As is so often the case with my destination clients, I had not met Nadia or Amit until the day of their wedding. We took time to speak over the phone, but I had no idea how pretty and handsome Nadia and Amit actually were! They are a great looking couple as you will see in the photos below! The day began with Nadia getting the final touches done on her makeup. When I arrived to her room, I was greeted by Amit, who was not allowed to see Nadia, and several family members, friends and bridesmaids. I have photographed many Indian weddings over my career, and I am always amazed that so many people come to be with the bride while she is getting ready! There is always excitement in the air as everyone awaits to see the bride and then get ready themselves for the ceremony. Everyone except the groom of course, who must leave the room before the bride steps out!

The ceremony soon followed. There is so much rich beauty and tradition in Indian weddings. The seriousness and celebration of the bride and groom becoming husband and wife is always beautifully and colorfully on display. There is not another wedding ceremony that I know of quite like it! What is quite unique for me is seeing how the parents and family members are involved with the ceremony, as well as how all the guests greet and bless the couple to end the ceremony. Nadia and Amit’s Las Vegas wedding was no different! Please watch the highlight slideshow at the bottom of this post to get a glimpse of the unfolding of this celebratory event as well as seeing some of my favorite photos by clicking on the thumbnail photos below! Following the ceremony, Nadia and Amit changed into new outfits, as did most of their guests. The evening was upon us shortly after, and the celebration convened poolside with dinner and toasts to the bride and groom.

The evening came to and end for me at that point, but for Nadia and Amit, and all in attendance, an elegantly, glorious wedding it was!

My good friend, Asgeir Bollason of Asgeir Fotographica and I have collaborated on weddings in the past, and began brainstorming over a year ago, while flying across country from a wedding we had just photographed. Both of us are lovers of documentary style photography. We both find our inspiration from from non-wedding photojournalists and push each other to strive toward bringing this style, as pure as possible, into our wedding photography. Often, we complain to each other, that the weddings we photograph never quite seem to fully allow either of us to truly photograph the event – from beginning to end – as true photojournalists. Even though our weddings mostly include documentary coverage, they usually also require portraits to some extent. Another hindrance that we discussed, and this is more self-imposed than coming from our clients, is a sense that there is an unspoken list of photos that we must deliver rather than a freedom to seek and find the most interesting moments as they arise.

Our idea on that plane ride was to photograph a wedding together without one single portrait, or any list or demands, whatsoever, from the bride and groom. We also agreed that attending the wedding with minimal equipment (we both used only Leica cameras) and more as guests, would force us to push the limits with what we had, and to be less noticeable and obtrusive to the guests. In doing so, we surmised that we could be free to find moments that we otherwise might miss, as well as be freed up during the day to be as creative as we could possibly be. Many, many thanks to Kelli and Brad for granting us this opportunity! This wonderful couple, with their family and friends, were completely gracious and at ease with Asgeir and I! I am convinced the result allowed us to achieve exactly what we envisioned and we are calling our collaborative effort: “Soulful Observers.”

Below are some of the very best documentary moments of this glorious and sunny California wedding day of Kelli and Brad, unscripted. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to watch their amazing slide show set to music.

More importantly, however, is the subjects of this e-session: Jennifer and Nick. They are a terrific couple,originally from Canada and Michigan respectively, and now living in beautiful Hermosa Beach, California. I met Jennifer and Nick a week before the session because they contacted me about their wedding next September in Michigan. We discovered that I am already booked for the date, but they still asked me to shoot their engagement session. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day, complete with a classic, Southern California sunset. Check out a handful of my favorites from the session below.

The following are my favorite documentary captures of 2011! They are listed in David Letterman style, going from number ten to number one, so that you can see which photo is my top pick. There is also a paragraph about each to share with you my thoughts about the image. Please share your thoughts with me at the bottom of the post in the comments section. Which is your favorite? Did I succeed in acheiving my goal this year? One other note: thank you, thank you, thank you to every one of my bride and grooms this year for inviting me into your world and trusting me to photograph the most import day of your lives!

Number TEN:

This was captured during the mother and groom dance.  What I love about this photo is the absolute adoration this mother has for her son as she dances with him for the first time as a married man.  The light off the wall sconce above her head adds a heavenly glow, like the old paintings of the mother of Jesus. The groom’s expression is priceless as well and you sense the connection of love that he shares with his mother.  I also love that the bride and other guests are doing there own thing, accentuating that there exists a special bond of love known only between mother and son.

Number NINE:

This is the second mother and groom dance photo.  Emotionally, I love it for a lot of the same reasons as the above photo.  The special love between mother and son is especially accentuated here by the moon like spotlight, contrasted by the dark shadows.  With the two framed with so much dark space around them, it gives the appearance that the two are dancing on the moon.  I love the bigger-than-life shadow on the dance floor which leads your eye toward the mother and son.  The shadow also accentuates the connection between them. I also love the posture of the mother holding her arm out as if she is balancing her self, and her, now, grown son holding her with his one strong arm.  For one dance in this newly married man’s life, his mother is the center of his attention!

Number EIGHT:

This photo was captured looking over the shoulder of the Maid of Honor giving a toast to the bride.  I love the bride’s expression and hands on her cheeks as she is listening to her Maid of Honor sharing a story with the guests.  The connection between the two friends is obvious because only people who have a shared history would know enough about the other to poke fun, or share a memory of some past mischief, or an embarrassing moment.  The groom’s smile and his hand on her knee lets his bride know of his loving approval.  I love how the lines work in this photo as well.  The Maid of Honor’s right arm is parallel to the arm of the groom, which is reaching down toward the bride’s dress  These lines direct your eye toward the contrasted angle of the bride’s arms leading you toward her wonderful expression on her face.

Number SEVEN:

There is something about this photo that goes beyond the typical happy bride and groom capture.  I can assure you, they are an awesomely happy couple.  But what draws me to this image as one of my favorites of the year is the feeling it gives me. First, I love the textures in the image: the rain on the window and the ruffles in the bride’s dress and her hair piece.  I love the soft light and soft expressions on their faces.  The couple seem so peaceful and content, despite the less than perfect weather.  The groom is calmly clasping his hands together and does not seem to be bothered by the sight.  His bride, with bouquet at her side, is quietly adjusting her hair piece.  The black limo interior wrapping them together in this scene adds to the image a sense that all that matters in the world at this very moment is that the two of them are now husband and wife.

Number SIX:

What is not to love about this photo? It’s a guy photo for sure.  It reminds me of my youth when nothing mattered other than winning or losing.  Boys will be boys and winning the prize whether it be a trophy, a football or a wedding garter means risking broken bones, a bloody nose, or torn clothes!  I love that it was captured the instant the boy on his knees has the garter clasped in his hands.  I also love the triangular shape of mayhem formed by the sprawling bodies above the winner. The guy to the left with his elbow on the winner’s back, nose down, tie forward makes this photo great.  If you put jerseys and pads on these guys you would see the same scene in a football game going after a fumble!

Number FIVE:

I never met a bride as happy and giddy as this one.  She was a joy to be around and she provided me with unlimited opportunities to photograph.  This one image sums up in my mind how excited she was that day! She literally danced down the steps leaving her parents’ home on her way to the church.  With her toes pointed, she looks like a ballerina stepping down to the Broadway stage!

Number FOUR:

This was a hilarious couple from Australia.  The wedding took place at the Wynn in Las Vegas in the hotel chapel. The bride is making her vows to her groom and the list is beyond any list of vows you would hear on the alter!  Typically you might hear the standard: “I vow to respect you in your successes and in your failures, care for you in sickness and in health, etc, etc.”  I can’t remember what exactly she said, but the bride here is promising to share with her groom, something like her treasured barbie doll collection, occasionally relieve him of his duty to take out the trash, and on and on!  The expression on the minister’s face says it all!  He makes this photo go from ordinary to out-the-ordinary.  The capture is the precise moment that the bride begins going off the standard script!

Number THREE:

This is a very meaningful photo to me.  I had photographed the sister of the bride a few years before and was familiar with the closeness shared between three sisters and their mother.  This photo was captured at the end of the night, the bride (on the right) is the last of the girls to be married and this was a very touching moment between this loving family.  I love that their faces are all buried beneath their beautiful hair, and that their embraced arms tie each other tightly together.  No expressions needed here one bit to convey a very special union.

Number TWO:

This image was captured at the entry of the church, just prior to the father and bride walking down the aisle.  You can see how nervous the bride is by her eyes and that she is taking in a deep breath.  What I love about this photo is not only her expression, but her father’s as well!  You can see that he, too, is taking in a deep breath and he is doing it in-sync with his beloved daughter.  What love this is!  Dad is coaching his about-to-be married daughter with breathing techniques to help her relax!  This, indeed, is a priceless moment!  It reminds me that even though my own daughters will become the wives of other men, they will always be my daughters!

Number ONE:

Here it is: my favorite moment of the year!  This photo was captured inside the hotel room where the groom was getting ready. I walked in the room, set down my equipment bag, and turned around to see this very moment.  There was a full size mirror on the wall on the right.  I simply leaned against it until the double image was split down the middle of the photo.  I love this image because it is simple and yet complex. The groom’s clasped hands are the focus, but with his head slumped down, a tattoo on his shoulder, wearing a tank top and tennis shoes side by side on the floor, we are left with very little to determine who this man is.  Is he praying?  Is he nervous or having doubts?  The double image of him only adds to this mystery.

When the day finally arrived, I met Nicole at her parents home for getting ready photos. As is our standard, my associate, David Yarnall, met Chris and the guys at the Townsend hotel to do the same. When I first met Nicole, she was as excited of a bride as I had ever met (I really am not trying to fill up this blog with exagerated things to say! She really was!). In fact, you can take that excitement and multiply it by ten!!! The instant I walked into the house, she was buzzing with excitement! She was giddy and happy and, literally, doing everything she could to contain herself from flying off into the stratosphere, she was that excited!!! Let me tell you: I would have had to have been a total novice to not get great photos of her! For a photographer, it doesnt get any easier to find spontaneous photos when your subject is beaming with personality! Nicole had so much personality, she had plenty to share with her family and friends!

I usually write in detail about the days events, but I can see that Ive already filled up most of the space gushing over Nicole! Let me just summarize from here how the day unfolded and I will let the photos below do the talking! The ceremony was held at St. Johns Episcopal Church in nearby Royal Oak. The couple and their wedding party were transported to the church and their Townsend Hotel reception by the Tecumseh Trolley Company. The days events stayed on schedule flawlessly, as was the exquisite decor of the grand ballroom, due to the multi-talented services of Emerald City Designs. Nicole and Chris chose the fantastic Dan Rafferty Band to keep the party rocking throughout the evening. Ryan Koral and his Epic Motion crew were our video partners in capturing the days beautiful story!

Like most of my clients these days, Nicole was referred to me by relatives who were previous clients of mine. To me, there is no better way! My style is decidedly photojournalism. You either love what I do, or prefer a more hands-on approach to wedding photography. When I am selected by someone with the high responsibility of photographing their once-in-a-lifetime memories because of the work I accomplished from someone they know and trust, it only solidifies the trust given to me to do the same for them. Trust is the key factor in allowing a documentary style photographer, like me, to capturing the unfolding story of the day. As you will see from the photos below, as well as the slide show at the bottom of this post, I was able to be at my best. Nicole and Chris wedding was my final wedding of the year to photograph. I can honestly say, they dont get any better than this! Check out my faves below as well the highlight slide show at the bottom of the post!

The day began at The Henry Hotel in Dearborn where the couple got ready. I spent my time with the girls, photographing the happy group as they had their hair and make-up done. My second photographer, David Yarnall, spent his time photographing Daniel and the guys. A funny thing happened on the way to the church (true story!): the plan was for the limousine to first drive the girls downtown to the church and then turn around and pick up the guys. Because of traffic that day on the freeway, the limo driver would not have been able to turn around and pick up the guys in time for the ceremony. Thanks to David, doubling as photographer/chauffeur the wedding ceremony stayed on schedule!

The ceremony took place at one of Detroit’s jewels: the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. I have been so fortunate to photograph several weddings at this astoundingly beautiful church! The architecture is magnificent! A perfect setting for the nuptials between Rachael and Daniel. After the ceremony and family portraits on the alter, we had some time and wonderful weather to do some fun portraits with their wedding party, as well as a few romantic ones of themselves. Now living in the city of Chicago and loving its urban setting, the couple thought it would be cool to include the backdrop of classic, downtown “Detroit” to their wedding memories. We ended up at Hart Plaza on the Detroit riverfront, where there are so many great landmarks.

Finally, we all hopped back into the limo, and headed to Lovett Hall at Greenfield Village, the site of the couple’s reception! Lovett Hall is one of those places that has an “old world” charm to it. Originally a dance studio, it dates back to Henry Ford’s days. It has the original hardwood floors still in place, antique chandeliers hanging, and ornate trim throughout. With the ballroom table decor to the nines, elegant floral arrangements on each table, the chandeliers dimmed, and the fantastic Royce the Voice, of the Royce and Jenn Band, serenading the guests, romance was in the air, and the festive evening was about to begin. With the excitement building, Rachael and Daniel, along with their wedding party, were introduced like celebrities, and the party began. Toasts from the wedding party, a fantastic dinner served, and the first dance between the couple followed. There were plenty of golden moments for me to photograph, all in my documentary style, capturing laughter, tears, love and joy, throughout the night! It was a grand and romantic affair!

Enjoy my favorite documentary photographs below! You can see the complete highlight slide show set to music at the bottom of this post!

We began pretty early Monday morning, at the luxurious Wynn Hotel, photographing Kellie and Shay getting ready. They both had rooms with beautiful views: Kellie’s facing the Strip and Shay’s overlooking the palatial pool and golf course. Kellie’s dress was custom made for her by her mother-in-law, and it perfectly complimented Kellie’s energetic, enthusiastic, and spunky personality! By 11:30am, everyone was ready to go and headed down to the Wynn Hotel wedding chapel. Prior to the wedding ceremony, arrangements were made for Kellie and Shay to have a private “first look” which allowed me to capture this emotion-filled couple seeing one other in their wedding attire for the first time.

After the twenty minute-long ceremony, family portraits were photographed, a toast followed, and Kellie and Shay ran through a gauntlet of waving streamers! The fun was only about to begin! Shay rented a limousine to chauffeur us around the Las Vegas Strip for five hours! Our goal was to walk around town without any specific agenda, and have fun photographing whatever came our way! ***DISCLAIMER***: As a photographer who prides himself on documentary style photography, I had no idea what to expect! I have to admit I was nervous! I knew that I would have to be creative and spontaneous, and even willing to do the evil “P” word: “pose” the couple here and there! With any other couple, I am not sure that we would have succeeded as well as we did! Kellie and Shay are such a special couple! Their personalities were fearless, care-free, happy-go-lucky, willing to take chances, animated, and full of life! It took all of that for us to do what we did! I say this because I want any future clients, looking at this blog to realize what it takes to make these kind of photos! It was truly a 50/50 collaboration between the couple and I!

So, in celebration of this crazy “Aussie” couple, who I am so very glad took the time to contact me to photograph their wedding, I present to you my favorite photos of the day! To see even more of the walk-about photos around the strip, scroll to the bottom of this post to watch their highlight slide show!

I knew this was going to be a great wedding long before the actual wedding day. I was familiar with Damiens family, having photographed his sisters terrific wedding a few years before. The event was also going to be coordinated by Carolyn Hefner, of the China Closet, who does nothing short of perfection when planning a wedding day! I also had the opportunity to photograph an engagement session with Jessica and Damien a few months before, which allowed me to get to know them better – as well as them getting to know me.

October in Michigan has always been my favorite time of the year. It is a beautiful, scenic time because of the changing colors of the leaves and the air is is fresh and crisp. The downside is that you never know what youre going to get! It can be cold and wet, or it can be cool and breezy, or it can feel like an extension of a warm summer day – which we call an Indian Summer. The weather on Jessica and Damiens wedding day was superb! So in addition to a great venue – The Royal Park Hotel, great vendors, great wedding guests and wedding party, Jessica and Damiens wedding day was as nice as you will ever see on an October day in Michigan! You can see for yourself by the selection of photos that Ive posted here below. You can also see the entire wedding highlight slideshow by scrolling to the bottom of the post.

Of course, I would be remiss not to give the proper credit to some of the other vendors involved with this day:

The China Closet for planning
Deyo Studio for hair and makeup
Bellisario Florists for floral and decor
Sweet and Savory for the cake
The Jerry Ross Band for entertainment