Jillian and Blake were married on 06-07-08 @ Maroma Paradise.  As I was going through their files I noticed how their day prior images played out quite nicely in a sequence.  We had a blast hanging out by the pool, getting grotesquely sunburned and the like.  Their actual wedding images are coming soon... In the mean time please enjoy the show!

Sarah and Jason were married December 15th at The Tides Zihuatanejo.  This was the first time I had the opportunity to photograph two close friends.  I grew up with Sarah and Jason at church, and have known them since middle school.  Coincidentally, my wife is co-workers with Jason.  The Tides was an amazing resort, and they had a beautiful beach themed wedding.  God bless you guys as y'all start your new life together abroad.

Infinity Pool + Beach

Beautiful orchid-toned sunsets

They trusted me enough to get in the middle of a busy intersection!

Lobby of The Tides

Jason and Sherwin "getting ready"

She is beaming with excitement

Copying her vows a couple of times to aid in memorization

The first look

=)

Just golden

My favorite image from the ceremony

Sarah really wanted a jump shot... I requested maximum hangtime

One of the groomsmen (Sherwin) thought it would be a nice touch to do a backflip for them... He's okay... Really

A couple of quiet moments together

Their first dance

Had some time early the next morning to grab a few more of them

Why look its Eric McCormack!  Better known as Will from Will & Grace.  He was actually on the beach to witness their ceremony

The most comfortable bed ever

Heather and Ryan were some of the guests who attended Eric and Claire's wedding in Playa Del Carmen. When a couple books with us we offer great deals on couple's sessions for all guests during the couple of days we are there. It is a great way for us to get to know the friends and family at the wedding, get some killer shots and offer the guests a once in a lifetime "sexy" beach shoot!!! Heather and Ryan were so relaxed and cool. Here are just a few samples of the session. we are currently building a fantastic italian made album from about 30 of the photos from the session.

very relaxed and into each other

private beach with just a few people trying to watch without "staring" I encouraged Heather and Ryan to just forget about everything around them and enjoy each other. I am pretty far away using a 200m lense, obviously they forgot about me.

beautiful eyes

So Marco and I had the privilege of photographing a wonderful couple out of Houston/Dallas in Hawaii.  We started the week off downtown in Honolulu with the wedding party and then moved out to the JW Marriot Ihilani close to Paradise Cove where the wedding was taking place.  They met us at the Bridal Extravaganza for Houston Weddings last year and booked us at the show!  It is kind of weird but it seems we book three or four destination weddings from each show.  We love shooting destination weddings as it really incorporates the things we love about photography in one intense week/weekend party.  Culture, Relationship, commitment, usually beauty and of course art.  There are not enough good things I can say about Patrick and Lea.  As a couple they are just plain fun to be around.  They have an easy laugh... really it is hard to be around them for more then a couple minutes without realizing how much they care for each other... most of that comes out in their laughter with one another, and the intentional way they communicate with everyone.   You couple that, with the seriousness of their jobs and the things they do on a daily basis for others.  Both work with infants/children who develop complications early on after birth.   Patrick is one of the top young infant/child heart surgeons in the nation (sure there is an official title for this) and Lea is a nurse in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).  It is hard not to respect them and you see that in the way all their friends and family care for them.  The wedding itself was stunning.  I met up with the guys for the Bachelor party on Wed in downtown Honolulu, Marco and I both shot the rehearsal dinner (a must for us on most destination weddings as it gives us a chance to see how the light is going to change in a matter of minutes during a sunset wedding), then of course the full day of the wedding and then I met up with the couple the first morning of their Honeymoon for a romantic photo-shoot along the North Western coast of Oahu. What can I say I love shooting with Marco as we really know each others expectations and it is having two firsts rather then a first and a second.   Be warned this is a rather long post but hey the photos deserve it. :)

Hawaii!!! It just feels right

Marco took this shot of Waikiki Beach from his hotel room in the Hilton Hawaiian Village

There was a surf competition going on that weekend... I really wished I had brought my long glass... oh wait I don't have long glass...

Honeymoon Day 1... Trash the dress session... Lea is like 5 feet and Patrick like 6'2 ... needless to say he carries her everywhere. :)

My favorite photo from their wedding. This image captures everything about the couple... class, beauty, romance and character... I also feel like it captures the style of our photography. If you want to sum up what we like to produce this is it... quality, timeless photos, that are rich in emotion, reality and passion.

I was far away so I have no idea what they are saying to one another

My favorite rings of 2007

Patrick is "the man"

Love these different looks

Dream. Sweet. Happy.... I am marrying My "MC'DREAMY" Today

Culture stuff.. I forget what these bamboo are for.. somebody help!!!

Ahhhh Hawaii

Over the top!!! Such a beautiful and romantic reception tent!

The Rain "Blessed" them quite heavily during the service... good thing I use FULL professional equipment that is somewhat water proof (Mark III, D2x, D3)

While one of us is doing the must have formals the other is capturing the in between moments... in this case Marco captured this beautiful image of the flower girl

went down to the beach for the after wedding formals with the group

About to be introduced... these are my two favorite (on right) photos of the couple entering the reception after the sun has gone down

Perfect!

Kudos to the design team for this beautiful wedding

First Dance

Lea sang to Patrick as one the major events at the reception... check out his expression

Trash the Dress!!! we are going Boogie Boarding in Hawaii. I bought the boogie board for me the first day we got there. Had no chance to use it... an while we were in the middle of the shoot I had this fantastic idea... Lea looked at me like I was Crazy (she was probably thinking about the $$$$$ wedding dress I wanted her to tear up).... Funny story... afterwards I got a voicemail from Patrick.... "man we loved today... had a great time... but Joe You CRAZY--"

priceless 1

priceless 2

priceless 3

They did not even know I was shooting here... they were waiting for me to change camera and lens :) I am sneaky

HOT!!

LOVE IT!!!!

again love it... this is perfect... they know I am there but are comfortable enough with me that I do not even register .... or maybe its that they are so in to each other that I do not even register... Don't care which... just as long as I can get that shot!!! :)

Day 1 Yea!!! I blogged a little about Clare and Eric a while back. BUT have not posted a lot of their images.  We shot their wedding in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.  They were at a wedding we shot in Jamaica 2 years ago.   As is the case with most of our destination weddings we became pretty close with some of the couples there and Eric and Clare have become friends.  They got engaged right after we got back from Chuck and Kristina's Wedding in Jamaica and hired us as their first item of business!! A small intimate wedding with an uber cool trash the dress session the day after!!!

Tulum... so Beautiful. We got there on Wed and did an excursion with the group on Thursday and had mini shoot right along the beach!

Night of the Rehearsal Dinner... looking Sexy

Floor shot with the rings

For you photographers looking for ideas!!! check out the textures behind the rings... depth and contrast create fantastic detail shots!!

Beautiful colors

 

Hello Eric

A beautiful ceremony along a beautiful beach

So this is the place where the preacher is teaching them to say "the two most powerful and marriage saving words" Officiant:"repeat after me.... I'm Sorry"
Eric looking at Clare: "I'm Sorry"
Clare to Eric: "that's right"

 

 

After the wedding on the beach

noting better to do on your destination wedding then being Hand in hand along the beach

perfect lighting on their way to the reception...

A beautiful backdrop for a reception... no planning necessary...

 

So they decided to trash the dress and jump off the edge together... Eric had worked up Clare's courage to do it... 1... 2... 3... They jump.... or at least Eric does...

Erik gets his revenge when he does not tell Clare about the big wave coming as she lies on the beach in her wedding dress

Makes you want to be them!!

Here are a few photos from Clare and Eric's post wedding honeymoon shoot in Playa Del Carmen.  I shot their wedding the weekend after Thanksgiving in Playa Del Carmen.  Clare and Eric really know how to just let loose and enjoy each other.  I met Clare and Eric shooting Kristina and Chuck's Carother's wedding in Negril Jamaica last year --- they booked us shortly after returning from that beautiful wedding.  It was a beautiful wedding (coming soon)!!!