After meeting Dara and Chuma it seemed like we should have met long ago--the Nigerian community in Houston is notoriously small--and it also felt like we had known each other for a while. After an engagement session, a bridal session and finally the wedding day, it truly seems like we know them and their families well. My wife and I even got a chance to attend a pre-wedding event where we ran into many of our friends including my friend Olu and Erica & Jan whose wedding I was preparing to photograph in the Dominican Republic in a few weeks.
Their wedding day was effortlessly elegant but the reception was what you would expect from a Nigerian wedding: lively, tons of dancing, and vibrant attire.

EVENT DETAILS
Ceremony Venue: Sugar Land First United Methodist Church
Reception Venue: La Colombe d'Or
Wedding Coordinator: Robert Shipman & Associates
Floral and Decor: Bergner & Johnson
Band: Such and Such Band
DJ: DJ Tunes
Lighting: Brightstar Productions
Bride's Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Below are some of my favorite images from Scott, Alyssa, and myself:

EVENT DETAILS
Ceremony Venue: Cathedral Church of St. Luke
Reception Venue: Hilton Orlando
Florals: Raining Roses
Wedding Coordinator: An Affair To Remember
Cake: Party Flavors
Videography: Key Moments
Bride's Dress: Vera Wang, Angel Sanchez
Bride's Shoes: Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo
Groom's Tux: Hugo Boss

Kunbi and Olamide's wedding in Orlando qualifies as one of the largest, most elaborate weddings we've photographed. It takes a great team of vendors to execute any wedding, of course, but it takes a special bride to think it all up. And Kunbi definitely fits the bill--in fact her passion for everything weddings hasn't died at all now that she's married. She's now the brain behind Aisle Perfect a wedding planning and inspiration blog that blossomed from her chronicling of her own wedding planning experience.

This wedding featured over 450 guests who flew in from Nigeria and other parts of the world to enjoy this vibrant celebration.

Here are a few selections from their wedding day that feature some of Alyssa's great photography as well.

EVENT DETAILS
Bride's Preparation Location: Hotel ICON
Ceremony Venue: Holy Rosary Catholic Church
Reception Venue: The Petroleum Club of Houston
Florals: The Blooming Gallery
Wedding Coordinator: En Vogue Events
Cake: Edible Designs by Jessie
Bride Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Cinematogragphy: Luxe Films
Entertainment: Signature EvenTX

As I mentioned in the the last blog entry, I met Uzo in high school and we became close friends. So close in fact, that when I got married he was one of my groomsmen standing by my side as my wife and I exchanged our vows.

So I certainly felt the pressure of wanting to do a great job for him and his wife when I agreed to photograph their wedding. While I definitely wanted to help create some great photos for them I also had my heart set on participating as a guest for the reception. Luckily I have two great photographers to call on: Scott and Alyssa. They took amazing reception photos (which you'll see below) and I had to give them a shout of for such great work. But of course after working with them both for so long I knew they were more than capable.

I also realized that the last two weddings featured on this blog were both at the Petroleum Club of Houston and both weddings were coordinated by En Vogue events.

You'll also see a cameo by yours truly (rare on this blog!), my wife, and other good friends like Akil and his wife. Enjoy!

Now that I'm back in the blogging spirit I wanted to mention that my friends and clients Courtney and Acho (whose wedding is currently featured in the portfolio section of my website) were recently featured in the February issue of Essence.

Much like with Dami and Niyi last year, Essence was looking for couples with compelling love stories and this wonderful couple fit the bill.

Since this issue is no longer on newsstands you'd have to order it as a back issue to get a physical copy. Fortunately, it's still available via the Essence iPad app.

Here is an image of the magazine spread:

And of course, their feature stirs feelings of nostalgia so here are a handful of images from their wonderful wedding day at the Red Oak Ballroom:

EVENT DETAILS
Reception Venue: Chateau Polonez
Floral and Event Design: Darryl & Co
Day-of coordination: Professional Socialites
Cakes: Supreme Cakes
Wedding Gown/Veil: Priscilla of Boston
Groom's Suit: Michael Andrews Bespoke
Groom's Shirt: Hamilton
Invitations: Parchments by Dami
Bride Shoes: Christian Louboutin, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Vince Camuto
Groom Shoes: Tom Ford, Stubbs & Wootton
Makeup: Beauty Geeks International

Although I photographed their wedding just shy of a year ago (their 1-year anniversary is coming up next month), their wedding hasn't hit the blog yet because their wedding was selected to be in the Knot magazine! I wanted to wait and share that good news along with the blog post. Those with eagle eyes will notice I snuck in a gallery of their wedding on my portfolio and also my facebook page but now that the issue has hit print, we'll revisit their wedding day here as well.

You'll no doubt remember this stylish couple from their engagement session last year in New Orleans

Dami & Niyi hosted one of the most personalized weddings I've had the pleasure of photographing. They incorporated their modern, stylish tastes, DIY touches like a candy buffet with sweets in their wedding colors (I particularly liked the rock candy), and of course, Nigerian culture and music. Dami sported 3 different pairs of shoes for her multiple outfits including a pair of yellow Christian Louboutin shoes. Niyi, also represented by sliding on a pair of Tom Ford (!) shoes and eased into a pair of Stubbs and Wootton velvet slippers at the tail end of the evening. From beginning to end Scott and I had a great time interpreting the moments in front of us (and there were plenty!) and doing our best to put together a collection of photos that would do their day justice.

A quick screen shot of the Knot feature is above. Pick up the Fall/Winter 2011 issue in stores now, or you can just follow this link to see their Real Wedding feature on the website: http://weddings.theknot.com/Real-Weddings/85262/view.aspx?type=1&id=85262

In addition to the photos from their feature, here are some of my favorites from the wedding day:

Ngozi has a smile that lights up the room and lifts your spirits immediately. So it's probably appropriate that her husband, Jude, has one to match. Thankfully they share these beautiful smiles with everyone they encounter and their wedding day had plenty of them to go around.

The bride and the groom's day started out the Doubletree Hotel Downtown as they prepared for the ceremony at Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart nearby. The Co-Cathedral has a beautiful sanctuary and the beautiful natural afternoon light streaming in complimented the mood of the ceremony perfectly.

After the ceremony, I photographed the couple and bridal party at the Doubletree and afterward we segued to the reception. I've known Ngozi for years and didn't know she could move like that. :-)

Here are just a few from the day:

A couple of days before Dami + Niyi were married, the families of the couple invited guests to witness their traditional engagement ceremony. I was really looking forward to it as despite the many Nigerian weddings I've photographed, I've never had the opportunity to cover this type of event.

It's pretty interesting when you don't know exactly when things are about to happen and you have to react and still make good photos. I took quite a few, but here are a few selects.