The best thing about doing pre-wedding photo sessions is that I get a feel for the bride and groom’s personalities and likes and dislikes before the wedding.

I started Danielle and Denis’ wedding day photos with bride prep pictures at the Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans. Jeff and our assistant photographer Susan met Denis and his groomsmen at Holy Name of Jesus Church and were able to capture some pre-ceremony formal and candid photos with them.

The ceremony went beautifully and the church looked amazing with the floral designs created by Danielle’s mom who owns Flowers by Janice in Harahan. Because there is no flash photography allowed at Holy Name and we are somewhat limited to where we can move, we always shoot with 3 photographers in order to make sure we cover everything during the ceremony. Jeff was stationed on the altar hidden off to the side, Susan took her post in the choir loft and I “floated” around the church capturing the ceremony from various angles. This approach allows us to get a good variety of photos without being intrusive.

After the Mass, the reception was held at the Audubon Tea Room. Some of the highlights at the reception were the sushi bar, the beautiful cakes (designed by Melissa’s Fine Pastries), an awesome band (Louisiana Spice) and the Roman Candy Man set up outside the reception at the end of the evening.

The reception seemed to fly by and the Tea Room had an ever-changing palette courtesy of the special lighting brought by the band. The lighting really added a lot of dimension and made the already beautiful Tea Room look just that much more amazing.

The bridal party had a blast dancing to Louisiana Spice’s rendition of Randy Newman’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On.” The reception ended with a traditional Second Line around the Tea Room and Danielle and Denis grabbed a quick kiss on their way out under the watch of the Roman Candy Man.

Ireiel and Demond prepared for the wedding at the International House Hotel where Jeff and I covered their Getting Ready photos. Titus met us at the church,Corpus Christi Church on Saint Bernard Ave, to help cover the wedding Mass. Eric from Bee’s Wedding and Event Floral Design created the sophisticated bouquet designs and decorated the church and reception with gorgeous arrangements incorporating cymbidium orchids, callas and roses.

The reception took place at the Riverview Room in Jax Brewery and featured a live band and cakes by Melissa’s Fine Pastries.  My personal favorite was the Demond’s groom’s cake which was a three-dimensional recreation of a Grand Marnier bottle. The detail on this cake was so intricate, right down to the 3-d “wax” seal.

The partying photos capture the fun that the wedding party and guests had at the reception…it’s always great photos when the guests aren’t afraid to have a good time. There were some great dancers at this party! The reception wrapped up with a second line which packed the dance floor and then Ireiel and Demond stayed to say their goodbyes to all their guests.

I did my first sunrise photo shoot a few weeks ago.  Jeff and I met Kim & Joe on the Moonwalk in the French Quarter for 6am to do their pre-wedding formal pictures a few weeks ago. I am generally a morning person, but it’s not often I meet a bride and groom who are willing to wake up at 3am to start preparing for photos!  It was such an energizing experience shooting that early.

Due to the impending change in Daylight Savings Time, we had about 30 minutes of “night time” shooting with the Connection and the Creole Queen lit up on the river before the sun started to come up.  It was a glorious sunrise.  Such rich reds, oranges and violets! This beautiful palette lasted only a few minutes, but we were able to capture several frames before the colors started to fade.

We then walked over to Canal Place and found the perfect spot to do some “city shots.” This image was taken on the Canal Street side of Canal Place about a half hour into the shoot – a big difference in the lighting from completely dark to this!

We wandered around several blocks of Canal Street from Harrah’s to Chartres where we found this great arched doorway and back to the Cathedral. The lighting was so soft and elegant and of course the temperatures much milder (a feature of a sunrise shoot that we all appreciated!).  By 7:15, the morning sun was bathing the Cathedral in a gorgeous golden color which made the perfect backdrop to finish the session.

Thank you Kim and Joe for giving me permission to post your pictures before your wedding!

Like many of my brides and grooms, I met Aida and Joe for the first time several months after they booked me. We met in the French Quarter last May to do their Engagement Portraits. I instantly knew I liked Aida and Joe. They were laid back, easy going and just plain nice to be around. We got some great pics including this photo near Jax Brewery that Aida displayed at the reception.

The wedding day started for Jeff and I taking pictures of Aida and Joe getting ready at the St. Louis Hotel. Jeff took pictures of Joe and his groomsmen while I spent time photographing the girls. Jeff caught Joe when he opened his wedding gift from Aida and then did group portraits in the courtyard while I took photos Aida getting her makeup done.

Aida arrived at the church in a vintage Rolls Royce. I caught this moment of anticipation as Aida’s father got out of the car and the dome light in the car illuminated her face.

Aida and Joe were married at The National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor on State Street uptown. I was able to create this image during the ceremony from the chapel side of the church. I always feel like I’m in a Gothic Cathedral when I’m shooting here. The lighting on the altar is fantastic…I was able to use natural light for the vows and ring exchange – I always prefer getting the natural ambiance when I’m shooting, so this was perfect.

Urban Earth designed the flowers – both the bouquets and the arrangements at the reception. Each table at the reception was draped in cascades of orchids and crystals with the centerpiece of the courtyard being the fountain which Urban Earth made extraordinarily amazing. The arrangements were accented by strategically placed lights with pink gels which added a dramatic flair to the already gorgeous courtyard. The band, Johnny Angel and the Swinging Demons (who happen to be old friends of Jeff’s), played for the reception.

The cake cutting took place half way through the reception, and was marked with a toast by Joe’s twin brother and best man. The rest of the evening, Joe and Aida danced and mingled with their guests. I was able to catch this image of Aida showing off the watch she gave to Joe earlier in the day.

The evening ended with a challenge for the guests to keep sparklers lit in the light rain that had been created a cool mist outside the St Louis Hotel. A horse and carriage whisked Joe and Aida away on a tour of the French Quarter.