Military weddings are fantastic occasions. The formality, the traditions, the regalia. Everything is polished to the highest sheen, the groomsmen and guard are drilled on their duties, the whole day runs effortlessly well. Throw in some Jewish wedding traditions too and you’ve got yourself an epic day of celebration! Although Kearney and Mark chose not to have a tisch or badeken, they honoured the tradition of smashing the glass certainly cut lose at the Hora!
I love the fanfare and sense of occasion and celebration that comes from having everyone in uniform. Throw some bagpipes and ceremonial swords into the mix and you have a true atmosphere of celebration.
On this beautiful September day I was fortunate enough to find myself in green park. A stones throw from the royal residences and some of the most prime real estate in the world, it goes without saying that green park is kept in phenomenal condition even with the endless amounts of tourists taking an amble through it in their way to Buckingham Palace and the Mall.
A genuinely brilliant moment to be a part of was the taxi ride from the church to the reception venue. We drove down the mall in a black cab. For those of you who’ve never been and seen a black cab, the windows are pretty big and give passengers a near panoramic view of their surroundings. Of course if we can see out, then passers by can see in.
With an obvious bride in the car people began waving, cheering and chanting and the whole journey felt really rather regal. Tourists of all backgrounds and ethnicities turned away from the palace to congratulate the newlyweds. I do love that about photographing weddings, members of the public appear from all directions to congratulate the bride and groom.
I’ve seen men get up from inside bars to come out and shake hands. I’ve seen an entire al fresco dining area get to its feet to applaud. I’ve seen scores of construction workers line the scaffolding and sing. It is a celebration for the whole community, and i love that its so spontaneous, every member in he community can share in someone else’s happiness. That’s a beautiful thing.
I’m all for a laid back wedding, some of the best weddings I’ve ever been to have been laid back to the point of being horizontal (after the tequilas of course), and that’s what makes my job so fantastic, the contrasts. One week you could be on a farm in Cornwall, the next in a manor house in Bucks. There is something special about photographing a military wedding in.
The colour, the sense of place. It is really, really cool. There’s a connection history, like breathing life into a black and white photograph. Maybe its because as a young lad the only exposure I ever had to anyone in military regalia was watching parades at a distance, or being confused as to why guards stand perfectly still outside of the palace.
It is probably equally fascinating to me that it comes with such a significant sense of tradition. I cant recall having any traditions at home, maybe Dad watching Fiddler on the roof at Christmas, but that’s not exactly on par with hundreds of years of military traditions, haha, although, it would be funny if i tried to claim that it was. Who am I kidding, its because you get to cut a cake with a sword.
The weather in has been staggeringly brilliant this year, crisp, clear autumnal skies and colours in the trees challenging the American mid west in their beauty. With that has come the most beautiful light. In the mornings and evenings it sings. The clarity, the colour, the softness. Magical. Here’s a collection of images from a 2018 military wedding that highlight just how fantastic an idea it is to get married in September.
Here’s the full highlights from the wedding, enjoy!
