05/04/2024
The groom that arrived too late to get his license on Friday joined his bride and entourage at the airport, where they had been waiting four hours. He texted me “I have arrived!” and I called him and we had a fun and funny conversation. They all had to go through the line and then they picked up the two vans he had rented and got to their hotel, had dinner and the two mai tais I told him to have. I met with them the next morning and always play a little game with myself when I go to meet with clients, imagining what they would look like. I got her spot on, willowy, great figure and beautiful face. Him I imagined bald and he has a full head of hair and enough of a beard you could hide your car in it. I loved them both, big surprise!
The day of the wedding the groom and his best man arrived first and we chatted for about fifteen minutes before the bride and entourage showed up and I sent the guys down to Mikey so he would not see her before she walked in. She was radiant and we ladies had so much fun joking and laughing while the second van waited for a parking spot and one of the ladies and I went out into the parking lot to try to procure a space. I asked one of the drivers in line if we could take the next space that opened up since we were doing a wedding in ten minutes and he was happy to oblige. People in Hawaii are so generous. Alika showed up and I introduced him to the bride and entourage and he was his usual sunny self, he headed down to the site and started playing his ukulele and singing as we arrived a few minutes later, we had the ceremony which was perfect and the two little boys and couple all participated in the sand ceremony, uniting them as a family. I took over the photography at that point and always start with a group shot. I told them now this is a no blink zone and said eyes open NOW and Alika played the first five chords of the Deliverance theme which made us all laugh, then I took another one and he played the second five chords, which made us laugh again and then he did it a third time, which was fortuitous since people were laughing so much the first two times that some had their eyes closed. At this point I said: Alika Souza, everybody! And they all clapped and Taneesha called out thank you to him and he came in to hug them both and then hug me and he was on his way. We continued taking photos for an hour or so, then everybody left and M and I worked with the bride and groom and their two besties stayed, she helped with the gown and he was taking photos with his phone and we kept joking because they would be looking at him and I kept saying to look at me since I was taking the money shots and he was free. At one point I looked over at him and he quickly looked at the sky like he wasn’t taking photos. Another time I admonished him that his arm shadow was in the way and then realized it was my arm shadow! If the couple was expecting a staid experience with us, they found out different after about two seconds. We had so much fun and as we were leaving, the minister Mike Nelson was arriving and he is an old friend of many years. His eyes popped out of his head when he saw Taneesha! Peter, our usual limo guy was also in the parking lot, driving for another limo company and his eyes popped out of his head when he saw Taneesha, too, so she broke a lot of hearts.
I met them at the license office the next morning and John told me the clerk was surprised they got their license the day after their wedding since “Leah usually makes sure the couple gets their license ahead of time.” He explained the whole sordid plane was delayed story to her. We all found it enormously funny. Thank God for easy going clients, I only take the best and send the bridezillas to the competition. Is that unchristian of me? Oh, yes, indeed!
