April and Michael’s Wildfire Wedding in Bend, OR

With the news picking up the wildfire wedding photos, the last week has been a little more exciting than  life usually is. On Saturday, April and Michael’s wedding day started off like any other wedding as the two of them anxiously prepared for the ceremony, while friends and family put the finishing touches in place.

Around 11am, a brushfire nearby turned into the Twin Bulls wildfire, but we had no idea that, later on, we were in for wildfire wedding photos.

But unlike other weddings, just as April and her dad were preparing to walk down the aisle, firefighters tending to the Two Bulls wildfire came up with sirens blaring and told them we’d need to evacuate. Seeing that the ceremony was underway, the firefighters changed their minds… as long as we promised to cut it short for the safety of everyone. April was able to walk down the aisle to Michael.

After a whirlwind ceremony, the two were happily pronounced man and wife!

After the ceremony, while guests scrambled to relocate the reception to Drake Park in Bend, Oregon, I took Michael and April (who were just happy to be married) off to do some photos of the two of them. The results were more incredible than I could have imagined, and I’d never have guessed the quick photo I snapped with my iPhone (top of post) would go viral.

We caught some incredible moments that afternoon, and I love the way April and Michael grinned at each other, just happy to be married.

The news, of course, is all about the wildfire wedding photos, but after 10 years of being a travel wedding photographer, I know the story is in April and Michael’s commitment to each other, and to their unflinching celebration of the life they have ahead.

I’ve lost track of all the links and places these photos have been featured, but below are just a few. Congrats April and Michael!