If I sat down late last year and came up with a bucket list of the various types of weddings I wanted to shoot, I can just about guarantee that at the top of that list would have been a same sex marriage. 

Legal in Rhode Island for about two years now, same sex marriage is one of the fastest growing areas in wedding photography and the fact that I hadn't shot one up to this point in my career was a real blemish on my resume and one I hoped and needed to fix.

Enter Christina and Lisa. 

Thanks to my work with George Street Photo and Video, I was lucky enough to experience my first same sex wedding back in June and, man, was it worth the wait.

My day started off, for all of about six minutes, at the site where Christina was getting prepared. When I arrived, Christina informed me there was a change of plans and we were heading right to the ceremony site. When we got there, I immediately saw why. A rustic vineyard with a reception hall inside of an old airplane hangar, I could see why she wanted to spend as much time at the location as possible.

Christina and Lisa were incredibly hands-on with all of their wedding details and this, perhaps more than anything else, was what really struck me about their wedding. Almost everything was handmade and you could tell just by looking at everything just how much time, effort and planning went into crafting this day. And, yes, it all came out incredible.

But as beautiful as the centerpieces and table placecards were, the really stunning portion of Christina and Lisa's big day was waiting outside the doors to the reception area. 

A beautifully scenic ceremony site overlooking the vineyard, this location was like something out of a movie. A movie with a fancy wedding. Probably scored by Ed Sheerin or Jason Mraz, with music designed to make you cry. A lot.

My favorite thing to watch throughout the day, though, was Christina's body language. 

Like any groom, or in her preferred term "broom," would be, Christina was full of nerves prior to the start of the ceremony. Once she saw her beautiful bride, however, it was like a sense of calm washed over her and by the time she finally said "I do," Christina was totally and completely relaxed and ready to party. 

One of the best things about shooting this wedding was being able to work with another photographer who I truly admire. He allowed me to go wherever I wanted to as the second shooter and this meant that for most of the key reception moments, like the first dance and the father-daughter dance, I could hang out in the balcony area and get a different look to these big moment photos.

All in all, I can honestly say I'll be thinking about Christina and Lisa's wedding for a long time. My first in what I hope to be many, many same sex marriages, I really had a great time documenting Christina and Lisa's big day and hope they enjoyed the photos as much I enjoyed taking them. And, if nothing else, I can only hope all of my same sex weddings are as fun and beautifully designed as this one was.

-PJS