This year we experienced something that we never thought we’d experience as people, let alone photographers. We photographed a wedding featuring 17 brides and grooms! Yes, you read that right! Although we were only responsible for photographing 13 of those couples, we can still officially say that witnessed 17 couples get married that day! If you think a double wedding is cool, multiply that by 8.5!
D.E.E.P Church in Santa Ana hosted this wedding for these couples and it was one of the most awesome experiences ever. If there was ever a time where we needed to act fast, think on our toes, and NOT mess up; this was it! Many of these couples spoke Spanish only, and although we thought it would make the day a little more difficult, we only learned that photography needs no language… Okay, that’s not true! We had a designated translator and she was amazing!
We started out with the ceremony! Sam had the 70-200 from the altar, while I had the 50mm at the entrance. Alternating between three positions 51 times! (17 couples, 17 bridesmaids/groomsmen, and 17 flower girls/ring bearers) Needless to say, it was a WORKOUT!
Then we moved outside. There was a “Mr. and Mrs.” backdrop - Sam took over that area. When the couples were done, they walked to the other side of the field to have photos taken with me on the grass. The hardest part was making sure we got all thirteen couples.
Then, there was a group photo. All 17 couples with the minister! we tried about 5 different positions, regrouped everyone a few times, and tried avoiding patchy light - hey, we did our best and it was good!
Finally, the reception. We photographed each couple cutting the cake, making a toast, and laughing together. i cant fail to mention that they let us take a food break, and OMG those chicken fajitas were some of the best id ever had… “the food alone was worth the trip”.
This was certainly one for the books! After doing photography together for the past three years, we have finally gotten to a place where we balance out each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I enjoy working with my team mate! We especially enjoyed this day together because it was new territory for the both of us, yet some how we knew that together as a team, we were more than capable!
