This past weekend I grabbed my gear and boarded a plane heading to a town just south of the "Windy City". I spent the weekend dodging raindrops and watching as two truly in love people united in marriage. The ceremony was held at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Peoria, Illinois, where the air inside was filled with the sounds of a string quartet, James Marck on the organ and a liturgical soloist who sang angelically.
While getting ready to switch from groomsmen to bridal portraits I received a call saying that the ladies were running a wee bit behind so having some spare time the groom and his guys did what any outdoorsy bunch of men would do an hour and a half before their wedding ceremony… they went to the Bass Pro Shop. Every wedding is unique and presents fun photo opportunities but this was the first time i've ever photographed a group of seven men decked out in tuxedos as they examined different camo patterns and shotgun ammunition, it was a blast. The ceremony went perfectly as would be expected with a total of six priests performing the service and as the newlyweds were leaving the rain stopped just long enough for Ted to surprise his new bride with a horse and carriage ride.
At the end of the reception Angela pushed away balloons, caution tape and other items decorating Ted's prized corvette to gracefully slide into the bright yellow car. The two appeared to be in a hurry to begin their Italian honeymoon as remaining guests saw little more than a small cloud of tire smoke from the sports car as it sped away from the Weaver Ridge Golf Club. A few days after the wedding I was emailed a really cool photo, which I added to the end of this slide show, that let me know the Smiths arrived safely in Rome and that their truly devout union was even blessed by the Pope himself!
