I’ve been wanting to shoot a destination wedding since day one as it combines my two favorite things: travel and photography. Well, maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to declare my two favorite things…I think IPAs would get jealous. Anyway, to get to shoot a wedding in St. John with perfect weather was simply unbelievable. I mean I got to wear linen pants and flip flops (a.k.a. living the dream)! To add to the fun, I went down there with my good friend Elizabeth of Anticipation Events, and her bf and our friend Annie ended up coming as well. The four of us had a great mini-vaca before the wedding events started up, and in an unlikely turn of events, I went from hating to absolutely loving Bloody Marys. So the trip was already a success well before the big day.
Katie and Ryan are an amazing couple. I can’t imagine a more stressful wedding than one where you’re not only planning the event, but you’re coordinating almost every flight, taxi, ferry, and hotel for your friends and family. They pulled it off seamlessly and had a blast throughout the day! I should also point out that I’ve never received such a warm and friendly welcome from friends and family. It was great to have several conversations with uncles and aunts, friends, young’ns, and even Grandma. Good people! Here’s some Q&A with Katie:
1. How did you and Ryan meet?
“Ryan and I grew up together in the small town of Lake Bluff, IL. We sat next to each other in 3rd grade, dated in High School and ended up going to college together. We moved to Chicago after graduating and continued dating. Ryan proposed a few years later and the rest is history!”
2. What made you decide to do a destination wedding, and why St. John?
“We had traveled to St. John once before and loved the beauty and small-town feel of this caribbean island. Plus, you can’t beat the weather for a March wedding! I had never thought I would have a destination wedding, but it was so amazing to be able to enjoy the company of our family and friends for more than just one night.”
3. What was your favorite part of the day?
“The end of the night was so cool – Elizabeth, our planner, had lined everyone up outside the house with glow sticks. When Ryan and I left to get in the taxis once the reception had ended, all of our guests were lined up cheering and waving the glow sticks around and we got to run through a tunnel of our friends and family. This was so unexpected and such a cool way to end the night.”
4. What, if anything, would you have done differently?
“I can’t think of anything that I’d want to change – the day was perfect!”
My duties started the night before the wedding at the rehearsal dinner. What better place than Joe’s Rum Hut?
The first night, I stayed in Hollbrook, AZ after dodging giant moonlit elk on the road from Phoenix. 
I pulled over randomly because I liked the clouds and ended up at the Continental Divide!
Oh and then it snowed somewhere between Albuquerque and Denver…
After some great coffee at Crema in Denver, I explored a bit.
I shot a ton of instax “polaroids” along the way. I lined them up on my dash to have something prettier than Nebraska to look at on my way home. (no offense Nebraska…ok maybe a little offense)
Pulled off on a whim to check out the original Pony Express station!
