Country Girl's Dream Wedding
Comes True During COVID-19

Every time Stephanie and I would go to Montana to lead our Equestrian Photo Expeditions, we would always ask Karri to model for us. Karri was the perfect model because she is as country as you can get. Not only did she live on a big ranch, she can rope and ride, drive a tractor and hunt just as good as her older brother. Our photography participants loved her because their images looked authentic.

As time moved on, Stephanie and I became good friends with Karri and her family. Now that Karri has grown up, we were both taken back by a text message that we received from her. She announced that she was getting married and said that it would be her dream come true to have us photograph her special day in Idaho Falls. As you can imagine, we were both very honored by her request and put her wedding in our calendar.

As more information was becoming available about the recent COVID-19, States across the US started implementing stay at home orders, as well as business shut-downs. Yes our business is amongst those who are considered non-essential. Knowing this, Karri asked if we were still planning to photograph her wedding. We told her that if she’s getting married, we would be there.

It was starting to look as though Karri’s ideal dream wedding was going to diminish into a small social distancing, unromantic wedding. Even though Karri was staying as positive as she could, I could hear it in her voice that her wedding plans were starting to fall apart.

As Stephanie and I were sheltering in and following the pandemic guidelines we received another message from Karri and Nick that they wanted to move forward with their wedding regardless of several factors. The LDS temple in Idaho Falls that they had scheduled for their ceremony had closed due to State and Federal orders, her wedding guest list had to dwindle to just family and wedding party, and the location of the reception could not provide any food or wedding services. However, nothing was going to stop us from photographing Kari’s wedding.

After finding out that Idaho was allowing wedding photography, I decided to travel without Stephanie. We outfitted our FJ-Cruiser with my camera gear, clothing, cooler of food and a comfy mattress and bedding. Gillie (my Border Collie co-pilot) and I hit the road for Idaho Falls.

Getting to Idaho Falls the night before Karri and Nick’s wedding, Gillie and I now had to find a place to sleep for the night. Since our plan was to sleep in the car, we found a clean and quiet truck stop. The next morning I paid $7.50 for a shower and was ready to start my day.

I met Nick and Karri at Idaho Falls, near the LDS Temple to document their first look. Needless to say, it was very emotional for all of us. This was actually happening, Karri and Nick found a way to move forward with their wedding. However, with a fast moving storm packed with high winds and torrential downpours, I knew that we had many challenges ahead of us.

I then followed Nick and Karri for at least 45 minutes to a landscape treasure, a spectacular hidden waterfall in the mountains. It rained on us the entire drive and I had to start their formal photo shoot with umbrellas, plastic tarps and protective rain gear for my equipment on top of the road looking down on the falls. And just like that, the winds died down and it stopped raining. Karri waisted no time and put a large black sweat suit over her dress and we all climbed down a slippery muddy slope with a rope to hang on to.

With the weather still holding back for us, we were able to accomplish one of the most beautiful wedding photo sessions. The dramatic clouds, soft lighting and a waterfall that looks like it belongs in a fantasy movie, Nick and Karri had no problem sharing their love towards each other with the camera.

Just as soon as we had finished, the dark clouds moved in and the storm continued, this time with hail and snow. We were now heading back to the original city falls to photograph the family and wedding party.

As Gillie and I were driving back following Nick and Karri, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I was going to be able to continue to photograph in this extreme weather. And sure enough, just as we pulled up to our destination, it stopped raining again! How was this possible? We were in the eye of a fierce storm, completely surrounded by dark clouds. Not knowing how long mother nature was going to let this happen, I immediately began photographing Nick and Karri with their family and wedding party.

Once again, just as soon as we finished, the rains began to unleash on us. I was back in the car with Gillie following Nick and Karri, their family and their wedding party driving in the rain to the wedding/reception.

The wedding and reception location (a big red barn) was beautiful and the perfect venue for a country girl. Even though there wasn’t nearly enough people to fill the venue, the place was overwhelmed with love and laughter. After the intimate wedding ceremony, everyone enjoyed wonderful food, music and dancing. After Karri and Nick smashed cake in each others faces, their family and wedding party spent the night on the dance floor with Karri’s brother Davy acting as the D-J.

And then it hit me, this was one of the most beautiful, intimate and romantic weddings I’d photographed. I don’t know how Karri did it. All of the odds were against her. Maybe it was the power of prayer, maybe she just willed it. Whatever it was, Karri’s dream wedding came true after all.