Mark & Arend's Berkshire Wedding
Portrait of the grooms
This year I had the pleasure of traveling to Tanglewood in the Berkshires to photograph the wedding of Mark & Arend, two musicians from Boston whose relationship has been intertwined with the famous performance space. As with most of this summer, there was a chance of rain, but the skies held out and made for a beautiful day and soft light to photograph with. From the musical performances during the ceremony to the beautiful flower arrangements, everything went smoothly and the families and friends had a great time.
Two weeks after the wedding the state of New York passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state. NY is the largest state to legalize gay weddings, and the hope is that it will influence other states across the country to do the same. So far only Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as the District of Columbia, allow such basic equal rights. Kudos to Governor Andrew Cuomo for making the bill one of his top priorities.
It is our duty as human beings to question the culture we are born into, the traditions we hold dear, and the assumptions we are given and make ourselves. Looking back into history we see that as a species we are usually wrong about many things, and cause a lot of pain and suffering to our fellow beings because of it. I do not believe that any scripture inspired by truth and love would seek to punish someone for following their heart. If such scriptures do exist, then they should be removed from the spiritual teachings we carry forward as mystical beings having a human experience. The time has come to evolve our spiritual understandings and our crumbling institutions.
I find that each wedding I photograph is unique and beautiful, just as the people who commit themselves to one another. We are all flawed, we are all crazy, we are all trying the best we can. We were all born to fulfill our destinies, and to question who one person chooses to love is to question love itself. All the lies propagated about gay relationships undermining marriage are ridiculous. It is better to question what it is that religious leaders and politicians are really trying to distract us from. What is the advantage to keeping us all divided?
Thank you to Mark and Arend for following your hearts, for being courageous, and of course for choosing me as your photographer! I feel honored to be a part of this revolution that is happening in the northeast and hopefully across the entire US soon enough. I hope my images convey the love that is shared, and the happiness that is found in such love. May you live long and happily together, and be examples of love and happiness to all those around you.
