Quite apart from the photography, I’m going to take credit for this marriage. (Not the wedding, the credit for that goes to the bride and to the charming and talented wedding planner Robin Cannon, who made sure that the whole lovely evening went off without a hitch.) No, I’m claiming the marriage. You see, several years ago, before David and Jess had even been on a single date, I told them jokingly that, because the two of them were about to begin leading a house church together, they were bound to get married. The two of them were sitting on a couch across from me and Jess responded to my prognostication by placing a throw pillow between the two of them. That pillow, though, couldn’t stop their love…

Seriously, though, everyone who knows these two knows that they’re made for each other. They are creative and funny, thoughtful and silly, and both look fantastic in black.

It’s always fun after a wedding when Wendy and I compare her pictures of the girls getting ready to my pictures of the guys getting ready. I was able to correctly predict in this case that the girls were not smoking hookah as they prepared for the ceremony.

The night before the wedding, the girls got together a collection of movies to watch in preparation…

…and so did the guys.

I like that Jessica and David had a color palette that even I can understand–red and black.

The very cool programs were designed by Laura Bousman and featured a quote from Mumford & Sons.

Based on the flower shots Wendy got at this wedding, I may never bother pointing my camera at another blossom again. Her work just leaves me in awe.

And here is the lovely bride!

I’ve never had more people tell me to take a picture than when the flower girl sat down next to this window. You can see why.

David and Jessica were married at Rutledge Chapel on the USC Horseshoe, the same place Wendy and I got married!

There isn’t much staging area at Rutledge Chapel, so Jess’s bridesmaids shielded her from prying eyes immediately before her big entrance.

After the ceremony, everybody headed over to the Columbia Marriott for the dinner, dancing and, of course, cake.

It’s worth noting that David and all the groomsmen wore matching black Chuck Taylors. That was cool. His mom in black Airwalks? That’s awesome.

Time to dance! (Hi, Britt!)

I’ve never felt more like a paparazzi (thank you spell-check) than when I took this photo. If you look closely, you can see the very edge of Jess’s dress peeking out from behind the elevator door. I think she was done having her picture taken for the night.

Goodnight.

The alternate title for this post was: “Our Svelte, Stylish Greek wedding”, but since anybody can just wander in here from Google, I opted for the less challenging title from a vocabulary point of view.

You will no doubt remember Stephanie from her bridal post a couple of weeks ago. Well, here are some images from her wedding to Matt.

Matt is an artist and Stephanie is a total style-monger, and so Wendy and I knew that the two of them were going to have a very cool wedding, and as you’ll see, we were spot-on. First off, take a look at their wedding favors. Matt hand-made these. Unfortunately, the word for them escapes me right night, but you may have seen them before in the film Sleepy Hollow. You spin the disc using the strings on either side and, through persistence of vision, you see the images on both sides overlaid on one another. That should give you some idea who you’re dealing with.

Here’s Stephanie’s lovely wedding dress.

Groom and groomsmen: powered by sugar.

Puppy: powered by cute-fusion.

And what kind of shoes does a bride like Stephanie wear under her gown? These, of course.

Matt and his groomsmen watched USC take on Tennessee until it was time to get ready. Note that there are four visible clocks in the background. I’m thinking this may be part of the reason this location was chosen for them to get ready. 

So you’ve seen Matt now. Big, burly dude, covered in ink, probably a real tough guy, right? (Okay, maybe  scratching the puppy undermines that image a little.) Truth be told, Matt is romantic to the bone. This is his wedding gift to Stephanie–it’s a scrapbook commemorating their entire relationship through photographs, notes, and memorabilia. This page contains a ticket stub from every movie they’ve ever seen together. Ladies, if you’d like to take a moment to get a tissue, feel free.

Guys, it’s time to step up your game.

At this point, the girls were mostly ready, though Steph was still getting her hair done. The guys were, well, still watching the USC-Tennessee game.

Matt’s sunglasses are my favorite.

While Stephanie finished up with hair and makeup, Wendy took the bridesmaids outside at the gorgeous Millstone at Adams Pond for a few group poses.

Once Stephanie was ready, she joined in, too.

The wedding was held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church.

Here’s Steph with the book Matt made for her. Stephanie is such a magnificent fit for Matt! She attempts to fight her romanticism tooth and nail, but it’s a losing battle. She kept cursing Matt, saying he was going to screw up her makeup by making her cry.

Matt and Stephanie didn’t want to see each other before the wedding, but they did want the chance to talk, so we put a door between them.

This little guy had his doubts about being photographed.

Finally, the guys were ready…

…Stephanie was ready…

…and here comes the bride!

This was our first Greek Orthodox ceremony at Lumos Studio and Wendy and I were both struck by the beauty and levels of symbolism. Father Michael was also wonderfully gracious and helpful.

A little post-ceremony kiss with an awesome car.

This was the topper for Stephanie and Matt’s wedding cake.

..and here’s the rest of the cake from the amazingly talented folks at  Tiffany’s Bakery.

Lovely first dance mood lighting courtesy of King Entertainment.

After a little dancing, we pulled Stephanie and Matt aside for a little while to get some shots of just the two of them together.

Now back to the dancing!

Phew! Thanks for sticking with us!

Obviously, the wedding was a blast and we are tremendously thankful to have gotten to be a part of it. Stephanie and Matt, you guys are made for each other! We hope you continue to delight in every day you have together.

Meteorology aside, though, this intimate wedding in the mountains was an absolute delight. Brian and Raquel are the first couple we hadn’t met face to face before photographing their wedding. Sure, we’d talked by phone and email, but it’s tough to feel like you know somebody until you’ve talked with them in person. Well, we quickly learned that they’re a fantastic couple who are nuts about each other and whose love has already proved itself stronger than flames. (More on  that later.)

Wendy got these gorgeous detail shots while Raquel was getting ready at the Old Edwards Inn & Spa. The Old Edwards was a fantastic location–between the stonework, the cool antique furniture, and the library that looks like it came straight from Clue, not to mention the ready availability of massages–we were in photography heaven.

Raquel is super relaxed. To be so generally is a blessing, but to be so on one’s wedding day–that’s no small feat.

When I first met Brian, he was checking over his list of things to do to prepare for the wedding. Sparklers needed to be acquired from adjoining counties and just one more name tag needed to be printed for the reception. Nonetheless, he maintained his cool. It was clear, though, that he wanted this day to be perfect for his bride.

That guy behind Brian? I have no idea who he is.

Here’s Raquel getting ready to leave the Inn to go to The Farm for the ceremony.

I loved this stonework. I’m still not sure why an inn & spa needs a parapet, but I suppose in case of a zombie apocalypse, they’ll be better prepared than your average Holiday Inn.

After everybody was ready, we headed over to The Farm for the ceremony and reception. The Farm is, well, a farm I suppose, but less in the sense of “productive of crops” and more in the sense of “productive of excellent backdrops for photos”.

Here are Raquel’s sisters entering the ceremony.

And here’s Raquel’s little sister/flower girl. She loves the camera, and he camera loves her right back.

And here are the bride and groom:

Silliness…we appreciate that.

Did I mention that this was an intimate wedding? This is the first time we’ve managed to get the entire wedding party plus all the guests into one photo.

I love it when the color palette even extends to the drink choices.

I don’t know if this photo gets it across, but the upper layers of the cake are hollow, as in, you can see through the holes right to the other side. I’d never seen anything like it, but I love it.

These next two shots remind me of why I love shooting with my wife. This is my shot…

…and this is hers. The same moment, but two totally different perspectives.

Here, again, is Raquel’s little sister. The room was lit with candles, and I couldn’t help playing with the light a little bit while she danced.

And to close, more colorful drinks.

Oh yeah, I promised more about how Brian and Raquel’s love could withstand flames. Well, there were tea lights sitting on several of the tables, including the one where their marriage license was signed. Apparently the license ended up a little too close to one of the candles because it caught ablaze. Wendy saw this and (and this is just how cool my wife is) put the fire out with her bare hands. The document was singed, but all the important information was still there. Just remember kids, no matter how bright your love burns, be careful around open flames!

As usual, Wendy started out with the girls while they got ready…

No Photoshop on this next one—seriously. Just some fortuitous lens flare.

So the girls put on their girly things…

…and the guys put on their…kilt hose.

Yup. Kilt hose.  This wedding comes with kilts.

This shot below is Kyle showing the guys how to properly align their flashes. (Those are the little flag-like things near the top of the kilt hose.)

Kyle, like Wendy and me, is a teacher, and I can tell you from spending the day with him that he is good at what he does. He got a room full of guys to dress themselves in a surprisingly complicated garment with nary a snicker. By the time he was done explaining I felt like I could have gotten into a kilt, hose, flashes, shoes, sporran (a great place for your cell phone, by the way), and all.

Sarah was, of course, lovely.

…as were her bridesmaids…

…and the guys were in kilts.

No, seriously, how cool do they look?

…and if you don’t like the kilts, I’d keep it to yourself, because they all have knives tucked into their socks…or hose.

(You do not mess with the Scottish.)

After the ceremony, we all headed over to Walker Hall at the South Carolina school for the Deaf and the Blind for the reception.

There, Kyle’s groomsmen serenaded the new couple with (what I assume was) a traditional Scottish tune.

We snatched Kyle and Sarah aside for a little while to photograph just the two of them. Unsurprisingly, these are some of our favorite shots of the day.

Of course, you have to toss the bouquet!

Don’t you love this couple’s style?

It wasn’t enough for Kyle  to wear a kilt for the wedding—before departing, he slips into a full-on seersucker suit. But I guess you have to be on top of your fashion if you’re going to be married to Sarah, who moved seamlessly from her custom-built wedding dress to this awesome little Some Like it Hot number. Oh yeah, let’s set ‘em both on the hood of a Corvette for good measure.

Congratulations, Kyle and Sarah! It was a delight getting to know you and we pray your lives in California are filled with joy, love, and frequent visits to South Carolina!

• You can see Sarah’s bridals here.
• Sarah and Kyle’s engagement photos are here.

No, seriously. Last pic.

Wendy, as usual, started her day off with the girls…

…while I went over to Alison’s house where the guys were getting ready.

Hugo gave his groomsmen one of the coolest gifts I’ve ever seen: real books that had been hollowed out to contain a flask and a cup.

Wendy took this next photo so that Alison could see what the back of her hair looked like and whether there was enough baby’s breath in it. And you thought wedding photographers were just good for taking pictures!

I love this picture below on the right that Wendy got of Alison shortly after the rain ended. I think she captured the thankfulness that Alison was no doubt feeling beautifully.

So the guys packed up and headed to Founders Hall, which, have I mentioned, is gorgeous? Here’s the room where the girls were getting ready:

And here are the ladies, all ready to go.

A toast!

Alison’s friend and former roommate Kaitlyn put together these gorgeous centerpieces for Alison and Hugo:

Additionally, the path to the hall was lined with votive candles in mason jars filled with dried beans. When I type it out like that it sounds odd, but I promise the effect was magnificent.

So while the girls finished making themselves beautiful, the guys arranged a patriotic tribute…

..then just stood around looking good.

Then, well, why not? Alison and Hugo got married.

Okay, enough of that mushy stuff! Now onto the food!

This gorgeous (and delicious) food was provided by Fork fine catering & events. If you like to eat, I suspect you’ll like them.

I have to stop now because you need to be prepared for what you’re about to see.

The food below is (and I promise I’m serious about this) chocolate-covered bacon.

And this is its effect on a healthy adult male:

That guy, by the way, was my best man. If I see you making that face over chocolate-covered bacon, I probably won’t post it on our blog. (I may, however, ask you to hand me a piece.)

So, if you have chocolate-covered bacon at your wedding you’ve already pretty much won the wedding competition. But Alison and Hugo couldn’t be content to stop at that. No, Alison’s dad had to go and make and bottle his own wine for the reception.

At the reception, a guest suggested I take this photo of the ceiling fan. I can’t figure out why.

As the sun began to set, I stepped outside to get a photo of Founders Hall in the fading light. Seriously, I love this venue.

As the sun went down, the party kept on going, with dancing, singing, eating, drinking, and lots of great friends.

Remember these guys? It’s Britt and Jason! They just celebrated their 1-year anniversary back in June.

Alison and Hugo, we can’t wait to see the ways God blesses you through marriage as the two of you grow closer together. We love you!

To start with, we’re going to celebrate the wedding of Chris and Joie. These two were married on a beautiful (if famously hot) South Carolina day at the Seibels House and Garden. Chris and Joie are a fantastic couple and obviously overwhelmingly in love. Wendy and I both love the way they look out for each other, even if it meant Chris shooing us away so that he could have some alone with Joie before the wedding. And Joie–when she looks at Chris, you can just tell she has his back and that she knows that he has hers. They’re a beautiful pair.

Anyway, enough of my blathering. Here are the pictures!

(Don’t forget about the guys.)

I swear we did not set up these next two photos.

Chris and Joie opted to have a “first look” before the ceremony. That gave them a chance to spend a few moments alone together and gave us a chance to get these uninterrupted photos of the two of them seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day.

The party next moved on to the Columbia Museum of Art…

We don’t know exactly what was hanging from the ceiling, but it looked dangerous!
[Update: The chandelier is by artist Dale Chihuly, who looks fairly dangerous, himself.]

Chris dancing for joy at his good fortune in marrying Joie.

Chris and Joie, it was wonderful celebrating with you and your delightful family and friends. May you continue to delight and delight in one another for many, many years to come!

There’s more to come, but here are a few teasers from the wedding.

We’re starting the week off with an awesome wedding from back in January. You should remember Leah and Greg from their engagement session and from Leah’s bridal session. This was an incredibly special wedding for me not only because Leah is a former student of mine, but because not one, not two, but three of her bridesmaids are my former students! Add to that the fact that I teach with both of her parents, and that everybody involved is simply a whole lot of fun, and, well, we had an amazing time. Check it out.

Leah and Greg were married in Greenwood, SC, so Wendy and I started out the day by driving out to the church to get a look around and scout locations. It turns out that Leah was there dropping off her dress, so we also took that time to get a few shots of the dresses and other accoutrements.

After photographing a few of the details, Wendy went to photograph Leah and her bridesmaids getting ready while I got the guys.

I absolutely love this photo of Leah that Wendy grabbed before the ceremony.

Finally, it was time for the ceremony.

Wendy and I think that a wedding ceremony is one of the most beautiful symbols of love that exists. Sadly, not everyone can work up the level of excitement about them that we have.

Next, we moved on to the reception, which was held at the Sundance Gallery which belongs to Jon Holloway, who is not only an amazing photographer, but a very gracious guy.

The food at the reception was not only beautiful…

…it was delicious.

From there on out, everybody pretty much just had an awesome time.

Leah’s brother and sister-in-law apparently thought the whole affair was very romantic.

…fortunately, so did Greg and Leah.

What would a wedding post be without a good sword photo?

…or the grandmother with the beer can pyramid?

…or one last dance with the girls before departing.

And goodnight everybody!

We wish Leah and Greg the absolute best in their new life together!

We’re only on day one of the FIVE (business) DAYS OF BLOGGING, so check back all this week for kids, actors, and even…web developers?

Lauren started off her bridal shoot at our place with some shots on a simple gray background.

One of the wonderful things about photographing Lauren, though, is that the shots didn’t stay simple for long.

After breaking out the cowboy hat, Lauren showed off her United States Air Force garter. (If I were single I would have actually tried to catch this one.)

We didn’t stay in one place for too long on this shoot, though. Next we headed over to the South Carolina State House where we took this shot on the gorgeous marble floor.  (Doesn’t her dress look like something Marilyn Monroe might have worn?)

By this point, we’d been shooting for a couple of hours, so we thought Lauren deserved a break.

Don’t you love the boots? You’d think that would be enough, wouldn’t you?
Not Lauren!

Why settle for just cowboy boots in your bridal shoot when you can also also have combat boots? (Answer: no reason at all.)

Lauren, you see, served for several years in the Air Force Reserve as a bomb loader or, as she affectionately called the position, a “load toad”. I’d love to show you tons and tons of pictures of Lauren with the F-16, but frankly, the guys at McEntire Joint National Guard Base scared me silly that I’d accidentally post something that gave away national secrets. (You might note that this F-16 has no weapons whatsoever on it.) The bicycles (they’re actually tricycles) in the background are apparently not weaponized…yet.

Despite my fear of being whisked away by armed men in a camouflage jeep, here’s one more picture of the beautiful bride and one serious flying machine.