Julie & Shawn’s Phoenix Wedding

When Shawn & Julie got engaged, everyone knew it was coming. They were just too perfect together for it NOT to happen! Cami and I were even more excited when they asked us to do the honor of photographing this special day for my nephew and his fiance!!!

Their wedding was held in Phoenix, a city that we’ve grown to love. When the big day arrived, Shawn & Julie got ready at the picturesque Talking Stick Resort, where they also shared a First Look before heading over to the wedding venue. The ceremony was held at this really cool rustic location called Desert Foothills Resort. It was an absolute dream location for photography, with an old wooden barn, beautifully decorated, and surrounded by wild cacti.

We had so much fun meeting Shawn & Julie’s friends and family who all came out to help them celebrate! Many thanks to Shawn’s brother, Tyler, who officiated the ceremony, to Anne and her family for all their hard work putting together the gorgeous decorations, to Dan & Linda for keeping everything running smoothly, to Lisa at the venue for all her help with planning, to Julian at Heidi’s Events and Catering, to DJ Eli for rockin’ the night away, and to Cami for all her help with navigating and being my lighting assistant!

CONGRATULATIONS Julie & Shawn! We wish you all be best as you begin your new journey together!!!

Katie & Tom’s Tampa Bay Wedding

Early in the spring of 2018, a young man by the name of Tom reached out to me:
“My girlfriend and I will be visiting Charleston in early February, and I am planning on proposing to her…are you available February 9th?”

Tom spent the following weeks corresponding with me and planning every detail of his surprise proposal to Katie. I could tell he was an amazing guy, and that he wanted everything to be perfect for the girl if his dreams! It was. She said yes. And it was my distinct honor to capture that special moment when he slipped the engagement ring on her finger: https://chrisandcami.com/katie-toms-secret-proposal-at-white-point-garden/.

It was so much fun getting to know Katie & Tom through that experience. Imagine my excitement when several months later they also asked me to photograph their wedding in Tampa!?! Having been there for them in the beginning when Katie said “YES”, it was such a joy to be there on this special day in the spring of 2019 when she said “I DO”!!!

Katie & Tom’s wedding celebration was absolutely perfect. With a rehearsal dinner at the Tampa Yacht & Country Club, wedding day preparations starting off at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, and the wedding/reception held at the Davis Island Garden Club, I couldn’t have asked for more picturesque locations.  The sun was shining, the ocean breezes were blowing, and the temperature was absolutely perfect.  Katie was absolutely stunning in her gorgeous wedding gown and colorful bouquet.  Tom was quite dashing in his blue suit with choral necktie and complimentary boutonniere.

Throughout their special day, the energy was palpable, and the excitement ecstatic! I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much at a wedding. It was like every member of the wedding party was hand-picked to fit a perfect cast of comical characters with charisma and charm to boot. Everyone had so much fun…and I had so much fun capturing every moment of it all!!!

Many thanks to Katie’s Mom Sherry for all her hard work in pulling everything together.  I am so grateful to Christi Windsor of Windsor Events, everyone at the Davis Island Garden Club, Olympia Catering, FH Events, DJ Kevin Cramer, UDream Events, West Palm Wines, Femme Akoi, Tampa Lights, Connie Dugin Linens, OMG Trolley Company, and everyone else who played a part in making this amazing day come together so beautifully for Katie & Tom.

To see more of their photos, visit:  https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/katieandtomwedding.

CONGRATULATIONS Katie & Tom! We wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin your new journey together.

Morgan & Ray at the John Rutledge House Inn

What a pleasure it was to photograph Ray & Morgan’s beautiful blended-family wedding last weekend!

Now living in Mississippi, Ray & Morgan planned a fun winter get-away to Charleston with all their amazing children. They stayed at the old historic John Rutledge House Inn, and arranged for the wedding to take place in the picturesque courtyard out back. Rick Burton did a wonderful job performing the nuptials. Then after the “I Do’s”, we all went for a walk-about downtown, stopping for fun and creative images among the many photogenic spots along the way.

I don’t know if you call it an elopement or a destination wedding.  But whatever it was that Ray & Morgan planned, it was a BLAST!!! Congratulations to you both, and to your family too! It was an absolute honor to share this special day with you!!!

Christina & Matt’s Wedding at Indian Hills Golf Club

As most folks know, I had a very unique childhood…spending my formative years overseas in Africa. Christina’s mom did as well! We share the unique bond of having attended The American School of Kinshasa (TASOK), we speak the same dialect of Kituba, and we fought the same strains of malaria! 🙂 So when Linda asked if I would fly to California and photograph her daughter’s wedding, I jumped at the chance!!!

The story I heard was that Christina’s grandmother, Mary, was responsible for this special occasion taking place. 😉 Christina & Matt have been together for 10 years, but never made things official. When asked if she would be coming to visit them in California for Christmas, Mary said something to the effect of, “I might…if I get to finally see my granddaughter get married!” That was all it took for Christina & Matt to say “You know what…we SHOULD!” Before anyone knew it, the planning of the party-of-the-decade was in full swing!!! 🙂

Although predictions of rain were in the air, the day of the wedding dawned absolutely spectacular! We couldn’t have asked for a prettier day. And I certainly couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful bride to photograph! Christina was absolutely radiant in her gorgous gown!!! Matt was looking pretty snappy with his red tie. Their son, Grant, was stylin’ in his matching black outfit. But the best part was the wedding party’s awesome shoes!!!

With such beautiful scenery to work with, and such a fun-loving group, we all had a BLAST creating tons of photographs, ranging from silly and fun to dramatic and timeless! Afterwards, their ceremony was held at the scenic Wedgewood club house at the Indian Hills Golf Club. Like the photo shoot, the ceremony had an up-beat joie-de-vivre persona, which I loved! A gentle pitter-patter on the roof began during the “I-Do’s”. So after the ceremony Christina & Matt agreed to sneak outside for a few epic shots among the gentle raindrops. After all, rain on your wedding day is good luck, right?!? (And trust me, it doesn’t rain very often in L.A.)

It was so great to be there for this AMAZING couple, and to spend time with my extended Congolese family! CONGRATULATIONS Christina & Matt!!! Remember…

“Where there is love there is no darkness.”
– Burundi Wedding Blessing

Caroline & Matt & Turf Valley Resort

When I photographed Matt’s Secret Proposal to Caroline 6 months ago (https://chrisandcami.com/caroline-matts-secret-wedding-proposal/), it was one of the most humble moments of my 20+ year career! I could tell there was something truly special about these two…a connection on another dimension…spiritual, pure, perfect. It was even more humbling a few weeks later when they asked if Cami & I would be willing to photograph their Destination Wedding at an amazing resort near Washington D.C.!!!

Last week the big day finally arrived!  The wedding and reception were held at the gorgeous Turf Valley Resort. The location was beautiful, the weather was beautiful, and Caroline was ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!! One of my favorite shots of the day was Matt’s beaming smile when he saw her for the first time, walking down the aisle beside her father, ready to become his wife.

Photographing Caroline & Matt’s portraits after the wedding was like working with a pair of professional models. 🙂 Everywhere we went, they struck these amazing poses, with his dress blues setting off her elegant gown, and their contagious “we just got married” smiles warming our hearts. We had so much fun during our mini-shoot, complete with golf cart ride!

Entering the reception hall, I could tell we were in for the party of the century! There was a palpable electricity in the air. From the second Caroline & Matt stepped into the room to thunderous applause, to the very last dance, the room was filled with emotion, energy, and excitement!  They were showered with love from friends and family all night long.

CONGRATULATIONS Matt & Caroline! The blessing of meeting couples like you, and the joy of sharing in your lives, is the true reason why we LOVE what we do. We wish for you a life together full of the greatest joy imaginable!!!

Mihaela & Vicintiu’s Romania Wedding

Yesterday I had the pleasant surprise of a wonderful phone call from Mihaela, who’s wedding to Vicintiu I photographed in Romania back in July.  She was in the US visiting friends and family.  I was so honored that she would take the time to reach out and thank me again for being a part of their wedding!  What a sweetheart!!!

So I thought I’d post a few photos from their gorgeous day.  I have to say, this was by far the most surreal wedding I have ever had the privilege of photographing!  It was on a beautiful, pristine, mountainside near Campulung.  A light afternoon shower had cleansed the landscape and brought a crisp freshness to the air.  A dreamy mist was rising from the valley below.  And we weren’t alone…wild horses had also discovered the picturesque meadow we were in.  They pranced and played in the background throughout the service.  Then just as magically as they appeared…wandered off to an adjoining hill side just before we left.  It was one of those serendipitous experiences I’ll never forget for as long as I live.

Congratulations again to “Miha & Vic”.  Always remember the magic moments of your life!!!

Welcome to Romania!

As most of you know, I recently traveled to Romania.  Here are a few of my favorites of some young people dressed in traditional outfits.  We saw them warming up for a performance they had later that evening.  When my new friends Mihaela & Ana asked them if they’d be interested in working with me, they went for it!  Zack was there with me and did an excellent job as a lighting assistant, holding an SB-800 with a warming gel for a little extra kick to the lighting in some of the shots.  I loved the colorful details in their outfits!    

David & Megan’s Storybook Design

Cami & I had so much fun at David & Megan’s New England Destination Wedding in Fairhaven, just outside Boston, earlier this year.  So I thought I’d share a few pages from the layout of their new Storybook that we just finished designing.  We’ve used a number of different design programs over the years…from good old Photoshop to You Select It to Soho Styler and more.  But by far our favorite new tool is FotoFusion by LumaPix.  Enjoy…

Josh & Ashley’s “Destin” Destination Wedding

Ashley & Josh were married last weekend in a beautiful Destination Wedding on the pure white sands of Destin, Florida.  (Check out their Music Video at www.chrisandcami.com/blog.)  I went for a walk on the beach the morning of their wedding and the turquiose waters of the Gulf of Mexico stretching as far as the eye could see!  They had rented a gorgeous Spanish mansion across from the beach which was transformed into the perfect reception site.  Between the dramatic architecture of the mansion, the amazing scenery on the beach, and how beatiful Ashley looked in her flowing white wedding gown…the whole day was like visual candy to my camera!  Top that off with how genuine, friendly, and full of life all their friends and family were…well…let’s just say I had a BLAST!!!  J 

I first met Ashley at Whitney & Ryan’s wedding on Seabrook Island last year.  So a HUGE “thank you” goes to Whitney for introducing me to Ashley!  Whitney was also a bridesmaid in Ashley’s wedding, so it was great to see her again and catch up.  (After watching the Music Video, head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com to see the rest of their Online Gallery.) 

Ashley & Josh honeymooned in The Bahamas before returning home to Dallas, Georgia.  I tip my hat to Ashley as she is a 4th grade teacher there…I have the utmost respect for teachers and think they should get paid what lawyers get paid!  CONGRATULATIONS to Ashley & Josh…you guys ROCK!!!