I have to confess that this Chateau Le Parc wedding day was one of the most challenging and at the same time most rewarding special events that I have ever documented.
We started photographing the big day with the groom's preparation, then we moved to the bride's house where the girls were having their hair and makeup done.
Often when we arrive at the bride and groom's house we are told that things are running late. However, this was not the case. The special event was immaculately planned and there were little hiccups. I could say that this is probably that one event in 1 million were things go according to plan.
In fact, things were so well organized that we had to make sure we, the wedding photographers were not the cause of any delays.
Once we arrived home we started documenting the candid moments that happen naturally in such a special occasion. There is a mix of happiness, nervousness and sadness that create the unique atmosphere conducive to splendid photojournalistic images.
Everybody's happy because someone is getting married! Sometimes, the couple put so much pressure on themselves that they have a hard time enjoying the big day. The beautiful bride dreamt about this for her whole life and once every single detail to be perfect from flowers to shoes to rings to photography.
That is the reason why we, professional photographers inquire if there are any particular images the bride and groom want. As a rule, we photograph everything on which the bride and groom spent money. Of course, the family and guests come first!
On this happy day, while the videographers were directing, we had a few minutes to take some gorgeous ring shots. Truth be told, I love piggybacking on videographers and catching those in-between moments that are the salt and pepper to photography. I'm referring to those moments that happen between the scenes that are directed. For example, in this event, the videographer asked the group to arrange his bow tie. Once these shot the scene, everybody relaxed in the groom's brother-in-law cracked a joke. That made everybody laugh and was our queue to take candid shots.
After that, we pulled some tools out of our bags and stylized the rings. We put them on a piano to obtain a dark backdrop and a beautiful reflection. In the foreground, we placed some Christmas lights to create a foreground bokeh. Those beautiful round globes of light of an intense red symbolize love and happiness.
Besides the time pressure on the which we operated, there were some other challenges in creating this masterpiece. First, we had to make sure that we do not lose the rings, damage the piano or stain it. One of the best wedding photographers secrets is that they use putty to make the rings stay in place. Still, the putty contains an oil that can stain fabric so caution must be observed at all times.
Also, it is very difficult to frame the rings properly using the Christmas lights. Fortunately, the professional photographer practices the shots before the wedding day so we were in good shape.
Finally, we had to move fast so that the guests didn't start asking questions is slow us down. It is a common fact that often during the weddings, you have hobbies photographers will come and ask us all kind of questions causing us to miss moments. There is a fine balance between being very polite and catching those beautiful moments that occur such a day.
Later, I had the opportunity to create other beautiful images of the rings before we headed to Chateau Le Parc for the ceremony.
Location: 1745 Langstaff Rd, Concord, ON L4K 2H2.
