It was two years ago that I first met with Jen & Brandon to talk about their wedding, which at the time, didn’t have an official date.  How flattering it has been to work with two people who truly appreciate what I do as an artist and who were willing be flexible around my schedule in order to work with me.  There aren’t many days that are off limits on my calendar, but Mother’s Day happens to be one of those that I will not shoot so at first, I wasn’t sure it would work out for us.  Luckily for me, they were willing to make some changes in order for me to be with them on their wedding day and I am so glad they did.  It has been a pleasure getting to know them over the past couple of years and while I was with them on their wedding day, it honestly felt like I was there as a friend, which is a great place to be.  Everything about the day was beautiful.  Thank you both for being so awesome to work with and allowing me along for the ride!  It has been a pleasure getting to know you both!

XOXO

Dana

Ceremony/reception : The White Room

Flowers : Ruby Reds Florals

Band : The Faze

Cinematography : Jason Avery Films

I had a great time working with Mindy & Patrick for their wedding last month.  Luckily the rain held off for the most part and we had a beautiful day for their very special wedding.  Thank you both for allowing to me to capture this very special time for you!

XOXO

Dana

Bridal gown : Solutions Bridal Designer House

Makeup : Kimtasha Armstrong

Shoes : Jimmy Choo

Bridal jewelry : The White Magnolia

Flowers : The Conservatorie Floral and Event Design

Coordinator : PRI Productions

Ceremony : Lightner Museum

Reception : The White Room

Susana & Brian are one of my couples from out of town.  They planned their beautiful St Augustine wedding from Pennsylvania and I’m so happy to have been a part of it.  They have a great sense of style and I loved the great details they incorporated into the day.  From Brian’s custom suit, to Susana’s custom dress and their donation to Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG organization, the day had plenty of character and it was a good reflection of who they are as a couple.  They also chose to do a “first look” at the beach house Susana was staying at, which I highly recommend.  It’s a good way to ease those pre wedding jitters.

The day started out rainy and by the time the ceremony started, we had some clear skies, only to be visited again by the rain before reception time.  With the ups and downs in the weather, none of that really mattered and it certainly didn’t put a damper on how excited Susana & Brian were to be married.  I cannot begin to express how much I truly enjoyed working with them and photographing them on their special day.  On top of that, I was able to work with some of my favorite vendors so all in all, the day couldn’t have been any better.

XOXO

Dana

Ceremony : Memorial Presbyterian Church

Reception : The White Room

Floral design : The Conservatorie

Bridal gown : Daniel Thompson Bridals

Bride shoes : J Crew

Bridesmaid dresses : Annaelyse , Bella Bridesmaid

Hair : Panache

Makeup : Stephanie Bolen, Simply Makeup

Groom suit : custom made by Hiras

Groom shoes : Johnston & Murphy

Reception band : The RiverTown Band

Cake and cake pops : The Pastry Studio

LIVESTRONG bracelets and donations : Livestrong

Paper goods, Mr & Mrs Sign : Declaration Boutique and Events

Alex & Mike were my last couple for 2011 and I couldn’t have asked for a better couple to end the year with.  They are truly one of the sweetest couples I have worked with.  Family and friends from all over the world came to St Augustine to celebrate their special day with them.  Both being Embry-Riddle graduates, they incorporated small touches of aviation and aerospace into their reception decor.  Mike’s grooms cake from Metro Custom Cakes has got to be one of the coolest cakes I’ve seen.  He works for NASA and the space shuttle cake complete with lights was quite a hit.  From Alex’s father’s heartfelt speech to the fun time everyone had on the dance floor, everyone really enjoyed themselves and the day was perfect.

Thank you both for having me document your wedding day.  I am honored and touched to have been a part of it.

XOXO

Dana

Wedding planner : The Big Event

Ceremony : Cathedral Basilica

Reception : The White Room

Flowers : 57 Treasury

Cake : Metro Custom Cakes

I’ve been thinking off and on for the last few weeks about what to say about Kerrie and Daniel.  Sure, I can say all the usual stuff about how they got married on one of the most beautiful days in November and what a beautiful ceremony and rockin’ reception they had, both of which are totally true.  However, as much fun as the day was, those aren’t the things that come to my mind first when I think about their wedding day.

Kerrie and Daniel are my ideal clients.  If eHarmony matched engaged couples to wedding photographers, we’d be a perfect match.  Not only are they completely gorgeous, they are two of the nicest people I have ever met.  Anyone who spends just a little time around them can quickly see how much they adore each other.  I am extremely blessed to have the opportunity to work with couples on one of the most important days of their lives together.  When I’m able to work with people like Kerrie and Daniel, it’s an even bigger blessing.

I think one of the reasons we worked out so well is because they trust me.  They really, really trust me and even though they’ve never come out and said so, I could feel it when I worked with them.  It really warms my heart to step back, look through my camera and see these magical moments happening right in front of me.  Daniel and Kerrie were so incredibly happy and the emotions I was seeing weren’t forced, they were real and turned out to be some of the best pictures I feel I’ve ever taken.  They and their families allowed me into their lives and trusted my vision to capture these really special memories and emotions and for that, I am thankful.  This is not something I ever take for granted when I work with people.  In fact, it’s why I love what I do.

Thank you both for having me along and I wish you many, many long and happy years together.

XOXO

Dana

Ceremony – The Oldest House

Reception – The White Room

Bride’s dress – Modern Trousseau - White Magnolia Bridal

Bridesmaid dresses - Ann Taylor

Hair – Grazyna Mercado

Flowers – Ruby Reds Floral & Garden

Band – The Faze Band

Cake – Publix

Bonnie at Ruby Reds Floral did an amazing job on the flowers!  Even the lace around the stems matched Kerrie’s dress.  
Kerrie helping her sister with the finishing touches on her dress.  Kerrie has the cutest grandparents!  I happened to walk upstairs at Bella Bay Inn and found her grandparents.  As a photographer, it’s so important to think outside of the box and I’m glad I was prepared to catch this really special moment between them.  Thank you to my friend and colleague Kate Gardiner for spending some time with the guys and shooting with me.  Kerrie bought Daniel and the guys this really awesome North Carolina State suspenders to wear with their tuxes.  Love it!  Some girl time before the walk down the aisle. You two are so cute!  Ruby Reds Floral with the help of Kerrie, created beautiful, beautiful reception tables.
I loved the idea of having all of their families wedding pictures on a table for family and friends to enjoy.  They sent their guests home with miniature bottles of Cook’s Champagne.  Great idea!  I think all guys love Journey’s  Don’t Stop Believin’!For their last dance, all of their guests left the dance floor and gave Kerrie and Daniel a moment alone while the band played.