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!