Lisa and Chris’s Magical Wedding on Gibson Island

I’ve had the opportunity to photograph a number of weddings on Gibson Island.  It is  truly a magical  place and a fantastic ‘destination’ for  a wedding by- the- sea.

Lisa had a charming cottage where she and her attendants dressed for the wedding and was just a stone’s throw from the Gibson Island Yacht Club, the ceremony and reception site.

Elizabeth Bailey, of Elizabeth Bailey Weddings was the wedding planner for this event. Beth is considered, by far, to be the best in her field. Our events with Beth always go smoothly and our clients are worry free since Beth and her team are attentive to the smallest details.

The flowers for the bridal party, ceremony and reception were by Karen Lock of Karen’s Flower Markets, my friend whom I’ve known for years and who always imbues her highly original work with unique color  and design.

Lisa who had her heart set on a outdoor ceremony, was, naturally, a little worried when a storm passed through early in the day. Isabelle, my talented second photographer, saw a small patch of blue on the horizon amidst the clouds and we guaranteed Lisa that it would be blue skies  for the ceremony.

And so it was.

A ‘p.j.’ (photojournalist) image. Lisa is probably looking at the weather radar on weatherunderground.com. I’m frequently asked by my brides ” What if it rains/ snows/ is too hot?” I tell them that I’ve spent years learning how to make even the worst- case scenarios, indoors and out, look magnificent. It is what we do.

The clouds have parted, the weather now gorgeous and Lisa and her bridesmaid’s are as excited as we are to go have some fun with photography.

The men are wearing classic khaki, perfect for this event, and the women are in navy blue. The lime color  of the bouquets are a great visual compliment to the dresses.

Lisa looking radiant.

Lisa looks natural and un -posed because  of the relationship we established early on, and which is one of trust. One of the first things I tell a bride is that they cannot do anything ‘wrong’, and that they are in very good hands. Not every image we create is a winner however I can guarantee every bride that they will be overwhelmed by the number of great images that we do capture. The ability to allow people to be themselves means that they are actually giving me great images. We  work as  partner’s in doing so.

We used the trees and the horizon  to  frame Lisa  for a stunningly beautiful full length portrait.

Lisa’s hair and make-up by Up-Dos for I Dos.

Please notice the exact point of focus is on Lisa’s eyes and that there are ‘catch-lights’ in her eyes,  showing the life within. From the eyes, everything else recedes into a softer and softer focus. Both myself and my second photographer have spent years perfecting our craft to the point where it is effortless and lets us work intuitively.

The eyes are the windows to the soul.

A moment.

The site for the wedding ceremony.

The little guys, resplendent in their hand- tied bow ties carrying the wedding rings in a really cool floral arrangement by Karen Lock.

Lisa provided the guests with blue parasols to ward off the suns rays. Elizabeth Bailey is fantastic at coming up with fun, visual elements that add to the occasion- and have a practical use as well.

Lolly-pops doubling as seating assignments. One of the creative and highly original elements that this wedding had an abundance of.

During the cocktail hour, The Mellowtones, a steel drum ensemble, serenaded the guests, in keeping with the island theme.

Cake by Graul’s Market. The D.J. was  master mixer Evan Reitmeyer  of Mydeejay.com who had everyone dancing all night long.

Again, Lisa’s color and flower arrangements work in perfect harmony with the environment.

Chris and Lisa’s first dance.The guests were totally enchanted. They earned a standing ovation when done.

An example of a scene we captured in a, albeit brief, lull during the reception. We look for the contrasts and situations that are ‘a-typical’ but tell the story of the wedding from many perspectives.

Truly a magical wedding.

Nikki and Greg at The Hillendale Country Club

Nikki and Greg were referred to my studio by Christina and Allan, whose wedding we created images for last winter. Nikki was also a guest at that wedding and was delighted by our style and the sense of joy we brought to the wedding. After seeing Christina’s and Allan’s images on line, she became a true believer.

Nikki met Greg met through Nikki’s oldest brother who was best friends with Greg, they were engaged on a N. Carolina beach in ‘08 and managed to plan their amazing wedding in just six months!

Greg is a graphic designer in web development and Nikki is an MRI technologist. Nikki say’s that Greg is the ‘artistic’ one, but Nikki’s sense of style is wonderful.

The Hillendale Country Club a charming and beautiful setting for a wedding. Our good friend there, LeeAnn White, treats each bride and groom as if they were members of her own family.

Flowers by Audry

Nikki amidst the magnolia blossems, looking radiant in her gown by Waters from Betsy Robinson. Nikki’s hair by Julia Edwards at Padma Salon and her make-up is by the esteemed Jamie Leboe.

Nikki.

The moment where all elements coalesce into an amazing image!

A stolen moment.

The bridal party. Definitely un-posed.

Nikki’s Dad who is about to escort her down the aisle. His expression says more than words ever could.

The room where the reception took place was a visual feast and another testimonial of the level at which Hillendale performs. The lighting by Perkin’s Productions further enhanced the ambiance.

Cake by Yai-Yai’s Bakery. Yum!

Nikki and her Dad during the Father – Daughter dance.

Party favors included this ‘personalized’ crab mallet to lend a touch of Baltimore. This wedding was a celebration of families and loved ones, gathered in one place to fete a great couple on one of the most important days in their lives.

As always, we were honored to be a part of it.

A Wedding in Mount Vernon and at The Peabody Library

From the minute I first met Becca and Evan I just knew theirs would be an exceptional wedding. Both sets of parent’s came with them to our first meeting and the excitement and anticipation for this wedding was palpable. Becca, Evan and I also did an “Engagement Session” in Fell’s Point, well in advance of their wedding day. We had entirely too much fun.

This wedding was unique in so many ways including not only Becca’s James Clifford designed wedding gown from Betsy Robinson and Evan’s ‘bespoke’ tuxedo but also that the actual ceremony was tented outside in the square across from The Peabody Library, Baltimore’s  architectural gem.

Becca and her ladies dressed in The Presidential Suite at Peabody Court Hotel, which is a particularly gorgeous suite for those ‘getting-ready’ images our bride’s covet.

Becca’s bouquet and all of the flowers were a study in taste and understated beauty by Floral Impressions.

Hair and make-up by About Faces. Flawless.

Staging this once in a lifetime event with all the venues within a few blocks one one another in Mount Vernon allowed for a relaxed and unhurried day. No trains, planes or automobiles.

A contemplative moment for Evan who had a separate suite at The Peabody Court Hotel.

We bring a sense of ‘play’ to the occasion which allows for spontaneity and a distinct lack of contrived or overly posed images.

How many images does it take before we finally get one with everyone airborne? Answer: A hullava a lot.

Still, with our ’state of the art’ high speed gear and years of tech savvy, it only takes a minute or so. Plenty of energy left to dance the night away.

Majesty, grandeur and that most important element, romance. Oh, and my second ’shooter’ playing traffic cop.

Chef’s Expressions, the best of the best caterers, and one of only two allowed to work at The Peabody Library, provided the food and a surfeit of class.

Music by Santana and video by our good friend Jim Skipper at Black Tie Video.

The Peabody Library. There is no place like it.

Newlyweds and so much in love.

A Stunning Wedding at Beth Tfiloh

Heather and Dan , both very stylish individuals and accomplished professionals, celebrated their wedding and  reception at Beth Tfiloh. Beth Tfiloh is a unique venue and is architecturally significant, providing fantastic settings for our creating images of the ceremony , ‘formal’s’ and reception.
Heather’s  make up was by Gregory Dean and her hair was done by Ashley Riddle. Both of these two talented artists enhanced Heather’s natural beauty.

I think this image of a father’s love for his daughter needs no further explanation.

A private moment, which we were privy to, when Dan saw his beloved for the first time on their wedding day. These moments are powerful, true and real.

A stunning contrast with the bridesmaids in black, Heather in ivory and  flowers, perfectly complimentary. This image was created by one of our supremely talented second photographers from an oblique, a-traditional perspective. -Keeps things visual intriguing.

The floral designs and execution are by Carol Langrall, owner of A Garden of Earthly Delights.

Understated elegance was apparent at the reception. Subdued lighting, delightful color schemes in the linen selections, were realized by the efforts of Heather and the top vendors she chose. They included Accents on Events, Table Toppers, and Select Event Rentals.

The owner of Catering by Weiss, Alan Weiss is a rather remarkable guy, not only providing delectable kosher fare for the guests  but also serving as Heather’s wedding coordinator. Alan is equally skilled in both aspects, and his deep knowledge of event planning  made the evening  truly memorable.

The music was by The Source and they are HOT! Heather’s training in ballet and her new husbands very smooth moves captured everyone’s attention as they watched Heather and Dan share their first dance in perfect synchronicity.

A completely magical and enchanting wedding. We were in ‘flow’ and present to capture every moment as this very special wedding unfolded before us.

The “Crypt Keeper” of Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires

Visiting the justifiably famous  Recoleta cemetery, final resting place of Buenos Aires’ famous artists, politicians (Evita Peron), generals and just plain wealthy, I noticed an older man sitting in the shade of one of the enormous tombs. He smiled and I was able to understand the question he asked in Spanish about my camera. “Digital”, I answered, “No film”. I sat down next to him and showed him the images I had captured of the cemetery that morning thus far. He nodded as I scrolled through through the images and spoke again in a rapid bust of Spanish, at which point Margaux intervened to translate.

“He wants to know if we’d like to go inside some of the tombs, since he is the crypt keeper and has all of the keys.”

A no-brainer, to say the least.

“Muchos, muchos gracias, senor” I said,and off we went.

Inside one of the crypts. These stairs lead down 30 feet under the above ground tomb. The family coffins are on marble shelves and may date from the mid 19th. century to the presnt.

Margaux and our new friend, Eduardo, keeper of the keys to the crypts. We’re about 20 feet below ground, but light is filtering from the windows in the tomb structure above us. Those are coffins behind them. The architecture and craftsmenship  of the tombs is stunning. The  marble is  imported from Carrera,  Italy. The detailed  workmanship of the coffins was beautiful, the handles were of heaviest cast silver, the wood, rare and exotic.

The small coffin center below, is for a small child and is dated 1855. It looked as though it had just been put there, completely unblemished and pristine.