Reub's journey

09 June 2014

Wedding guest

Interstate-5 begins at the border of Canada and, after paralleling the Pacific Ocean and connecting all three west coast capitals, it terminates at the border of Mexico. It passes just on the other side of the little hills you see here, between Corvallis and Eugene, Oregon. 


Every time I travel that mighty highway I think how nice it would be to pull over, climb to the top of a basalt-laden hill and with knees-to-chest, spy upon those who live there. Who are they? What do they do? Can they hear my car as I speed past?


On Saturday, although I never climbed the hill, I did get my wish: a little glimpse of a farm wedding in the Willamette valley. I didn't know the bride or groom (the connection was through John), so it was a chance to just...be a guest, a teeny bit of a spy.




I didn't hear I-5 at all. The peonies, however, were a cacophony of color and scent.



The sound of country music was dominant.



Weddings are lovely events, and I especially like it when they occur outside. Back in the day, they were mostly conducted within churches but I like this so much better. It's much more personal.



A candid shot of the photographers, taken from far away, of course.
I wouldn't want to be a wedding photographer though: all that pressure of getting the perfect shot and capturing every moment? No thanks.



The bride's little girls, now in a newly-formed family, watching the first dance.
Much better to be a simple guest, dilly-dallying around, taking it all in, photographing some things but not others. Yes, I had a good time there, just east of I-5, where life was full and happy. A great day, and so much fun to be an observer in a place I've wondered about.

26 comments:

  1. Indeed it looks like a great day and so much fun to let us also observe a place you have wondered about.

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    1. There are so many places to wonder about, granny.

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  2. Oh, you lover of outside weddings - your own, your oldest son's and soon your daughter's!! And I've been blessed to spy on each of those beautiful events. Not only are they personal, but more relaxed and informal. Can't wait for the wedding in the Thyme Garden!! Oh, and you would be tough competition for any wedding photographer! These are gorgeous - especially the special effects of the final one!!

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    1. Thanks Merry! You're a real regular at weddings around here! We are all looking forward to the Thyme Garden. Fingers crossed for the weather...that's the one thing about outdoor weddings...

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  3. I had an outdoor wedding the first time around but it didn't stick. The second time was in the house but only because it was the middle of August. This looks like it was perfectly lovely.

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    1. It was a bluebird day on Saturday, and I sure hope this wedding sticks.

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    1. The groom has a ready-made fam and from the looks of it he's as happy as a clam.

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  5. I like the sort of wistful feeling that I get from this post. I love the feet photo and I like the grooms outfit.

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    1. He's wearing a Filson vest very handsomely, AC.

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  6. What a treat to be a guest at such a charming, intimate wedding. I think this is the kind of wedding my daughter wants. And that's fine by me as long as the weather cooperates. Your photos are wonderful.

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    1. If she gets married in Oregon, the weather is quite dependable from early July through August, If she gets married in Louisiana? I'm not sure!

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  7. What a beautiful post. I do like the more relaxed weddings too.

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    1. Me too. I love weddings, but don't get to go very often.

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  9. Gorgeous photos and I am envious because being at a wedding where you are not a member of the party means you can just sit back and take candid shots. Now when you drive by you will know.

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    1. Tabor, I'll think of the wedding on this farm every time I drive by on I-5 from here on out.

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    2. These pictures are so nice! And what a lovely, nice, comfy wedding, I love it!

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    3. It was a very easy-going wedding, RG. Bride & groom + kids arrived in a tractor. :)

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  10. I think attending a wedding is much more fun than having to plan and put one on. Great fun. I will be coming through that area this summer. I'll look for your hill.

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    1. Coming up I-5? Much of it is quite beautiful.

      Our daughter gets married in August, but so far we have done very little planning. I fully expect the wedding fairies to take care of all that.

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  11. I very much enjoyed this post, Kerry. It's wonderful, of course but it makes me look forward to the wedding we'll be attending next month which will take place outdoors on a ranch. The father of the groom is a wedding photographer who is happy to hand the duties over to a friend of his.

    Thanks for this, Kerry. It very much portrays the joy of the event.

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  12. Oooh I hope you take your camera to that wedding, Hilary. A ranch in Ontario? Or further west?

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  13. In Ontario but it's a wedding venue. Outdoor ceremony. Barn reception. I don't know much about it but I'm anxious to find out. It's formal but the wedding invitation suggests no high heels. It should be loads of fun. And yes of course.. the camera comes with!

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    1. Sounds like fun. I wore cowboy boots to this wedding. :)

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