Venue: St. Margaret Mary & The Winter Park Farmer’s Market

Coordination: Anna Mulligan with Blush

Catering: Puff N Stuff

Venue: Cypress Grove, Orlando, Florida

Is there anything better than a spring garden wedding when the sunlight is warm and crispy and the bride and groom are completely in love?!  Jacqueline and Drew are one of those couples that had a vision for their wedding that was simple, vintage-inspired and inviting.  Something about it reminded me of Great Gatsby…charming and nostalgic.  As an architect yearning for a creative outlet, Jacqueline channeled all of her artistic energy into planning this event.  She designed all of the place cards, menu cards, and decor herself sticking with elegant spring colors.  She also sprinkled some old suitcases around the room to complete the vintage theme.  Even their first dance felt like a throwback to the days of jazz when couples used to swing around the dance floor jumping and twirling.

Drew is another story…completely relaxed and on the quiet side, Drew shocked us when he picked up the microphone during the reception and belted out every word to LaBamba!  That’s the way to get the party started!

Jacqueline and Drew did a ‘first look’ before the ceremony where they met on lake mirror and spent a few minutes getting to see each other before the ceremony.  There’s something so sweet about being completely alone on your wedding day when you first see each other!

Venue: Hollis Gardens & Magnolia Building

A quick sneak peek from Melissa & Shaun’s wedding at the Wyndham…

Recently, I had the pleasure of shooting at St. Petersburg’s famous Vinoy Hotel on a perfect spring day.  I love to second shoot because it frees me up to explore new ideas without the pressure of meeting a client’s expectations.  Besides completing a few requests from my friend and fellow photographer, Mary Beth Tyson, I was open to shoot what I pleased.  Usually I am with the bride for pre-ceremony, but this time I got to sneak over to the guy’s suite and shoot them getting dressed as well.  One of my favorite moments was when the doors to the ceremony opened and Tori saw Jayson for the first time.  Her expression was adorable!

South America is an enchanting place where life happens at a slower pace.  The people are warm and friendly and the food is delicious!  It isn’t like Europe where most people understand English.  And, there are very few Americans or Europeans around.  We were excited that they use US currency and that everything was very inexpensive.  But, its not easy to forget that while we are living like Kings the vast majority of the Ecuadorian population is living in poverty.  Still, we couldn’t help but remark on how happy everyone was and how little material things seemed to matter.  It was a refreshing change from American consumerism and I am going to try hard to incorporate that into my own life.

Michelle & Brandon really made us feel welcome at their destination wedding.  They had planned activities for family and friends and made sure we were included. Unfortunately, my trip was off to a rocky start when my plane was delayed 4 hours and I arrived at the hotel at 7:30 am on the day of the wedding.  Ah!  Plus, I had shot the stunning South Beach wedding I blogged below earlier that day.  So, with just 2 hours of sleep I operated solely on adrenaline (and caffeine).

I started with Michelle in hair and make-up and was mesmerized by her stunning Kleinfeld dress complete with a hoop skirt (which makes dancing easy and the heat not quite so unbearable).  The bridal party was in great spirits and Michelle was stunning.  Estella Maris Church is on an Ecuadorian Naval Base and sits high on a cliff with windows overlooking the ocean.  One thing I loved was that noting was landscaped…just wild and un-manicured growing naturally.  Again, it reminded me of how simple life can be if you let it.

The reception was simply amazing.  I’ve got to give mad props to Michelle’s Aunt who is an event coordinator in Guayaquil, Ecuador.  Michelle told her aunt a vague idea of what she liked and was completely surprised when she walked into this vibrant room filled with larger than life centerpieces.  The cake literally was about 4.5 feet tall!  And, Michelle told me that was small for Ecuadorian standards.  It was accompanied by over 3,500 traditional Ecuadorian sweets.  I was in heaven.  Seriously.

And, for the wedding guests there is a special treat…I’ve included an image of your favorite local celebrity - Juan Carlos.  Friends and Family from both Ecuador and the United States danced the night away and the evening was a beautiful compilation of traditions from both countries.  One highlight was the Salsa dancers who impressed us with their lifts and jumps and really got the party started.

After everyone had a chance to sleep in, we all headed out on buses to a little surf town called Montanita.  It is world-famous for surfing and the crowd is a cross between hippies and surfers punctuated by the friendliest dogs roaming the town.  Michelle and Brandon had arranged surf lessons for all their friends.  Those who were brave gave it a shot.  The rest of us got to explore the town and sample the local street vendor fare.

This was an incredible experience and I hope to come back to South America one day.  I was not only artistically interested in the change of scenery, but I treasure the opportunity to explore the culture and see another part of the world.  Thank you, Michelle & Brandon!

So, living in Florida we forget what an amazing place South Miami Beach is…it’s an international destination for a very good reason.  Being a lover of fashion and architecture, I am always instantly at ease in this Art Deco paradise.  It is as elegant and stylish in this city as it is warm and tropical.  And, it was the perfect setting for Gina and Daniel’s sophisticated wedding.  Many of their guests came in from NYC and just barely escaped the northeast before yet another snowstorm trapped them.

Gina prepped for the wedding at her parents oceanfront home and Daniel stopped by to see her before the ceremony.  Thankfully, we planned it this way because the rain and wind began just after the ceremony ended and effectively eliminated our portrait time outside at the amazing Eden Roc Hotel.  Lucky for us this Art Deco landmark just happens to be as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside.

Congratulations, Gina and Daniel!  You are two sweet and generous people and I am excited to see all that life has in store for you!

So, a few months back I got a call from a dear friend, Monica Cullen, who is DJ PJ’s wife extraordinaire.  She said she was referring a really fun couple to me with a great sense of style because she knows that I love creative types who aren’t afraid to step away from the norm.  In walked Kelly and Chad.  They are a swing dancing couple with incredible energy.  Chad is unusually handsome with a boyish quality I can’t quite put my finger on.  And, Kelly may quite possibly have the tiniest waist known to man.  On a similar note, I have decided to take up swing dancing. =)

We met up for a picnic on an unusually beautiful florida day.  The sun was shining and the air was cool.  After we grabbed some fruit and cookies at the Farmer’s Market, the picnic was complete.  Their wedding will be at the Maitland Art Center followed by a reception at Highland Manor.  They even have a few surprises in store for their guests!  I can’t wait to see it all come to life…

Whew!  What a whirlwind trip!!  Ecuador was an eye-opening experience and once again affirmed our love for travel and more importantly, our humility and gratitude for the life we have been blessed with.  I am so grateful to Michelle and Brandon for allowing us to be a part of this destination wedding.  They truly opened a window into South America and we fell in love with the people, culture, and food.  I have lots and lots of images to edit and then I will post them here to share with you.  Here’s a little teaser!

There’s nothing like a swanky Miami beach wedding!  Gina and Daniel threw a modern affair at the Art Deco style ‘Eden Roc’ hotel.  There details are amazing and I can’t wait to share them with you!  For now, here’s a peek at one of my faves of the day.  More to come very soon!

Between the wind, the overcast skies, and the cold; I was a little worried about the weather for Lauren & Kyle’s outdoor wedding.  But, living in Florida I’ll take the cool weather over the oppressive heat of summer any day!  Summer will be here soon enough.  Luckily, the rain held off all day and Lauren & Kyle were married outdoors at the charming Tavern and Chapel in Port Orange.

The house where Lauren got dressed had a nostalgic feel to it…dark wood and lots of windows made for a very moody atmosphere.  A neat fact…Lauren is a photographer herself.  I love that for 3 reasons: 1) she really thought about the photography when planning her day, 2) she understood any direction I gave them, and 3) I was flattered that someone who truly understands photography chose me to document their day.

Kyle kept us giggling all day…he is one of those incredibly relaxed men who just seemed to be taking it all in.  Don’t get me wrong - he’s not the quiet type at all.  He’s got an amazing sense of humor and a warm personality that tend to make him the life of the party.  Their portraits together are some of my favorites…they were sincere and sweet to each other and I was able to capture some really authentic moments between them.

Thanks to Kristen Johnson of An Affair to Remember for telling us about this!  We had no idea until she mentioned it at lunch yesterday.  Apparently, the Knot brides vote on their favorite weddings vendors and we were one of the winners for 2010 for Videography.  Kevin’s hilarious response to this information was “Did I enter?”  I was like “No babe, but that’s how good you are.  You don’t even have to enter to win.”  =)  Love my hubby!

Still, we’ve always fancied ourselves the types that care about the work more than any awards or notoriety.  Too often we see websites that sell the photographer’s personality more than their portfolio.  At the end of the day, we want to create something amazing for our clients.  They can’t hang our personalities on their wall.  So, we’re happy that this recognition symbolizes real brides voting with absolutely no pressure from us.  It’s a heart-felt vote of confidence!  Thank you to all our past clients who made 2010 so great!!