For our wedding I had a list of the things that were "needs" and things that were "wants." We were on a $2,000 budget (for everything!!!!) and we had two months to plan. The needs was a short list that consisted of good food, the color green, and a night time wedding set around candles and everything glowy and oober romantic. The wants list was much longer and I plan on keeping it in my keep sake box because it's so incredibly ridiculous. I love to look back and myself and laugh and just how dorky I was...and am. Anyway, on the list was this fairy tale dream of having sky lanterns lit and lifted off into the night sky. It never happened and I'll admit that I was a little upset about it.
Last night we shot a wedding on Cannon Beach for Lisa + David. I lived precariously through them for one night as I stood wide eyed on the beach as everyone began to light their sky lanterns. In the black of night they carefully held out their colorful paper lantern as they were lit. Shielding them from the wind they protected their glowing balls of light and took a moment to pour wishes upon them for the new couple. The lanterns gently pulled away from their finger tips and lifted off into the sky like fire flies dancing in the deep blue. My heart was pounding as I snapped my shutter over and over again trying to capture the magical moment that was unfolding. It was everything I had dreamed of.
Now that I have seen the sky lanterns in person I can cross that off my "wouda, shouda, coulda" list. Now I know that paper lanterns in the forest would NOT have been a good idea and I really didn't miss out on my fairy tale sky lanterns after all. It would've been just dumb. But, for Lisa & David they were so amazingly magical and perfect for the finishing touch to their wonderful beach wedding.