To celebrate it’s 40th anniversary this year, my church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, held a joint wedding ceremony at a recent Sunday service. Couples who participated in the church’s pre-marital process were invited to hold their ceremony at church on Sunday and the church would pay for the reception. Quite the deal!
The idea of a joint wedding was pretty intriguing to me, so I was excited to be able to participate by photographing. I worked alongside Irwin Thompson (Pulitzer Prize winning photographer from the Dallas Morning News) as Dr. Tony Evans officiated the wedding of 7 couples. Yep, you heard right, seven brides and seven grooms all pledging to say I do at the same time. It was certainly a unique challenge as a photographer, but one I enjoyed sinking my teeth into.
Enjoy the photos from this most unique wedding!
Capturing shots of 7 different ladies getting ready at the same time in the same place had me wanting to sing the theme song from Rocky to prepare myself. Fortunately the ladies were all kind and gracious so I was able to grab a few quick images (for all who wanted) while Irwin photographed the gentlemen.
Now when it comes to church, I am most comfortable far away from the front row, so it took a ton of bravery for me to stand at the very front of the sanctuary to photograph. Thankfully I was able to get in my zone once the camera was in my hands and concentrate on the couples in front of me.
A third photographer was assigned to photograph the reception, so here's a quick peek at the cake and décor.
Before the day of the weddings my biggest question was what exactly would the ceremony be like? Truthfully, it was like any other wedding. We started with the getting ready, the brides walked down the aisle and then were presented to their grooms. Vows were said, rings exchanged, and it was all sealed with a kiss. All couples jumped the broom and shortly preceded to a reception for family and friends. Each couple had the chance to dance their first dance, enjoy a yummy looking cake and eat specially catered foods. So yes, this was a wedding day like any other……times 7. I loved the fact that no bride or groom looked the same. Each had their own unique style!
Congratulations to all of the couples! Thank you to the team at OCBF that pulled off a truly incredible wedding. I felt honored to document the day.