Beating the Storm: Jenn and Alan’s Norris Dam Wedding
As a wedding photographer, I am always consulting a weather app on my phone, especially on the wedding day if bad weather is a potential. It is invaluable to have one that shows you a radar map so you can see what might be coming your way. This is important because sometimes a wedding day timeline has to be rearranged to accommodate what Nature wants to throw at you.
Such was the case with my first wedding of 2023 at the tea room located in Norris Dam State Park. Jenn and Alan are a laidback couple and purposely wanted an intimate and stylish wedding - my favorite type of all! The timeline for their day called for them to have a First Look, then finish the family formals, and then go and do portraits of the couple.
Okay, so some rain came during the first look. Meh, I don’t mind getting wet, whatever it takes for my clients.
As we finished the First Look, the rain was letting up. A quick check of the weather app and . . . the radar was now showing a big, ugly mess of a storm to the west and heading fast. I spoke with the couple - let’s run to the cars and head out to do their pictures. After all, if we have to remain indoors due to weather, better the formal family pictures are done under those circumstances. We had a small window and it would be closing quickly.
So we headed over to the west overlook for Norris Dam. I asked the Best Man to come along to help as a “voice activated lightstand” but also to keep an eye on the lake. I knew that there was a very defined fron coming in, so he would be able to see the rain approaching. So I went to work . . .
I took this next picture and heard the Best Man say, “Uh, guys . . . I think it’s time we start running for the car.”
Turning around, I could see a “wall” of rain making its way across lake Norris. We dashed to the car and as the others got in, I threw gear into the truck. I managed to get and close my door . . . and a few seconds later, the storm walloped into us. What could we do except to laugh? Here in the East Tennessee, a storm front does not sneak up on you, there is no grace period of gentle rain that increases over time. One minute you are dry and the next . . . BAM!
So, you live with it and go on to have a fun wedding at the tea room. I loved Jenn’s pants (unique!) and being from Minneosta, the groom and his mom danced to Prince’s “Raspberry Beret.” Friends and family came together in a cozy venue and “no stress” was the order of the day.
And the weather?
Who cares?