I would like to make a few comments of our first photo. Often dinner time is a time for breaks, and the camera is put down, because we hear “no one likes to have their photo taken while they’re eating”. This fantastic kiss doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, it’s magic. I teach a photography class, and in my last class I had an avid bird photographer. I explained to the class that if you’re photographing birds, pets, kids or people, it’s all the same. Be patient, watch, find the rhythm and it will happen. I waited 4-5 minutes for this photo. No one tapped a glass with a fork for them to kiss. It was obvious it would happen. There is a great series leading up to it, but this one was the best. Just look at her hands. You can barely make out the left arm to see she’s holding his face with both hands. If you’ve met with me, you know there is always one photo which defines your wedding. This is it. Really, Tom & Beth don’t need anything else – just this one photo says it all.

I would like to point out that Tom and his Dad had the most expressive and visible connection I’ve seen between a groom and his father in a long time. Note the photos with the hands holding each other. This is about 20 minutes before the ceremony began. The next photo with Tom and his Dad’s heads touching is perhaps my favorite father/son photo to date.

I’ll mention the ring bearer photo because it is another example of patience. Logan was not camera shy and loved to pose. It took some time before he finally forgot about me and became more impressed with his Dad’s iPhone. An overall great connection and moment between a father and son.

There are quite a few images I enjoy of Beth putting her dress on in the church. Perhaps my favorite is the one with the veil and all the hands. They seem to come out of nowhere, all making minor adjustments while Beth’s expression is a perfect moment of concentration.

It was a great ceremony and reception. The staff at Proximity did a fantastic job as always (and the only staff I’ve seen which irons the tablecloths). A great mix of American and Polish dance music took us all the way to midnight. And that last image, the last kiss of the night before the sendoff, is a great way to close out the first blog of 2012.

Thank you Tom & Beth for having me at your fantastic wedding as well as the great time we had together during the engagement shoot. Cheers!

I’m including the Polish translation for Tom’s family.

Shanowni Panstwo!

Rok 2012 zaczal sie barolzo pieknie z podzigkowaniem od Tom i Beth. Ta para mloda bavdzo ladnie polgczyla Polskie I amerykanskie zwycza je w Kosciele Katolickim Holy Cross.

Potem bylo przyjecie w proximity holelu w Greensboro, NC.

Ja osobiscie mam bardzo dobre wspomnienia z tego hotelu, bo moj slub byt tam dwa lata tenu.

To pierwsze zdjecie jest piekne bo to specjalny pocalunek mlodej pary jest bardzo majiczne.

Ja ucze fotografi I zawsze mowie uczniom ze  wzystko jedno czy to sq ptaki dzieci, starsi ludzie, jest to zawsze magiczny moment – pocalunek.

Ta mloda pani Beth wzieta w swoje rzce jego twasz item moment zostal utrwalony w pizkne totografi.  To zdjecie pokazuje jak Tom & Beth sie bardzo Kochaja.

Tom I jego Ojciec maja specjalnoz konehcjz I to jest utr walone na zdjeciu jak sig wspolnie objeli.

Nastepna fotograjia, moja ulubiona jak ojciec & syn glowy blisko seg zblizyly.  Widac jak sie barolzo rozumieja.

Logan byl bardzo dumny ze swojej roli i powoli zapomnial ze ja fotografujs wszystkim I zajal sig I phone.

Bardzo przyjemne I sliczne sg zdjecia jak Beth ubieva suknie slubng.  I swzystkie panie pomaqcja jej utozyl veil na glowie zebyto wyglgdalo jak majlepiej.

W sumie slub I przyjeie bylo wspaniale.  W tym hotelu nawet w ostatniej chwili prasowali obrusy zeby wszystko byto perfect.

Muzyka byla do tanca polska i amerykaniska do potnocy.

Bardzo dziekuje Tom I Beth, ze moglem brac udzial wtej pieknej ceremony I tekie wspomnienia dobre z zarecznych fotografi.

Do zobaczenia

Hooman

I started with a great bridal shoot with Berklee earlier in the year, and followed it with a fantastic engagement shoot. Totally in love and happy to show it, this great couple was the center of an awesome group of friends and family.

We started the day at the First Baptist Church of Asheville. You can see from the first few photos there were some really rich colors inside. The fourth photo of the flower girl is especially nice because we get the morning light to reflect off of the walls and her dress. What makes this even better is that she isn’t aware of the camera taking her photo.

An unexpected weather condition was that it snowed this morning in Asheville. Being too cold for Berklee to go around to the front of the church outside, they brought her up through the balcony area with her bridesmaids surrounding her to hide her from the guests which were arriving. In this photo here, there was just enough breakup to fix the dress, we are able to catch a glimpse her, along with the expansiveness of the church. Again, some fantastic light and workmanship set a beautiful stage for this photo.

We follow with two of my favorite photos. The first being the prayer session before the ceremony. These are always nice because they’re so intimate, and lead to very powerful photos. Note Berklee’s sister and father leaning in behind her, the way the light is catching Berklee’s face, the way she is leaning forward just a bit and the way she is holding her hands.

We follow that with a great image of a dad and his daughters. Totally happy, excited – an image which just makes you smile. The winding wood from the staircase also does a nice job of accenting the lines of motion.

After the ceremony we moved to the Lioncrest for lunch. Like everything at Biltmore, first class and amazing to look at. Take note of the prayer before lunch. There was a moment which Berklee’s sister reaches over to hold Berklee’s hand. It makes the moment and makes the photo.

After lunch, we moved to the covered patio for cake and dancing. The wind breakers actually create the best backdrop for the cake photo. The black lines and clear diffusing plastic provided an awesome background while the tables provided the perfect foreground to the beautiful cake.

A testament to the amazing group of family and friends was that so many of them sang and played instruments for all the first dances and throughout the day. An amazingly talented group of people, including Alex and Berklee themselves. They’re all part of the Anne Moses Band, which is currently on it’s Christmas tour throughout the US and Canada.

Thank you so much for an awesome series of photo shoots all leading up to your amazing wedding. It was a pleasure! Cheers, Alex & Berklee. Let’s take a look at the photos:
Vendors of Note:

Flowers: Roy Gill
Band: Javier Santiago, Mario DaSilva, James DaSilva
String Quartet: The Jolly Children
Singers: Alex Sasser, Jordan Sasser, Kaley Lunsford, Josh Carswell, FBCA Treble Choir
Pianist: Bill Wolaver
Catering: Biltmore Catering

I had spent time with Brent & Amanda at Colonial Williamsburg for their engagement shoot, and was really looking forward to their wedding. It paid off, and was a lot of fun. I’d like to give special shout outs to Brent’s mom’s Mother (see, I didn’t use the “G” word) and of course both the dad’s were great fun and also a special shout out to my main man, Amanda’s dad’s Dad. My friend, we still need to close on the real estate deal and you owe me a scotch, and some of your tips for chatting up the ladies ;)  Let’s take a look at some photos …

The first photo is from the after ceremony session. This is in the horse drawn carriage which brought Amanda to the ceremony. Here they are being driven down to our shoot location still in the carriage. I wanted to show this one because Amanda & Brent have great looks about them, and also the very cool reflection curves and lines breaking up an overexposed sky with the fields on the left. There is a lot of movement here, which is nice.

I always like to bring up that the Berry Hill house has the best natural indoor light of anywhere I’ve been. It’s soooo soft, and brings out such fantastic colors; everything looks amazing. Starting out with some great details, we see light draping itself over a gorgeous, gorgeous dress; the tiara, which nicely reflected by the conference table and softened by the wall; and the flowers, balanced nicely with some books over the mantel.

Take note of the two photos with Amanda’s mom. I was taking photos of the dress when I noticed her ironing some clothes. I shot it from that room, through the hall and into her room. It works for several reasons – she never saw me, the shadows of the hall and door frame it nicely and the light along the bed-drapes draws you in to her as the subject. We see a similar effect happening with her helping put Amanda’s dress on. The bed-drape on the left of the frame is critical in bringing our eye in to Amanda and her mom, and framing the photo, while offsetting the the darkness on the right. What really makes it work though, is that Amanda is gorgeous, her dress is equally fantastic, and her arms, hands and head were caught all at the right moment.

I am also a big fan of the final two getting ready images. The first, with the bridesmaids all around Amanda is great as we catch only glimpses of them, as light hits the edge of their faces, and dresses. There is a great glow to it, and it’s general darkness actually brings about a nice peace to what is otherwise a somewhat hectic moment.

The second, with Amanda holding up her dress, is just a very nice moment. Seeing all the underworkings of such a great dress, held up, as bridesmaids work to make all the preparations. Balanced with the great wallpaper behind them, the soft light and the vertical lines in the photo, everything works out nicely.

I was really happy with the first dance series of photos. I could have posted so many more, but kept it with these three. With the first, note how the Bridal Party’s line frames Brent and Amanda nicely into the right side of the frame. The line from the feet of the bridal party is extended by Brent & Amanda’s arms, extending our eye nicely out of the top right corner.

The next two in B&W are some of my favorites. Just a spectacular moment, begging to be in B&W, and takes us back to an older time – very classy, very regal. Again, Amanda has a spectacular use of her body, the lines from her elevated arm to her low arm fading into black frames the expression on her face perfectly. Brent’s smile and stillness is all that is needed to allow Amanda to be the rightful center of attention.

I like the second B&W one just as much because all we need is that bit of light on Amanda’s eye to show how much she loves the man she just married. Nothing else is needed.

We end with some great reception photos to cap off the night. It was a fantastic wedding, and my good friends Rhonda & Staff at Berry Hill did another fantastic job coordinating this perfect wedding. It’s been fantastic hanging out with Brent & Amanda over the past year, and we wish them the best going into their first year together as a married couple. Cheers! Let’s enjoy the photos:

Vendors of note:

Cake: Sally Plautz from Cake Dreams by Sally

Hair/Makeup: Roni Conners

DJ: Calvin Nash

Flowers: Sonya Gregory from Gregory Florist

Ceremony Music: Brenda Finch and group and her string quartet

Invitations: Laura

Coordinator at Berry Hill: Rhonda van der Schagt

We started Friday night with a rehearsal dinner at the very impressive Fair Barn. Tons of great food, an ice cream bar and an exceptionally funny speech by Patrick set the tone for the good times we had on Saturday. I want to point out that it was so good to see Patrick’s parents at the wedding. Last time we were together they were more the center of attention (as parents of the groom), so this time we were able to talk more (I’ve got 4:44 saved in Netflix).  Of course it was fun spending time with Rebecca’s family again, as well as getting to know Charlie’s side of the family.

Saturday had me back at the great Weymouth Center for the wedding ceremony and the reception. You can see from the first photo, it’s just a perfect location. The sun sets over the grand house on the right, with some awesome hedge lines breaking up the ceremony garden from the reception tent.

Moving back to the start of the day, we spent some time at the salon in downtown Southern Pines before heading to Weymouth Center where everyone would get dressed. Weymouth has some great light throughout the house. The photo of Rebecca’s dress is so soft, and plays well with the soft blue on the walls. With the photos of the Ketubah and the bouquet we have the exact opposite, where we can use light and shadow to make some nice dramatic detail photos.

This year I’ve seen an increase in brides not doing bridal shoots and instead doing mini portrait sessions the day of the wedding. The image of Rebecca against the door is part of that. I really like this photo (and the next one of her holding the bouquet) because it shows her great smile, her great happiness, and she does it so effortlessly.

Note the wide photo of the wedding party and parents getting ready to start the processional. The groomsmen carried the Chuppah in with them and set it up on the wedding platform. It really was so cool, so dramatic – an awesome part of the wedding which I had never seen before.

I also really enjoy the vertical photo of Rebecca and her dad walking toward the ceremony garden. The backlight through her veil, as she smiles at her dad – perfect. You couldn’t ask for more.

Post ceremony we have some great photos including an emotion hug between Charlie and his new father-in-law, as well as some beautiful photos of Charlie and Rebecca in the garden, before we joined the cocktail hour.

In the reception, take note of the photo with Rebecca and her dad – one of my new favorite father/daughter dance photos. Perfect pose, perfect lighting – it all came together for a great image.

The rest of the night was a giant party. Jeff Simpson of Simpson DJ & Lighting did an awesome job keeping the music pumped (note he also set up the awesome lighting under the tent). It was perfect for the Hora Dance which saw not only Charlie and Rebecca on chairs, but also both sets of parents.

I would like to point out that Katie Dunn of LaFete Events did an amazing job of pulling together the entire weekend. She was always in sight and smiling, and made this wedding go perfectly. Hats off to all the other great vendors who put this on.

Rebecca, Charlie – thank you guys so much for having me part of your awesome weekend! It was really such a great time, and we all wish you the best going into your first year!

Vendors of Note:

Cupcakes: Georgetown Cupcakes
Hair: Michelle Jordan
Makeup: michelle Yowell
DJ: Jeff Simpson, Simpsound
Flowers: Susan Wilson
Catering: Elliotts
Ceremony Musicians: Katie Wyatt’s string quartet
Invitations: Julia Ames of Spoolia
Wedding Planner: Katie Dunn of Events by La Fete
Decorations: DeeAnn

In addition to the expected moments of the wedding day itself, we had a fantastic sunrise session on the sands of Rehoboth Beach, DE. We had planned this out ahead of time, with the idea of what would it be like if your wedding continued on well into the wee hours of the morning, and you found yourself at the sands of the beach, as the sun is rising.

If I recall, we met around 5:30am, still dark, and still very tired. Oddly enough, I saw multiple people with cameras and tripods. One of them asked me “So, are you here for the photo shoot?” – “Ummm..yeah, and how did you know about it? And who are you??” Turns out it was something like “international take a photo day” or something – funny :). Tim & Betsy impressed after the shoot by doing  the coolest thing ever – they got back in the car, drove home to Baltimore, and went to a Ravens game – in their tux & wedding dress. Seriously – rock on, that’s just hardcore cool.

In the getting ready portion of the photos, take note of the sexy shoes and the ring photos. You never know where good locations will be, and in this case, the bathroom. The shoes are sitting on the shower ledge, which, when combined with the backlight and window panes, makes for a great shot. The ring photo, which I don’t usually do, was also interesting, primarily because of the cool light circles which are raining down on the ring. In this case, the ring is on the tub and the light circles are water droplets on the clear shower door behind the ring. I’m also very fond of the B&W photo of Betsy getting ready where you see her framed by a bridesmaid holding up a mirror to look at herself. That framing, along with the angle and the chair do a nice job of compressing Betsy into the corner of the frame, without feeling like she’s boxed in.

I am also very fond of the shot of the second shot of Tim getting ready. Shot from the end of the hallway, the different layers of light, combined with the angles and the reflection on the left, create a very nice portrait of him preparing for the big day.

First looks are becoming quite popular and they’re always a lot of fun. In this case, Betsy has a long walk from the clubhouse and Tim has a great long moment of anticipation. The huge smiles are just such an awesome indication of how good first looks can be. Take note of the photo with the chairs. It’s my favorite of this first look series, as it really sets the scene. The angle of the shot is balanced nicely by the slight curve of the row of chairs, which lead the eye directly to Tim & Betsy in a beautiful embrace. Everything is accentuated perfectly with the clouds and color of the sky.

I would like to draw attention to the photo of Betsy and her dad walking to the ceremony. Perhaps my new favorite shot of a bride and her father walking in. It was a conscious decision to abandon the so called “safe” shot of staying low on the ground to get the close up of their faces as they walk in; but rather to run up the balcony to get this grand shot. In my opinion, it’s the only choice.

Moving to the reception we have a fantastic set of shots with some great first dance photos and so much energy in the reception photos. Tim & Betsy also had a first for me at a reception – dueling pianos. Wow, it was SO good. These guys really brought down the house, and were SO popular. If you want something different, this is definitely the way to go. Check out the shot of Betsy behind the pianoman – he had her holding the harmonica for him during a song. Awesome stuff!

We close it all out with 8 photos from the Sunrise Session. For me, it’s all about the second one. That’s the dream. Who doesn’t look at that, pause, and think, “Wow, can you imagine that’s how you start the first morning together with your new husband/wife?” (Tim, Betsy, this is begging to be printed & framed large, and hung in your bedroom – email me!).

What a wedding weekend. Fantastic. Great new friends (I had a good time talking smack with Tim’s brothers), I was able to spend some time with former awesome couple Jenny & Terry (congrats again guys on the yet to arrive new member of the family), Tim & Betsy were kind enough to have my wife Debbie join them as a guest of the wedding, and I  worked with the super cool Brad & Kent of Artifice Films. Check out the movie trailer of their wedding here

Thank you guys, and cheers!

Starting with some of the details from the wedding, our first photo shows off the gorgeous bouquet Julia had. Thanks to Fishing Creek Nursery & Judy Williford. I’ve mentioned Berry Hill has the best light anywhere, and it does a fantastic job here with the flowers. Following the flowers we see her beautiful dress, shoes and rings.

In the photo of Julia getting makeup put on, the makeup kit provides some nice foreground to set the frame, followed by a very peaceful moment of Julia looking out the window. I had come into the room from another to find her alone looking out, and it seemed like the perfect bit of concentration, focus and peace.

The B&W of Julia looking at the bench is also a great moment. A fantastic room with a bride, as if we just walked in here quietly. Her back to us allows us to view this as a scene rather than to be drawn into her. It’s good to have some photos which are just scenes.

Mike & Julia did a first look, which is becoming increasing popular and with good cause. I think about 35% of couples I work with do first looks. They’re a great way to really reduce stress on the day, allow for easier planning of photos and allow the couples to participate with the cocktail hour.

One thing which I particularly liked here is that Mike never turned around. Julia walks up behind him, hugs him from behind, and then she comes around in front of him. I’d never seen that, and thought it was really cool. I’ve shown a few from this session because each photo has something different. The first is just a great wide shot showing off the expanse of Berry Hill, followed by two closer photos to bring us in to the moment.

I’d like to make note of the great flower girl in the window. I was outside and noticed her noticing me. There are several photos of her with different expressions, but this is my favorite.

The next one of Mike alone is one of my favorites. An addition to new favorite groom shots. Just a fantastic moment before the ceremony, alone, looking up. Great balance with him and the tree to the left, and boxed in nicely with the smokehouse to the right.

I also am a big fan of the next photo of Julia and her Dad. Note the expressions and even more so the great bits of light across her Dad’s face. I’m also a big fan of the photo of Julia dancing with her Dad. He looks so classy in a very old school way – almost like a Sheriff from the wild west. And Julia looks like she’s floating. Great movement on her dress and appreciate the lines of both father and daughter’s arms.

I have to mention 3 amazing singers. The first was Julia’s MOH who during her toast sang a fantastic rendition of “Grow Old With Me” from Adam Sandler’s The Wedding Singer. Out of the blue, a cappella, and awesome – soooo cool.

Later in the night, one of her bridesmaids did a phenomenal job singing Etta James’s At Last a cappella. You’ll see in the B&W photo singing and then followed by an emotional hug.

Finally, the night ended with Mike’s mom coming up to sing (also a cappella) “A Love Until the End of Time”. Again, a knock your socks off rendition of a true classic, which got a huge round of applause and tears, as you can see in the photos.

Mike, Julia – you guys were fantastic, your friends and families were awesome, and I had a great time with everyone! Cheers to a great first year ahead!

Vendors of note:

Cake – La Bella Torta (Jennifer England)
Hair / Makeup – Simple Splendor Salon (Brandy DeGraw)
DJ/Band – 6th N Main Band
Flowers – Fishing Creek Nursery (Judy Williford)
Catering – Berry Hill Estate
Ceremony Musicians – Harp (Whitney Dobyns), Flutist (Diane Milan), Bagpiper (Tim Carpenter)
Invitations – PaperBuzz
Wedding Planner -Berry Hill Estate (Rhonda van der Schagt)
Officiant – Rev. Robin Renteria
Rental Equipment – Party Reflections

I chose this first photo of Mark & Jennifer with the Rolls because, well, it just works nicely to set the pace of the day. There were several frames with this shot, but this was the one, as the wind caught the veil perfectly, and Mark & Jennifer are sharing a great moment. The angle of the photo adds some motion, following the lines of the Rolls, the ribbon on the Rolls and the personalized license plate and the veil.

The girls got ready at Botegga Salon in downtown Raleigh. A very hip salon with lots of “stuff” I was able to use to frame photos of the girls. You can see in the first two photos, there is strong use of angled lines to define space, as well as a good amount of light and shadow. In the 4th photo, the 3rd of the salon series, in color, you can see I shot through something to get a soft effect on Jennifer. I wish I could remember what it was lol. But, the shelving along the bright window is key to keeping this photo bright and allowing it to work.

From Botegga to the Marriott to catch a few of just the guys before heading up to see the girls again. The guys were awesome and we did quite a bit in the lobby of the hotel. Thanks to the bartender for allowing us to take over her space for a bit so Mark could serve up the cocktails.

The hotel room turned out to be surprisingly great for photos of the girls getting ready. Jennifer had a fantastic dress, and we were able to parallel the lines with the curtains in the room. The yellow wall and contemporary lamp and painting were a perfect location for the shoes, and the highly polished table allowed for a very nice reflective shot of the bouquet. In addition, the diffused light coming through the curtain with the yellow wall really brought out the flowers nicely.

The B&W photo of Jennifer getting ready was shot through her veil. If you look back at the dress photo you can see where I would have been standing. The lines again accentuate the movement and the the veil does a great job of softly filtering Jennifer’s mom and bridesmaids, and naturally allowing the viewers eye to focus on Jennifer.

The color photo of Jennifer makes more use of the highly reflective surfaces found in the room. I like the soft nature of it, as well as the curtains in the background, which along with the overexposed white light, help define spaces.

I want to draw attention now to 4 moments I don’t think anyone was aware of. The first is Mark’s parents, sharing a kiss before the ceremony began. This is in the foyer of the church, and looking past everyone coming in, I noticed them against the wall in the back,  expressing what must have been a very peaceful happiness for the day.

The second is Mark & his brother against the back wall of the church. One of my new favorite groom photos, it is just a great moment between brothers. The lighting is perfect and the shadows add so much depth.

The 3rd and 4th are with Jennifer and her dad. The first one was just after he kissed her on the cheek while they’re waiting to enter. I slightly prefer this one because we can see Jennifer’s smile, which says so much. Plus the fact that her hand is on his shoulder and he is holding the bouquet makes for a great moment. The door on the left being part of the frame was intentional, to help draw our eye into this private moment.

The next one, with Jennifer holding her dad’s arm as they’re about to enter, is interesting for several reasons. Primarily, I can’t tell if she is looking at me, or through me. The lighting is fantastic, and her expression is great. By cropping the photo to press into her on the left, we’re pushing her, and adding intensity to the moment. There is a lot going on here, and I still keep going back to it.

After the ceremony, we went with the bridal party and parents to the JC Raulston Arboretum for some group and family photos. Although not a super sunny day, with a bit of misty rain, I think it worked out perfectly. I call on Jennifer and her mom to remember our talk about using the interesting shape of the trees as a backdrop and it turned out to be fantastic. By offsetting the bridal party, we’re able to really bring out the location and still have a great looking group of friends.

Rather than focus on the bridal party and Mark and Jennifer, I think the next two photos really show off how great things happen with not so perfect weather. You always have to remember that interesting things are happening around you, and it’s not always the Bride and Groom. In both of these cases, I looked behind me. The first one, of the parents, was when I was taking photos of Jennifer and her bridesmaids. The parents looking on, holding the umbrella, smiling, it’s perfect! The second one, with everyone, was almost taken as is. Everyone was watching me shoot Mark & Jennifer. Looking back, I saw this great group, set up perfectly. I told them to freeze, brought Mark & Jennifer in, moved a few people in the back slightly so I could see their faces and here is what we have. One of the top 5 photos of the wedding, and possibly will work it’s way into the website.

We work out way into the reception with some great first dance and reception dancing photos. It was a fantastic night at the Cardinal Club. Thanks so much to Jennifer & Mark, and their parents and family for having me part of the wedding. It was fantastic, and I wish you guys all the best. Cheers!

Some vendors of note:

Cake–Sweet Memories Bakery
Hair/Makeup–Bottega
DJ–Jerry Thompson from Joe Bunn DJ
Flowers–Mel Day of Dogwood Tree Floral Designs
Reception Venue–Cardinal Club
Wedding Planners–Rebecca Naderman and Andrea Siracuse

The first image we’re looking at is now the new current first image on the website. Ironically, it is pushing aside the previous first image which was also a Berry Hill image. That image is commented on so much, that rather than remove it, I just moved it to appear later in the opening slideshow of images. Aside from the great color, beautiful couple and obvious amazing location, the wisp of air which carried the fantastic veil is really what makes the image. I took about 10 or 12 images from this short walk, and it’s interesting how this makes the others look flat.

Moving back in time we get to the dressing room, which has the best light of any room I’ve been to. I’m not sure what it is about this room, but, there is something different about it, and things just look so nice in here. Especially this beautiful dress, veil and shoes. I’m particularly fond of the close up of the sexy Enzo shoes which has such a great feel with the paint in the background and the soft veil in the front. You’ll see in a few images ahead how we use the veil again with an impromptu bridal shoot with Nicole.

There is no doubt Nicole is the star of this show. You can just feel her in all the images. Her personality, her emotions, they’re all there for us to see, to feel. It shows so clearly in the series where she is putting on her dress, to the images of her covered by the veil and  transitions nicely with the very quiet and simple moment in the B&W photos where she is holding her garter. The last image we see of her getting ready is in one of two mini mansions outside the main house. I like the shadows and darkness punctuated by the white dress and veil, along with the fact that for the first time, we can’t see Nicole’s face. We’re no longer focused so much on her but more so on the actual moment – her final adjustment.

Three photos of the ceremony allow us to get a full sense of the event with Nicole walking in from the side mini mansion, to the second shot, B&W, which has great compression, enhanced by the columns and offset nicely with the chairs. The third photo is better than the actual kiss as you can really get a sense of their personalities just from the way they’re holding hands, to how she holds his head, the smile peaking out from her hair and the way Justin is standing and leaning in for her.

As we move into the reception, I’ll call attention to the B&W image of Justin whispering to Nicole. His hand, her smile, the candles – there’s just a great amount of mystery there.

The photo with the ballet girls is nice simply because they’re being themselves. It also lends nicely to giving a feel to how much of a sense of family existed at the wedding.

That photo is followed with a color photo showing the whole scene of the reception. It’s a location not often seen from Berry Hill, since the focus is so much on the front. But here it’s nice to see so much going on, from the people in the trees on the left, the smokehouse in the back and the dramatic sky.

An awesome couple, with fantastic friends and family, Justin & Nichole were simply happy to get married. It was a ton of fun being with them, and Rhonda of Berry Hill did her standard fantastic job making sure everything ran smoothly. I wish them the best as they start their first year together. Cheers!