In the time between 2013 (when Renee and Jack were married) and now (2021), so much has happened that we never saw coming. In 2013, Jack’s father, the legendary Sen. John McCain, was a major force in U.S. politics, to whom many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle looked to for guidance and influence. We were thrilled to be chosen to photograph this wedding, but we didn’t know this family in a personal way.
Since then, we have become close friends with Renee and Jack, so much so that Ben was chosen as the godfather of their son. We went to the Baptism and stayed overnight at their house in Maryland. They stayed at our house in Charleston for a fun New Year’s Eve celebration. We did family photos for them shortly before Jack went to Afghanistan for a secret mission with the Navy.
Then Sen. McCain was diagnosed with brain cancer, which led to his death in 2018.
Through it all, Ben and Jack have maintained a constant connection through phone calls, texts and emails. Their friendship has been a beautiful thing to witness, in no small part because Jack is one of the best people we have ever met, and his wife Renee (who is from San Francisco) is probably the smartest person we know and keeps Jack in check. Together, they are absolutely dynamic. It’s an honor to be counted among their friends.
We were not allowed to show their wedding photos back in 2013, due to privacy concerns by the McCain family. But we have now been given clearance to share them here. It is so wonderful to look back at the beginning of a marriage of two people who are smitten with one another, who have built a strong, equal partnership, and who, despite the loss in their lives, are building such a bright future.
Renee and Jack were married at the legendary Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, with a reception at the California Academy of Sciences.