I first met Jenna and Bobby last November when I got together with them to shoot some engagement photos. The first thing I noticed was how laid back and cordial they both were so it was a pleasure to see them again and cover their wedding day in Rome, GA.
Date: July 28, 2007, Rome GA
Ceremony: Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church
Reception: Coosa Country Club
*** CLICK HERE *** to view the slideshow
Sara Speert came out to shoot with me and got some fabulous images (like the first one below). We started off bright and early at Inspiration Point, a cool little salon in downtown Rome.
There’s a bunch of salon images in the slideshow so check it out. When we got to the church the guys were pretty much doing what the guys do at almost every wedding. It takes them 15 minutes to get ready so they usually hang out, talk, joke and wait until they are given a job to do… which always comes around.
A few moments of mental prep and Bobby sinks right into his super-model role despite the jeers from all the other groomsmen standing behind me.
I caught this little guy giving me the eye as I was shooting.
We had clouds all day but it didn’t damper anyone’s spirits, especially Jenna.
The moment I found out that the bridal party was going to have to walk around the side of the church so they could walk down the isle from the front of the church, I was seeing this shot in my head. The problem was that I knew I was going to be inside the church as the wedding was getting started. This is where it’s absolutely essential that you have an awesome photographer like Sara there to execute and that you know you can count on. She nailed this shot!
I love doorways!
This is one of the challenges as a photographer — being able to get the shots that you want and the bride and groom want without being completely obnoxious. One of the things I tell brides, and it’s on my marketing materials, is this: your wedding day is not about your photographer, it’s about you!
So I do everything in my power to stay out of the way. This is the first dance and the dance floor was nearly surrounded and if I had tried to grab a traditional vantage point I would have annoyed everyone around me. Moreover the vantage point I wanted would have put me standing right in front of the entire bridal party. So I put on my big ole Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS lens and stood behind the bridal party. I didn’t have many full body shots, but Sara was on the other side getting those, and by shooting between heads and shoulders with a long lens I could get the reactions and emotions of the parents who were right where I wanted them…
Did I mention that everything was pink? From the bridesmaids to the decor to the cake to the… Bobby’s boutonnière was supposed to be pink too but I hear he vetoed it at the last minute.
Congratulations Jenna and Bobby!
Ben Vigil
Pure Fashion has been getting a fair amount of press lately and I’m sure the escapades of the likes of Britney and Paris are simply adding credence to the cause of promoting modesty in clothing styles and fashion in general. Every year (several times a years actually) I help out Pure Fashion covering their events, doing headshots and each year it culminates with a huge fashion show for teens. It’s a full-scale production with 60-80 models and attracts in the neighborhood of 1,800-2,500 guests. TOP NOTCH production. Seriously. Brenda Sharman, former Ms. Georgia, Supermom of three, and the National Director of Pure Fashion, is going to be on the Dr Phil show in a few weeks.
