It was fast. One, two, three. Phone calls were made – most being long distance. Friends and family were immediately notified of the sudden decision to elope in an urban little spot amidst their home-field, Baltimore City, MD. You could either join or miss out, there was no option to wait and think on it. I, my friends, could not wait accept the opportunity. Did I mention it was Super-Bowl Sunday? What did I care. The Patriots were playing the Falcons and the Steelers had just lost two weeks ago. I grabbed my camera to go encapsulate memories in the most beautiful capacity.
It was grey outside but bright indoors. In their Federal Hill apartment, I found an excited family prepping for this sudden union. From the front door to the great room it smelled of sweet perfume and MAC makeup. Champagne bottles popped with sparkling fizz and cold sweat running down their labels. Fresh cut flower arrangements laid on the kitchen countertop, all waiting to be pinned and to their future users. There were mouthwatering sweets in a variety of forms sitting out on platters for easy picking. People were strewn about the apartment with beauticians working away to prep my ladies to their very peak. I was immediately met with a big hug from both Colleen and her Mother – I didn’t really know anyone here but upon starting this photo-gig, I knew we would be celebrating as family.
Following my typical measures of capturing wedding prep shots, we immediately traveled to the Union Brewery, which was rather fitting for what I was about to witness! The couple was wed at the foot of a red carpet, right in front of a massive, shiny beer tank system. Various craft brews spilled out of their draft spouts and into unique glasses, which were quickly passed out to everyone. We celebrated their recent “I Dos” with an elegant, couples’ portrait session up against the beautiful brick architecture. The reception followed at a cafe right around the corner where toasts rang out and family danced the night away. All was beautiful and delicious, but most of all-exciting.
Colleen and Jill not only opened the doors to my first same-sex wedding photo-op but they also continue to further my career in ways that I had never expected to be affected by. To start, my images from their wedding were featured in the next month’s issue of Baltimore Bride. To this day, under the blanket of my full-time employer, Maryland Photography Inc., I help to pioneer her’s and Jill’s successful publication (Baltimore Real Producers) by terms of bringing their creative visions to the cover – from front to back.