When speaking with clients, I often say there are a lot of things I can control, but weather is not one of them. Typically, I am referring to larger weather situations like a thunderstorm, extreme heat, or snow. In our third installment of Unexpected Moments on a Wedding Day, it was wind that got the best of us.
Morgan and Hank got married on a beautiful October day three years ago at The St. Regis Atlanta in Buckhead. Both the bride and groom got ready in suites at the hotel, kicking off their wedding day in a relaxing environment surrounded by their wonderful wedding party.
The couple had their first look on the terrace outside the ballroom. At the time, we were monitoring weather reports and I remember being worried about rain and whether or not we would be able to have the ceremony outside as planned. By the time we were taking photos of the entire wedding party, the sun was shining and the forecast showed clear skies through the time of the ceremony, so we moved ahead with setting up the ceremony outside and figured luck was on our side that day.
The chuppah was designed by the amazing mother of the bride and a family friend. We had many discussions about the construction of the chuppah prior to the wedding day and were excited to see it all come together on the wedding day.
The ceremony musicians began to play prelude music as the guests began to arrive. We had all of the guests seated, the wedding party lined up inside, and were ready to begin the processional. Our hotel contact let me know the weather forecast had changed and a thunderstorm was quickly approaching. We knew the ceremony would not last long, so we both decided we could make it through the ceremony just in time. As we began to seat family of the bride and groom, one of the groomsmen came running up asking to speak with me not next to the couple. As he pulled me aside, he notified me that a gust of wind came through and caused the beautiful chuppah to collapse! Caitlin was my assistant that day and had run up to attempt to put it back together, along with some incredibly kind guests. As I approached her, she stated that the poles had bent a little when it collapsed and the chuppah would need to be held up during the ceremony. I asked her to remain there (and yes, that meant in front of all the guests) until some of the groomsmen has processed down the aisle.
As I sent the wedding party down the aisle, I quietly asked the first four groomsmen to pick a pole to hold up once they reached the chuppah instead of standing in their original ceremony location. By the time it was the bride’s turn to walk down the aisle, I let her know we had a small malfunction and to not be surprised some of the groomsmen were in different locations and closer to the chuppah.
The chuppah looked stunning during the ceremony, despite the mishap that occurred only moments before the bride and groom walked down the aisle. And just as soon as the ceremony ended and the wedding party came back down the aisle, the skies opened up. Even with the added chuppah collapse, we still managed to complete the ceremony and get guests inside for cocktail hour before they were all drenched by the thunderstorm. Morgan and Hank and their families were a delight to work with and we were so excited to be a part of their beautiful wedding day!
Despite all the planning, there is never a dull moment on wedding days and that is why we love what we do. Let us help you create the wedding of your dreams – whether that is an intimate ceremony and meal for 20 or a larger celebration for 200. Contact us today!
Photos – Jessica Williams Studio
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