Katie & Matt's Wedding

So what do you do when a thunderstorm is scheduled for your wedding day? Well, you put on your biggest smile and go ahead with the day as planned! They say that rain on your wedding day is a good omen that you will be blessed with lots of children so I hope Katie & Matt like children...a lot!!

Kim actually shot this wedding solo while I was at another wedding (blog post will follow) and was excited to spend the day with such a wonderful couple. I know I say that a lot about our brides and grooms but it was definitely true on this occasion!!

Katie and her mom prior to the dress going on - her bridesmaids getting ready in the next room..

This note might be a little hard to read as a resized JPEG for website use but if you fellas want to impress your future mother-in-laws, take a leaf out of Matt's book and send them a heartfelt Thank You note for all their hard work preparing the wedding...and for having a beautiful daughter too!

Always lots of activity as the girls prepare for the day..

I do like unusual angles and altered reality. There's nothing too secretive about the double reflection in a beveled edge mirror but it certainly holds your attention for a couple of seconds..

I particularly like it when the bridesamaids' dresses are unique and interesting and cool to photograph and I know they just love it when they get to wear them more than once!

Umbrellas up! A sign of things to come..

Meanwhile, back in the Pastor's office... Matt relaxes while the guests arrive and people are seated in the Church.

Katie walking down the aisle solo..

...and a very touching candle lighting ceremony to remember those no longer with us....

Right after the wedding ceremony is a great time to duck away, unwind a little and spend a few minutes with your new spouse before the revelry begins...

Did I mention rain was forecast?!

After Church, it was on to the beautiful Head of the Bay Club in Huntington Bay..

This may look like a photo of an iPhone with a hot pink rubber skin on but it's actually what is on the iPhone that is important - the Wedding Announcement section of The New York Times with Katie and Matt's engagement photo and their engagement story!! It was actually published the day of their wedding!

So, when everything was said and done, it was a great wedding with great people and a gorgeous and fun bride and groom, even if it did rain a little bit. The following day however was glorious and Katie called Kim to say that she was putting her wedding dress back on and wanted to shoot pictures back at the Bay Club at sunset! How could we refuse!..

Katie and Matt, you are a very special couple and a joy to photograph! Thanks for providing us with some great photo opportunities and a very cool 'how we met' story.

Jeannemarie & Jim's Wedding

Children are always fun at weddings~ they are unpredictable, uninhibited and usually very cute! Sometimes parents tend to give them misinformation about photographers though as I found out when I got to Jeannemarie's house. I have no idea what this little guy thought about me but if he had a shovel he would have dug himself to China!

My excellent parenting skills soon came into play though and before long we were best buddies..

Sometimes my favorite images are those that go a little awry like shooting with available light on a slowish shutter speed. I like the fact that Jeannemarie's dress and necklace are quite sharp while the busy motion around her is all a blur..

Jeannemarie looking quite beautiful and taking in her fully dressed loveliness for the first time..

This is another one of my favorite images of the year; Jeannemarie's bridesmaids were putting on her veil and I was jockeying for position when I looked up and saw a beautifully manicured hand adjusting the veil and a crucifix in the background. I couldn't have set this shot up better and I was able to grab just a couple of frames before the operation was complete! In my opinion, the negative space is just as important as the sparse elements of the image..

On to the church! I'm not sure exactly what this sign says but I know it is a part of Jim's Korean heritage for guests to sign in at the church.

If I'm shooting a wedding alone like this one, I usually position myself about halfway down the aisle ~ that way I can get the bride walking down the aisle with her father and then do a quick turn, shoot the bride from behind before framing the groom between bride and father. And it all happens in about 8 seconds!! Jim's expression is priceless in this next image as he sees Jeannemarie for the first time as his bride..

After the ceremony, we headed down to a beautiful park in Brightwaters on the south shore to shoot some formal photos. The light was perfect!

The reception was held at Captain Bill's in Bayshore. We have shot here a few times and it is a great venue - on the water with great views!

Two groomsmen pinch hitting for a quick bride and groom photo at the head table.

..and the real bride and groom this time out on the deck with the marina in the background..

Yes, there is no denying the fact I love flair and backlighting! When the sun is setting, I'll do anything I can to get it in the background - the mood it creates is unlike any other..

A view of Captain Bill's vast room from the upstairs balcony..

And a bit of break dancing to end the evening!

Jeannemarie and Jim, thank you for letting me share your wedding day with you - it could not have been better!!