Kate and Hans were married at Rebers Riverside down a long gravel road in the middle-of-nowhere Yamhill. It’s the type of place where the local farmers and ranchers fly in on their personal airplanes for Sunday brunch because it makes more sense than driving. That’s quite literally what a maintenance man told me. Rebers Riverside is also the type of wedding venue that not only allows but encourages camping and has surprisingly few rules against lighting fireworks in the middle of the lawn. (But don’t quote me on that.) I love photographing camping weddings. They’re the absolute best! Every camping wedding I’ve photographed just has a different vibe. You can tell people are in it for the long haul. Nobody is worried about how they’re getting home because most everyone plans to stumble back to their tent, RV, hammock, what have you anyway. Little cherub like children, some of them half naked carrying badminton rackets with dirt on their faces, scamper among the legs of adults and you kind of begin to wonder if their parents are watching. Some of the same can be said for the pack of wet dogs roaming about, except they’re mostly gnawing on river rocks. There’s a certain informality with guests in their bathing suits taking a dip in the nearby pond while other guests watch while dressed to the nines. One gentleman in attendance actually floated down the river in his dress clothes on a raft half his size with a flower girl on his lap, and it was a tremendous hit. Ha ha ha. Big props to that guy. Can he seriously come with his raft to every wedding I shoot? Anyway, Kate and Hans, you did good with your venue selection. Everyone had a blast celebrating with you, and I should know because I too stumbled back to my tent and woke up the next morning with a hangover and then did a cannonball into the pond. Loved it! — KC
