The wedding of Rainey and B-III, part 4 - final: the wedding party - flowers are tossed, praises given, bubbles blown, guns are fired
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 7:26PM ;)
I have had to deal with many things today and once again I am way, way, waaaaay behind in putting up this post. And I have many things to do yet before this day ends. So, once again, I will move swiftly through the words, write very little and leave the photos to carry the message.
So, here we have the bride, Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson, posing with her bridal attendants.
;)
And here is the groom, posing with his boys.
;)
Rainey had been carrying her bouquet since before she entered the bridal hall. Now, she tosses it away.
;)
The young ladies all lunge for the bouquet, but it is Nita Ahgook who lunges furthest and fastest to catch it. So, who will the lucky man be? Do they already know?
I don't know.
;)
While it is not unheard of, a fresh cherry is not something one sees everyday in Anaktuvuk Pass. B-III's brother Andrew with his son Harlan.
;)
The time came for making speeches, for saying good things about the bride and groom. Angela, Maid of Honor and sister of the bride had very good things to say, as did Byron Hopson, Best Man and brother of the groom.
;)
After hearing the praise, B-III and Rainey did a high-five.
;)
Elsewhere, three little girls were blowing bubbles - just as little girls tend to do at weddings all around the world.
;)
Community elders Lela Ahgook and James Nageak spoke of how glad they were to have Rainey as part of the community of Anaktuvuk Pass; how pleased they felt that B-III had brought her home.
;)
Lela congratulates B-III for having done so well.
;)
Among the gifts were many especially made to take out camping. The bride and groom are an outdoor couple, after all.
;)
By the time guests left the wedding hall, the cold, windy, rainy, snowy, icy weather of the morning had broke and gave way to weather that was merely cold and breezy, meaning it was pretty nice.
So the couple posed outside, the mountains behind them.
;)
Then it was time for the wedding party. There would be no orchestra, no dancing, no boozing. Instead, guests climbed into a variety of eight-wheeled Argos and at least one four-wheeler and headed out to tent city.
;)
As we made the final creek crossing, the Argo that B-III drove and I sat in as a passenger along with B-III's Aunt Brenda Santos and Uncle Dennis Melick got stuck coming up the bank. The back part started to fill with water, so we three who were back there jumped ship. The women paniced just a little bit. Rainey says she likes to go boating on the ocean near Point Hope to hunt whales, but boating across rivers in little Argos scares her.
Very soon, with a little help, B-III had us unstuck.
;)
After we got going again, Brenda excitedly recounted her harrowing adventure as she watched the water pour into the place where she had been sitting.
;)
Clyde and Nuk got to work making a fire. Every year in the spring, before the snow melts, Clyde and his father drive their snowmachines forty miles to the south, to the tree line. They cut wood and then haul home sled load after sled load.
That's where this firewood came from.
;)
Casey Nay offered her cabin as base camp for the party. There, she has a caribou antler that seems to have grown a human hand. That's poet Cathy Tagnak Rexford in the background. She is one of the four Native authors of the book, Effigies and is a 2009 recipient of a Rasmuson Award.
;)
Casey's young son, Billy, did a little target shooting with a BB gun. He is learning to become a hunter.
;)
Carl Kippi, a highly respected hunter in Barrow, wedding gift to B-III was a hand gun that shoots a .50 calibre bullet. B-III tries it out. He let everybody who wanted take a shot. Given the fragility of my titanium shoulder, I was a little worried what the kick might do to it, but it didn't bother it all. My wrist and forearm absorbed all the kick.
;)
Then we all gathered around to look at the target. See that hole right in the center? I'm pretty sure that one's mine. It is true that when I pulled the trigger the gun jumped up just enough to block my vision from seeing where the bullet struck, but where else could it have gone, but right to the center?
;)
B-III also brought out a semi-automatic AK-47 from his collection. His sister, Kayla, squeezed off five rounds.
;)
I am not certain, but I think this is Casey's boy, Richard. If I am wrong, I will correct the name once someone corrects me. I think this boy is going to become a hunter.
;)
A rabbit - snowshoe hare, technically - was spotted in the distance, so a few folks went off to see if they could get it and bring it back. They didn't, so we roasted hot-dogs and melted marshmallows instead.
;)
It was a fun night.
;)
Angela in the back of the Argo, after we got back to the village. The wedding certificate needed to be signed. She would sign as a witness.
;)
Late into the night, people visited and ate more of the wedding food. Payuk provided the dinner music.
;)
Payuk plays his harmonica.
Update, 9:07 PM: I forgot to put in my usual disclaimer. I AM NOT A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER. I am not for hire to shoot weddings. I just don't do that.
Reader Comments (10)
Bill the photo of the new couple with the mountains in the background is a classic! I think it looks great. I am also happy you were able to shoot some guns without injury to your shoulder. That looks like it was a really fun time! Take care,
Charlie
Ah, Bill...You may not hire out as a wedding photographer, but your wedding photos are always full of heart.
what memorable photos, bill! like a true artist, you never repeat yourself. was glad to see you've got the paypal button up there. i'll def'ly contribute since i derive so much pleasure from reading this blog.
The story of your friend, his passing, his funeral, the story of your friends, their union, their wedding, mixed in with powerful pictures of a family that obviously loves and values each other... really, Bill. You've been capturing a powerful slice of life lately. Thank you for that. Each time that I see these things with my own eyes, it makes me know what is possible, how it can be. How it should be. I really do think that your pictures may be making me a better person. Thanks.
looks like a wedding after my heart...great people and great food and a good time!!
You may not be a wedding photographer, but the picture of the couple with the mountains in the background is one of the most beautiful pictures of a happy newly married couple I have ever seen. You really captured their love for each other.
Thank you for sharing a beautiful wedding! Lots of love, family, friends, food, fun -- the components that make a wonderful wedding!
What a great event Love to all.
You may not choose to do wedding photography, but your photo of the happy couple is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. You are a fabulous photographer and reminder of what's really important in life. Thank you for sharing the people, places, cultures, and history in your life.
Bill, Two very-deserving people are so fortunate to have you for a friend! One who was able to share and document a major life-event. From the first photograph I ever saw after you had done your magic, I have been hooked! It is even more gratifying when you capture moments in peoples' lives, that I am now too-distant to share. Thank You Always! bobw