On October 30, 2004, my wife and I were married in Raleigh, NC. Nearly seven years to-the-day later I traveled back to Raleigh to document the wedding of another man from my old regiment to a beautiful woman. They even had dinner and drinks at the very place where we were married all those years ago… so I must say I felt a bit wistful as I shot this one. The last shot in this set was taken in the exact room that one of our favorite wedding photos was taken.

I was also thrilled to have my friend & brilliant wedding photographer Saad Syed there to provide his unique viewpoint.

Stacy & Ryan, thank you so much for having us there! Cheers!

right image by Saad Syed

image by Saad Syed

image by Saad Syed

left image by Saad Syed

image by Saad Syed

Kim and Eric were married a few weeks ago in her mother’s backyard in Bowling Green, KY. I am honored to have worked with a number of couples within this social circle, and you may recognize one of my previous brides in the wedding party.

Its a wonderful and special feeling for a photographer when you get the sense that a couple really “gets” your work. Kim & Eric, I am so glad you chose to work with me for your wedding. This is one of my favorite recent sets, and I hope you love these pictures even more than I do.

Technical note, since I get asked frequently: This wedding is mostly film with some digital mixed in. Cameras used include: Leica M6, Canon 1v, Mamiya 7, Mamiya RZ67, Canon 5DII, 5D. Films include both new Portra films, FP4+ and HP5+.

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

left image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

Gesica & Dan were married in Rochester, Michigan at the Oak Arbor Church, with a reception that followed at Cherry Creek Golf and Banquet Center.

The schedule for this wedding was a little different than the way most days run down here in Nashville: we started coverage at 7am, but the reception was over around 6… with all of the bridal party scheduled to remain after for an extensive portrait segment. As we moved through the afternoon reception, I noticed that the weather was looking highly questionable, so I pulled Gesica & Dan aside for some quick portraits out on the course. The end of the reception came, and we had just enough time to do some quick group shots before the sky opened up, and we all rushed back inside to the now abandoned reception hall.

There weren’t a ton of indoor settings that were speaking to me for the portraiture that we still needed, so we commandeered the projector screen that had been used for the slideshow, lowered it as close to the floor as it would go (held down with chairs), and set up a mini-studio. I feel that these images have a unique character and definitely show off the personalities of the bridal party.

Thank you to Andrew Welsh of Rochester, NY for providing your skill and perspective throughout the day.

If you would like to register to view the complete set of images when they are completely edited, please click here.

images by Andrew Welsh

image by Andrew Welsh

image by Andrew Welsh

image by Andrew Welsh

image by Andrew Welsh

image by Andrew Welsh

Brittney & Rhett just got married a few minutes ago, and I set this post to go live automatically right after the ceremony, mostly because Brittney is very beautiful and makes me look good as a photographer. For this reason, I wanted her pictures live on the site as soon as possible.

My favorite shot is the black and white image of her in the aisle, and I am thrilled that Brittney’s family has ordered a 16×20 silver gelatin print made from that negative by my master printer.

Tri-X, Mamiya RZ67

Delta 400, Mamiya RZ67

Portra 400, Mamiya RZ67

Portra 400, Mamiya RZ67

Portra 400, Mamiya RZ67

This is definitely one of my favorite weddings this year. I had fun shooting it, Whitney & Michal had fun living it, and I think the pictures reflect that. The set starts with Whitney getting ready at their condo. The first shot is a particular fave of mine, and the sort of look that’s impossible to get on digital gear. I also love the shots of the two kids: notice the tape on the little boy’s glasses! Whitney looks classic and elegant while her dress is fastened, and then turns with a brilliant smile for the camera.

I think Daniel’s still-life accurately represents the last of bachelor life, while I was off with Whitney doing bridal portraits at the Parthenon. We returned to Cathedral of the Incarnation for the ceremony, and I was excited to discover that there were individual reflective tiles on the floor. The sharing of the bread is a Polish tradition where the couple are greeted by their parents with bread in symbolic hope that they will never know hunger.

After a wild reception, the couple exited amongst a flurry of Polish and American flags to a ’64 Impala owned by her father. I’ll let Whitney take over here:

“This photo captures my life in a still moment. If you know me, you know I smile quite often and love to laugh, even at my myself…. getting in this car was so special to me because it belongs my dad and a long time ago I wrecked one of his old cars and I told him I would buy him a new one, one day….. well he’s still waiting on that, but ending my night with getting into this car with Michal was exactly how life was suppose to be!! While in this car, Michal and I made some of our greatest memories of the evening…. We laughed so hard because the defrost wasn’t working and we couldn’t see that I thought I was going to pee my pants!!!!”

Thank you guys for being a pleasure to work with, and for trusting me to do my thing.

Guests can visit this link and register to view the complete set once it is edited: Whitney & Michal’s gallery

images by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

One of the best parts of being a wedding photographer is the opportunity to learn about different cultures and to experience different traditions. I was so thrilled and honored when Anita & Ankit contacted me after being referred by my friend: Desi Wedding Photographer Saad Syed. Anita and Ankit were married at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly VA in a Hindu wedding ceremony as prescribed in Vedic scripture. I provided coverage for the Sangeet at the amazing Washington DC Cosmos Club on Saturday, and then the incomparable Chuck Anerino helped me to document the wedding day ceremonies in Chantilly on Sunday. The celebration was planned and coordinated by Courtney from A Sweet Soiree, and it was a pleasure to work with her.

For those of my blog readers who are not as familiar with Hindu tradition, I am going to caption and explain this set a little more than I usually do. As is typical for my site, more than 80% of these images are un-posed and un-manipulated documentary.

Sangeet can be literally translated into English as “sung together.” It is a celebration that brings together the families of the bride and groom, and features much singing, dancing, and food. Anita and Ankit’s Sangeet featured a number of ceremonial dances and traditional Indian songs, as well as toasts from some of the couple’s relations.

The Sangeet began with the Garba, a circular Indian folk dance.

The Garba was followed by the Dandiya Raas, which is a traditional dance in which the sticks represent the sword of Durga in her battle with the demon lord Mahishasura.

Anita’s aunt Radha performs with Anita, Ankit, and their family looking on. Radha is the name of the supreme beloved of Krishna, and theirs is the great love story of the Hindu faith… how appropriate!

Anita’s brother Navin on the dance floor

Navin giving his heartfelt toast.

One of the key parts of the Sangeet is the Dholki singing. The Dholki is a two sided drum, seen here in the foreground. Traditional songs and dances are performed, which are light-hearted and even humorous. You can see Anita and Ankit in the background laughing in this photo.

The Wedding Day

The wedding day began for me at the home of Anita’s parents, for the Puja ceremony. The Puja involved a series of offerings, and preparation of the bride for the day with some of her ceremonial ornamentation.

In this image, auspicious saffron powder is marked on Anita’s forehead as a sign of devotion

Anita’s grandmother ties on the Kaleerey.

Grandmother traveled all the way from India to be here for this wedding.

Here you can see the Mehndi (henna art), the Chura (bracelets), and the Kaleerey (bells)

image by Chuck Anerino

The necklace in this image belonged to Anita’s great grandmother.

image by Chuck Anerino

image by Chuck Anerino

image by Chuck Anerino

The Baraat Swagat is the procession of the grooms family to the venue, and receiving of the groom’s party by the bride’s family.

image by Chuck Anerino

Ankit riding a decorated horse as part of the Baraat ceremony.

Anita’s mother greets Ankit and applies the Tilak, a red mark on the forehead signifying welcome and luck

The Milni is a special greeting between pairs of the family members from each side.

Anita enters the wedding and processes toward the Mandup (altar) with her father

The Varmala is the greeting between the bride and groom. Var means to accept as your own.

The couple make one of seven circles around the sacred fire. This is the most important part of the ceremony, symbolizing the beginning of their journey through life together. Notice that their scarves are tied together: this is the origin of the expression “tying the knot,” and part of the ceremony.

With each circle, the couple seek the blessing of God to enable them to fulfill their seven vows. Image by Chuck Anerino

Circling the sacred fire

The exchange of rings

Aashirvaad: after having received the blessings of their parents and relatives, the couple walks from the Mandap together and are showered with flower petals to symbolize blessings from the guests.

image by Chuck Anerino

Detail of the Mehndi (henna) on Anita’s hand. One tradition is that Ankit needs to find his name in the Mehndi during the course of the day. You can see it here, appropriately located right under Anita’s thumb.

image by Chuck Anerino

image by Chuck Anerino

After Ankit’s toast, he is embraced by his father

image by Chuck Anerino

The Vidai is considered to be the most emotional ritual, when the bride leaves her parents’ home and makes her way to her husband’s.

As part of the Vidai, Anita throws rice behind her to symbolize repaying her family for all that they have done for her as she leaves to start a new life with her husband.

Vanessa & Tim were married in Pigeon Forge, TN this past weekend at a cabin overlooking the Smokey Mountains. It was an intimate family affair with a lovely relaxed vibe. Sonya Scott handled the planning for Vanessa & Tim, who flew in from California to get married in our great state. Vanessa had her hair and makeup done at the Colour Bar & Spa in Pigeon Forge.

Some of the highlights from the day for me included:
-Tim’s reaction in the first look. I just love it when a groom is so excited about how awesome his bride looks.
-I was happy to be able to find that higher angle for the ceremony shot. Its always fun to find an unusual perspective.
-Vanessa & Tim did a choreographed first dance, and Daniel had just the perfect angle and timing for one of the big moves.
-Grandma was awesome. I could make a blog post just of pictures of her.

You can register to see all of these images and order prints once I have the entire set edited at this link:
Vanessa & Tim’s Pictage Gallery

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

image by Daniel Shaw

Push up contest. Vanessa won.

Vanessa’s Dad

Doug and Jackie are wonderful people and great photographers. I was thrilled and honored to be chosen to photograph their epic wedding on the shore of Lake Erie. I brought along my good friend Miami wedding photographer Tony Schreiber to tag-team this massive event. We shot for 15 hours. We shot on boats, in the water, in abandoned industrial facilities, and under fireworks.

Amanda and I have become good friends with Doug and Jackie over the course of their engagement, and we have a lot in common with them. I was surprised to find that by coincidence they had chosen the same blessing for their wedding as we chose for ours:

Apache Blessing:
Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness,
for each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons,
but there is only one life before you.
May beauty surround you both in the
journey ahead and through all the years,
May happiness be your companion and
your days together be good and long upon the earth.

I cannot recall ever having so much fun at a wedding, although we were completely exhausted at the end of the day. Doug and Jackie: thank you for your hospitality, for sharing your warm and wonderful wedding with us, and most importantly for being great new friends.

image by Tony Schreiber

right image by Tony Schreiber

Jackie got her flower caught while putting on the dress, which had to be repaired…

…and resulted in this cool shot of her orchid being sewn back together. It reminded me a bit of our wedding, when my top button popped off my collar and had to be re-sewn.

image by Tony Schreiber

image by Tony Schreiber

After the portraits we all stopped off for some ice cream.

This picture amuses me to no end. I told Doug that I wanted him to give me his most effeminate expression. His and Jackie’s reactions are priceless.

image by Tony Schreiber

Jackie and her dad had a great dance. There is that one guest who is on the ground trying to get a picture of a kid in the middle of the dance, but I sort of look at him as comic relief.

The bride toss is tradition in Jackie’s family

left image by Tony Schreiber

“My p-p-p-p-p-p-p-poker face…”

We did Shawn’s bridal portrait session at beautiful, historic Riverwood Mansion here in Nashville, TN. Shawn’s dress is a family heirloom, and she will be the 5th lady in her family to wear it on her wedding day. Given the vintage nature of the dress, we wanted a classic setting and style to create a seamless overall look. I looked to the old dutch masters for inspiration on this shoot, and I’m quite proud of this series of images.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with you Shawn, and congrats on your wedding today!

Its always an honor when another photographer chooses you to photograph their wedding, and I was particularly pleased when the talented Columbus wedding photographers Doug and Jackie decided that they wanted me to document their engagement and wedding. They drove all the way down from Ohio to do this session!

With their background and passion for photography, I was also thrilled that they elected to have me shoot their entire engagement session on black and white film. This session was shot on a mix of 35mm and 6×7 medium format, using a variety of film stocks.

It was a VERY hot day, so while we started out over at the Steeplechase in Brentwood, midway through the session we decided that we just needed to cool off in Percy Priest Lake. I was thrilled that Doug and Jackie brought their beautiful weimaraners Layla and Gunner, who added a great presence to the shoot.