This is, without question, the weirdest professional gig of my life.

And as a freelance photographer who once shot a complete set of obedience school graduation pictures for a poodle and a corgi, that’s saying something.

Maybe the weirdest thing of all is that it shouldn’t be all that weird.

I mean, after all, it’s just a wedding. And not even a dog wedding. Just a normal human wedding.

But normal is the absolute last thing this is.

* * *

I got this gig the way I’ve gotten many of my jobs since I moved to Tanner Springs five months ago: chance and word of mouth. One definite advantage of living here is there aren’t a lot of professional photographers in a town this size. So when I tell people I meet what I do for a living, they’re often really excited to meet me and ask me about my services, either for themselves or for someone else.

In this case, I was at Wee Haven KinderCare doing a shoot when I met Jenna Abbott. Wee Haven had hired me to do some new publicity photos for their website and promotional materials. A lot of photographers don’t like to work with little kids, but personally, I think it’s a blast. Sure, it’s definitely more challenging than older kids and adults, but some of the best photos I’ve ever taken have been of children doing something that I’m actually trying not to get them to do. So, I’ve learned to just go with the flow, take a ton of pics, and trust in serendipity.

One of the little kids at Wee Haven I just couldn’t stop photographing was a little nugget named Mariana. She was around a year old, with long, wavy blond hair and the most beautiful sunny, heart-melting smile. Little Mariana was just learning how to walk, and it was just about the cutest thing I had ever seen. I snapped way too many pics of her toddling around unsteadily on her chubby little legs, her hair catching a stray beam of sunlight shining in through the window. She was one of the most photogenic kids I’d ever met — a fact I made sure to mention to her mother when I had her sign the release forms to use Mariana’s photos.

“Oh, gosh, thanks!” The mother, who told me her name was Jenna, blushed when I shook her hand.

“I’m serious,” I told her. “Quite honestly, Mariana could easily find work as a child model. Or even an actor.”

“Oh, wow. Thanks, but… I’m not sure I see myself as a hard-driven stage mom,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “It sounds kind of… gross, actually.”

I grinned. “I know what you mean. But I thought I should mention it, anyway. Mariana is a natural.” I pulled up some of the shots of her on the screen of my digital camera so Jenna could take a look. “See what I mean?”

Jenna’s eyebrows went up as I flipped through the images. “Those are really good. Even the candid shots are just beautifully framed and lit.” She tilted her head at me, a curious look in her eye. “Do you do weddings?”

“Of course,” I said immediately. I reached into my back pocket for one of my business cards. “There’s a whole gallery of wedding photos on my website, if you want to take a look.”

Jenna took the card without looking at it. “No need,” she shrugged with a wide smile. “Just from looking at these shots of Mariana, I can already tell you’re twice as good as any of the other photographers I’ve been considering. How much do you charge?”

I explained my rates to her, and said that since I was relatively new in town I was discounting some of my services to get my name out there and established.

“Oh, my God, that’s so reasonable,” she said, wide-eyed. “I can’t believe you’re the best photographer I’ve found and also the cheapest. Oh!” Her look changed to one of dismay. “But what if you’re not available on the day! Oh, my God, please tell me you’re free next month on the thirteenth!”

I reached into my back pocket again, this time for my phone. “I don’t think I have anything then,” I frowned, “But let me take a look.”

A quick consult with my calendar told me that I was indeed free. Relief flooded Jenna’s features. “Oh, thank God. Well, you’re not free anymore,” she said firmly. “Put me down right now. Jenna Abbott. Soon to be Watkins.”

“Congratulations, Jenna.” I tapped her name into my calendar and pressed save. “You’re in.”

* * *

The wedding day didn’t start out all that strangely. I mean, sure, Jenna warned me things might be a little “unconventional.” Apparently, the groom is the Sergeant at Arms (whatever that means) of the local motorcycle club in town, The Lords of Carnage. I have to admit, the name of the club did kind of give me some pause, even though I tried to play it cool.

“It’ll be a simple ceremony,” Jenna told me when we met at one of the coffee shops to talk over what she wanted. “The president of the club — Rock — is going to marry us. The wedding and reception are going to be outside, at one of the other guys’ farms outside of town.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Mostly, I just want a few posed shots, and then someone to be there to take photos that document the rest of the day,” she said.

Usually, when brides say they want “simple,” they don’t really mean it. Like, they mean only four bridesmaids instead of seven, or only two-hundred people instead of the original four-hundred that her mom wants. But in Jenna’s case it was clear to me she meant what she said. She showed me pictures of her dress, which was a simple but beautiful white sheath. “I don’t have bridesmaids with matchy-matchy dresses or anything like that,” she laughed. “We’re just going to have Mariana and my son Noah stand up with us. The ceremony will be pretty short, and like I said, it’s outside at Geno’s farm. There’s not going to be too much in the way of decoration. It’s just a short ceremony, and then a long party.”

“Sounds ideal,” I murmured. I’ve never been much for big ceremonies myself. What Jenna was describing sounded a lot like what I would want for my own wedding. If I ever had any plans to get married, that is. Which I definitely do not.

Jenna asked me if I’d be okay staying through the reception so I could document the whole day. I assured her I was more than fine with that.

Then she hesitated for a moment.

“So…” she said slowly. “The club can get a little… rowdy, sometimes. But they’re great guys, really, and it’s all in good fun.”

“No worries,” I grinned. “How rowdy could it be?”

How rowdy, indeed.