A Tale of Best Friends

This tale is of Renee and Matt. Quite possibly, two of the most "in-love" people I have ever met in my life! Seriously now, I meet a lot of couples. So, what is it about these two? Simply, uncontrollable laughter. I don't think I've come across another couple who laughs nearly as much as they do. They are constantly smiling and so full of love for each other, and they don't act like the "overly mushy" couple you might see crossing the street. They are just themselves, cracking each other up and everyone else around them, and they are the best of friends. Here's a photo of them seeing each other all dressed up for the first time on their wedding day!
Matt anxiously awaits his gorgeous bride. They didn't do the typical waiting until you walk down the aisle to see each other. And, it worked...and it was so special...and they still had their amazing moment or two (te he) where the whole world wasn't watching them. It was just them, and well, a camera or two. :)And, this might have been one of the craziest and total dance floor filled receptions I have ever seen! I don't think there was a single person who didn't shake their bootie that night, including myself and Aldwin Porter (asst photog). ;) To see more photos of this dance extravaganza, go to: www.afterglowphotos.com/slideshows/072907. Love you guys, and what a rocking party!

Wendy's Family Celebration

There are some brides that prefer a smaller wedding party and don't want too many people to surround them while they get ready. This helps them with nerves and with "wedding day claustrophobia". (Yes, I swear it exists!) And so, they choose to keep things simple.

And then, there are other brides who start the day off like the party has begun! They surround themselves with 10 plus women and children and everyone in their family or extended family that means the world to them. This is what I found with Wendy. She keeps all of the people who mean the most close by when she needs them the most. And with bigger weddings you tend to need more help anyway, and when kids are involved you need ring leaders. ;)I think Wendy picked the perfect dress for herself -- what a gorgeous gown and bride! I loved all the details (including her veil here), and I could feel the love from all the women who were present in the room while she dressed. And, can we just say "cutie-pies"! Look at these adorable kids, don't you just want to squeeze them?!To see more photos from this wedding, go to: www.afterglowphotos.com/slideshows/063007. And a big shout out to assistant photographer Genevieve Harley for all of her fabulous work on this wedding!

The Most Relaxed Bride Award Goes To...

Allison! I've never seen anything quite like it. Usually when I show up to do "getting ready" photos the bride or bridesmaids seem to have this nervous energy and it fills the room, keeping the excitement level high and keeping us photogs ready for the unexpected. Well, not this time. Allison and all the wonderful women that surrounded her seemed to be the most relaxed that I've ever witnessed on the "day of". This tells me two things, 1) that the families get along pretty well, and 2) that the bride has been ready for this day for a very long time. You can almost feel the calm surround you when you look at this photo of her.I also love how the light is peeking through the window (that was behind her) here and has shaded her body but highlighted her face, making Allison's gaze in the mirror the center of attention. She has a serious look on her face, but you can tell that she is thinking, taking it all in and having a rare personal moment before she walks down the aisle. Those quiet moments are so hard to find on a wedding day...I had to include a fun shot of Allison too, as I know she'd want her wild side to come out at some point! :) You can just tell that these two bring out the best in each other, and that together they'll have many fun times ahead. To see more from this wedding, go to: www.afterglowphotos.com/slideshows/060207.

Working with Lauren...

Sometimes, you just have one of those days or weeks when you can't quite get to everything. The last 2 weeks was just that. I just got over this cold/flu thing, that has been passed around my house, starting with Ava and me taking care of her, then Ben gets it...and well, you know what it is like to take care of a sick b-friend/husband, and then lastly I get it. No fun. I've been groggily (is that a word?) working on retouching and correcting photos while on the likes of Sudafed and Nyquil and anything else I could get my hands on.

So, this most amazingly patient bride (Lauren) has been waiting for her photos, and there are others behind her that are waiting as well. (Sorry guys, I am getting there, I promise!) Since, it was Lauren's batch I just got through I decided I would share some of the favorites.

This photo showcases 3 wedding dresses. To you, it might just look like a normal photo. To me, it represents 3 generations of Lauren's family, and the women who walked before her. Rarely do you ever get to see something like this, and such beautiful and classic dresses.Next you will see Lauren, who has this infectious smile! She is just so full of laughter and you can tell she has a lot of love and joy in her life. If you are wondering who did her incredible makeup, look no further than the wonderful Naomi Martinez. Ladies, I never got lashes and I never got airbrushed makeup, and after seeing Naomi's work I wish I could get married all over again!And now we get to peek at the bride and groom. Scott just has this calming and soothing presence about him, you can almost see it in this photo. He is just casually helping with her dress, but looking ahead as if he has no worries in the world. He is ready for the party to get started! I just love these two! I also had the amazing Rick Scanlan helping me out at this wedding, so I have to give him credit for his wonderful work as well. To see more from this wedding, go to: www.afterglowphotos.com/slideshows/052607. I'll have some more photos to talk about soon, now that I am healthy again! :) Until then...