This weekend is the much-anticipated Matt Hanson/Gillian Woodburn wedding celebration in Pierre. I have known Matt since sophomore year of college when he lived a couple doors down on good old 4th Floor Richardson. Matt was always at the center of any intramural sports team and poker game at DSU. Now that he and longtime girlfriend Gillian moved to the Twin Cities, we still see them plenty.

Perhaps I would have gone to the wedding regardless, but Matt asked me to be their wedding photographer. Yes, me, with no professional photography experience whatsoever. He and Gillian’s preference was to have someone specifically not a wedding photographer because they don’t want to be forced into doing poses. Plus they probably save a ton of money this way. I’m not doing it for free, but a real photographer may charge $3000 and up.

So anyway, Jason and I will embark on the long 392-mile trek to Pierre together. Lauren sadly opted to stay home with her Netherlands team in the World Cup Finals. For Jason, it will be a weekend of relaxation in our free hotel room. For me, it will also be a fun weekend but with the big photography task at hand. Jason prefers to drive at night, so we’re going to overnight it tonight and arrive in Pierre early tomorrow morning. Hopefully we can check into our hotel room early. Nick plans to drive up Saturday by himself.

Among the things Matt and Gillian have planned for the weekend, aside from the wedding, are softball, basketball, football, racquetball, swimming, boating, golf, frisbee golf, music, open mic sessions, and more. I was told to come to any/all of the extra-curricular events and get as many photos as possible.

On the journey home, we’ll be swinging through Willow Lake for niece Hadley’s baptism. So, the weekend should prove to be highly eventful and profitable. Be sure to pray that Jason and I don’t fall asleep at the wheel tonight and careen into the ditch and hit a prairie/woodland critter, or injure ourselves.

Unfortunately my schedule doesn’t slow down much after that. 4 weekends of DJing, a potential Poulter gathering in Wisconsin, and another wedding of Lauren’s friends in Toronto in August fills up the weekend schedule through August.