Greg & Nick Get Married!

Greg & Nick

Neither a driving rain nor a pandemic were going to stop Greg and Nick from tying the knot in this past August.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. You’re probably saying to yourself “I’ve followed this blog since it started in November 2008….Mark has never shot a wedding. He’s not a wedding photographer. Why is he shooting a wedding?”

Allow me to reply:1) No, I’ve never shot a wedding. 2) No, I’m not a wedding a photographer 3) Well, because I was asked to by my friend Greg.

Full disclosure of a couple of things: I’ve known Greg for a few years now. Way back in 2014, he asked me to shoot some portraits of him to help market his yoga business. He works for the same company I do and every now and then, we see each other at an event or in the gym. But it had been a while, so when I got an email from him back in July 2019 asking if I’d shoot his wedding, I was surprised…but also honored.

We had a call a few days later and he told me he and Nick were booked Holly Hedge Estate in New Hope, PA for their August 2020 wedding. They were thrilled and excited of course. We even had a chance to meet up one Fall weekend there so that I could meet Nick and have a look around the gorgeous estate, very popular for weddings.

We all know what happened next – Pandemic.

I got another email from Greg in April 2020 saying they were postponing the festivities until, hopefully, August 2021.

In the meantime, as we were all going through COVID induced changes, they did a Justice of the Peace ceremony and bought a cute house in Lambertville, NJ!

Despite already being married, they still wanted to do the big Holly Hedge Estate party, and they still wanted me in on it. Pretty cool, eh?

Ok, so, the Friday evening before the wedding it’s raining….hard! I’m looking at my weather app for Saturday: Rain.

I start to panic a little. I had all these outdoor shots planned – what do I do if it rains? I text my buddy, Bryan Sargent, who shoots wedding every weekend in NYC. He wonder if I could pick up those clear umbrellas, that might be cool.

But it’s 9 pm and I don’t have many options. I run into CVS and buy two black umbrellas. At least it’s something. I spend the rest of night charging batteries, getting gear together, making sure I had enough media cards.

Oh, this would also be the first shoot with my new Canon 5D Mark IV. (Yes, I’ve made a switch. Stay tuned for that post.)

Anyway, I wake up on Saturday morning and it was pouring HARD in my town. I pack up my truck and head to New Hope about 35 minutes away.

And, as I’m getting closer…the rain is stopping. By the time I get there, it’s completely stopped. Humid as all hell but no rain!

I meet up with Greg and Nick early, and we walk the grounds gathering shots.

And guess what the good folks at Holly Hedge provided for me….

Even though the rain had stopped, I still wanted to incorporate the umbrellas!

We spent a good hour or so hitting different spots, all before their family and friends arrived. There were honestly times when I felt like I was shooting two models for GQ magazine. They even had custom suits!

Of course, we shot a whole bunch of photos with Greg and Nick’s family and friends around the estate. The ground looked lush and full after the rain, really a treat to shoot in. The worst part was my lenses kept fogging up between going from the air conditioned buildings to the humid outdoors.

Though they had a good number of guests, it still felt more intimate. Greg’s uncle said a few words and did the ceremony.

Then the party began!

Of course I shot a ton more photos for the groom’s. It was a wonderful experience for me, and I’m honored Greg and Nick chose me to document their special day!

Location: Holly Hedge Estates:

Hair/Make Up: Makeup By Danielle Aarci

Custom Suits: The Clothing Center

Music: Pat and Sean Kelly

Flowers: Pod Shop Flowers

Cake: Vegan Treats

Will I shoot more weddings?

Guess we’ll have to see…