I had the pleasure of photographing Charity and Kevin’s wedding recently and let me tell you, it was an absolute delight.  While not everything went as planned, they had a blast.  These two sure know how to throw a party and their friends and family certainly enjoyed it.

So, let’s start with the venue.  The entire event took place at the historic Bert Winston Plantation.  What a gorgeous place.

While Charity was getting ready, I grabbed some photos of the rings…

…one of the beautiful flower girls as she admired the room…

…and then wound up with Kevin and the guys.

Meanwhile, back in the main house, Charity’s dress was now out in the open.

…and she wrapped up getting her hair done while the girls got their makeup done.

With the end result being a beautiful bride!

The ceremony was held on the porch of the plantation building.

Where the vows were exchanged…

 

…and the kiss “sealed the deal”!

The couple then walked off holding hands as husband and wife.

We then gathered up the entire wedding party for some portraits.

And then the party started.  The food was served and the cake followed.

The dancing started with Charity and Kevin’s first dance.

An emotional father-daughter dance…

…and a touching mother-son dance.

At that point the dance floor was opened and Charity and Kevin danced the night away with their friends and family.

My favorite time during the dancing was when the flower girl helped Charity by holding her dress while she danced! 

Even the best of parties - and this one was a good one - must come to an end.  Charity and Kevin set off in a shower of sparks and bird seed!

Thanks for allowing me to share in this special day with you.  See you both soon.

Hey…just wanted to let you know that the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers has aimed their “member spotlight” on me and is featuring an interview on their blog.  Check it out here.

In this interview I share a bit about how I got started in wedding photography, my favorite part of the wedding day, what I like the most about weddings, and a bit about some of my favorite venues.

Anyway, enjoy and feel free to ask any other questions you may have here!

I have to admit that from the very first meeting I knew that Stephanie and Derek were going to be a blast to work with.  I first met Derek at a bridal show earlier in the year as he was rushing around gathering information.  He was a man on a mission - wearing a t-shirt that read “Lawyers have feelings too”!  This past weekend was their wedding and I had the pleasure of photographing it. 

The festivities started with a rehearsal immediately followed by a great Persian dinner at Alborz Persian restaurant in Austin, TX (http://alborzpersiancuisine.com/). 

Stephanie and Derek were surrounded by family and friends and they enjoyed some great food and wine.

There was even entertainment from a belly dancer!

 

But the highlight of the evening were the gifts they showered upon the bridal party - with the kids returning the favor and writting special messages with the “invisible ink” they were given!

The next day, the preparation begun with Stephanie and the girls getting ready at the Hyatt Place hotel (http://austinnorthcentral.place.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/place/index.jsp) which is Hyatt’s latest hotel concept.  The rooms are very comfortable and each room has a separate seating area with a GREAT 42″ LCD TV!

While Stephanie is a Red Sox fan, she did confess that she liked the “losing” BoSox better than the current team.   In any case, best of luck to the team!

Then on to the venue - the historic and absolutely gorgeous Barr Mansion (http://www.barrmansion.com/).

The Barr Mansion has the distinct honor of being the first Texas food service venue to be USDA certified organic.  Not only this, it offers a very “homey” feel while supplying all the elegance that one would expect - and desire - from a wedding venue.  That homey feeling is accentuated by it’s great shaded grounds.

Inside, Derek and his attendants relaxed.

While Derek relaxed, Stephanie finished getting ready.

Meanwhile outside, Michael Gratovich played some beautiful classical guitar prior to - and during - the ceremony.

Stephanie made her grand entrance.

While Derek looked on - wearing that smile that says “wow”!

 

The ceremony included an opportunity for friends and family to say something about either Stephanie or Derek - and many did.

Stephanie’s brother officiated - having been requested by Stephanie and being ordained to fulfill her request.

 

The couple enjoys their first moment together as husband and wife.

We then gathered all the guests for a group photo.

And spent a bit of time with the wedding party and family members doing some portraits.

It was then on to the celebration - which was kicked off by Stephanie and Derek’s first dance!

 

Followed by a very emotional father-daughter dance.

The food was delicious and so was the cake - oh, and the cheesecake too.  According to Stephanie, there’s never a bad time for cheesecake!

Derek challenged the guests to prove that even day time wedding receptions have some wild dancing…and they obliged!

After all was done, Stephanie and Derek departed to bubbles.

I want to thank them for allowing me to be a part of their special day!