From Sun Magazine: The inside story of Joe Flacco's wild wedding album

Jason Prezant knew he had high-profile clients in Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and his fiancee Dana Grady, but he never expected his photos to become a web sensation.

"It was phenomenal," said Richman, who served as a liaison between Prezant and the Flaccos in the weeks leading up to the big day. "It really surprised me that they were so willing to be goofy and have fun with their wedding party to get these really fun shots. I was definitely blown away."

As the party trolley made its way toward its final destination, the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn's Landing, it made an abrupt stop on Broad Street so the Flaccos could strike a pose for a few photos with City Hall and its clock tower as a backdrop. The only issue: Time was ticking away and there was no place to park the trolley unless it was in the middle of the street, which apparently seemed like a logical solution for the Philadelphia Trolley Works driver.

Partially obstructing traffic for a few frantic minutes, the Flaccos and the photographers rushed out of their vehicles and onto the median. Timney played look-out to make sure no cars were towed. There was a little horn-honking at first. Then drivers realized it was Flacco.

"You hear people yelling, 'Atta boy, Joe! Congrats!' " Mosier said. "There was instant recognition for sure. Joe's a tall guy, so he's going to stand out as is, but he's a recognizable face. People were really cool about it. And we're in downtown Philadelphia and a Ravens quarterback just got married and they were cheering them on. In that moment I thought, 'Wow, Philly fans can sometimes get a pretty bad rap, but they were super nice.' It was really cool to see that."

Looking at the photos, you would never think they rushed to finish shooting before a tow truck or a meter maid hauled their trolley away. That's where Prezant's calm demeanor came into play.

"Any of the weddings that I've ever seen that Jason's done, he's really talented," Mosier said. "It's awesome to watch him rock through a wedding. There's an anticipation about what's about to happen, and he is able to be at the right spot to capture it when it happens."

After all the dancing, a coincidental fireworks show and the wooden spoons — more about that in a minute — things died down for Prezant and his helpers once the reception, preceded by a cocktail hour, started at 7 p.m. Like the ceremony, the reception was said to be pretty standard. Joe's brother, Mike, delivered a moving, unscripted best man's speech. Neither Joe nor Dana smashed cake into each other's face. The dance floor was packed all night, with the Ravens quarterback towering above most of his guests.

"There was a ton of dancing, man. Joe danced a little bit," Prezant said. "He didn't go crazy, but Joe's family and friends — and everyone in that bridal party — they are dancers. They went wild. And there was just a ton of energy at the wedding. It was one of the best receptions I ever shot."

Around 9 p.m. there was an early Fourth of July fireworks show over the Delaware River, and the Flaccos ventured outside the hotel to wait for it to begin. It was one of the few moments in the night when the happy couple was able to sneak away and enjoy some relative privacy together.

"You don't see a lot of fireworks at weddings. It was fantastic," said Mosier, who added that it was more humbling than the time he took portraits of actor Robert De Niro for a magazine shoot. "For them as a couple, it's the most important day of their lives, and they've allowed me to share that with them."

Before the Flaccos called it a night, they had to take part in an interesting tradition from Dana's side of the family. The DJ played "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" by Meat Loaf, and the guests rushed to the dance floor with their wedding favors: wooden spoons with the bride and groom's names on them. As the song blared over the speakers, Dana and Joe, aunts and uncles, bridesmaids and groomsmen, grandmothers and grandfathers danced, smacking the spoons together or belting out a little Meat Loaf into them. "It's absolutely insane," Prezant said. "The wildest part of the night by far because it's near the end of the night and everyone is on their second wind."

Then Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Vincent Flacco were gone, but the party raged on until after 11 p.m.

Asked at the start of Ravens training camp if it was the best day of his life, Flacco, who didn't want to be interviewed for this article while he focused on the start of the season, told reporters: "I guess so. I better say yes. I don't know, it was a lot fun. It was one of the best days. I don't know if there is a best day, but it was a lot of fun, all the family together. It was a good time."

But the Ravens quarterback, who is now chasing a Super Bowl ring to go with his wedding band, might be more of a romantic than he lets on if his now-famous wedding photos are any indication.

"You could definitely tell that they were so in love," Timney said. "They really were just a normal younger couple on their wedding day. Every once in a while, I got to see the couple share a moment with each other without anybody around. They stole a quick kiss or looked into each other's eyes for a second or whispered in each other's ears. It was a really happy, love-filled day. I love those little moments, and I think Jason really captured them throughout the day."

[e-mail]