I had been looking forward to Janelle and Thomas' wedding because we really hit it off when we first met. I was expecting the day to run really smoothly and that's exactly how it played out. They are also Black Eyed Peas fans like myself so that was certainly a sign we'd get along well. ;)

They were married at St. Anne Catholic Church and their reception was at The Plaza Downtown—my first time at both locations.

Here is a small sample of the day's images:

I still call OJ by his nickname "His Flyness". I still remember him as the wunderkid who could dance, act, design, you name it. When he told me long ago that he was going to become a photographer I knew my days were numbered. ;-) Can't someone just pick one thing to be good at instead of uh...80? In any case we've gone from casual acquaintances to good friends and we've worked together numerous times. His wife Idia is a great match for him and I'm happy that I've been around for important moments in their relationship. I've been present the night OJ proposed--and helped orchestrate the charade to throw her off track of what he was up to, photographed their engagement photos, covered the traditional ceremony and now I'm happy to share their wedding photos.

Mr. Dixon came through with the assist and delivered some great photos as well.

As usual, here are a few selected ones to enjoy:

The day prior to heading to the church to exchange vows, Idia + OJ were married in a traditional Benin (one of the main cultural groups in Nigeria) ceremony at the Club at Alianalocated in Richmond, Texas.

Here are a few selections from the ceremony:

Photos from their "western" wedding are coming up next!

Weddings are all about connection but not always just the bride and groom. For example, Leesa and Caleb met at the wedding of friends (they were paired up in the bridal party) and Leesa found out about yours truly at the wedding of Kelly and Kevin.

They had an intimate evening wedding in League City with close friends and family. The day wasn't short on special moments and expressions and I worked hard to have a great representation of this in the photography.

Here are a few favorites:

"Now those two are in love" is what I remember telling Sharon the day we photographed Sarah and Luke's wedding. They shared looks between each other throughout the day that let you know they were meant for each other.

Since I've worked with Sarah's family previously when I photographed her older brother Kevin's wedding, I was welcomed with smiles and a level of comfort that definitely made photographing the day extra smooth. This was definitely welcome due to a slightly more adventurous trip to Denton than what I was expecting ;)

Here's a few from their wedding, enjoy!

As I mentioned when I photographed their engagement photos in Discovery Green, I met Fran in college and Ranesha was a bridesmaid in a little over 2 years ago where she also happened to have caught the bridal bouquet after it was tossed that day.

In addition to the couple, I also know 3 of Fran's groomsmen from school as well (Marvin, Robert, and Steve). And with Patricia and Uzo in attendance also, it was like a mini-reunion.

Another familiar face was Keisha who set up great florals and decor for the wedding. This was my first wedding working with her friend and colleague Tannie who was courteous and professional all day long.

Their wedding took place at Ashton Gardens. This was my first time photographing an event at the venue.

Here are some selected photos from their wedding day:

Jennifer and Adam's wedding gave me the opportunity to photograph my first Jewish wedding. While the ceremony was a little different from what I'm used to, I had some familiar surroundings in the Alden Hotel, where I've been previously.

The day was free of stress and really complemented the couple's easy-going personalities.

Here are a few selections from the day:

2009, as good as it was to me, is now old news. I'm now looking forward to sharing more great stories of couples enjoying their most exciting, special day through my eyes and lens.

This entry is a bit of a tease, I must admit; the real goods (more photos) are coming soon. Here are a few sneak peaks of weddings from the end of the year:

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!

...that tonight's gonna be a good night.

Kelly & Ethan's wedding coming soon!

Akil was cool enough to help me at my last wedding so it was my pleasure to return the favor for him.

This wedding was in Wimberly (near the San Marcos/Austin area) at took place at a cool location that was great for the outdoor wedding they had planned.

Mother nature had other plans and provided plenty of rain but the couple (and their guests and family) soldiered through and continued the wedding anyway! And of course if they were able to keep going, so were we. Now I must admit my Kenneth Coles were in pretty bad shape at the end of the day but that's just a part of the job. ;)

Here are a few of my photos from their wedding day that I wanted to share:

Mr. Bennett captured (and vice-versa)

Last month Akil and I photographed the wedding of one of my closest friends, James, and his lovely wife Chevonte. They've made an appearance or two on the blog and now I'm super happy to post some images from their wedding.

This wedding was special for me because the images I was capturing were of good friends I've known for years. All of the groomsmen were mutual friends as were many of the guests.

These two are made for each other (cliché or not) and I was honored to be their photographer.

Here are a few photos from both myself and Akil:

(the groom arrives - photo by Akil)

(photo by Akil)

(photo by Akil)

After the ceremony, I wanted to take a few photos of the new couple. Akil got some great shots as I just watched. I try not to get in the way of genius at work. ;) These next 3 are by Mr. Bennett:

And my own contribution:

First dance (photo by Akil)

Keep me posted for when we can start talking about maternity/kids portraits guys! ;)

And thank you for the Crown Royal :D

I have been looking forward to Nicole & Tim's wedding since last summer when I photographed their engagement session. We were able to get some great images that day and I expected the same to be the case for their wedding day.

This was my first opportunity to photograph a ceremony at the Magnolia Hotel and I hope I get to visit there more often. The hotel has a very distinct, modern look.

I just wanted to thank Audrey of Events by Audrey for coordinating the day and making the day so enjoyable for Eric and myself. Other vendors who provided their talents include Who Made The Cake, and Carmen's Floral.

Here are some selections from the day:

To see some more images from this couple's wedding, click on the image below:

Sally and Nathan (whose engagement session you may remember) were recently married at the Hotel Galvez in Galveston. The island has recovered well since the hurricane last fall and while there are still tell-tale signs of Ike's arrival, things look far better than the ravaged Galveston we saw on the news and in images shortly after the storm.

The weather was absolutely perfect. Blue skies, nice and warm (but not *hot*), and a gentle breeze made for appropriate wedding day weather. Here are a few selections from throughout the day:

After the ceremony we hit the beach to get some shots of the new couple...

And I followed them back up to their room...

before they closed the door behind them, that is! ;)

Sally, Nathan: Thanks so much for inviting me to take part in such a wonderful day. I enjoyed getting to know you, your family members, and friends. Thanks so much!

To see some more images from this couple's wedding, click on the image below:

I've been looking forward to sharing this wedding for a long time. From the moment I met this couple and they gave me some background on their Valentine's Day wedding plans, I thought we were a great fit. Besides checking out my blog, they told me a big part of them hiring me was because of my night life photography portfolio. How cool is that? As you'll soon see, this entry is reception image heavy and for good reason--the partying was a big part of the day!

Their wedding had a variety of unique touches:
- Becky was rocking some bold Manolo Blahnik Sequin Pumps (which I nicknamed the "showstoppers").
- Becky's dress was pink to match the day's theme.
- Kris had no groomsmen, but groomsmaids (since "all his friends are girls").
- Their reception featured custom lights and pink & fuscia linens which effectively transformed the Rice Grand Hall.
- An awesome photo booth the couple made themselves

Here are a few select images (it was hard to narrow them down!) starting from the prep at the Hotel ZaZa, to the ceremony at the Rice University Chapel

I had such a great time photographing this wedding and it reminded me of the days of hitting the club and getting cool shots of the energy in there.

To see more from this wedding, click the image below for a slideshow:

I'm just about ready to debut Becky & Kris' Valentine's Day wedding photos, but here's a sneak peek at a particularly eye-catching detail....

When Diana and Ed first told me of their plans for an intimate wedding at the Hotel ZaZa, I was excited about the prospect of photographing such a small, personal setup. Most of the weddings I've photographed have been larger and it's nice to see a bit of variety through the course of the wedding season.

They chose the Black Label Suite for their wedding ceremony and it was exquisite. The suite was very spacious and had a great view of the medical center. Their ceremony took place just as the sun set which added great mood and provided awesome light.

After the ceremony, they held a small gathering of close friends and family at the Sugar Creek Country Club. I'd like to shout out to Zoë and the rest of the staff for making things so easy for us.

Without further ado, here are some selected images:

Christiana and Olu were married at the Belin Chapel in HBU a little over a week ago. It was a huge celebration that featured well over 600 guests and a huge bridal party of 14 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen (wow!).

As is always the case with Nigerian weddings, the rich color and culture was shining through and the day just seemed packed with action, keeping me and Eric very busy. The couple and I also share many mutual friends so it was a pleasure to see so many familiar faces throughout the day. It kept the vibe very personal as I was shooting; I think this helped keep people relaxed in front of the lens.

The bride points out the dress

Olu gets some help with his tie

I like this capture of Olu enjoying a solitary moment just before the ceremony

Christiana's father says a prayer before she walks down the aisle

The Belin Chapel had very striking architecture which made for some cool images

The mothers of the bride and groom embrace

The guests scramble to get photos of the bride and groom making their entrance into the reception area

Christiana and her dad dance...

...as well as Olu and his mother

And now for our bride and groom

Christiana's Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters sing to her

The groom is "sprayed" with cash

All the action must have tired this little guy out!

I just completed a great run where I photographed the weddings of 3 great couples who are all friends. Abimbola & Yomi, Nene & Emmanuel, and now Bola & Mohammed. This list actually includes 4 if Nkechi & Amaechi are included (their wedding was overseas but they are friends with the aforementioned couples also).

By the time Bola and Mohammed's wedding rolled around there was already a great sense of familiarity, trust and chemistry between me and the couple. I was able to get a great feel for all the major players of the day and focus on creating great shots of the moments on their special day.

Here are a few selects:

I loved the chance to photograph all of these weddings in the DFW area and we'll see if I can extend the streak going into the new year! ;)

I recently photographed Chiso & George's wedding in Atlanta and wanted to share some of the photos with you. Their wedding came in just the nick of time--I was just itching to leave Houston as we were still without power from the Hurricane and there was still debris lining the streets. It was the perfect opportunity to get away.

I was greeted with absolutely PERFECT weather in the ATL and almost didn't want to go back! It has been over 5 years since I've last been to Atlanta so I spent some time in the (totally revamped) Buckhead district and Lenox Square Mall. I was impressed; I definitely would like the chance to come visit again soon.

They are a very laid back couple but their wedding day had plenty of interesting and exciting moments. Here are just a few of them:

The ladies began to get ready for the ceremony in the Hilton (which is where the reception took place as well).

The makeup is applied...

The bride is veiled...

Chiso peeks out to make sure George and the guys have left the hotel

Chiso is helped into the limo

I think there's no question as to who he's looking at. :)

Nene has been a regular presence in my photos from my weddings in the DFW area for the past couple of years as she's been a participant in all but one! I also had the opportunity to meet her husband Emmanuel (then her fiance, of course) as well which is perfect--by the time their wedding rolled around they were more than familiar with how I work. :) I also became familiar with them--namely Nene's easy going nature and Emmanuel's great sense of humor.

Believe it or not, these two have known each other for 17 years and their love has survived all kinds of challenges including an ocean in between them at one point. ;) What a privilege to be a part of a day with almost two decades of buildup! :D

Things started off with the ladies getting ready at the Hilton and the guys prepared across the street at the Marriott Fairfield Inn:

Out of the limo and into the church prior to the ceremony

The bride and her father prepare to walk down the aisle

Here are a couple of shots of the newlyweds enjoying each other's company

This had to be among the most impressive first dances I've ever seen

Nene is an incredible dancer and was enjoying herself all night

One more wedding from the DFW area coming up soon!
(and Nene was there, too! ;) )

Thanks to Hurricane Ike, I've been without power for a little over a week! So this post is a little behind schedule. The day after their awesome wedding, the newlyweds and I went throughout the Big Apple and took even more photos.

Truth be told, we spent a few hours out and about and the scale of the city is so huge I still don't feel like we explored even 2% of our available options--wow!

I told Evelyn and Jojo in conversation that "you can't fake love"; well as you are about to see, these two are definitely in love and also affectionate as well. As a direct result of the fun I had with them, I'm already plotting for a return to New York--whether business or pleasure, it doesn't matter!

One of my favorites! It's like the heavens are smiling on their love. :)

We went to Evelyn's Alma Mater, Columbia, to get some great shots also. The campus is absolutely beautiful.

And next up--the Brooklyn Bridge. Evelyn putting on her fierce look.

Another of my favorites--I love the passion.

They were up for anything! It didn't matter what crazy directions I gave them, or crazy locations I stuck them in...

They got plenty of attention from onlookers

The lights of Times Square are like nothing else I've seen before.

Now that things are back to normal around here, I'll be posting some more images in the days to come.

Evelyn found me through the photos I took for my sister's sorority at Howard University last year. After talking with her and exchanging e-mails, I knew we would be a good fit. For that reason, and the fact i'd get a chance to check out New York, I was really looking forward to their wedding date.

Being from out of town, it was huge to have someone local to help me get around, so I want to send a huge thanks to Ayesha for assisting me. In addition to providing some transportation, she contributed some great photos as well. It also happens that she is in the same sorority as Evelyn (and my sister) and knew many of the guests! Small world. :)

The wedding was at the gorgeous Woodbury Country Club in Woodbury, NY. The night before the wedding, there were tornadoes (NY gets tornadoes?!?) but the day of the wedding, the weather couldn't have been more beautiful; there wasn't a cloud in the sky. After the elegant ceremony, the couple and their guests proceeded to participate in one of the most lively receptions I've ever been a part of. I had a great time working the party and getting shots that reflected the energy of the day.

Here are some of my favorites...

The bride's niece looks on as she gets her makeup done

Evelyn's bridesmaids help her into her wedding dress

on the way...

The grounds of Woodbury Country Club were just beautiful

Jojo just prior to the ceremony

The new couple makes their entrance

The bride's sister sheds a tear during her speech

Evelyn's side is from Ghana, and some African dancers provided entertainment during the reception as well

My 3rd Delta Sigma Theta bride of the year, and therefore, the 3rd "Sweetheart Song"

Jojo's frat brothers of Omega Psi Phi welcome Evelyn into the fold

One of the FUNNIEST moments ever; Jojo donned a sombrero just prior to removing the garter.

And as I mentioned, a very lively reception with lots of boogeying

I'll be posting some more great photos of this awesome couple--the day after we went on a tour of New York City for a "day after" session.

I was supposed to post this entry last Friday but again fell behind (going to have to work on that!). So without further ado, there is the wedding I photographed in Arlington (with a reception in Mansfield), the weekend of July 4. I'll be in the DFW area again at the end of the month and also in October so I'll be looking forward to bumping into a lot of familiar faces as all of these couples are friends with each other!

Try as I might, I still managed to fall behind in blogging, but that changes now! :) A few people have been wondering where the photos from the wedding in Nigeria were--the truth is I had to hold on to them as the couple were going to reveal them to the guests at their stateside reception this past weekend.

Now that they've been able to share them with their friends, I can share them with you.

Photographing Nkechi & Amaechi's wedding was a great experience. It was my first international destination wedding and as a Nigerian myself I appreciated the surroundings all the more. Despite all the travelling (and narrowly losing my Nokia E61) I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. These two were definitely worth it and I wish them a lifetime of happiness.

Here are some images from their day:

The ladies put on their face masks the night before

Riding through the streets of Lagos

Nkechi rushes into the church prior to the ceremony

Nkechi and her younger sister, Ngozi immediately after the ceremony

One of my favorite moments during the father-daughter dance

And Mom came to lend some assistance with the tears

Amaechi and his mom break it down

I tried a different angle during the bouquet toss

A marvelous view of the Lekki area of Lagos in Nigeria. The reception took place on a waterfront garden area.

I kidnapped the couple for a few "just them" photos

A great view part 2

I blogged out of order and have the wedding I photographed the week before Nkechi & Amaechi's to post as well (coincidentally, these two were guests at that wedding). I'll be posting those images tomorrow. Also coming are some engagement photos that are long overdue on the blog. :)

Here are some images from Miranda and Michael's wedding. Since I first met them at Chloe's birthday party last year I've been looking forward to their wedding day.

Here are a few of my favorites. A huge thanks once again to Owen for providing the assist.

As you may have read earlier on the blog, Owen and I photographed Angie & Zach's reception at the Alden Hotel on 6/7/08. Well we had a quick turnaround and early Sunday morning we flew to New York to photograph Candace & Terrance's wedding at the Inn at New Hyde Park in New York.

I actually got to know Candace through my friend Matt and I was very excited to head to some new surroundings for a change. Because of the tight timetable, I unfortunately didn't see much of New York besides their wedding venue and JFK airport, but I have another wedding in New York coming up and should be able to fit some tourism in during that time.

First we met the ladies and got some great shots of them preparing for the ceremony. A few of them...um...had to get used to us being so active (and getting close) to get those interesting angles but I think they got used to it after a while. ;)

Here's one of my favorites--Owen delivered a cool shot here.

The Inn at New Hyde Park was a gorgeous, elegant venue and I cannot say enough positive things about their staff. They went above and beyond for the couple (and for us!) numerous times throughout the day. A big thanks to Angel and his staff.

We seem to be catching a lot of the flashes going off from guests' digital cameras. It really makes for a cool effect.

You can see my friend Matt here getting his own shot during the ceremony.

The couple share their first dance

I loved the ambiance of the venue.

Minor miscue before the bouquet toss.

Candace's mother wrote a poem for the couple--definitely one of the more tender moments of the day

Candace's sorority sisters sing the Delta Sigma Theta sweetheart song.

I loved how the bride was having a wonderful time on her day and wasn't afraid to let it show.

Candace, Terrance--we had a great time spending the day with you and hope you enjoy your photos! Matt, thanks for hooking us up with such a lovely couple.

A couple of weekends ago, Owen and I had a busy weekend photographing two events back-to-back.  Angie & Zach's wedding reception on Saturday the 7th and a wedding in New York the following day (which I'll share a little later on).

Angie & Zach were married in Prague (how cool is that) so they wanted to host an event for their friends and family that couldn't join them as they became husband and wife. They chose the Alden Hotel for the event and I really enjoyed their choice! The hotel is very modern and stylish plus their staff was very friendly and accommodating.

I kidnapped the guys and girls for a quick series of posed photos and then we sat back and let them do their thing on a Saturday night.

Here are some of my favorites from the night...

I also bumped into Alex (who is Angie's cousin) and Nick who were obviously enjoying each other's company.

Angie, Zach: Thanks for inviting us to document the fun at your party and I appreciate the awesome hospitality.

Big ups to Owen for capturing some great frames as well.

Kelly and Kevin were married at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to post some images from their wedding day. I was excited about this wedding since it would be my first trip to this venue plus Kevin is a photography enthusiast himself. Prior to the wedding we talked and I quickly realized we'd be on the same page. I was more than happy to capture the memorable moments from their day. Before I present some of the photos, I wanted to give a quick shout to my friend and fellow photographer David who contributed some great shots as well, particularly of the guys. The event was coordinated by Jennifer Wright of the Woodlands Resort staff who helped everything run smoothly.

And now, the photos....

My friend and fellow photographer, Carolyn invited me to be the second photographer for Briana & Bobby's wedding last month at the Plaza Club downtown. The couple, their families and their friends made me feel comfortable and had a great time taking in the joy of the day. There were quite a few characters at this wedding which made for great candid captures of interactions and expressions. Here are a selected few:

Some of the guys—pre-ceremony...

A quick one of the ladies...

I really like the closeness and juxtaposition of father and daughter. I really enjoyed capturing their time together just prior to the ceremony.

Kids being kids always leads to interesting images...

Having some fun downtown with the newlyweds.

Briana & Bobby make their intro as husband and wife.

Great light from the windows streamed into the Plaza Club

The view from the 49th floor was outstanding

And now the reception...

These fireworks from another downtown event were visible from the Plaza Club above.

The couple make their exit...

Back in February, I was the second photographer for Stacy Reeves (yes, again--ha!) and helped her photograph Alex & Nick's wedding at the Hotel Derek. The ambiance was very impressive, featuring the work of Mike of Darryl Murchison's Darryl & Co. Here are some of my favorite moments and details.

I'll be photographing the wedding reception of Alex's cousin, Angie today at the Alden Hotel. Stay tuned to the blog for some of those images.

Last weekend, my friend Keisha (of Keisha's Kreations), asked me to come by her booth at the Weddings in Houston "Before You Say I Do" Bridal Soiree being held at the Houstonian and take a few photos of her setup. I was more than happy to help out.

While I was there I did get a handful of other images from other booths and such. You can see those below. I also ran into quite a few familiar faces including Ashley (who's wedding I photographed with Stacy of Mist), Mike & Cody of TriCoast (from Kyla & Wyatt's Wedding), and Pam, the wedding coordinator from Mofei & Stephen's Wedding.

Keisha's Kreations booth

The TriCoast team

Invitations by The Event House

Flowers by Floral Impression

Events in Bloom

More Than Cakes

For Your Memories (wedding consulting & coordinating)

Candy by Sweet Couture (their candy was awesome!)

Pam

Today I wanted to present some photos from Patricia & Uzo's wedding. It was really a great experience to photograph the wedding of people I've known for years! Several times while I was working, I caught myself smiling at the what was happening in front of me. Before I even get started, I just wanted to thank them for letting me take part in the joy of their wedding day (I love you guys!).

Ehis gave me a helping hand once again (as with Akin & Uju and with Yetty & Debo) by following the guys and getting other great angles. Jennifer also helped assist during the reception--thank you!

Keisha (Keisha's Kreations) handled the floral arrangements, and both the ceremony and reception were held at The Parador.

Of course knowing these two from college, we knew many of the same people so I was happy to see many familiar faces including Elena & Otis.

And now, a sample of moments from 1/5/08:

You can see more of their photos here:
http://www.patriciaanduzo.com

I hope everyone is enjoying their 2008 so far! This past Saturday I had the privilege of photographing the wedding of my friends Patricia & Uzo. Images from the day are coming soon, but first I wanted to release some photos from Patricia's bridal session into the wild since it's now safe to do so!

The location was the Parador where they were also married. I like the distinct architecture and landscaping of the venue in addition to cool light streaming in from everywhere. Patricia's dress was provided by Parvani Vida

Patricia selected a portrait for her enlargement but liked her photos so much she decided to make an entire album of images from her session. Pretty good idea if you have trouble making a choice!

It was pretty easy photographing this gorgeous bride:

Keep your eyes peeled for photos from Patricia & Uzo's wedding day.

I've had wonderful opportunities to photograph some great weddings with others in the industry and now I've just closed out my 2007 wedding season commitments with a collaboration with Ed of New Horizon Wedding Imagery.

I actually met Ed at Ashley & Nick's wedding (where he was the videographer) and he invited me out to photograph Mofei & Stephen's wedding. The plan was for an Asian tea ceremony followed by an outdoor ceremony at Royal Oaks Country Club.

Here are a few from the tea ceremony:

And then the action moved to Royal Oaks:

We took a few images of the guys but unfortunately we had to head inside as the rain came!

As we waited for the Royal Oaks staff to move everything indoors, we took some photos of Mofei

The staff was able to bring everything inside and wipe down the chairs very quickly

Here are some from the ceremony:

About midway through the ceremony the clouds began to break...

...and we were able to at least go outside to take the group photos

Kids + cake

The couple change and re-enter

For the first dance, Mofei changed again. They had some great dance moves

Now that I've wrapped things up for 2007, I'm looking forward to returning to primary duty for my 2008 weddings. First up will be my long time friends Patricia & Uzo.

I have really, really fallen behind on my blog entries and I apologize to those have been coming back looking for updates.

The string of great 2nd photographer opportunities keeps coming and it's been fun working with my peers and getting inspired by their approaches. It's been great expanding my vision and this past Saturday was no different.

I was the 'second shooter' for Vanessa Barba (http://www.photographybyvanessa.com) who, amazingly enough, just came off maternity leave. She didn't seem to be rusty at all based on the images on her blog though. :)

Chandra & Jarod were married in Navasota, TX at the First Presbyterian Church and their reception followed at a private ranch in the area.

Here are a few images from the day....

This past Saturday I once again played second fiddle--er, photographer ;) to the super cool and uber laid back Stacy Reeves. As you may know, things went well our last time out so it was my pleasure to chip in with some of my own images to complement her coverage. A big thanks to Miss Reeves for inviting me out again.

It was a fabulous event all the way around. Their wedding was at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, which featured a huge cathedral-style area for the ceremony. Their reception was at the Houstonian, certainly one of the premier venues in town.

The guys, pre-ceremony. I captured some great moments of them as they prepared for the big event.

The ladies prepare to make their entrance

Ashley gets ready to meet her new husband

This wedding was definitely not short on great details--the cake was marvelous. I was too busy shooting to sample it this time though. ;)

The groom's cake wasn't too shabby either!

I loved the mood and ambiance of the lighting in the Grand Ballroom

The cake is cut...

...then whisked away to be served to guests

Getting down, literally

This was definitely cool--as the couple prepares to exit, the band follows

As this goes up, Nick & Ashley are off in Hawaii. Enjoy your honeymoon guys!

Following on the same theme as the last blog entry, I followed up Kyla & Wyatt's wedding with TriCoast by teaming up with Stacy Reeves of Mist Photography.

I throw around the word relaxed a lot when it comes to weddings, primarily because that's really my approach to them, but Stacy is trés relaxed. She's very confident and doesn't get rattled about anything—my type of photographer! She also encouraged me to work for some interesting photos of Katie & Justin's wedding. As that's always my main focus I was happy to oblige.

There was a brief thunderstorm in between the ceremony and reception but luck was on our side and the skies cleared as we made it to the reception venue.

I usually document the bride and her bridesmaids, but in a departure from the norm, I tagged along with the groomsmen...

Luckily they were willing to try some more interesting formal arrangements...

Once again, thankfully we avoided any signs of inclement weather during the reception

A great advantage of having two photographers is the ability to get different interpretations of the same shot. Stacy actually set the couple up and lit them with flash units for a dramatic look that incorporated the blue sky (great idea!). Instead of reproducing her idea, I went ahead and tried a different approach and this is what I got.

The couple's first dance

This is what I call a "happy accident." I wanted to get a cool angle of the cake cutting and as I captured the shot, another flash from a camera on the right lit up the couple for a more dramatic effect.

Reactions to a great speech by the best man...

...and he receives pats of praise for a job well done.

Spying on a convo at the dinner table...

And now, reception fun...

A hearty congrats to the happy couple and thanks again to Stacy. I had such a great time, I think I'll join her again! More images to come soon. :)

It's easy to stay inside of your personal box and become content with yourself. For this reason I was really looking forward to changing roles from primary photographer to backup for a few weddings. Without the expectations of the primary photographer, I could pretty much shoot whatever caught my eye.

Last weekend I photographed Kyla and Wyatt's wedding with Mike & Cody with TriCoast Photo. These are great photographers and great guys in general and I enjoyed the chance to see how they operate and interact with their clients.

Much like myself, they establish good bonds with their couples and it definitely showed on the wedding day. They received so many hugs and smiles from the family it was if they were just cousins with expensive cameras.

Kyla & Wyatt's story is a modern day "city girl meets country boy" story and they played the country portion up for sure. Some highlights included:
• the flowers the groomsmen wore were set in empty shotgun shell casings
• commemorative koozies with the couple's names for the many cans of consumed beer on the day
• some bridesmaids wore cowboy boots
• One of the most creative groom's cakes I've ever seen...full country theme with faux sheet-metal gate backdrop
• during the garter toss the bride hid a shotgun in her dress to surprise the groom
• birdseed tossed at the couple upon their exit

These two were genuinely in love and had one of the more lively receptions I can remember. Here are some of my favorites from the day:

These guys loved beer!

I was on "sniper duty" from the balcony of the church and was able to capture nice, scenic images of the church...

...but also close up shots of the couple during the ceremony

Amidst all of the pandemonium about 7-7-07, aka "the biggest wedding date of the century" it can be easy forget about the true importance of the day.

You may remember Ebere & Femi's engagement portraits a few entries back. In that entry I mentioned how I got along well with their easy-going natures. I just knew there would be plenty of interesting moments to capture on their wedding day and I was right.

The families are what I remember most about this wedding. I saw some great interaction and plenty of love. Everyone was genuinely happy for them and it resulted in some good captures. Here are a few I wanted to share:

Ebere and Femi, congratulations on your marriage and thank you for letting me be a part of a wonderful celebration. I hope you enjoy your photos!

I'm really excited to share some images from Elena & Otis' wedding from a few weeks ago. This wedding had an intimate feel and I enjoyed being right in the midst of all the action. Many of my friends from the University of Houston were present and that helped add a level of comfort as I was shooting.

Everyone from both sides of the family were fabulous and hospitable and it seems like no one left without having a good time.

Here are a few of my favorites:

I love this moment. I caught this one through the glass of the reception area when they weren't looking!

If you're reading this, Elena & Otis, it was a pleasure capturing great memories for you two and I hope you enjoy!

Congratulations to Elena + Otis! You may remember their engagement images from a couple months ago. They were just married this past Saturday in an intimate ceremony with close friends and family in attendance.

They will be off honeymooning for a couple of weeks and hopefully their images will be ready in time for their return.

In the meantime, the embargo on these images has now been lifted so I can post some of Elena's bridal images:

More new images will be coming to the blog this week!

I finally got to kick off this year's wedding coverage this past weekend. Ehis and I went up to Arlington (while narrowly avoiding the severe storms and tornadoes in the process!) to do what we do best--provide great documentary photography for Yetunde & Debo's wedding.

They are an out-of-town couple but I got the chance to meet up with them prior to their wedding when I went to Dallas area to photograph the Jamie Foxx parties last month. During the course of that meeting we vibed really well and I knew that they'd be awesome to photograph.

As usual, I tried to challenge myself to apply my creative vision while capturing their story. Besides it being a bit chilly and windy outside, the day of the ceremony there was little evidence of the storms that came through the area the previous day.

And on a final note, I love covering Nigerian events--the culture and attire come across as vividly as any other detail.

Congratulations to Yetty & Debo! I wish you two the very best.
Here are some of my favorite shots. I had a hard time narrowing them down...

I had the pleasure of capturing the emotion and action of Akin & Uju's wedding on September 2nd in Fort Worth, Texas. The couple and their families were a joy to work with and made showcasing their special day very easy. Ehis of Osazuwa Photography also contributed some excellent shots that are featured on the slideshow as well.

See collinsmetu.com/akinanduju for the images!

Stay tuned for the launch of collinsmetuweddings.com as well.