When Amanda contacted me, about photographing her mother’s wedding in Tombstone, Arizona, I could not get there soon enough! I am a big fan of the old west. Whenever the opportunity comes about to take a trip back in time, I am always ready to pack my camera bags and hop on the next stagecoach out of Tucson.
The wedding couple and their entire posse of guests were all from Canada. The first chance I had to meet with the bride and groom did not come, until a few days before their wedding. Since I had never been to the Tombstone Monument Guest Ranch before, I decided to do a preview of it and connect with the bride and groom at the same time. The ranch is actually a fairly new place, replicating an old trail dust town. Being there, absolutely felt like a time travel, back to the late eighteen hundreds, the early days of black and white film and large format cameras.
For nostalgia’s sake and to blend in, would I forgo my digital SLR cameras to photograph Cheryl and Kelley’s wedding with an old large format camera instead? I can’t say the thought didn’t cross my mind. But, that is all it did, cross my mind, like a tumbleweed that blew through town and never stopped. Besides, I promised my clients hundreds of images of their wedding day, not a handful of painstakingly posed photographs, like it used to be.
Wedding day turned out be one of the windiest of the year so far, in Cochise County. Trees were swaying back and forth, dust was flying. I imagined ghost riders would be retreating back into town, at anytime now, all of which only added to the experience, for me. For better or worse, outdoor elements often dictate the flow of the wedding photography. Most of the day, strong winds forced us to take pictures indoors and under porch cover.
After photographing my first wedding at the Tombstone Monument Guest Ranch, my impressions are that it is an absolutely fun and wonderful place for a wedding. From what I have observed, the service is great, too! If you love the old west and are looking for something different, this is the place for you. As for me, I am a full time professional wedding photographer located in Tucson, Arizona and would welcome, with open arms, the opportunity to go back and do it all over again and again. I love it there!
My thanks to the bride and groom, Cheryl and Kelley, for having me photograph their special day and taking me back, to the days of old. God Bless you both!
Updated August 12, 2015, the Tombstone Monument Guest Ranch and this article are now being featured on Ranch Rider, for Dream Western Weddings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a95e2UX9TOk