Sam and Michael's Wedding Day at Chickberry Farms

Sam and Michael's wedding day at Chickberry Farms in Laurel, Delaware was a little more unexpected than was hoped for. 

The plan was for an outside ceremony and for the cocktail hour and reception to be outside as well. Luckily, the owners of Chickberry Farms have made the venue ideal for any contingency. The warm and welcome interior of the barn and chapel made it easy to forget that a summer storm was brewing on the outside.

A Summer Wedding and A Cold Front

When you plan a summer wedding on the Eastern Shore the weather will be sunny and warm, right?

Well, most of the time, yes, but sometimes the weather gods have something different in mind. As was the case for Sam and Michaels' wedding day. Saturday started cloudy and dreary, and by the afternoon it got so cold, one could think early spring, not mid-summer was on its way. Yet, the cold and the rain didn't stop the bride and groom from having the most beautiful wedding one can imagine. We moved all the outside wedding plans indoors. We even managed to take a few photos outside before the bride and her bridal party started to shiver.

Rain on a Wedding Day Means Good Luck

Rain on a wedding day means good luck became the theme for the day. Everyone involved was dedicated to ensuring that both Sam and Michael's wedding day was filled with laugh, laughter, and the occasional umbrella.

Can We Take Photos Outside?

When we met to talk about the plans and ideas for Sam and Micheal's wedding we discussed taken as many photos outside. I remember talking to Sam about what pictures are important to her, and what her ideas for the day were. "Let's get all the bridal photos and family photos done outside. The front of the barn is very picturesque and I like the feel of the old car in the front yard." 

Like many wedding venues, the owners of Chickberry Farms made sure that a wedding photographer had several different locations for photo opportunities available. It makes it nice when you get to a location and part of your job is already done for you. Sometimes I have to wander the grounds trying to figure out where to take the bridal party for a great background. Especially golf courses can be tricky. The grounds look beautiful but one is not allowed to venture far because of the danger of a golf ball going wild. I don't play golf so I don't know what the correct verbiage is for a mis-hit golf ball. Yet, I am sure you can picture a bridal party out on the course, ducking their heads because a golfer had one too many libations.

Rain, Rain Go Away

Since Sam was determined to have at least a few bridal pictures outside we ventured out and took photos as fast as possible. 

After a few photos, I could tell that Sam's teeth started to have a life on their own and I called it.

Sam planned a first look with her dad. I knew that we would have enough space on the dance floor to have her dad waiting for her and turn around and see his beautiful daughter. After that, we could take more photos of Sam and her bridal party.

The Groomsmen and the Groom

Tough guys care about no rain...at least they are in good spirits when I ask them to come outside for photos. It might be a case of drinking some good spirits and not feeling the cold nor the rain. In any case, I always enjoy photographing the groom and his men, which was the case with Michael and his tribe as well. 

I Do, I Do, I Do

Before too long, it was time for the ceremony and all the pictures that come with it. The chapel at Chickberry Farms is a small, intimate, and romantic barn-type structure. The officiant was a friend of Michael, and he did a great job getting his friends married. 

Let's Get This Party Started

After the ceremony, I photographed the family photos inside the chapel, and then the wedding party moved into the big barn for the reception. I kept an eye on the weather in hopes to have a few minutes with Sam and Michael outside for more photos but it wasn't meant to be. The storm that brewed all morning long unleashed its fury on us and washed out all hopes for photos outside. 

I am so grateful to have been part of Sam and Michael's wedding day team and enjoyed the day, bad weather and all. Sam and Michael are a team and as such made the best of something they didn't have control over. 

I have created a wedding day collection on my website, please follow this link if you want to see more of their photographs.  Wedding Day Collections | Sam and Michael

To see my portfolio take a look here: Portfolio

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