Tag Archives: WEDDING

MELISSA + SEAN | OSWEGO LAKE COUNTRY CLUB WEDDING

To me, Melissa and Sean’s wedding just screamed stylish and classy. There were so many elements I loved: the tie-clip with the initials of a dear friend lost too early. The makeup artist, Katherine, was insanely good. Holy floral goodness. One of the most energetic, entertaining bridal parties I’ve had in a while. Speeches I got teary over and laughed out loud, and I have no history with the people speaking or being spoken about (that’s a good speech). Sean’s laugh. MIDNIGHT SLIDERS. It was a great day, and I am incredibly thankful to share moments with people as genuine as these two. I mean seriously, what a job. It’s no secret I love a good strong woman (both specifically and literally with my wife, and generally but figuratively with subjects 😉 ), and Melissa is the perfect combination of strength and sweetness. Her portraits just feel so refined and regal. Many years of happiness, friends.

Massive thanks to the always perfect, and recently married Daron Jackson, for shooting with me.

Words of Advice from the bride: Pick a venue that does everything for you! It is so nice to have people on-site, day of, that you can delegate tasks to instead of delegating to your family. I have been to weddings where the mother is setting up chairs before hand and cleaning up after. It’s a day to enjoy and relax, let other people do the worrying. Also, organize everything up front. Budget, look, feel, all of it! The more organized you are up front, the less stressful the process will be down the road, ENJOY & HAVE FUN!

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Bride Dress and Bridesmaids dresses: Sophie Chang Collection

Makeup: Event Cosmetics

Flowers: Zest Floral

Groom Attire: Mr. Formal
Bride Shoes & Jewelry: Nordstrom
Cake: Lambs Thriftway
Chairs: Interstate Special Events
PhotoBooth: The Portland Booth
Printing: Anders Printing Company
Streamers, Robes & Shave Bags: Etsy

 

 

RACHAEL + JACKSON | EMERALD VALLEY GOLF RESORT WEDDING

It’s late, and officially Thanksgiving (happy turkey day, yo) so I will keep this short and sweet. Rach and Jack make it easy… good on camera, good fun, good people. They completely balance each other out, which is good photographically, and relationship-ially (not a word, I’m over it). Silly and stoic make for a lot of fun as a photographer, and I could easily have made an entire blog post of outtakes and silly faces, which despite my usual tendency toward the stoic side of the fence, is something I would thoroughly enjoy. Balance. So much of life is about balance… so much about being a thankful person is about balance. You temper the bad with the good, you remember the whispering positive when the negative is screaming in your ear, you give when you really would rather take.

My friend Benj recently posted this on his Facebook, “Might seem obvious but one of the best things I think we can do as wedding photographers would be to place a high value on marriage.”

Indeed. I am thankful for my own marriage of almost 15 years at every wedding I photograph. The vows bring me right back to my pre-beard days of buying the ring, saying “with this wing” at the altar (still counts), picking out our first apartment. I’m thankful for people like Rach and Jack who keep me young and remind me how much a good marriage is something to be treasured and protected. So, right at this moment, I’m thankful for these two.

 

DEVON + JON | SMOKEY GLEN FARM WEDDING

Maryland and old friends… that’s my kind of party. I have known Devon and her bridesmaid Carissa since the 2am Taco Bell, SNL in the Adam Sandler era, Nirvana on the radio days of high school. That’s 20 years of personal history, people. Plus, the DC area is one of my favorites to shoot in, even if it is one of my least favorite to drive in, so to say I was excited for Devon’s location is an understatement. It was also the second time in the area that Autumn… that’s how I say “happy place.” We were blessed with amazing low 60’s weather, and narrowly missed 20-something degree weather, which, for an outdoor wedding is a good thing. A few of my favorite details: Devon’s Oregon garter (Go Ducks), her fur wrap, the blue shoes, an amazing handlebar mustache, and the outdoor BBQ grills… which gave us the tastiest fog machines ever. Because sometimes your wedding just needs to look like a Bon Jovi concert.

Devon and Jon, thanks for the party.

VENUE – SMOKEY GLEN FARM 

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