RIP Jason
Weddings are one of the happiest day of the couple's lives. However, there have been a few I have covered that didn't go on to a fairy tale ending. I have photographed couples where one was terminally ill, that is not easy of course, and some where close family members have passed too soon after the big day, and a few that didn't last too long..!
However, this one not only shocked me but saddens me to this day.
Jason had a life of struggles; mental health was one of them. He was a very proud born-and-bred Brightonian who played in bands. Those two things meant I liked him from the start! The planning that went into his wedding with Sara was on a scale I have never seen before. His dream was to get married at the prestigious Brighton Pavilion and they had to save hard to achieve it, but managed it.
Partly due to his struggles, we had many many pre-wedding meetings and calls to go over and over the finer details and then again. He wanted the day to go like clockwork with specific requirements. But he was always smiling and very excited about their big day.
Jason told me he had some royalty in his heritage and wanted a photo standing under the Prince Regent's painting before he got married. We did that and visited the palace rooms that he was keen to have photographs taken. On to the reception which was a lively affair...and I will leave it at that!
Two weeks to the day, I got a text from Sara telling me that Jason had suffered a sudden fatal heart attack. Life can be very unfair. I went to his funeral (seeing all the same people that were at his wedding just 2 weeks before was an experience I never want to repeat) and got their album designed as per Sara's wishes. All very tragic, but at least he got his dream wedding.
