We capped off this past weekend with a very special and very personal wedding for Rene and I. Carlos is actually Rene’s cousin and because they grew up together, their families have always been close. When Carlos and Marie came to us and asked if we would photograph their wedding, we couldn’t say “yes” quickly enough. We were very excited because we love them as family, of course. But we were also equally excited because they also truly loved our work and really wanted us to photograph their wedding, not just because it was convenient. As a matter of fact, Marie is one of our biggest blog stalkers and emails me for details every time we post a wedding she wants to see more of. And as if they weren’t excited enough before the wedding - we got an email from them yesterday right after they arrived at their honeymoon in the Turks and Caicos! I do believe that is a new record! 
We also had a special treat at this wedding as Carl, our newest associate, also joined us for some extra coverage! In the end, this was definitely one incredible wedding for us both creatively and emotionally. We had a really hard time picking “select” pictures for the blog, so get ready for lots of images!
We start, of course, with the getting ready photos which were so much fun as always. There was so much going on and so many excited people around trying to get to the church on time. Here are a few of our favorites…
This first image is of Marie just getting ready to spray a little Burberry right after she put her gown on:
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While at the same time, the boys were all getting dressed at a nearby hotel:
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We all arrived at the church at just about the same time and everything began to happen very quickly. This next image is of the very handsome Carlos just minutes before taking his place at the front of the church:
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The ceremony itself was incredibly emotional and the one moment I will never forget is Carlos wiping away the tears streaming down Marie’s face while saying the vows he had written himself. It was just amazing. And I’m going to be a tease and make everyone wait to see those images in their gallery. I don’t think there were many dry eyes at the church right then!
After the ceremony, we did a few family formals and then we were able to steal away with just Carlos and Marie so they could have some time together and also so we could have some fun with their own little session. We had access to some great architecture and beautiful greenery all at the same time right where we were. We literally have dozens of favorite images from that one little session with just the two of them and it was nearly impossible to pick some out for the blog. If you can imagine me closing my eyes and randomly selecting photos, it went something like that. Anyways, here’s a little taste:
First Marie who was absolutely stunning in her Oleg Cassini gown. Even though you can’t see it very well in this next image, the details on her dress were amazing and she was just gorgeous in it:
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Another quiet moment…
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There were so many really emotional moments during the reception, too. This next image is probably one of my favorite images of a mother/son dance. Ever. In fact, it may be one of my top favorite images period. Carlos was dancing with his mom who became very emotional. His mom raised Carlos, his brother and sister as a single mom and now that they’re all grown up with families of their own, there was no better testament to what an amazing job she did than this: Halfway through their dance, Carlos’ brother and sister spontaneously joined them and they all just hugged each other tightly right there in the middle of the dance floor, crying together for the rest of the song. It was something I’ll never forget and one of my favorite captured moments:
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Finally, towards the end of the evening, we took Carlos and his closest friends outside for a little “guy” time. Carlos’ brother had passed out cigars earlier in the evening and we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to light them up! Rene and I had been thinking about these shots for a long time, and we finally found the perfect group of guys who were up for the challenge. Carlos has plans for a “guy” room in their home and I’m thinking these images will fit right in.
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We’re so excited for Carlos and Marie to see the rest of the gallery from their wedding! We’re also truly so honored to have been able to capture this entire special day for them. They are just one incredibly special couple and it means the world to us that we can call them family.
