"A Soldier's Story" - The wedding of Bill and Patty

I'm a sucker for a good story.  I love a happy ending as much as the next person.  I think this wedding has a lot of that in it. Patty contacted me last year about photographing her wedding.  When we spoke on the phone about meeting up for the first time I assumed that her fiance, Bill would also be joining us.  "Nope, he's in Army, stationed the Middle East ". I was immediately attached and really wanted to go the extra mile for this couple being that the groom was overseas fighting and giving himself for our country.  Patty and I met and she told me that she and Bill had met online, had a whirlwind courtship and then he went back overseas.  So they had been apart for a while.

Fast forward a few months and I found myself face to face with both of them at a Christmas party for Patty's sister.  I was hired to do a Goof Booth™ there.  So here we are on a boat, with a ton of people, lots of liquor and I meet the groom to be for the first time.  He had only been back a few weeks and you could tell.  He seemed to just be taking everything in and I let him.  I gave him a hug we chatted for a few minutes and that was kind of it - until about 2 weeks before there wedding when we had our final "let's meet up and iron out all the details" get together.  It was there that I REALLY saw Bill and Patty for the 1st time.  They were so relaxed.  He was hilarious and she was just as funny.  They were cracking each other up and I was right laughing right along with them.  After we finished up all the details I said to them both, "You know this is more than just a wedding celebration right?  This is a celebration about life.  Bill you are home.  You are marrying Patty.  You are starting a life together.  You are home safe.  You are home uninjured.  You are happy and relaxed and it shows.   And THAT is something everyone should celebrate along with the wedding."  They totally agreed and we toasted to that.

Patty and Bill were actually my 1st wedding of my 2012 season and I could be more honored that they allowed me to be apart of their celebration.  They were married at the Danversport Yacht Club on April 14th, 2012.  The weather was perfect.  An outdoor wedding can be a gamble that time of year in New England.  But I have a feeling that they are a gambling kind of couple.

Here are some images from their amazing wedding.