life always does have these grand surprises; made far better if one can take others along for the ride.
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