love

What's the most important aspect on your wedding day?

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When I first get a chance to speak with a potential client, I let them know that time is the most important aspect of their wedding day. They are a close second though :P The entire wedding is jam packed with people you haven't seen in a while and small events that need attending to. Events like getting ready, the first look, the ceremony, the reception, all extremely important. Lucky for you, you can spend eternity kissing the bride, but on the big day, you only have a minute. That's why you hire Sonacity to photograph it. :) 

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Each of these little events, as wonderful as they are, take time...and it's always longer than you expect. I was talking to a friend of mine (Hi Kare!) who is getting married in the upcoming months, and she brought to me the idea of "cushion time." This concept allows for you or your planner, who will undoubtedly thank you if you do this, extra time for those just in case moments. Sometimes weather goes crazy and all my Florida people know that. Other times, people might be late, or you just might want an extra minute because you're hungover. Whatever the reason, cushion time is there to be your best friend. You don't have to worry about a thing. Your wedding day is exactly that, YOUR wedding day. You should be the happiest you've ever been. You are marrying the love of your life and all is good. So ladies and gentlemen, keep in mind "cushion time." <3

The queen and her king

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Tran + Umair

Venue: Costa De Este | Vero Beach

These two are a perfect blend of fun and power, kind of like the Obamas. During the portrait session, Umair was calling himself the king but fellas, we all know who runs the relationship ;) Tran, of course looked beautiful in her wedding dress and the day could not have been more perfect. The green surrounding the venue along with it's white walls made for such elegant images. The colors of the sky, matched with the water, are vibrant and achieves a calming affect. You could tell that these two were smitten with each other, laughing and smiling the throughout the session. 

I hope your honeymoon in Hawaii was wonderful!

Should I choke you?

I absolutely love photographing couples that aren't serious so Roman and Megan were absolutely perfect. They are friends of Andres (photog friend) and agreed to help us practice our couple's sessions. We decided to meet at Rollins University, which is freakin' beautiful if you've never been there. Everything from the lighting, to the architecture, to the grass growing on the walls is gorgeous. However, I do wish there was more colors...Anywayyy, everyone was laughing the entire time. As photographers, Andres and I have been focusing more on lighting and balance to make our images pop and stand out more. How cute??!?! ----->

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Once we got the ball rolling and started getting some great shots, the ideas started pouring in. It's not easy being an artist and seeing canvases everywhere. Each spot at Rollins could be another image but a wise man once said that a photographer should fall in love with the light, not the location. I learned that both Megan and Roman belong to The Jungle, which is a gym that has crossfit, a cage, teaches classes, and has grappling lessons (sorry if I butchered any of that). At one point in the session, I believe I heard Megan say "Should I choke you or do you want to choke me?" Now, I wasn't 100% sure what they were referring to, but it's part of their relationship and I loved the creativity. Roman and Megan just seemed so natural being in front of the camera.  We spent a good amount of time for the session and decided to get burgers at Burger-Fi. They now have a delicious grilled cheeseburger with grilled onions, oh man, I highly recommend it. I've been watching the Food Network so I could go into detail but you'll just have to try it yourself. 

Jessica + Arik Couple's session

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O.M.G.

I was talking to a friend and realized I didn't have very many couples/engagement sessions to show to potential brides. This had to be corrected as soon as possible and she directed me to Jessica and Arik. How adorbs are they!? We spoke about a meeting place and a good time and decided to head to Dickson Azalea Park, which is freaking stunning. The sun was bright as all hell but the shade in the park made it perfect. We dodged sunspots and got some great shots in. 

Before we even met up last Sunday, I had to direct the couple to the park because the GPS brought them to a random house. This happened to me too the first time I visited. It was for the Bohemian group photo shoot hosted by the great Silvafilm Photography. Ok...ADD. Sorry, back to the post.

They arrived and we began. We made our way through the park, laughing, posing, and enjoying the day. I loved the fact that when we got to a part of the park that was semi blocked off...the last photo happened. They were real troopers and decided to go along with some of my shenanigans. These two are such a great fit and I'm glad I was able to capture that. Thanks Jess and Arik for letting me get these moments.

Arik says he's an awkward individual but I think that's what makes him endearing and why Jessica loves him so much...which totally shows in the photos. 

Keisha Leigh and Marc Zappia Wedding

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Tats, Sarcasm, humor, and Elvis. This wedding couldn't have been any cooler. I got a chance to hang with the groomsmen a bit before the ceremony started, they were a trip. They all were laughing, joking around, and having a couple beers, just enjoying the day. I got some shots of them hanging out as well as their individual portraits then I headed inside to grab some details.

The venue was The Crystal Ballroom in Vernanda Park and the setting was beautiful. Floral table covers, lit candles, and perfectly arranged decorations made the place look fantastic. Silvana was the head of the operation and planned it to the T. Everything ran smoothly, with the exception of a few minor inconveniences that only the world would throw at you on your wedding day. Other than that, smooth sailing.

The ceremony was live! Elvis (orlandoelvis.com) brought fun and dancing into the wedding world. Hands were in the air like they just didn't care, people were laughing, and obviously the camera phones were out capturing every moment. I even caught myself dancing a little bit but I'm mildly uncoordinated so don't tell anyone. 

After the ceremony, there was a cocktail hour and I used some of that time to get some photos of the bridal party and the family. Everyone got portraits with the bride and groom...and Elvis. Then they enjoyed the rest of the cocktail hour hanging out while the dining hall was getting ready. The parties came in dancing to the music of their choice and everyone sat down to listen to some speeches...eager to eat. 

Chicken parm was served in a buffet style for the hosts, their guests, and the amazing vendors. Yes, yes it was delicious. I enjoyed my dinner (#feedyourphotogrpaher), and spent a little more time getting some dancing photos, some beautiful and some embarrassing. We all know the embarrassing ones are the best. The cake was layered and looked really good, two birds holding wings on the top which I thought was really creative and unique. Marc and Keisha had a little trouble cutting into the cake but together, with the force of love, finally got a piece out.

My time was coming to an end so I took a bunch of shots of the bride and groom dancing, the children, and the guests. It was one of the coolest weddings I've been able to photograph and I hope there are more weddings this unique in my future. 

Congratulations Marc and Keisha!