When Fiona first asked me to photograph the 10th year anniversary party for her and Andrey, I imagined something simple. A few friends, some drinks and snacks, a typical gathering. What I did not expect was a glamorous winter extravaganza, but that is exactly what I saw when I arrived. The party was held at the Summers’ family home, and although I have been there plenty of times, the whole space was transformed.
The rooms glowed with various shades of blue, and wintery decor was all around me. In the signature Summers fashion, no detail was overlooked. The living room, usually filled with couches, was transformed into a cozy banquet hall with the addition of round tables, each decorated with DYI crafting projects, no doubt a family effort. On the large flat screen TV in the back of the room, footage of their wedding looped, everyone looking so young and exuberant, a winter wedding with all the bridesmaids dressed in deep crimson.
Andrey and Fiona are witty, creative, hilarious people, and so it stands to reason that their friends would be the same. As I gathered everyone for photos on the stairs, I couldn’t help cracking up at everyone’s antics. One guy was teaching the others how to pose in a perfect imitation of a deep belly laugh, while a couple of the others were miming eating Fiona’s long-awaited gluten-free cupcake.
What I will remember the most from this night is Andrey’s speech. I love, love, love speeches. Well, at least good speeches. As someone who hates smalltalk, hearing someone speak from the soul about what they feel is the perfect antidote to mindless half-hearted exchanges.
When we heard Andrey speak about Fiona, the sheer passion of his love for his wife was enormous, and all of us in the room could feel it. The pride, the reverence, the joy he finds in her were so perfectly communicated by someone who just received his Masters in Creative Writing (or some such thing) were breathtaking. I wish I could remember the exact words that he said, because I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room when he was done.
I wish them all the very best, and I look forward to photographing their 20th anniversary.
