Burning Man 2014 Pt 3. Cherie & Hedley {Sunrise Wedding}

posted November 14, 2014 in Weddings

Welcome to my blog post series chronicling Burning Man 2014! If you are just joining us, click below to catch up on the 7-part series:

Part 1. Burning Man Photo Preview {Principles}

Part 2. My Chosen Gear {Nuts & Bolts}

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Cherie and Hedley have shaped the way I’ve thought about light long before I knew about Burning Man. They are among the most creative wedding and portrait photographers on the planet, based in LA. And are very cool people. Allow me to rewind. A few decades ago, Steven Amini took this photo of Cherie & Hedley in Toronto:

Cherie found the image looking for something else.

Like happiness searched for, it will never be found. A moment photographed is ordinary, especially when you’ve been shooting professionally for decades. Fast forward 35 years, a photograph can serve as an epic reminder of the power & beauty of our youth. A sexy Rolling Stone couple, yes? I prefer the well-aged, wise, and experienced Cherie & Hedley I enjoyed at Burning Man 2014. It’s like opening a $7 bottle of Opus One in the 1980s. Or appreciating the same vintage, in the same bottle, years later at a $350 market value.

Cherie’s Take:

How did you know Hedley was the one? After 38 years, I had finally decided he was the one!
What inspired you to host your wedding at Burning Man? I had never been before but I always knew that this was the right place for me to get married…i never saw anywhere else that seemed to speak to me and i wanted to do it differently than all the years of going and shooting weddings. I also did NOT want to wear a white dress etc. It just was not me. Burning Man has all the ideals and philosophies of life and love that meant something to me.
What was your favorite part of the day? There were a lot of panic moments. Being at Burning Man for the first time was a bit of a challenge of course. I was nervous. After all, it had taken 38 years to get to this moment. That was a lot of lead time. Everything was kind of like a dream, an Alice in Wonderland falling down the rabbit hole feeling.

Hedley’s Take:

How did you know Cherie was the one? After meeting her at Kindergarten and chasing her around year after year and her getting married twice and me once, living 11 years together, I figured it out that she was the one.
What inspired you to host your wedding at Burning Man? When I started going to Burning Man 8 years ago I got addicted to the SUNRISE on the playa and I thought if would get married again I would do it exactly on the same spot where we got married.
What was your favorite part of the day? Getting married at Burning Man at sunrise means no sleep until bedtime, which meant no sleep at all. My favorite part went on and on and on.
What one small story you’d like to share about the wedding day: It was Cherie’s first BurningMan experience every moment was big for her. We will relive those moments forever.

Cherie doesn’t let many people photograph her, an honor I wear on my merit badge sash. I’m proud to showcase in this set of images of their wedding story at Burning Man in 2014.
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Hedley and I share a love for the art of Burning Man. We headed before sunrise on several mornings to experience the art. Amazing experience.

Our camp name, “Freaks,”epitomizes the humor of this amazing group of people I love. Many guests were full-time wedding photographers, which added to the fun dynamic of the ceremony.

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