Maine & New Hampshire Wedding Photographer // Rain, Wind & Chaos: Perfect Weddings Are Overrated

Some weddings are elegant. Some are emotional. And some feel like they’re straight out of an action movie. This one? Oh, this was the latter.

Let’s rewind to the morning of the big day. The plan was simple: a beautiful lakeside ceremony on Church Island, Squam Lake. The only way to get there? A quaint little ferry. The forecast? Eh, a little windy, and by a little windy, I mean, there was a hurricane forecasted. We all thought the storm brewing off the coast would stay off the coast. Cute how we believed that.

Fast forward a few hours, and Mother Nature had some thoughts on this wedding.

As we prepared to leave for the ceremony, it started raining. No big deal. The wind picked up. Okay, cool, a little dramatic flair. But as we boarded the ferry, the lake’s waves grew bigger, and the sky turned that oh-you’re-in-trouble-now shade of gray. By the time we were halfway across the lake, it felt less like a wedding and more like an episode of Deadliest Catch.

The wind howled. The rain pelted us sideways. The ferry rocked. And yet, we kept going—because, well, a wedding waits for no storm.

When we docked at Church Island, it was chaos. Rain was coming at us horizontally. The wind was relentless. If anyone had an umbrella, it was either broken or had already flown off to Narnia. Guests huddled together, soaked to the bone, looking like they had just survived a shipwreck. And yet—the ceremony began.

Now, most couples would’ve taken one look at the conditions and opted for the quickie version of their vows. Not these two. Oh no, they were in it for the long haul. Full ceremony. No shortcuts. Rain pouring down. Wind whipping through the trees. The bride’s veil? Blowing in the wind.

And me? Oh, I had a guest literally holding an umbrella over my head because if I had tried to hold it myself, it would’ve turned into a parachute and carried me off the island.

After the “I dos,” logic would’ve suggested we hightail it back to the mainland. But again, this couple wasn’t about to let a little tropical storm dictate their wedding photos. So we stayed. Family formals? Done in the pouring rain. Couple’s portraits? Absolutely epic. The way the storm raged around them while they held each other like the only two people in the world? Absolute cinematic gold.

As we finally prepared to leave the island, the storm began to ease—slightly. The ride back was still rough, but at least this time, I didn’t fear for my life.

By the time we reached solid ground, every single person—bride, groom, guests, and one very soggy photographer—was drenched and exhausted. But you know what? No one cared. Because that wedding wasn’t just an event; it was an experience.

And someday, when they tell their kids about their wedding day, they won’t just say it was beautiful. They’ll say it was legendary.