A Wedding Too Tough To Die – Tombstone Monument Ranch

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.

The Groom, waits for his bride, at Tombstone Monument Guest Ranch.
With his bride well out of sight, in a sound proof room, the bridegroom, Kelley, takes advantage of a photo op.
Desperados!
Desperados ~After today, there will be no more chasing fences, for one of these desperados.
The Wyatt Earp Room
Meanwhile, going on inside the walls of the Wyatt Earp room, two bridesmaids have a staring contest with a mural portrait of the fabled sheriff. Wyatt Earp wins, again.
The Trappman Saloon
Strong winds forced the wedding ceremony to be moved indoors, to the Trappman Saloon.
The Maid of Honor
The Maid of Honor enjoys a laugh, while the girls finish their final touches.
The Bride and Her Girls
To escape the wind, Cheryl and the girls huddle under the porch, for a few photos.
The Bride and Maid of Honor
Cheryl, the bride, and her daughter, the maid of honor, strike a few poses.
The Wedding Ceremony
The Trappman Saloon substituted for the wedding location, originally planned for outdoors.
Congratulations!
The newly-pronounced husband and wife are congratulated by their guest, outside the Trappman Saloon.
Cheryl and Kelley
The lovely newlyweds pose for a few shots, under porch cover. (No, an old Folding Rochester camera was not used, to take these photos.)
Cheryl and The Boys
The Bride and the Groomsmen enjoy a few laughs.
Bridesmaids Outside the Trappman Saloon
Bridesmaids hold on to their hats, while taking a break outside the Trappman Saloon.
Making it Official
The bride, groom, best man and maid of honor, make it official, by signing the marriage document. ~ The town of Tombstone is located in Cochise County. I am assuming the portrait, on the wall, is a profile of the famed Apache Chief.
The First Dance
Kelley and Cheryl have their traditional first dance, in the barn at Tombstone Monument Guest Ranch.
Cutting the Cake
Check out the petticoat style wedding cake.
The Wedding Party
The wedding party is on, in the barn, at the Tombstone Monument Guest Ranch.

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!

A Kiss for the Road
A Kiss for the Road

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

Author: Paul Van Helden

Paul Van Helden is a professional headshot, portraits, event, nature, still life and landscape photographer, based in Tucson Arizona. Some of his published credits include The Valley Wedding Pages and Sierra Club. Paul has worked professionally for over thirty years. Biologist and nature photographer Fred Dodd Jr. first introduced him to photography in 1982. Later, Paul studied photography at Dean College and began to photograph weddings under the tutelage of Craig Roberts of Franklin, Massachusetts. After working as a freelance wedding specialist for five years, he started his own photography business in Bellingham, Massachusetts in 1995. In December of 2004, he moved to the American Southwest, a part of the country he fell in love with, when he first visited the region in 1984.