Earlier this year I was suppose to be a best man for one of my closest friends. Another Covid cancellation. A postponement for the happy couple.
Time still moves forward. As cases wane and wax, smaller weddings were scheduled. My friends larger wedding followed suit… I’m sure a nightmare to plan during a pandemic. Never being part of a groom’s party, I brought my XT-20 and the 27mm. A pocket sized option to document my point of view.
Rehearsal was masked. The individuals in the back unassociated with the wedding.
Original ideas were tossed for more copacetic calls in favor of Covid safety. We even had matching masks for our suits, but the venue assured us we’d have the place to ourselves on the day.
We didn’t.
Strangers gathered
Our wedding party held itself back and bided the time until the assortment of of random groups dispersed.
Performing some form of magic. Nothing appeared.
It was the first time seeing familiar faces all year. My social skills felt rusty. Conversations were a little disjointed. I found myself taking more photos than conversing at first.
The ceremony took place (which was handled by the photographer hired), we danced, we sang, and I gave a speech that brought the rooms to tears.
No one had or contracted Covid. I can only wonder how many people think a wedding would be careless in the world we live in now, but it’s part of the human condition. We are beings of misfortune that thrive in it. Where harsh conditions and adversity lie in our path, humans eke out these brilliant moments. Joyous reprieves from the darkness that surrounds us. Everything felt normal, a momentary pause from the horrors of the year. It reminds me of all the dystopian futures cinema is riddled with.
Art imitates life.
The fiction isn’t so fantastical anymore. We are living our literature. These are the moments that keep us alive reminding us what life is worth.
