Great Wedding...

I just got home from possibly the best wedding I've ever photographed. It was beautiful, but not because it was in a classy, well-decorated venue or the oldest church with stained glass everywhere, it was beautiful because of the people. I have never met a more down-to-earth, kind, comfortable group of people. Everyone was there to have a good time and to celebrate the couple. No one was pretentious or rude. No one was judging. No one seemed bitter or jealous. And believe it or not, there is almost always someone who is. This was a lesbian wedding and the minister gave a fantastic sermon. It was so personal. He told the congregation that 5 years ago on the very spot that the couple stood, he married the first gay couple (legally) in the whole entire world. He also explained that at that wedding there had been 30 police officers waiting in the church basement, protestors picketing outside the church and he (the minister) was assigned a body guard and had to wear a bullet proof vest. "Look how far we've come in 5 years", he said. Both families and their extended families were so happy for the couple. Both families welcomed the other to their family. One of the girls gave a heart-wrenching speech about wishing she could go back and show herself, when she was 11 years old, how it would all turn out since she had been so miserable as a young girl. She thanked people who may feel outside their comfort zone for coming and supporting them anyway. They were just a fantastic and beautiful bunch of people. I kind of didn't want to leave when my time was up!
~ Dana