Jen & Chris' Wedding - Black Thumb Studio

Tuesday September 8, 2009

Jen & Chris’ Wedding

I don’t think the song "Danny Boy" will everhave the same meaning for me again. Tropical Storm Danny (Depression or whatever it was by the time it got here) made his presence known at Jen and Chris’ wedding (and many others in New England) just over a week ago.

George and I arrived at Castle in the Clouds in Moultonboro, NH during a light rain. George jumped on the first trolley heading up to Castle to capture some detail shots. I waited at the carriage house for Jen to arrive. She soon arrived, carrying an umbrella and her wedding dress. As soon as she saw me, she said in a distressed voice, "Can you believe it’s raining??!!"

I had been contemplating the weather for the last couple of days and trying to figure out in my head what we could do. The ceremony was originally planned for outdoors, but was now moved indoors. We would be fortunate to get any photos outside. I knew that Jen and Chris were both looking forward to many outdoor photos on the beautifully landscaped grounds around the castle.

Once Jen and the rest of the ladies were settled in, I approached Jen.

"Alright Jen, I have a crazy idea."

"You do? What?"

"Well, George and I chose to stay in the area overnight because of the long drive. I know how important the photos are to you, so we both agreed that we would be more than happy to meet you and Chris here tomorrow morning to do some outdoor photographs. The forecast looks great and Jessica said we could have full access to the grounds."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!?!! I’M IN!!!"

She then tackled me with a hug and could hardly contain her joy. I’ve learned that I can’t control Mother Nature, but when the opportunity presents itself, I can work around her. I was happy I could give Jen some good news.

The ceremony was held in a three-season room at the end of the castle. It wasn’t really raining hard at the end, so we were able to get the "everyone" shot outside that Jen and Chris really wanted. We snuck a few shots in between rain drops and took advantage of the interior of the castle for some additional formals.

Our next stop was the town dock in Wolfeboro, NH. Jen & Chris had chartered a river boat for a cocktail hour cruise on Lake Winnepasaukee. The good news is that there was a large interior room, so all the guest were able to stay warm and dry while they exchanged stories and laughs.

The reception was a tented event at the Wolfeboro Inn, just up the street from the town dock. In spite of the "iffy" weather, Jen and Chris went ahead with the tent and things couldn’t have turned out better. It finally stopped raining, the wind subsided and the tent erupted into one crazy party! DJ Bob took request after request and the dance floor was packed the entire night.

The next morning, I called Jen’s cell phone. She cheerily answered the phone and said that she and Chris were ready to go. We met them at the inn, took a stroll down to the dock and then drove over to the castle.

We started our shoot at the adorable gate house on the service road, then headed to the top of the hill. Dave, one of the employees of Castle in the Clouds, was awaiting our arrival. He opened the castle for us and told us to let him know if we needed anything. Hands down, the staff at Castle in the Clouds were some of the kindest and most accommodating venue staff with which we’ve ever worked.

Jen and Chris – Thanks for keeping such a positive attitude throughout the day in spite of the weather! You guys made all the difference! George and I had a great time working with you and were so happy we could join you for a "day after" shoot.

A big thanks to the staff of Castle in the Clouds as well. You were all great!

Vendors:

Ceremony: Castle in the Clouds – Moultonborough, NH

Reception: Wolfeboro Inn – Wolfeboro, NH

DJ: Bob Wilson – Saco, ME

To see more images from their wedding and the day after, click here.

George shot the guys before the ceremony