It goes without saying but wedding photographers, like your local letter carrier, have to be prepared to deal with any kind of weather. I shot a wedding a few years back in what had to be the worst blizzard Washington has endured in years and years. Ironically, most of the out of town guests made it, as they arrived in the days before the storm, but many local family were snowed out. It was one of the few times that I worried about getting to the event even with a four-wheel drive SUV. And I've been soaked enough in rain showers to know how quickly they can materialize (and pass) here in D.C. But sometimes it's the weather event without any tangible precipitation that can be a challenge. Heat may not be as glamorous as two-feet of snow but it sure gets us to pay attention.

With this in mind, I knew it was going to be a hot one when I pulled into the church parking lot this past Saturday and my car's dashboard thermometer read 107 degrees. (By the time I got my camera out and ready it had dipped back to a chilly 104.) Yikes, I thought, I've lived here in the nation's capital since 1988 and that's toasty by any standard. But the beauty of weddings is that no one comes to say, "Oh, I can't believe how hot it is" or "Oh, I can't believe it's raining." Nope, people come to weddings to share joy, and weather takes a back seat.

And in the case of Chris Pond and Leigh Parry, who were married at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, back seat is the operative word. There's nothing like battling the effects of blistering heat than with a fun ride in the back seat of a vintage 1936 Ford, and that's just what the newly married couple was treated to as they left the church. A cool breeze (warm breeze?) took over as we sailed around the neighborhood, gently blowing Leigh's veil here and there, and me trying to balance, focus and not get thrown out of the car. People laugh when I get excited over things like this, but as I've said in the past, I see so many fake veil blowing-in-the-wind pictures that I always love it when occurs for real. I also love all the little flare spots around Leigh's face. They'll always remind these guys of how sunny it was on their wedding day!

There are other benefits to hot weather as well. Hot days come with bright sun and bright sun brings with it great backlight. When I brought Leigh and Chris and his family outside--and away from the cool air conditioning--to do some family pictures, I think everyone thought I had gone utterly crazy. Even I could see that it was a bit unbearable and conceded that we return to the church. But as we were walking back in, I noticed that the light literally one foot outside the church doors was perfectly golden. So one by one, I took folks outside for some family pictures. As you can tell by the light on Leigh's veil, it was worth the pain and suffering!

Leigh and Chris had a great party at the Belle Haven Country Club along the Potomac River. (Speaking of weather, I remember when Belle Haven's golf course was under water following Hurricane Isabel a few years back.) This year, there was no rain to be found, except when the evening thunderstorms rumbled in, as if on cue, as all the guests were safely seated for dinner and toasts. Everyone got a good laugh out of the timing on one particular boom.

After that, it was all dancing and laughter. Except, that is, when I inadvertently stepped on the toes (not literally) of the catering manager when I motioned him to get out of Chris and Leigh's cake cutting photo. He was offended and let it be known that I would be thrown out if I did that again. Sorry, Mr. Manager!! No offense intended. (And no, he didn't actually follow through on his threat.)

  But it did get me thinking: Leigh and Chris are the same couple who were with me when we were all unceremoniously thrown out of Dumbarton Oaks, a beautiful-but-overpriced mansion in Georgetown, something I wrote about here. Considering that these two are among the most gentle, polite, soft-spoken couples I've met, why am I constantly being thrown out of places when I'm around them? Hmmmm.

Anyway, just poking fun. Chris and Leigh are, as I type this, arriving in Hawaii for their honeymoon. I wish them the best and thank them for a great way to beat the heat: having a blast at a fun wedding.

To see a quickie mini-gallery of photos from the wedding, click here.

Best,

Matt