Colson Griffith Photography Blog

I’m super excited about whats to come in 2012.  I’ve received so many great inquiries from couples who have plans of getting married all over the country and my creative brain just feeds off of the potential that lies in these totally unique events.  I do however have to slow down sometimes and think back to what made 2011 so special, and this wedding, by far, without question… absolutely… positively… was special.  I did not photograph this wedding actually… I officiated it, and best manned it, and guest(ed) it.  Alison and Blake are two of my best friends, from back in the day.  I met both of them on my first day at Santa Clara University in 2000, and since have been in constant contact with them, almost every week, for 11 years.  WOW!  Thats crazy.  Before this wedding, I’d not been a best man before… I’d not even been a groomsman before, so having the opportunity to represent for the fellas, and actually officiate their ceremony down in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, meant the world to me.

This wedding was like no other… you might be thinking, ohhh beautiful tropical wedding on the beach… sun, sand, and surf.  Ha!  Well sand and surf… but NO sun!  Halfway through the ceremony it started to rain… not like, ohh there are a few drops here and there.  More like Gods trying out a new fire hose and forgot to design a shut off valve.  I remember being up front officiating the wedding with an iPad in hand as we made our way through the ceremony.  I keept having to scroll my notes up and down, up and down, to see in between the water drops quickly accumulating on the screen.  (Are those things waterproof by the way???) One might think that this would be the point where the bride breaks down, the guests run for cover, and the whole vibe takes a nose dive.  Nope!  Not this wedding!  The wedding planner actually commented that she was waiting with umbrellas for any guests that motioned towards dry ground, but nothing happend.  No. One. Moved.  No one hardly blinked it seemed!  Everyone was so in tune with the wedding that a warm shower almost went unnoticed!  By the time we wrapped up, everyone was soaked head to bellybutton and not a person, including Alison and Bake, was upset!  From that point, we could not be stopped by Gods water attack.  A spontaneous dance party erupted on the beach right after the ceremony, and did not seem to stop until we were instructed to board the boat that would take us back to reality.  ”Get your soaking wet butts off of our beach and on to the boat!” someone said, but in Spanish, or Spanglish… err maybe it just sounded like Spanish at the end of the night.  Whatever!

The next day, after some much needed rest, we assembled ourselves for a day after wedding photo session in downtown Puerto Vallarta.  It was one of those MUGGY, HOT, Ughhh types of days… and honestly I was not sure if this would turn out well.  We shot under some time pressure thanks to Blake’s suit being on the complete opposite side of Puerto Vallarta after leaving it on the boat (dont ask why he was not wearing his suit!).  Once we finally got the suit, found our location, and got down to it, we made some incredible images.  I got home to peep on the pics and was so happy with what we created.  Gorgeous images for two of my best friends.  Could’t ask for more.  I’m so happy we had this opportunity and I am so happy to have been able to be as big a part of this wedding as I was.  Big ups to Alison and Blake!