I’m actually heading off to Istanbul, Turkey, tomorrow (early Monday morning) to shoot Anaiza and Can’s wedding. Though I’ve been to 28 countries, I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Turkey, so I can’t wait to report back when I get home on the 31st (well, after I wake up from my jet-lag coma). I have so many more weddings and jobs to share with you all, and September will hopefully afford me the opportunity to get this blog whipped back into shape. Apologies for the quiet. It always seems to happen in the summertime, and I thank you for bearing with me.

And now, just a few things you might enjoy. So many more to come, but for now, but I hope you enjoy these.

The Wedding of Jeff Caplan & Heather Taylor

Venue: The Wynn, Las Vegas, Nevada

If you’re a wedding photographer (and I realize that not all of you are), you’re probably aware of the Digital Wedding Forum: The world’s largest online forum for wedding and portrait photographers. Founded by Jeff Caplan, the DWF is a godsend to those of us who toil alone (or semi-alone) on images, late into the evening. When your brain is full of weddings, you sometimes find that your friends don’t find you as interesting as you once were. Unless it’s your friends on DWF, who also have brains full of weddings. I’ve been a moderator for the DWF for many years now, and still visit the forum many times a week to help people, participate in discussions and to learn. I was delighted (and surprised) when Jeff called me just a few days before his wedding to say that their original plans had changed, and asking if I could hightail it to Las Vegas.

After my head exploded, I called the wonderful Christine Marie, who agreed to second shoot for me (on just three days’ notice), and to the 600 miles of driving that this job entailed. I couldn’t be happier to have been a part of the joy that Heather and Jeff take in one another. Reading their pre-wedding iPhone conversation was enough to bring a tear to a cynical eye. Tired though they were, Jeff and Heather rallied for a day-after session at the Wynn, the Encore and the Neon Boneyard. The uber-talented Alt-F (aka John Michael Cooper) and his fabulously talented wife Dalisa joined us to create some signature shots (which may or may not be on their blog right now), and Dalisa graciously arranged the shoot time for us with her peeps at the Boneyard. Watching those guys work just blows your mind. Jeff and Heather and Dalisa and John, I love all of you guys.

A Private Party, Beverly Hills

Design & Decor: Sonia Sharma at Sonia Sharma Events
Floral Artistry: Eddie Zaratsian at Tic Tock Couture Florals
Venue: The El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles

And oh yes, the cake lights up.

Kristen & Vikrant

Venue: Samode Palace, Samode, India

These MIT grads met . . . at MIT. How easy was that story? Funnily enough, if memory serves, they actually had dorm rooms right next door to one another. Vikrant’s family lives in Delhi, so they chose the breathtaking Samode Palace (in Samode, about one hour from Jaipur) for their multi-day wedding. Highlights included an afternoon menhdi followed by a nighttime camel caravan to a desert oasis filled with tents and lit by fire pits and red uplighting. The wedding took place the next day, and featured one of the best baraats I’ve ever seen. Interestingly, the ceremony itself took place after the dinner (starting, I think, at around 11 p.m.).

We spent the next day doing a day-after session in the nearby village, and these two were game for anything. The villagers all ran out to watch, and one of the guys said that no one had ever brought a bride and groom out into the village before. If you got a copy of the American Photo Top 10 Wedding Photographers issue, that’s Kristen and Vikrant standing among the goats. I think you can still scroll down to see that photo. Kristen also surprised me when I asked if she’d be willing to lie down in the flowers on the ground . . . just as she was walking to watch the baraat. She said, “Sure!” and got right down on the ground. That’s my kind of bride. There’s so much more to write about this wedding, but I’ve got to go pack, so I’ll have to keep this on the short side. Kristen and Vikrant, thank you so much for including me in such a wonderful event.

Corey & Katie

Venue: The Hotel Figueroa

It is such a pleasure to shoot a good friend’s wedding. Corey (Corey Nickols Photography) is actually a fabulous photographer himself, so when he met “the girl,” I knew about it right away. Katie is a talented stuntwoman and she loves Corey so much. It was so fun to see a good friend fall in love, and take that leap of faith. I even knew about the proposal before it happened (at the Griffith Park Observatory), and oddly enough, I was the person who turned Corey on to the fabulous Hotel Figueroa. He took one look at their site, and said, “This is it.” And I said, “Corey, OK, but please don’t have your wedding on a holiday.” And he called back a few days later and said, “Hey! We’re having it on New Year’s Eve, and we want you to shoot it!” So much for a photographer’s life without holidays. I truly wish these guys a life full of blessings and joy.

With second shooting by the always wonderful Yoshi Morimoto (who gave up New Year’s Eve with his family to co-shoot this wedding with me). Did I mention that Yoshi’s adorable daughter is now two years old?

Sonia & Rahul

What can you say about Sonia and Rahul? These guys are just the nicest people in the world. Sonia has the teeniest, tiniest voice on the phone, but when you meet her in person, she sounds totally normal. Sonia sent me one of the nicest thank you letters I have probably ever received. I’d love to post it here, but I forgot to ask her if I could, and it’s now the middle of the night, so maybe I’ll ask her when I get back. If I wasn’t so tired, I’d tell you the cute story of how they got together. Maybe I’ll save that for when I get back, and do a big update. I loved this wedding, and the decor was off the hook. Enjoy.

Venue: The St. Regis, Monarch Beach
Coordination: Pinaki Kaleka and Raakhi Masani, Pink Rock Events
Floral Artistry: Arsine and the team at Shirvan Design
Hair & Makeup: Jeannie Jeffries and the team at Couture Beauty
DJ Rockitude: DJ Rishi P
Video: Robles Video
Lighting: Amber Event Production

Today, we’ll be doing a day-after session in the rural village of Samode, which is located very close to the palace. I spent three hours walking the village a few days ago, and at one point, I had more than 100 children lined up to get candy (while screaming, “Pens! Chocolate! Pens!”). Lovely people with lots of smiles for me and Yoshi Morimoto, who traveled all this way to shoot the events with me. We head back home late tomorrow (Sunday), and land Monday. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Ireland isn’t known for its dry weather, but it’s a country of happy people, mostly because they get to gaze upon luscious greenery at all times of year. There is truly nothing so grand as the Irish countryside, and Ireland’s fabled friendliness and hospitality never seem to change. I actually flew in a number of days before the wedding, and drove the breathtaking Ring of Kerry by myself. As it was the off-season, the roads were mostly empty, and any visit to a small town pub was met with surprise and a very warm welcome, since the proprietors weren’t expecting tourists. I met some wonderful people in the small towns of Cahersiveen (population 1,294) and Sneem (population 672), and found Adare (population 2,012) to be home to some wonderful Irish stew and Irish coffee.

Ever the romantic, David actually proposed to Vik with some “Vik Will You” and “Marry Me” M&M’s placed on an ice cream sundae served on a flight from the US to Ireland. The flight attendants cried when the proposal went down mid-air, and Vik of course said yes. The wedding festivities started with drinks at Durty Nelly’s pub (est. 1620) in Bunratty, and the next day, we all drove to Loop Head — which may well have a population of about 80 (though I couldn’t find the actual population anywhere) — to enjoy a dinner hosted by David’s father, who has a home on the Loop Head peninsula.

David and Vik sought to honor both of their cultures during the ceremony, wearing Indian clothing during their modified Hindu ceremony. The ceremony was originally going to take place in the castle’s Clan Cullen room, but it was a dark pit (which is the enemy of photography), so I encouraged them to get married in the gardens instead. Luckily, they agreed, and the castle staff said it was the first wedding they’d ever done in the gardens (due to local laws requiring four walls and roof for wedding ceremonies). Rain came down all morning, but went away just in time for the ceremony to take place in lovely weather. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed traditional mead as well as a reception filled with singing and dancing by the incredible castle performers, who played harp and violin, sang in eight-part harmony, danced traditional Irish folk dances, and were just a joy to behold.

The highlight of the ceremony for me? When David and Vik signed of all the legal paperwork necessary for them to take care of each other as they grow old together. It really drove home how difficult it can be just to care for someone, and this part of their ceremony really touched my heart. I loved being a part of this wedding, and am happy to now call both Vik and David friends. A huge shout-out to the incredible photographer Gill Taylor, who ferried over from England to hang out a bit with me in Ireland (Galway will always hold a piece of my heart), and to then second shoot the wedding. I’m truly indebted to her for her talents, generosity and friendship.

My first post takes us to Morocco. Tomorrow’s post will take us to Ireland. Get ready for a true feast of images from some absolutely dazzling weddings.

Ellice & Johnny – Marrakech, Morocco

Talented wedding photographers Ellice Schwartz (now legally Boone) and Johnny Boone chose the breathtaking city of Marrakech, Morocco, for their intimate wedding. Marrakech didn’t know what hit it as this glamorous couple traipsed down its winding streets and into its glorious souks. Ellice’s custom-made red wedding dress was a stunner, as was the couple’s invitation — a compass tucked into a hollowed out center of a book, along with some enticing words about the power of a journey. After their original guerilla-style ceremony location plans were thwarted, a new location was found for their vows, with not a dry eye outside the city’s central mosque. Their emotional ceremony was capped off by a Moroccan feast back at the Riad Zolah, and a dinner that ended with everyone jumping fully clothed into the riad’s small swimming pool. It was a wonderful event to be a part of, and I wish Ellice and Johnny a lifetime of happiness. A huge thank you to my dear friend Emmanuelle Chassaing, who flew down from Paris to assist me.

Location: Riad Zolah, Marrakech, Morocco

I’m writing from deep in the Ring of Kerry . . . about midway through, actually . . . from the small town of Caherciveen, where a small Bed & Breakfast provided a welcome break from the road. It’s so breathtakingly green and beautiful here, with gorgeous bodies of water, soft rain and friendly people everywhere you turn. I suspect that everyone here is so friendly because they get to look at such beautiful surroundings each and every day.

You can see highlights of Vik and David’s engagement session (in three parts) on Maharani Weddings . . . here and here and here. I’ll shoot their wedding at Knappogue Castle near Ennis and Quin, with the fabulous Gill Taylor on second camera. Gill arrives from England tomorrow, and we’ll head up to Galway before heading back down to Loop Head Peninsula for a welcome dinner hosted by David’s dad. I can’t wait. The cliffs in that area are spectacular.

Hope you’re all having a wonderful week, and I look forward catching this blog up on at least 15 weddings, and a bunch of new published work, sometime soon.

Lizzette and Shad chose to get married in the Church of Santo Domingo, which was built in 1539 and is just breathtaking to behold. I shot the wedding of Andrea and Andres at this church a few years ago, and despite the addition of some random palm trees in its interior, it still ranks as one of the most awesome churches I’ve ever seen. My good friend Jennifer Dery was a wonderful second shooter, and since she’d also photographed a wedding there a few years back, she was completely familiar with the city. (She’s a fabulous photographer, so if you’re having a wedding in San Diego, be sure to check out her great work.) In fact, she actually showed me many parts of the city that I hadn’t seen on my first visit (mostly because I was too hot to move). When hair and makeup ran nearly an hour late, Jen ended up getting all the guests out the door and over to the church, where the priest made a few jokes, then threatened to leave. An hour late and with only one minute to spare before the priest went home, an antique Mercury brought Lizzette, her father and I to the front door of the church. I had to sprint to the front of the church, because the processional began the minute Lizzette stepped out of the car. But it’s all in a day’s work at a Cartagena wedding.

For their reception, Lizzette and Shad had an open-air dinner on the lower level of the Casa del Arzobispado Hotel, then moved their guests upstairs for drinks and dancing. At 1 a.m., Devil’s Hour began, and a ton of costumed, partying racket-makers stormed onto the dance floor to twirl and have fun with the guests. I’d never seen anything like it, and really had a lot of fun watching all the craziness. Despite the fact that Lizzette and Shad (I think) partied until 4 or 5 a.m., they both rallied for a day-after session, which started at the Hotel Santa Clara (such a pretty hotel), and then continued throughout the winding streets of Cartagena. By the end of the shoot, we were all covered in sweat and humidity-caked dirt, so I suggested a dip in the pool, and Lizzette and Shad agreed. Be sure to scroll to the end of this post to see how much fun they had climbing into the pool in full tuxedo and white dress. Thanks, Lizzette and Shad, for including me and Jen in such a wonderful time in your lives. We loved working with you, and the post-shoot mojitos will be a fond memory for years to come.

Rebecca is an accomplished horsewoman, so after tooling around in downtown Tulum for part one of our day-after session, she rented two horses to take down to the beach for part two. The first horses — a white horse and a palamino — were a bit too spirited and jumpy, so the caballeros exchanged those horses for two kinder rides (in a totally different color scheme). The wind refused to cooperate with Rebecca’s veil, so we reluctantly had to bunch it up and set it aside. The weather for our day-after session consisted of a strange, humid, light-gray haze that made everything seem almost otherwordly. But it was definitely fun shooting horses on the beach, particularly in such weird weather. I’m not sure why, but I just discovered that I really love horses in B&W. Rebecca and Roy, thanks so much for having us. We loved being a part of your wedding.

After the Vidhi (see previous post), this gorgeous couple both retired to their respective rooms to change, and we then did a first-look and a few portraits before the groom headed out the palace gates to prepare for his entrance. The groom could scarcely contain his excitement at riding one of Udaipur’s temple elephants for the baraat, and he even coaxed a few of his friends into riding camels as part of the procession. The beautiful bride entered under a latticework of flowers, which matched the intricately woven floral mandap.

After the ceremony and vidai, the groom carried his bride back up to their room so they could change for the reception. After the welcome toast, guests were treated to a spectacle of fireworks, followed by good food and drink, and plenty of dancing and partying. Since wedding guests filled the entire Devi Garh Palace, there was no need to end the party early, and the couple’s friends danced until the wee small hours. Needless to say, after such a glorious time within the palace walls, everyone was sad to leave this amazing place, and this multi-day celebration. As I mentioned in my previous post, this couple was intent on providing their guests with a magical experience that they would always remember. And of course, they succeeded beautifully.

Although this was my third trip to Udaipur (no easy feat, since it takes around 30 hours to get from Los Angeles to Udaipur), I’ve found it nearly impossible to narrow the images down into a blog post that does their wedding any sort of justice. I’ve thus broken this wedding into two postings. This first post provides highlights from the welcome dinner at Durbar Hall in the City Palace Complex, the Menhdi and Sangeet at Devi Garh, and from the Vidhi, which took place the morning of the wedding. The second post, which should go live tomorrow, will feature all the wedding festivities. With second shooting by the tireless Yoshi Morimoto.