In the past, whenever I have been asked to shoot a wedding, I have politely declined (while resisting the urge to run away screaming). It’s pressure I don’t need, and the modern day wedding for many people has been turned into a spectacle bordering on an ordeal — a display of conspicuous consumption and bad taste, from the stretch SUV in the morning to pulling off the garter at the reception. Add an overwrought bride (often referrred to as a “bridezilla” in the business) and the recipe for disaster is complete.

The wedding I shot yesterday was a happy exception: the wedding was low key but beautiful, with the service just as (if not more) important than the reception.   Just two people obviously very much in love, and very happy. The air was filled with a quiet joy, and I am glad I made an exception when it came to photographing this wedding.