|
Jess & Susana
01 Sep 2008 8:59PM
Brides on the beach. The wedding was in September of 08 and was one of the most beautiful and moving ceremonies I've had the pleasure of attending. There was nothing traditional about the ceremony except for the emotion and love of all the people gathered around the beautiful brides. They were lead to their makeshift altar by Jess's young son. He walked both women down the sound to the waiting crowd poised under the shadow of a cliff with the waves breaking like so many vigilant witnesses in the background. Jessica's mother conducted the ceremony and bravely choked back tears as she directed the ceremony which included a touch of honey on the lips which I managed to catch in another photo. The reception was at it should be: a time to revel with friends and family.
"This is the first same sex marriage I've ever attended, I had no apprehensions; I grew up in SF and am proud to say that I'm part of that 70 some odd percent that wanted to prevent prop 8 from passing. I was part of the multitudes that were left slack jawed watching the news dissect the many counties in the state that disenfranchised a group of people and legislated morality. I'm glad I was able to attend their wedding as it's a constant reminder of the flip side of the coin and the beauty that people miss out on when they can't transpose themselves out of their own narrow context of what is and isn't appropriate, what is and isn't sanctified and what does and does not constitute marriage. So yes, please use the image, if it helps the cause and to raise awareness or at the very least memorialize a beautiful event and the tragedy of passing what I consider an incredibly unjust law, then yes, please use my image."
Len Shneyder
near Zuma Beach, Malibu, California
|