This wedding was definitely a new concept for wedding photographers Abigail and Andy of Abigail Gingerale Photography in New Jersey. “We photographed a socially distanced, drive-in movie theater wedding complete with food trucks, the movie Twister, a 1960 Chevy Impala Convertible, and lots of magic,” they explain.

Initially, couple Rachel and Andrew had a completely different wedding planned, but then the COVID019 pandemic hit. Thus was born the idea for a drive-in movie theater wedding.

“The hardest part of planning for us was the unknown,” the bride explains. “Three months before the wedding, the whole world shut down. We didn’t know which way to go and got such mixed answers from our vendors and other engaged couples. We were met with a lot of ‘don’t worry your wedding is in June, you have plenty of time,’ but deep down we knew that the current path we were on was not one that was smart or safe for us, our family or friends.”

Enter photographers Andy and Abigail, who were up for the challenge of a new wedding idea Rachel came up with so that friends and family could still attend but also be safe and socially distanced. “Rachel’s family has been throwing a monthly ‘Movie under the Stars’ themed night for as long as she can remember,” says Andy. “Abigail and I basically took that concept and turned up the volume! Not even a pandemic could stop these two from celebrating their wedding day with flare; the wedding was a true reflection of their personalities.”

One thing that didn’t work out as planned from the bride’s perspective was the giant movie screen they had to pop up to let everyone see the ceremony. “The movie screen worked best when it was totally dark, which meant everything else would need to come after that,” explains the bride. “It was difficult to get in all of the ‘wedding things’ and also spend time with our guests before it was time to go home!”

Despite the small setback, the happy couple took 15 seconds to pause during the ceremony and look out to see all of their favorite people. Says Rachel: “We asked them to send their love and support to us. I’ll never forget that moment.”

VENDORS:
Wedding Planner​: AMV Weddings & Destinations
Movie Production Company​: FunFlicks.com
Venue: Four Sisters Winery
Suit: INDOCHINO
Dress: Cinderella Bridals
Videographer: Trevor Barnes Media
Tie: MyTieShop on Etsy
Ice Cream Truck​: Sip ‘N Swirl
Taco Truck​: Mexican Spice
Florist: The Flower Bar
Car Rental: DriveShare by Hagerty
Hair: @KellyMccormickhair on Instagram
Make-up: Christine Swope Makeup
Vintage Rentals: Dovetail Vintage Rentals
Rings: Fords Jewelers

Check out more Weddings of the Week, and email Jacqueline Tobin with submissions.