Please, just two hours. Just two hours of no rain. I woke up Saturday morning, October 1st, and uttered these prayers along with so many other wedding goers. You see, shooting a wedding in the rain isn’t what I would call fun. I’ve shot many rainy weddings, and it can be done, very successfully I might add. But Molly and Jay really needed dry skies. Molly’s dad had built a beautiful arbor for her and Jay to stand under. Their best friends had cut fresh flowers from the garden that morning for decorations. Cakes were being made, flowers were being driven in from Brooklyn, a wedding dress was being picked up from the shop, and signs were being painted. After 2 years of both Molly and Jay battling cancers, cancelling and rescheduling their wedding, and watching their lives take a very different course than expected, they really needed clear skies to stand under as they said their “i do’s”.
The morning of October 1st came just 8 weeks after Molly and Jay decided to celebrate their love in front of family and friends. They had been married the previous spring at the courthouse amid a crazy season of illness. Molly says, “It was April and we had been engaged since September. We had both been recently diagnosed (with cancer) and it was a really stressful time in our lives- everything felt totally unstable. I remember just telling Jay out of the blue that I wanted to get married- like tomorrow. He instantly got on board and we were in the courthouse 2 days later…. I found a dress in my neighborhood for $50, grabbed some cheap flowers from a deli (really), and headed out. Afterwords we went bar hopping in the city and out to dinner with friends. It was so much fun, so spontaneous, and completely lifted our spirits.”
As Molly walked down the aisle holding onto her brother, the newest chapter of her life was being written. Jay stood under the arbor, with Molly’s Father’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, and when Molly and Jay held hands, it was just the two of them. There was no room for illness, pain, or struggle. There was no thought of Cancer. It was not invited.
You see, love really does win. Molly and Jay are living, breathing, dancing proof of that. The families and friends who worked tirelessly with them to bring Molly’s dream of a fall inspired wedding to life is proof of that. The collective prayers of guests, crazy photographers, and strangers to interrupt the scheduled rain, is proof of that. Yes, Molly and Jay have been dealt the short straws in certain areas. But as they swayed on the dance floor under glowing lanterns and twinkling lights, I felt nothing but joy and happiness for them.
I would like to take this moment to point out that it did rain on October 1st. After the ceremony, we skirted away from the guests and found a beautiful field for some portraits. The skies opened and a light rain fell. And guess what? It was perfectly imperfect in every single way. Rain has a way of making everything quiet and still; of turning our minds off to distractions and focusing us as clearly as a single rain drop. Molly said it was one of her favorite moments of the day, and remarkably, quite romantic!
Read on for comments from Jay and Molly, and enjoy some of my favorite photos from their day!
Unfortunately at this time, Molly and Jay are still struggling with their illnesses. Molly begins a new treatment later this week. If you would like to donate to their gofundme to help pay the cost of their staggering medical bills, click here. And please share! No one should have to bear the burden a one-two-punch like this alone.
Continue reading “Berwick Wedding Photography | Molly + Jay | Allie Skylar Photography”
