Hiral and Anant's wedding festivities culminated with the arrival of the ceremony. Anant and family made a grand entrance during the baraat and its conclusion he was greeted by his bride. The event transitioned to a grand mandap outside of the Turf Club for the ceremony which was attended by over 1500 guests.

Below are some images from the finale of 4 days of shooting a South Asian wedding—my first in Mumbai, India. Hopefully I get an opportunity to go back and visit them.

After the amazing sangeet dance party, Hiral's family and Anant's family hosted two mehndi events: one in the afternoon and a second in the evening. The morning event featured tons of Hiral's family and friends extending blessings and well wishes. The evening event featured Anant's family and friends doing the same plus many guests (even my second photographer Alyssa) got an opportunity to have henna applied. Below are a few selects featuring more beautiful Hindu culture.

One of the highlights of my wedding career was getting the opportunity to photograph Hiral and Anant's wedding in Mumbai, India last year. Their families took care of us and spoiled us with great accommodations, amazing food and fantastic hospitality throughout our entire time there.

The first event we photographed was the sangeet. It was a night of pure entertainment and it featured performances by the couple's family and friends. And lots (and lots) of dancing. Here are some of our favorites from the night and there are more images to come from the days that follow leading to the wedding day.

"You're our family photographer"

There is a lot of pressure in that title—one given to me by Anat's brother Yoav. But after photographing his engagement photos, his sister's engagement photos, photographing their destination wedding in Jerusalem and finally their grand affair at the Corinthian in Houston I think he may have a pretty good case for it.

After an intimate ceremony in Israel, it was time to include their (substantial) collection of family and friends stateside in the wedding festivities. Close family, friends from school, work and the political world all took in an amazing film of their ceremony in Israel (shot by Omer Yadgar and edited by the amazing team over at 31 Films) and watched them exchange vows for a second time.

The images below are collaboration from myself, Scott, and Alyssa. It's always such a treat to see what their talented eyes can put together and add to the story.

I've been holding on to this one for a little while--among my most favorite weddings I've ever photographed. Happy to share this on the blog today.

EVENT DETAILS
Getting Ready Location: Hotel Granduca
Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Corinthian
Floral: The Blooming Gallery
Cinematography: 31 Films
Wedding Coordinator: Eventology Weddings

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:

After I photographed their engagement session in Houston, Erica let it slip that they were planning a destination wedding in the Dominican Republic. I had such a great time with them that it seemed meant to be that I'd photograph their wedding also. We finally confirmed I'd be joining them and the excitement continued to build because I kept running into them! At Anat and Jay's wedding in Houston as well as Dara & Chuma's.

I was greeted by beautiful weather when I arrived at the Punta Cana airport. That weather would continue until just moments after the ceremony concluded. Fortunately the reception was in a covered space on the resort grounds and in between dodging rain drops we snuck in a few portraits of their family and friends on the beach as well.

The night before their wedding, I also had a great time photographing their rehearsal dinner. I don't often get a chance to photograph these events but love it when I do because you learn so much about the history of the couple with their family and friends and get a chance to know the guests in a more relaxed setting.

Below are some highlights from their wedding weekend:

Any bride will tell you that putting together a wedding is quite a task. Coordinating a destination wedding when your wedding location is thousands of miles away is even tougher. When Anat first contacted me about photographing her wedding in Jerusalem I was incredibly excited about the chance to travel there (I'd never been) but I was even more excited for Anat because it represented a chance for her to wed in her home country. The amount of logistics to be coordinated for the wedding must have been daunting but I knew it would pay off for her. In an effort to be good hosts, Anat, Jay and her brother Yoav even put together a tour of Israel that would serve as a companion experience for those traveling in for the wedding.

So as I was on the way to the airport and I got a call from Jay that the wedding was being postponed-my heart sank. In the days leading up to the wedding, tensions between Israel and Gaza flared and Anat, who was already in Israel, decided for everyone's safety they'd reschedule.

After they chose their new wedding date I let them know that as long as I was available I would be there without a doubt. So when the new date was finalized I happily joined them in Jerusalem.

I was honored to be a part of this now smaller, more intimate affair and it allowed me plenty of time to get to know both the bride and groom's families. These photos will always be a reminder of a special wedding and a special trip.

EVENT DETAILS
Ceremony & Reception Venue: King David Hotel
Videography: Omer Yadgar Films
Makeup: Adi Nissim

Below are a few selected images:

Mary and Karl's wedding day was a classic fusion of cultures blending both Cambodian and Indian traditions. Our day started at the bride's parents' home and gave us our first opportunity to photograph a Cambodian ceremony. Scott and I were able to grab several emotional moments as the ceremony unfolded, ending, of course, with Mary and Karl united.

After an intermission the reception commenced at The Bell Tower on 34th which remains one of Houston's most in-demand venues. After an initial entrance, dancing, and cake cutting, the couple then changed into traditional Indian attire and joined their friends on the dance floor.

It's always a pleasure to work with Audrey and this wedding was no different. And thanks to Alyssa who also contributed some photos below.

EVENT DETAILS
Ceremony Venue: Residence
Reception Venue: The Bell Tower on 34th
Wedding Coordinator: Events by Audrey
Floral: Floral Events
Linens: The Perfect Touch Linens
Cake: Cakes by Gina
Videography: A & A Video
DJ: DJ Scoop

Jyotsna and Shailesh's wedding was without a doubt one of my favorite weddings that I've photographed. So it's quite a shame that in the months following their wedding I was so busy running around I didn't even have time to share them here on the blog. Though it's been quite some time it's still one of my favorites because it's my first Indian (Hindu) wedding and represents us rising to the challenge of telling a different type of wedding day story.

You can see photos from their Sangeet which was a prelude to the wedding ceremony and reception, here. You can see photos from their engagement photos in New York City here.

EVENT DETAILS
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Briscoe Manor
Ceremony Decor: Decor One
DJ: DJ Chani
Videography: A & A Video

And just below are some from their vibrant and perfect wedding day:

Jyotnsa and Shailesh gave me my first opportunity to work with an Indian couple for a Hindu wedding. It took a lot of trust on their part because while I did have the documentary photography style they were looking for I hadn't photographed a wedding quite like the one they were presenting me with. For starters, there were several events set across multiple days.

My first opportunity to take photos for them was the Sangeet, a dance party which precedes the ceremony. As I was on the way home from this amazing event and was preparing for the wedding to come, I sent a text to my second photographer, Scott, that said: "We are going to need more (CompactFlash) cards."

Photos from the even more amazing wedding day will follow, but for now please enjoy some fabulous photos of people having an amazing time at the Sangeet:

Christine contacted me very close to the date of her wedding saying she had been continuously looking for a photographer and thought she found the right fit when she landed on my website. She talked more about her wedding and how her fiance's family would be flying in from France, they had a bridal party and friends that were about fun and, the deal-sealer for me, a mac and cheese station, and I knew that this would be a wedding that would be a good fit for me too.

Their wedding took us to West University United Methodist Church and afterward we all headed downtown for the reception at the Grove which features great views of downtown Houston on its upper deck.

The one thing I'll remember about this wedding is the venue basically had to shut the lights off; no one wanted to leave. It says a lot about the fun atmosphere if people can't tear themselves away.

I started teaching group fitness classes in my free time a few years back and it's been an incredible way to stay in shape and much like wedding photography, I get to meet tons of great people. One of the facilities I frequent for these classes is Westside Tennis and Fitness and it's there that I met Tracy who also instructs when she's not working.

I don't always get a chance to work with clients prior to the wedding day, but in Tracy's case we had a chance to get together for her bridal session. So combining that session with our familiarity from the Westside days, we had a great relationship and trust by the time of the wedding day.

Tracy and Paul seem to be perfect for each other and they exchanged very sincere and emotional vows at The Gallery. All of their family and friends were excited and happy and their accompanying emotion and energy during the reception reflected it.

I'm happily sharing a few images from their special day below:

EVENT DETAILS
Ceremony Venue: Wat Buddhavas Temple
Reception Venue: Magnolia Hotel Houston

As a wedding photographer I truly appreciate the opportunity I have to be exposed to cultures and traditions. Frieda and Kordty's wedding was split into two halves: a Western wedding (so to speak) and a traditional Thai wedding at a Buddhist temple. When they told me about their plans I couldn't help but get excited.

While I was learning apparently so was the bride--she is actually Cambodian and had to pick up a few things about the differences in their customs as well.

After the early morning ceremony, we transitioned to the Magnolia Hotel (one of my favorite hotels in town) where they had a second ceremony and then an intimate but still lively reception. Frieda truly owned her wedding and was fittingly the life of the party. You'll see several photos of her enjoying herself with friends.

The always reliable and talented Scott had my back again for this one. Here are a few of our favorites.

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
Ceremony Venue: St Paul's United Methodist Church
Reception Venue: The Gallery
Florals: Dream Bouquet
Wedding Coordinator: Savanna of En Vogue Events
Cake: Susie's Cakes
Linens: The Perfect Touch Linen
Videography: A & A Video Productions
Bride's Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
DJ: DJU Productions

Jennifer is a friend of Amber one of my favorite brides. And as they say, birds of a feather flock together. I enjoyed every bit of photographing Jennifer and Jeremy's engagement session, Jennifer's bridal session (you can see one of those images above), and of course their wedding. Their entire family and all of their friends complimented this wonderful couple perfectly.

Scott and I really enjoyed photographing their wedding at St. Paul's United Methodist Church and then the party began at Hotel ZaZa.

I met Kerry and Brad at an event at the Magnolia Hotel and as I got to know them better I quickly fell in love with them. Couples like them make you appreciate what you do and put you in a comfortable place to work hard for them and create some photos they'll cherish. Their wedding was certainly not one of the usual crazy parties we photograph but it certainly made up for it with great moments and genuine emotion.

They revealed that because they hired me because of my extensive portfolio of work in low-light settings. I looked forward to the challenge and I'm so happy they were able to get a photographer that matched their needs.

Here are some images that Scott and I captured at their wedding at Tallowood Baptist Church

EVENT DETAILS
Ceremony / Reception Venue: The Houstonian Hotel & Spa
Florals: The Blooming Gallery
Wedding Coordinator: Belle of the Ball
Cake: Susie's Cakes
Band: Drywater
Lighting: Brightstar Productions Inc.
Bride's Makeup: Blush & Co
Invitations & Stationary: Invitation Solutions

I met this amazing couple through friend and fellow photographer Eric. He worked with Megan previously at the Houston Chronicle and she and her then-fiance were looking for a photographer for their wedding. At our first meeting I knew we would have great chemistry and my hunch proved to be correct when we met in Galveston for their engagement session.

While updating the blog recently and going through some images, I saw the image above (shot by Eric) and knew I had to revisit this amazing wedding here. The day featured fabulous decor and florals and I chose a few images to highlight them below.

Eric took some fantastic images and really kept me on my toes all day. Megan and Mark have recently welcomed a daughter and I reminded them how happy I am they allowed me to be their for the start of their new family.

EVENT DETAILS
Ceremony / Reception Venue: The Bell Tower on 34th
Florals: DL Woodbury Designs
Linen: Over The Top Linen
Wedding Coordinator: Soiree Bliss
Cake: Cake Couture
Bride Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Cinematogragphy: Luxe Films

Mischa's wedding gave me an opportunity to return to the expansive Bell Tower on 34th for both their ceremony and reception. The venue provided a great backdrop for their celebration.

This wedding featured a rarity for us--a end time before the evening had struck! They made a true exit with family and friends at their sides and went straight to their honeymoon.

Here are just a few from their day:

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!

EVENT DETAILS
Reception Venue: The Petroleum Club of Houston
Floral and Event Design: Darryl & Co
Wedding Coordinator: Haley Hughes, En Vogue Events
Cake: Supreme Kakes
Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier (ceremony) / Vera Wang (reception)
Veil: Sara Gabriel
Invitations: Zenadia Design
Bride Shoes: Christian Louboutin, Kate Spade
Makeup: Devin Harvey
Videogragphy: The Wedding Theater

During wedding planning Sarita had to find a new reception venue after her original one closed. Later on, she had to quickly find a new church for her ceremony as her first choice burned down. Undaunted by these challenges, she worked with her great team of vendors to execute her wedding day vision and with their help there were no unwelcome surprises on her wedding day.

If you caught the last blog entry you know this wedding was featured by Inside Weddings in the Spring 2013 issue (currently in stores). Those spreads feature much of the elaborate decor and details so I'll leave this post to share the moments that made this day stand out.

Their wedding ceremony took place at Trinity Episcopal Church in midtown and afterward guests were treated to the aforementioned decor and superb city views at the Petroleum Club of Houston. This wedding reception was one of the most high energy celebrations we've photographed and as a result there are many selections from that portion of the evening.

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:

It's no secret this blog has been pretty quiet for quite some time and now I'm ready to share some images that reflect what I and my awesome team of photographers has been up to recently.

Here are just a few:

And now, finally, some blog updates!

I've been pleasantly busy the last few months and I just wanted to drop in and share a few new images on the blog. You can also find even more photos on Facebook.

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:

After their wedding day was over, I couldn't help but be grateful that Megan and Lucas chose me as their wedding photographer. Megan was so relaxed that I joked she must have forgotten she was getting married. Lucas' demeanor was about the same--it was clear they were just happy that the people important to them were around to witness their wedding celebration.

And celebrate they did, as you'll soon see. After a beautiful ceremony that took place right before sunset, they entered the Garten Verein and had one of the liveliest receptions I've had the pleasure of photographing.

Here are some images of their day from both my extra-talented 2nd photographer, Scott, and myself:

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.

After a bit of a wait, here are some selections from Kelly and Ethan's wedding day. I got to visit my second favorite city in the US (DC), saw a lot of old friends (Ethan and I actually went to middle school together), and hopefully took a lot of photos that told the story of their special day.

The weather was so bright and sunny that few will remember that it sprinkled early in the morning. By the time the ceremony was due to start those few raindrops were a distant memory.

Both the wedding and the reception took place at the Fairmont Hotel. Holly from Holly Heider Chapple Flowers provided beautiful bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids and the centerpieces during the wedding as well.

Here are a few from the day--enjoy!