Big thank you to the ladies at Junebug Weddings for featuring Nicole and Michael’s wedding in Key West! Definitely worth a read and a look if you looking for a Key West inspired wedding!
Many thank you’s to Nicole for being interviewed for the piece – and for being such a willing subject with new hubby, Michael.
Sometimes it takes the last one to remind you of why you do this.
Melissa and Chad were the last wedding of 2011 for Eleven Weddings Photography, capping off a year of craziness from around the globe. It was fitting that our last one was for our friends – and at home in Sarasota. After a beautiful Catholic ceremony, Melissa and Chad’s crew switched gears rather dramatically into an all out party at the Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country Club and their personalities were riding shotgun all night. Fun times.
I brought along my lovely wife, Elaine, to shoot this one with me, which is always inspiring. Every time we shoot together, there is a bit of throwback to our own wedding in Vegas. I’m constantly amazed that I’ve somehow managed to keep her around and smiling all this time.
Weddings are many things – chaotic, touching, long, emotional, crazy, stressful, wonderful, draining, beautiful. Even though there are the same traditions, every one is absolutely different because of the people involved. It’s the reason Elaine and I both got into photojournalism. We love to tell stories, meet new people, and make some fun photos. When those people turn out to be friends in the end, it’s even more rewarding.
Melissa and Chad were friends before, but being able to make their photos was truly a honor…and something we will always appreciate about our gig.
Congrats you two.
Take care of the squirrels.
I’ve never seen a bride so ready to destroy her dress within 24 hours of her ceremony, but Nicole promptly made that thing a life preserver.
This was my second trip to Key West in seven days…and I can safely say that place is about as much tropical eye candy as you can get. Nicole and Michael arranged their destination wedding for a fun group of family and friends who embraced the intimate tropical setting at every turn. From the beautiful beach ceremony at Fort Zachary Taylor to the after-party at at Mangoe’s on Duval ending with a lantern release at the Southernmost point of the U.S., they definitely made my eyes happy.
A bride willing to cover her expensive dress in sand, climb trees, chase chickens, and take dips in the pool at Orchid Key Inn all for the sake of photos has a direct path to my heart.
Thanks Nicole and Michael for having me this weekend – and here’s to many, many years of happiness and hockey!
Right off the bat I have to thank Janay’s father for restoring his 1961 red Chevy Corvette for this wedding. That ride is a thing of beauty.
What also is a thing of beauty is Key West – where the wonderful Janay and Mike headed on down to get married yesterday. After a traditional ceremony at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the lamps came on for a beautiful evening with the welcoming family and friends at the stunning Hemmingway Home and Museum. Toss in a few six-toed cats and some random roosters walking around in the road, and we have a Key West party.
Thank you guys so much for having us this weekend – and here’s to many year’s of happiness!
I love it when a couple plans their wedding around the light.
Kelly and Michael’s wedding at the Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens yesterday was full of personality, color, and light as the ceremony ended right at sunset and perfect for photos. Made me smile.
That being said, after their wedding I joined a group of some of their friends for a post-wedding cocktail and was asked how I rate a wedding. I had never really thought about that, but I think I know the main determining factor of how great a wedding has nothing to do with the actual pictures. We’re asked a photographers to be around perfect strangers one of the most significant days of their life, so just being able to make their day happy and less stressful by making the photography process easy and fun is the key. I judge weddings on that fact alone. It should never be simply about making photos I like, but being to provide photos that make them remember the process of making them just as fun as the day itself.
When I can – excuse the terrible pun – make photos that marry my aesthetics and their moments, then I’m happy.
For the second time, rain failed to ruin Lauren and Joe’s shoot. I photographed them a few months ago during a fun engagement session in Ybor (here), where it was literally pouring rain the whole way until the moment we started shooting and it absolutely beautiful. Their wedding yesterday had the same threat where the entire state was covered with the dreaded green forecast. I made the drive up at 5am for the morning wedding and as the sun rose, it gave way to a perfectly beautiful day.
Lauren and Joe met prior to the ceremony at the Sandpearl to get their portraits done in the money morning light before headed out to celebrate at the Island Way Grill in Clearwater with their family and friends.
Congrats you two! Thanks for having me!
There were 600 people at this wedding and I think all of them were on the dance floor fist pumping to Jay-Z by the end of the night.
Crazy. Crazy. Crazy.
Jenny and Jayan (from the South Beach engagement session a few months ago) were amazing hosts for their 9.10.11 wedding this weekend in New Rochelle, New York – I’m currently writing this on the flight on the way home to Florida with my second shooter, Brian, and I can barely keep my eyes open. These cats kept the energy up from their early rise at 5:30am until the after party into the wee hours of the night last night. Between the two of us, we shot nearly 175 Gb’s of photos.
That’s a lot.
Thank you Jenny and Jayan for having us. We felt like part of your crew the whole day. Getting huge hugs and drinks at the end of the night is by far the best reward we can ever ask for.
Congrats!
