Trudianne and Billy’s outdoor wedding was at Cherry Lane Farm in Marengo, Illinois.  I met Trudianne at Jenifer and Scott’s Michigan wedding last year.  She was the bagpiper and Billy was at the wedding too.  In fact, halfway through the ceremony, he gasped audibly when he saw me putting a fresh roll of film in my camera.  He was thrilled and wanted to know all about it after the ceremony was done.  It’s gratifying when I know that people still appreciate us film shooters!

Back then, Trudianne and Billy told me they weren’t really interested in ever getting married.  They met at the same skydiving facility (they’re both experienced jumpers) and were just having a great time being in love.  They are such a happy couple.  So I was jazzed when they changed their minds…but of course, on their terms.  I would expect no less from these two fascinating, independent thinkers.  Here’s a very different kind of wedding:

They decided to do a handfast, which is a simple, binding ceremony.  It took place outdoors on a stunning October day in a clearing on their farm.  They collected many mementos of significance from around the farm, such as seeds, an old nest, feathers, twigs, a lantern, a plate, etc.  They invited their dearest friends and family to gather in a circle and bless the union.  The handfast acknowledges “the land, ancestors and the divine” and included the four elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth.

The start of the day was when Billy took everyone on a hay ride over to a tree in the middle of a pasture where Trudianne and Billy had hung their wedding rings for three days.  Then Trudianne and Billy went and got into their fancy clothes for the handfasting ceremony.  After the ceremony, everyone walked over to the big red barn and enjoyed a feast prepared by Trudianne’s mom, Trudi and Billy’s dear friend, Deb.  There were many dishes featuring food grown on the farm, plus a cheese bar created by Deb, with little signs about the cheese and what to pair with them.  (I just saw a cheese dessert bar on Martha Stewart’s Wedding Blog, so Deb is on the cutting edge of wedding trends!).  They even garnished the meal with flowers from around the farm.

After the feast, everyone gathered around a big bonfire for hot cocoa, scotch and cigars, and some guitar playing.  As always, I was grateful for being included in such a special day.

SUZI Q | QWEDDINGS Wedding Photography Austin, Texas