Brides Of March, San Francisco 2008
By Christina McNeill
16 March 2008
Today was everyone's special day. The weather couldn't have been better for this "only happens in San Francisco march" which has spread to other cities including Portland, Reno & Seattle.The theme? Happy guys and gals dressing up in their wedding dresses. Think the Halloween of Brides!
Today marked the 10th annual brides of march gathering where a large crowd of at least 150 showed up at the Tunnel Top bar to celebrate their special day.The energy was contagious as everyone congratulated one another on "getting married". There were a handful of photographers--amateur and professionals; while tourists stopped to take pictures with the celebrities and you can't deny that traffic was stopped while rubberneckers gazed at the site.
I arrived at 2:30PM, right on time for the festivities. As people arrived I felt like a kid in a candy shop because there
were So many great subjects to shoot and so much animation in everyones faces. The marchers included both male and female brides, a Darth Vader Bride, pregnant brides, grooms, priests and a couple of wedding planners, who might I add did a fabulous job shuffling the crowd from place to place.
As cocktails were sipped and brides and grooms mingled word got around about a real wedding a block away! The crowd left the Tunnel Top to head down the hill where they crashed the wedding! The crowd chanted "Bring out the bride" and after a few minutes of this, the real bride and groom stepped outside to see a crowd of 200 people chanting for them. It felt like a gathering for Obama, or something.
The March did not stop there...the crowd moved along to Shreve and Company to purchase "wedding rings". It was too bad the employees and Shreve didn't like the attention and blocked anyone else from getting in. The next stop was Maiden Lane where Miss Bride Darth Vader took on the role of the the infamous Maiden Lane Opera Singer. The wedding party moved on through Maiden Lane to Union Square for a group picture. The party did not end there as they all went into an "exclusive department store" to freshen up their make-up, mostly smearing red lipstick all over their faces. As any good story should end: they make a quick stop at the Powell Street Cable Car turnaround and the party really began as they all stepped inside the Gold Dust Lounge for more cocktails.
This was definitely another wonderful San Francisco treat for me. Shooting real people, who don't care what others think of them, who emulate radiance, who are happy in their skin---this lovely wedding party really inspired me. So thanks you lovely brides!
To read more about this event---> bridesofmarch.org!
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