Matt Theilen Photography: Richard and Derya

So it is May 23 and I'm on the phone with Richard trying to convince him that it is going to be beautiful up at Lake Tahoe on his and Derya's day--he doesn't sound convinced and I realize after talking to him and looking out my window that the batteries must be dead on my weather reporter thingamajiggy in my window sill. I do a weather search online and it looks bleak.

Now it is the morning of the 24th and Diana and I are heading up to the lake and it is COLD, we're looking at a high of 45 degrees on the shore Tahoe--add a little breeze, some hail and rain and now were closer to the weather in February--But we just have the ceremony inside a tent instead of out on the beach. Some of Richard's family are here from Korea dressed in traditional clothing. The rain isn't letting up and I'm wondering how we can get out into the rain to photograph and how long I can keep them out there before they freeze. JB is performing the ceremony and I'm shooting from the rear and sides and Diana is mostly up in the front shooting close-ups. We're trying to make the tent as interesting as possible with no decorations-- it was such a last minute deal because of the weather and as I watch Richard and Derya, I know it doesn't even matter whether they are on the beach or in the tent--they're in love.

So now the ceremony is over and we decide to go downstairs off the balcony and the immediate consensus is to photograph the family down there. I just can't seem to get psyched to photograph anyone inside a building when they've traveled so far to be married on the lake. Richard and I agree to just let everyone get a bit wet and work quickly to do the photos outside. Diana holds the umbrella over me to keep the water off my lens (which works--kind of) and we photograph the family and wedding party out in the rain. We head back inside for a few minutes to let Derya warm up and then I take them down onto the pier with the umbrella for a few more photos, but now it's after 6pm and the wind is picking up and blowing in off the lake--it's cold so I do my best to keep them moving for just a few more shots before we have to head off to the reception at the Riva Grill.

The reception is a laid-back affair with my favorite DJ--Gary of JJ Entertainment whom I've only worked with briefly once before, but he made an impression. The reception forgoes most traditions and instead does something very cool. Richard and Derya decide to have two performances from their ethnic backgrounds (Korean and Turkish) so we have a Korean fan dance which is so elegant and graceful and a belly dancer which is also elegant and graceful and I have to say that it iss not what I have seen before--she is pro. The food is great and after dinner we have a few dances, a couple toasts and a slideshow that makes me choke-up (I hide it well because I always just put the camera in front of my face) and then everyone just cuts loose and this is where I take my favorite image of the night-- Richard's grandmother comes out onto the dance-floor and busts a move to some 80's song (I think it was Vanilla Ice) and she justs cuts it up out there--