On what was supposed to be a rainy day in mid-May, the skies absolutely cleared right out and the sun shone like crazy for Thomas & Jimmy’s wedding at Friendly Crossways Retreat Center in Harvard, MA. This political couple chose to have their wedding on the 10th anniversary of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts (10 years!) and it was such a special way to commemorate that monumental anniversary.
This wedding is a perfect example of weddings I love to photograph – unique, special to the couple, and incorporating traditions that mean something to them. Thomas & Jimmy didn’t want to have dancing; no first dance. But they did want to cut and eat a wedding cake. They wanted the ceremony to feel casual, so they asked people to bring blankets and sit on the ground picnic-style. Jimmy, a musician and vocalist, performed a song that he wrote for Thomas during the ceremony.
I tell my clients all the time: the best, most memorable weddings are the ones that are special and unique, not just a practice in outdated wedding traditions that have no personal meaning.
My favorite part about this wedding though, is that Thomas and Jimmy asked their guests to help them fill a time capsule as part of their wedding ceremony. They had a beautiful wooden box that their guests filled with photos, cards, kind words, objects, memories of the day, and memories of the couple together. During their ceremony they sealed the capsule and plan to open it on their 10th wedding anniversary. I think this is such a cool idea!
I love to hear what other couples are planning for their weddings to make the day special. It doesn’t have to be radical, but every wedding should have some elements of personality in it so that the couple getting married are reflected in the events of the day. What are you doing to make your wedding special?
