Onslow Cotillion Christmas Ball

Each December I look forward to photographing the Onslow Cotillion Christmas Ball. This marks my 5th year photographing the annual event and I never tire of it. At this year’s Ball three young ladies were presented. Brooke, Brittany and Lauren were absolutely stunning in their white gowns with red roses. Escorted by their fathers, the young ladies were presented to the Cotillion followed by a first dance. Since Brooke and Brittany are twins, Bob needed a little help. So his brother, Don, stepped in to help with the dancing. Then while the honorees danced with their dates, the mothers and fathers enjoyed a dance together. Later, the dance floor was crowded with members and guests – young and not-so-young. Here is a sneak preview of the Cotillion Ball.

The remainder of the pictures can be found at www.elisebeall.instaproofs.com in about 10 days.

merrick

Merrick visited Jacksonville for the Christmas holidays, so we took the time to do her senior portraits. I had heard a lot about Merrick but had never met her. I was so excited when I saw her beautiful red hair and green eyes. What an amazing combination! I had wanted to shoot down near the river, but it was so overcast, cold, and windy – we decided to go downtown. Even there the wind was a problem, but not nearly as much as it would have been on the water.

Merrick was very easy to work with. Although I’m sure she got a little tired of Heather and I messing with her, she kept her sense of humor. When I said, “We’re done,” I think I heard her sigh with relief.

It has taken me longer than normal to blog this shoot. I haven’t even downloaded all the pictures yet, but wanted to get something online tonight. I’m sure there will be more really great shots, but for now here’s a sneak preview.

Christina and Mike’s Gallery

To view a complete gallery of photographs from Mike and Christina’s wedding, go to www.elisebeall.instaproofs.com and click on Mike and Christina.  There are 424 photographs separated into different categories.  The easiest way to view the photographs is to choose the slide show for each category – and move the speed to fast.  Be sure to order early and take advantage of the Early Bird Sale!

christina + mike (let’s dance!)

Christina and Mike’s reception was wonderful.  The decorations were stunning, the food delicious, and the entertainment  . . . well, it was entertaining!  One of the hallmarks of a good reception is a full dance floor.  And the dance floor was rarely empty Saturday night.  Mike and Christina started the dancing, followed by Christina dancing with her father while Mike danced with his mother, then the wedding party joined in.  After eating, cutting the cake, throwing the bouquet and garter and all of the other events that happen during the reception, the guests hit the dance floor.  At every wedding I shoot, there is always one couple that can REALLY dance.  This reception was no different – except there were several couples who really had some moves.  And the dancing wasn’t limited to the twenty-something group.  Young and old alike had a turn on the dance floor.  I think everyone had a really great time – I know I did.

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading about Mike and Christina’s wedding.  This is the last post for this wedding, but come back soon.  You never know what you might find.

christina + mike (the rings)

Those of you who read my blog know I love rings.  I try to get creative pictures of the rings at each wedding.  Some pictures, I repeat – like the Bible and flowers with the rings.  But, I’m always looking for ideas that are special to a particular wedding.  For Christina and Mike, I used the wine table as my focus.  There were several areas on the table where I could take really cool pictures that won’t look like anyone else’s.  Here they are.

Tomorrow will be my last blog about Mike and Christina’s wedding.  Be on the look out for some fun reception pictures.

christina + mike (the details)

Part of what makes weddings special are the details. Every wedding I photograph has had something original to set it apart, which is one reason why I still do this. Christina and Mike’s wedding was only the 2nd Christmas wedding I’ve photographed and the other was several years ago. It was nice to be able to incorporate decorations from the Christmas season into the wedding.

But first came the invitations. Christina chose a traditional invitation that was simple and beautiful.

Linda and Terri from Forget-Me-Not Florist really outdid themselves with the decorations. Christina chose white roses, greenery, and berries for her bouquet and kissing balls made of red roses and greenery for her bridesmaids. I loved the idea of using kissing balls instead of the normal wrapped bouquets for the bridesmaids. I’m just not exactly sure what the bridesmaids were doing with their flowers in this picture!

The reception was held at the Officers’ Club aboard Camp Lejeune. Dawn, the Events Coordinator, did a wonderful job setting up and presiding over the reception. And Terri and Linda made the Carolina Room into a winter wonderland. Each table had a slightly different centerpiece and there were Christmas touches throughout.

The ice sculpture was probably one of my favorite touches. Isn’t it fantastic?

And what would a wedding be without cake? This wedding cake was even more special than normal because it was baked by Mike’s grandmother. So, we know there was love in every bite! The cake was beautiful, as you can tell from the picture. I can also attest to the fact that it was delicious. I try to never leave a wedding without sampling the cake – and this one was a definite winner.

The bride’s parents, Barb and Lee, went a step further than most hosts. Lee actually made and bottled several types of wine so that each family could take a bottle home with them. The labels were personalized with a picture of Mike and Christina and tied with a raffia bow. I haven’t tried the wine yet, but my daughter, Megan, loves Lee’s wine.

So you can see there were lots of details that went into making Mike and Christina’s wedding day so special. There were also lots of family and good friends to share the day with, delicious food, and great music. And of course there are pictures, lots and lots of pictures, to help Mike and Christina remember all of the details that can so easily be forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the day.

More tomorrow.

christina + mike (the ceremony)

I do love a wedding. The wedding ceremony is filled with such love, emotion, and promise for the future. But though I love the ceremony, it’s the very hardest part of the day for me. Most churches do not allow flash photography during the ceremony – a rule that I totally agree with. A wedding ceremony is first and foremost a religious ceremony uniting a man and a woman in holy matrimony. Flashes popping all over the place can distract from the ceremony and make it less meaningful. But, many churches are dark and difficult to photograph in without extra light – and Infant of Prague is no exception. The lack of light means we have to shoot in far less than ideal circumstances which often leaves us with a limited number of photographs. But we were able to capture some really nice moments for Mike and Christina.

First, this is Christina hiding behind Mike’s sister, Liz, so that nobody inside the church can see her before she walks down the aisle. Notice that Christina is laughing and totally at ease. I never saw her get nervous or upset the entire day. Christina is as far removed from a bridezilla as I have ever seen.

If you read my first blog about the wedding, you’ll may remember that I mentioned that Christina was the more emotional of the Branche sisters – and that she got it from her father. I have never known a man who loves his daughters any more than Lee Branche. He has doted on them their entire lives – and when it’s time to give them away . . . he has a little trouble. Lee doesn’t mind showing his feelings – just one of the many reasons I adore him. He really tried to hold it together, but when he escorted his wife Barb into the church his emotions got away from him.

But, by the time he was due to walk Christina down the aisle, he had gained control – for a little while, anyway.

I was a little worried that Lee wouldn’t hand Christina over to Mike when he got her down the aisle, but he did. And, he and Mike even exchanged a hug. But then, there were two.

I’m a Methodist and our weddings and short and sweet. Nobody has a chance to sit down. But Christina and Mike were married in a Catholic ceremony, so they had a chance to sit, relax and be entertained by Father Tom. I must admit, this was one of the best wedding homilies I’ve ever heard. Father Tom had the entire congregation in stitches more than once. And, he made the ceremony very personal. Mike and Christina both seemed to enjoy Father Tom’s words of wisdom.

Even though I have lived in Jacksonville for over 25 years, I had never been in Infant of Prague but once – and never for a wedding. I’m a traditionalist when it comes to church architecture, but I really love the stained glass and the many details that make Infant of Prague so beautiful. Standing in the back watching Christina and Mike pledge their love was a very moving experience.

Then it was time for the exchange of rings. When Christina placed Mike’s ring on his finger, I will admit to being a bit emotional myself. This is always my favorite part of the ceremony. I get a little teary just remembering.

Then Father Tom blessed Mike and Christina’s union, they sealed it with a kiss, and joyfully started their life together.

Check back tomorrow night – late – and you’ll get to see some of the details that made Mike and Christina’s wedding so special.

christina + mike (getting ready)

I’m going to do something a little different when blogging about Mike and Christina’s wedding. I’m going to blog the wedding in stages. I’m usually far too busy to do this. But, as it happens, I’m now on Christmas break and have a little more time on my hands. And, I think it is very interesting to see what goes into making a wedding happen – and happen well. What better wedding to showcase than the wedding of Christina and Mike?

For those of you who haven’t been reading my blog on a regular basis, you may not know the relationship I share with Christina. I have known Christina since the day she was born. I took dinner to her parents the day she came home from the hospital. The very first time she ever spent the night away from home, she stayed at MY house. I have loved Christina (and her sister Adrienne) since they were babies. So, their weddings have been labors of love for me. Christina and Adrienne are very different – as most sisters are. Christina is by far the more emotional of the two. She gets that from her father – but that will be another blog entry. When Christina and I hugged goodbye as I was leaving her reception, we both sobbed. She is very, very special to me.

But back to the business at hand. It always makes me happy when I can start the day shooting pictures at the salon as the bride and bridesmaids prepare for the wedding. Christina chose Shear Magic as her salon. She and her bridesmaids met at 8:30 to start the long process of getting beautiful for the wedding. Friends provided breakfast and the girls had a wonderful time being pampered, eating, and bonding. Merry is a tremendous stylist, but even she can’t make a silk purse out of a sou’s ear. Christina is absolutely gorgeous when she rolls out of bed in the morning with messy hair and no make-up, so Merry didn’t have to work too terribly hard to make her into a ravishing bride.

Here are a few pictures of Merry at work.

I love it when my brides have their make-up professionally applied. Merry knows exactly what it takes to make a bride photograph well. You can certainly see the transition in the pictures above. And now take a look at the finished product.

Isn’t Christina just gorgeous?

You know, life really isn’t fair. Even though Christina is exquisitely beautiful (and I’m not a bit prejudiced), it took her quite a while to get ready for her wedding. Now, here’s Mike.

Isn’t Mike a very handsome groom? He really did look superb. I don’t know this for a fact, but I bet he rolled out of bed, took a shower, hopped in a tux and was ready in less than an hour. See what I mean. Life just isn’t fair!

But, when Mike watched Christina walk down that aisle Saturday afternoon, everything she did to get ready was truly worth it. Here is Mike seeing Christina for the first time. Can’t you tell by the expression on his face that Mike knows he’s one lucky man? His smiles says it all.

Check back for more on Mike and Christina’s wedding. This is going to be a fun week!

christina

Christina and Mike got married today after a short, 8 1/2 year, courtship. I’ll be blogging more about the wedding in the next couple of days, but for today it’s all about Christina. Christina moved to Texas in August – long before her wedding gown arrived. And she’s only been home for 4 days since then. It just so happens that the 4 days that Christina was home, I was out of town. So, we never had an opportunity to do a bridal portrait for Christina. Because I love her and wanted her to have a portrait, I made the decision to do Christina’s bridal portrait just before the wedding. So, as guests were arriving, we were in the fellowship hall taking pictures. It was a rushed session – only a fraction of what I normally do for bridals – but it was better than nothing.

Christina was an absolutely beautiful bride and about the lowest maintenance bride I’ve ever met. I haven’t been through all of the portraits yet, but these are a few of my early favorites.

I’ll show much more from this wedding later – but it has been a very long day and I’m whipped. Goodnight.

lexie & katie

Lexie and Katie were two of my first portrait subjects back in the days when I used a sheet for a backdrop in my open carport. I wish I could show you a picture from our first session, but I was shooting film back then so I don’t have digital files. Working with Lexie and Katie helped me decide that I really wanted to be a photographer. I worked hard, studied hard, and practiced a lot so that I could make my portraits look the way I envision them. I also spent a fortune on the best equipment available even though I now know it’s the photographer, not the equipment, that makes the difference. But even though it’s the photographer that really counts – you have to have the right equipment to perform the task. I invested in camera bodies and lenses that would allow me to get the really great shots that I read about in books.

Last week we met to do pictures for Lexie and Katie’s family Christmas card. The problem with not owning a studio is that you are controlled by the weather and it’s sometimes difficult to find good places to shoot. At first we shot in the same spots that I’ve been using for a couple of years. They are really cool places and I get good pictures there, but those spots have become a bit too popular, so we set off to find somewhere new to shoot. We found one new place that we really liked, so I made the girls promise not to tell anyone where it is. Of course, anyone who looks hard enough will find it – but until then, it’s OUR spot.

Lexie and Katie are as different as night and day. Lexie would rather have a root canal than pose for pictures, and Katie would pose all day long without stopping if we’d let her. I learned something from working with the girls last week. I just let them pose themselves, and they naturally assume poses that show their individual personalities. We had a great time and even Lexie liked some of the pictures – so I count our session as a tremendous success!