Cassi and Justin had the perfect wedding day. True story.  OK, OK, it probably was not perfect.  After all, you can’t really have a perfect day.  Or can you?

This was the path that led to the ceremony site.  Not bad at all.

Cassi’s grandmother CRUSHED the decor.  She made most of the stuff and bought the rest.  It was like a custom made Canton just for her wedding day.

Living and thinking globally plays a big part in both of their lives.  (I actually met Cassi on a trip to Haiti.)  This was my favorite decoration.

It never stops being a huge honor when I get to capture the moment a father sees his daughter as a bride for the first time.

I LOVED Justin bending his knees in anticipation during their First Look.

Little people being adorable.

I don’t know or understand this face.  But I felt it was my responsibility to share it.

I mean seriously.  Look at these two.  Simply flawless.

When Cassi’s mother turned around to watch her come down the aisle I heard her keep repeating “It’s perfect.  It’s perfect.”

I’ll be honest with you.  There are no perfect weddings.  There may be perfect moments, but that’s about all we can wish for.  And right then.  That moment, with the sunlight, and her daughter and her husband and her daughter’s husband to be.  That was perfect.

People break up. Divorce happens. I do always love though when a couple getting married actively fights against divorce from the moment they become man and wife.

Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can’t Lose.

Maybe I was wrong about the perfect.

As Justin’s sister was hugging him she said “Someone finally took you!”

As I go over and get in to take a photo of the bridesmaids they all shrieked in terror: “NO, DOUBLE CHIN!!!”

Ah yes, that time honored tradition of YouTubing how to bustle a dress.

At every wedding there is always that one couple where you can tell the lady wants to be on the dance floor more than the guy.

The toasts were epic and super kind, the dances were also just right.  We were settling in for the prefect reception….

But then this crazy storm blew in with about an hour and half left in the evening and we had to do a mock exit to avoid the rain and destruction heading our way.  So we were left with two options… End early, or move to the metal building.

So into the big ugly metal building we went.

I told you there were no perfect weddings.

This building didn’t have any decorations.

This building didn’t feel like a personalized Canton.

This building was full of old junky equipment that we had to move out of the way to make dusty dance floor.

I asked Cassi as we were walking into the building how she was doing.

She looked at me and said, “I’m not worried about it.”

Wait? What?

We just moved from fairytale magical outside dream wedding location with setting sun and unicorns grazing in the background into a big white dirty building and this bride says to me
“I’m not worried about it.”

Then something interesting happened.  No one missed a beat.  Within 10 minutes everyone was back in party mode.

You know how you become a bride who is not fazed by a little drama on her wedding day?  You watch your mom not get fazed by things while you are going up.  And guess what?  Your mom probably watched her mom take on life with that same mindset.

Which brings us to the Anniversary Dance…

Like most great love stories, Cassi and Justin’s does not start with them, but by watching their parents and grandparents live out their marriage.
In 10 plus years of photographing weddings, I’ve never seen the anniversary dance end with with a dip and kiss. Of course Cassi’s grandparents with 49 years of marriage finished with that move.

Their night ended just like they had planned it all along, surround by friends and family.  Celebrating the commitment these two had made.  A commitment they don’t intend to break, regardless of the storms that come their way.  A commitment to shrug at life’s obstacles and face them head on with a determination that says “I’m not worried about it.”

If that’s not a perfect way to start a marriage.  I don’t know what is.

You know how sometimes at the end of a movie they have these little outtakes that don’t really go with the story but are just for fun.  Especially if you know all the inside jokes?  Here you go.