Tierney & Conor: the wedding that weathered a nor'easter
Gloucester, MA
They say rain on your wedding day is good luck. On Saturday, September 26, the sky really committed to the bit.
A nor'easter came up the coast right on schedule for Tierney and Conor's wedding in Gloucester. Steady rain, gusting wind off the harbor, and a sky that never got brighter than pearl gray. Nobody pretended it would clear. Nobody seemed to mind. Storms make the best stories, and honestly, some of the best light.
outside the church
The wedding party caught about five minutes on the church steps between downpours, and that was enough for one loud, happy group photo that looks nothing like a lineup.
portraits on the dock
Storm light is some of the kindest light there is: soft, even and flattering, and a white umbrella works like a giant reflector. The wet dock doubled everything in reflection, and the harbor went a quiet silver.
Tierney's bouquet of blue hydrangea, yellow dahlias and eucalyptus matched Conor's boutonniere, and both looked brighter against the gray than they ever would have in sunshine.
raincoats and a boat ride
For the trip to Annisquam Yacht Club they pulled on a cream raincoat and a blue poncho over the dress and tux, and we went by boat. Guests waiting on the deck made a tunnel of raised arms, and the two of them ran through it laughing.
one last kiss
Late that night, with the rain still coming sideways, we stepped out onto the footbridge for a few frames with a single light behind them. It's the last picture in their gallery and my favorite of the day.
Congratulations, Tierney and Conor. Thank you for letting me tell this one.
If rain is in your forecast, pack two white umbrellas and a pair of raincoats you don't mind being photographed in. Some of the best pictures of the day happen once everyone stops trying to stay dry.
