Julia and Ryan
Sonoma, California Wedding

01.28.2011 | Weddings | 3 Comments
post by
Dave

Golden rays from a sinking sun beamed over the Sonoma hills and trickled through the oaks surrounding Beltane Ranch. The heavenly light lent a glorified air to to Ryan and Julia’s reception dinner, where one friend after another paid tearful tribute to the newlyweds.

But tearful doesn’t begin to describe the occasion. Each successive speaker seemed overcome by emotion as they tried to express their sentiments.

To hear a couple exalted by their peers – in venerating remarks articulated between sobs – is to develop a unique reverence for that couple. I felt honored to be in attendance!

Following the soggy send up, husband and wife performed their first dance, a choreographed piece to the tune Sweet Disposition that included dips by both the bride and the groom.

Amped by the tempo, the wedding party crashed the dance floor and encircled Ryan and Julia, lifting them in chairs and parading them over the crowd.

A night of spirited dancing ensued that, as usual, was only too brief for our tastes.

My gratitude to Julia and Ryan for inviting me to document their wedding and to our associate Aaron Morris for contributing his talented eye.

- Dave

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

Photo below by Aaron

  • ernst: yOU ARE BOTH AN INSPIRATION, AS IS EVERYONE IN THE bEN CHRISMAN TEAM. sUBLIME! (01.28.2011 02:58am)
  • Jenna: love! this bride is so cute!! (01.28.2011 10:37pm)
  • Matthias: So many classic moments guys. great work as usual. (02.01.2011 12:26am)

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Susie and Chris
Virgin Islands Wedding

01.21.2011 | Weddings | 8 Comments
post by
Dave

While they were both students at the University of Iowa, Chris took a liking to Susie and began to pursue her.

Literally.

After a car chase around campus, she got out of her vehicle and yelled at him for tailgating.

But Chris won her over with his soft-spoken charm and, possibly, with a display of his athletic talent (he was a receiver for the Division I Hawkeyes). After graduation, a move to Chicago and 10 years together, they began planning a destination wedding in the Caribbean.

A small group of friends and family from the Midwest joined them for a long weekend that included dancing at a local nightclub, a catamaran cruise to an uninhabited island, a wedding ceremony on the beach and a reception at Havana Blue. Costumed performers entertained with fire-breathing, a choreographed line dance and a limbo stick, inviting participation from the guests.

All of this activity meant a visual feast for our cameras. But for me and Max, the Caribbean was not without its challenges.

Suffocating humidity fogged our lenses and torrential rain threatened our equipment. An attack of fire ants even prompted Max to drop his pants and swat furiously at his bare legs.

But the real challenge? Resisting the urge to party with everybody.

Thanks to Chris and Susie for inviting us to join them on St. Thomas, to Havana Blue‘s wonderful coordinator Beth Smith and to Max Whittaker for his supporting photographs.

- Dave

Photo below by Max

Photo below by Max

Photo below by Max

Photo below by Max

  • petrini: stuning work GUYS.KEEP IT UP (01.21.2011 08:08am)
  • kitty: nice, nice seeing. beautiful. (01.21.2011 02:32pm)
  • kirsten lewis: Great work, per usual, Dave. amazing colorS, PERfect moments, stunning location. can't wait to see ya in vegas. xo (01.21.2011 03:52pm)
  • Josh Gruetzmacher: Great photos Dave. It looks like this was a really fun wedding. (01.21.2011 05:03pm)
  • daniel: nice work, dave! these are steller! love all the color! (01.21.2011 06:30pm)
  • steve: Nice dave - great getting ready shots with a film feel, and awsome pj work. (01.22.2011 07:47pm)
  • Sasha: Well done, Dave! Amazing photos! (01.26.2011 07:19am)
  • luis Mateus: good job! (02.09.2011 12:44pm)

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Kilolo and Edward
Pleasanton, California Wedding

01.09.2011 | Weddings | 7 Comments
post by
Aaron

Kilolo and Edward met at the University of Michigan, where Edward was working and where Kilolo was pursuing her PhD. As a sports fan, one day Kilolo decided to go play some flag football with the intramural team at the school. Edward was on the opposing team, and was quickly impressed by Kilolo’s talents on the field. He was interested right away, but Kilolo played it cool for a while, until finally giving into fate.

Kilolo and Edward were married at Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery in Pleasanton, CA. Their ‘LatAfribbean’ (a term I believe Kilolo coined) wedding was full of personality and emotion and it was clear these two have a lot of fun together.

Here is to many more years of love, laughs, and football games together.

Thanks to Mauricio for coming with me.

- Aaron

Photo below by Mauricio -

Photo below by Mauricio -

Photo below by Mauricio -

Photo below by Mauricio -

  • Antonio: I love the priest! (01.09.2011 07:21pm)
  • Steve: great images, really polished, love the first three especially (01.10.2011 12:26am)
  • mairen: you guys are crazy talented! (01.10.2011 01:04am)
  • Talitha: love the photos! amazing work! (01.10.2011 04:15am)
  • reggie: the father/daughter going down the aisle shot is flat out stunning. one of the best I've seen. the guys heads in the bathroom also is really great. (01.18.2011 04:06am)
  • ed: It was a pleasure and wise choice to select you guys to take our pictures we have all kinds of people asking for your information. we absolutely loved the photos. they really do take us back through that wonderful day. people loved the slide show too. nice touch with the song. you guys did an awesome job! (03.01.2011 04:55pm)
  • May: gorgeous. many many warm congrats! may u be in the same city soon! how u gonna make babies like that????? (03.04.2011 05:11am)

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Jean and Tyler
Bonny Doon, California Wedding

01.04.2011 | Weddings | 4 Comments
post by
Aaron

This summer, Jean and Tyler were married at the Redwood Croft Bed & Breakfast in Bonny Doon, CA. Jean and Tyler picked Redwood Croft after spending a few weekends in the cozy, secluded location with their dog Kepler, who was also the ring bearer. It was a small, intimate ceremony with a handful of family members. After some portraits in the redwoods, Jean and Tyler shared a relaxed dinner with their guests at a nearby restaurant.

While their wedding at Redwood Croft was small and mellow, to celebrate with their friends the couple had a party the weekend before in San Francisco complete with RockBand on a projector, a dance floor, and a Fuddrucker’s catering truck stopping in to grill up some burgers for their guests.

It was an honor to share this day with you both, and I wish you all the best!

- Aaron

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