One of my old baseball coaches used to say, “You win some. You lose some. And some are rained out. But you gotta dress for ’em all.”

Over the years and with hundreds of photographed weddings, the final say is always Mother Nature. No one particularly looks forward to an over ambitious day of rain, wind, or snow for their special day. But my experience with well-weathered events has been far from dismal. In fact, I dare say, weather has often created a more intimate interaction with parties involved.

Many years ago I photographed a wedding on a day which started out OK, but as time went on, the sky deepened and the sun went quiet and the rain started in earnest. By the time everyone was gathered for the outdoor ceremony, the faucet turned on full force. Not to be deterred, the bride and groom and members of the wedding party and family distributed large garbage bags and passed around scissors. Everyone who didn’t have umbrellas cut out holes in the garage bags for arms and heads and the day went on with genuine enthusiasm. It was a sight to behold and an event I will never forget. In fact, some wonderful images resulted despite the obvious. As my old coach used to say, “ You gotta dress for ’em all.”

This past weekend we were offered another lovely gathering that could not be dampened by the weather. Area traveling officiant Sally Bullard provided her always enlightening guidance and official stamp on behalf of the state of Maine and the local jurisdiction with little or no interference from the arriving downpour. People gathered, huddled and celebrated the marriage of two lovely people. If anything, the weather drew the attendees closer in a uniquely personal way. It was a pleasure to be part of the festivities which actually seemed to become more meaningful as the rain descended.

After the wedding, on my way back from the “Lobster Cove” neighborhood, the skies calmed and a delicate fog slipped into the harbor as seen in today’s shared image, made from Atlantic Avenue near Brown’s Wharf Inn. When possible I always like to add a few non-wedding photographs that establish place and time. The look of the harbor, for me, viewed countless numbers of time, presented an automatic reference that, in years to come, would suggest the special event that took place and recall the magic that was larger than any weather. Even the boats seemed to snuggle closer.