Cathy & Ron
Quidnessett Country Club, North Kingstown, Rhode Island
December 26th, 2015
Every now and then, a wedding comes out of left field that you just weren't expecting. While the vast majority of the events I shoot are booked out and confirmed months and sometimes years in advance, every once in a while there's a couple that comes out of nowhere and asks you to photograph their big day with very little notice.
Often, these are weddings that spring up out of the blue or low key affairs that don't need a ton of prep work.
In the case of Cathy and Ron, it was just part of their easygoing, free flowing lifestyle.
I knew from the moment I met Cathy and Ron that their day was going to be different. Cathy is just incredibly sweet and Ron has a dry sense of humor that's right up my alley. And even though I only met them three weeks before I shot their wedding, I felt like I had known them for years. And I think the photos showcase that connection.
Cathy and Ron were planning my second-ever Jewish wedding and I'm so thankful I had already had one under my belt so that I knew what to expect and was used to a lot of the customs.
The two chose the day after Christmas to get married which is always a risk as a late December wedding can easily be derailed by snow and/or other inclement weather.
But Cathy and Ron lucked out as the end of 2015 was unseasonably warm and their big day, while chilly, was about as perfect as could be.
This date was for special for the couple for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that this was their 20th anniversary together. Talk about a sweet and touching tribute.
And unlike most couples, because they'd been together so long, there were almost no nerves from the moment my coverage of their day began.
Ron and Cathy began their evening with the traditional veil ceremony and with the signing of the ketubah. Thanks to having already shot one Jewish ceremony, I knew what to expect here but it was still a unique experience to see this cultural moment take place and a nice reminder that regardless of how religion may make groups of people completely different, deep down a wedding is a place of love and emotion regardless of your personal beliefs.
Ron and Cathy's ceremony was equally sweet but, just as I was expecting it to get sentimental, the rabbi in charge did his best to show the true nature of this couple by cracking jokes and making everyone in attendance smile and laugh.
Between joking that the wedding was "finally happening" and ragging on Ron for his sense of humor, I don't think I've ever laughed as hard during a wedding ceremony. It was an amazing time.
Ron and Cathy aren't the traditional couple but, man, it was so sweet and touching to see two people who have spent so many years together finally take that plunge.
Often, the couples I work with are in their early to mid twenties and, while that's also the age I got married at, there's something different and endearing about seeing people who have spent so much time with each other still have all those amazing feelings for each other after so long.
What I'll remember the most from Ron and Cathy's big day, however, is the party after the ceremony.
As they were an older couple, I expected their reception music would skew toward the classic music genre and it did ... and it was awesome.
Their DJs knew exactly what to play to get the party jumping and it was so refreshing not to hear the same, tired modern top 40 that I had heard throughout 2015. Don't get me wrong, I love that music. But every now and again, it's fun to change it up.
Ron and Cathy's dance floor was busy all night long and I can honestly say I did not expect that.
Not with an older crowd and with the wedding being the day after many people in attendance likely had large family gatherings and meals.
But, alas, once the music kicked off, the party didn't stop.
And the winter themed Quidnessett Country Club was an incredible backdrop to a beautiful and fun reception.
By the time Ron and Cathy's big night was over, I was exhausted.
The last of my 28 weddings of 2015, this was a wedding I was a little bit worried about heading in but I'm glad to say my expectations were beyond met.
Cathy and Ron are a sweet couple and it was an honor to capture their wedding. My only hope is that I can live, laugh and love my wife and my family the way these two newlyweds did 20 years into their time together.
In fact, that would be the ultimate blessing for many of us.
-PJS
