As quotable movies go, you can never go wrong with Caddyshack.
Most people tend to recite Bill Murray's legendary, "The crowd is standing on its feet here at Augusta" soliloquy, but I always find myself coming back to another great moment. It's when Murray's Carl Spackler is caddying for the old Bishop, who happens to be having the round of his life, despite monsoon conditions. When another golfer yells for them for them to come out of the storm, Murray says, famously, "I don't think the real heavy stuff will come down for a while."
I'm sure I wasn't the only one who had this quote at the tip of his tongue two Saturday's ago, the day of Allie Kaminsky's marriage to Chris Putala. To say that the remnants of Tropical Storm Hanna pounded our nation's capital with rain that afternoon would be a gross understatement. We got hammered.
It's every photographer's worst nightmare, trying to think of things to say to a bride that will make it seem like you have a special hotline straight to the weather gods. But some days you just can't pretend and this was one. It was raining so hard when I first came to see Allie at her hairdresser that the rain was coming down sideways in sheets. I could barely make it out of the car. Further down Wisconsin, Chris, the groom, was putting on Wellies. As Alexandra, my daughter, likes to say when she thinks something bad is approaching, "This is not going to be good."
I had a couple of options. I could say that family and friends don't give a hoot about the weather, they come only to help make a joyous day more joyful. (True, but doesn't do much on the comfort front.)
I could say that rain is good luck on a wedding. (Boring.)
I could say that if you guys get past this hiccup, it's all downhill. (Dopey.)
Or, as a Hail Mary pass, I could say that there was always a chance the rain would let up. (Zero possibility.)
Well, I think I went with option one and Allie was a trooper for sure. Rain or shine, she was radiant as she put her dress on.
And then something incredible happened. And when I say incredible, I'm talking about the end of The Grinch, where his heart grows three sizes. I'm talking about Moses parting the Red Sea. Because what happened that afternoon was nothing short of extraordinary.
The worst rain storm this city has seen in years suddenly stopped, like a faucet being shut off, and out came the most beautiful sunshine you could ever imagine.
Like that! It was amazing. What seemed like a one in a million chance had actually come true. So true, in fact, that when we arrived at the Jefferson Memorial for some hasty let's-not-look-a-gift-horse-in-the-mouth bridal party pictures, the sun was as golden as it gets.
Weddings are funny. Allie and Chris are somewhere in the Greek islands right now, getting, I'm hoping, their share of gorgeous sun. (I got engaged in Santorini and it's the most beautiful place on earth.) But no matter how spoiled they get lying on the beach, they'll never forget that one day of rain, more rain and sun on September 6th, 2008.
To see a mini gallery of Chris and Allie's pictures, click here.
Take care,
Matt
p.s. Chris and Allie: if you read this from some internet cafe, the name of the beach on Mykonos I mentioned is Agios Sostis and the restaurant is called Kiki's. Listen for the sound of clinking plates. :)