The weather could have gone either way. It had been raining earlier, more rain was threatening, and Terri and John Van Soest, the owners of the Fontainebleau Inn, waited until the last to decide whether to put the chairs outdoors for the ceremony. Groom Don was checking online weather reports practically by the minute, but finally they all took a leap of faith, and they were rewarded. The ceremony took place largely in sunshine.
Fiona and Don are an adventuresome couple. For picturesque backgrounds for portraits, they were willing to walk through spongy wet grass and muddy paths, Fiona in trailing gown and high heels, to the historic Lawrence Chapel and its cemetery. Afterwards, Fiona, undismayed, rinsed the mud off her gown and the wedding proceeded. They were going to be hiking in Austria on their honeymoon, but no hike would be quite like this one. I’d like to think our visit to the old graveyard was a way for Fiona and Don to say “till death do us part.”
I thank David Spellman for assisting me in photographing this wedding. He’s always an asset, that man.
