Wow, what a day we had at Becca & Rob's wedding! I'd hinted in an earlier post (much closer to the time of their actual ceremony) that there was a story from their big day that I would save for later. That really isn't half of it. Let me preface this by saying that I don't know that I have ever seen a couple that, once meeting them both, you instantly know exactly why and how they fit together. That's Becca and Rob.
Let's start with part 1, the Murphy's Law part. Brian and I show up bright and early to begin documenting Rob & Becca's wedding that day. I go to the girls' house where the gals are getting their hair done and then we go off to the mall for Becca's make-up appointment. Somewhere in there Becca (who pretty much never stresses out, which is STELLAR) casually mentions that the tent that they set up last night that will be their reception location somehow blew over at 5:00 a.m. and there may or may not have been several guys sleeping in it at the time. We all look at each other with a "Gosh, hope everything's okay" look, and move on. The rest of our time together getting ready is relaxed and peaceful. Meanwhile, Brian arrives at a house full of guys getting the guy type stuff ready. This is normally a pretty laidback time as the bride and bridesmaids are normally the ones worrying about the details. In this case, Rob is the details person, not Becca. Remember how I said that Becca never stresses out, ever? That's why she and Rob are together because, well, Rob takes care of things. = ) So while the gals chilled and laughed, poor Rob and the guys spent the day in a mad rush to put everything back in order. Indeed, the tent had blown over in the storm at 5:30 that morning, the two guys sleeping in it did fear for their lives. The cool Chinese lanterns were ripped off the ceiling and ruined, the white tablecloths made their way to the mud, half of the centerpieces were smashed, and there was trash everywhere. So the guys sucked it up and spent their time serving. They hauled trash, made sure the white tablecloths ended up in a laundrymat and back, moved a Port-A-Potty (which Brian barely missed photographing), delegated the purchasing of new centerpieces to replace those that broke, supervised the finality of getting the tent back in order, counted the punch bowls, and made sure that no other minute detail was left undone. Most of us would have had a nervous breakdown if this had happened on our wedding day!
Now we begin Part 2, the part I like to call "Why we can see that Rob and Becca are meant for one another". I love being a photographer. I remember in high school wishing I had one of those cameras that looked fancy and professional because then people wouldn't stare at me funny if I walked around taking pictures or went backstage. (When you go around like that with a little point-and-shoot, people stare. Trust me!) At Becca & Rob's wedding I felt overwhelmingly blessed because I saw some moments that no one else was probably able to see. During the ceremony, Becca processed as her beautiful, sweet, charming, laidback self. Normally couples face each other when they get there, but for some reason, they ended up facing the minister and standing side by side without eye contact. Rob, understandably, still looked as if he had a lot of tension (and who wouldn't with what happened!). He stared straight ahead, looking almost lost. I could see Becca, sensing Rob's strain and feeling helpless to reassure him. Then, finally, their officiator announced that they should face one another and hold hands. I cannot explain what happened in Rob's entire body the moment he turned and was able to look into Becca's eyes. It was as if all of the tension, all of the stress, all of the frustration and pain and anxiety from the day's events melted away in the instant he saw his beautiful bride's eyes. They really do complete one another.
The Lord's magic at work in our lives. What a privilege to be a witness to this holy matrimony.
Let's start with part 1, the Murphy's Law part. Brian and I show up bright and early to begin documenting Rob & Becca's wedding that day. I go to the girls' house where the gals are getting their hair done and then we go off to the mall for Becca's make-up appointment. Somewhere in there Becca (who pretty much never stresses out, which is STELLAR) casually mentions that the tent that they set up last night that will be their reception location somehow blew over at 5:00 a.m. and there may or may not have been several guys sleeping in it at the time. We all look at each other with a "Gosh, hope everything's okay" look, and move on. The rest of our time together getting ready is relaxed and peaceful. Meanwhile, Brian arrives at a house full of guys getting the guy type stuff ready. This is normally a pretty laidback time as the bride and bridesmaids are normally the ones worrying about the details. In this case, Rob is the details person, not Becca. Remember how I said that Becca never stresses out, ever? That's why she and Rob are together because, well, Rob takes care of things. = ) So while the gals chilled and laughed, poor Rob and the guys spent the day in a mad rush to put everything back in order. Indeed, the tent had blown over in the storm at 5:30 that morning, the two guys sleeping in it did fear for their lives. The cool Chinese lanterns were ripped off the ceiling and ruined, the white tablecloths made their way to the mud, half of the centerpieces were smashed, and there was trash everywhere. So the guys sucked it up and spent their time serving. They hauled trash, made sure the white tablecloths ended up in a laundrymat and back, moved a Port-A-Potty (which Brian barely missed photographing), delegated the purchasing of new centerpieces to replace those that broke, supervised the finality of getting the tent back in order, counted the punch bowls, and made sure that no other minute detail was left undone. Most of us would have had a nervous breakdown if this had happened on our wedding day!
Now we begin Part 2, the part I like to call "Why we can see that Rob and Becca are meant for one another". I love being a photographer. I remember in high school wishing I had one of those cameras that looked fancy and professional because then people wouldn't stare at me funny if I walked around taking pictures or went backstage. (When you go around like that with a little point-and-shoot, people stare. Trust me!) At Becca & Rob's wedding I felt overwhelmingly blessed because I saw some moments that no one else was probably able to see. During the ceremony, Becca processed as her beautiful, sweet, charming, laidback self. Normally couples face each other when they get there, but for some reason, they ended up facing the minister and standing side by side without eye contact. Rob, understandably, still looked as if he had a lot of tension (and who wouldn't with what happened!). He stared straight ahead, looking almost lost. I could see Becca, sensing Rob's strain and feeling helpless to reassure him. Then, finally, their officiator announced that they should face one another and hold hands. I cannot explain what happened in Rob's entire body the moment he turned and was able to look into Becca's eyes. It was as if all of the tension, all of the stress, all of the frustration and pain and anxiety from the day's events melted away in the instant he saw his beautiful bride's eyes. They really do complete one another.
The Lord's magic at work in our lives. What a privilege to be a witness to this holy matrimony.
Rob, directing the chaos before the wedding
Can I mention that fans like these are an awesome idea for outdoor weddings?
And for those of you wondering. YES, that was bocce ball. Becca and Rob, cool as they are, decided to finish out their reception playing the winning bocce ball team who had beaten everyone else in the tournament. Unfortunately, Becca & Rob lost!
P.S. Hy-Vee caters Chinese! Who knew!?!?
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