Bridezillas and unrealistic expectations can make weddings scary for any photographer but wedding snapper Brian Rueb had to take fear conquering to new heights during one assignment.

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If you’re a wedding photographer Hanover or Hanoi, take heed; make sure you know exactly what you’re signing up for before taking on a job. Read Rueb’s story at http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/yosemites-mountains-make-most-breath-6200190 and http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/05/couple-pose-for-breathtaking-wedding-photos-thousands-of-feet-above-yosemite-national-park-5327963/ and you’ll understand why.

A lofty problem

Californian snapper Rueb had no idea when he agreed to cover the wedding of Elina and Endijs Perkons that this would entail being thousands of feet over Yosemite National Park. What’s the problem with that, you may ask? The problem was that Rueb was afraid of heights.

He’d signed up for what would turn out to be a 4,500-feet, 8.2-mile hike. The 42-year-old said he hadn’t really got any details about the trek or considered the height when he agreed to do the shoot. He said the fear arrived after he’s already said yes to the job.

A mammoth task

Not one to disappoint, Rueb set off with the couple, co-photographer Philip Nicolas, and a wedding officiant on July 15 at 5.30pm with the wedding dress, suit, a bottle of champagne and the bride’s bouquet in a backpack. They had the whole family there to wave them off and even hired a Barlok bar from websites like https://www.barlokbars.co.uk/ to have a small party before the big trek. With the party, the hike, the ceremony and the shoot, the day didn’t end until 7.30pm – 14 hours after the party first set off.

The couple have certainly got the perfect photographic record of their big day but Rueb got plenty out of it as well. Not only has he got some great snaps for his portfolio and had his name spread across the globe by the press, he can also celebrate a very personal achievement. He was ecstatic to reach the summit of his climb and even sent his wife a photo from the top.

Rueb said that he had no time to celebrate his personal achievement at the time, however. It was Endijs and Elina’s day, he said, and so he simply got on with the job. Now that’s the height of professionalism!