We wish you the best in following your dreams Darcell!

Roz and Jason

Carrie and the girls got ready over at Hotel Encanto, and the guys all got ready over at Erich and Carries place – and then we all headed over to the golf course. We had quite a time keeping them from seeing each other, because the guys were in the bar, overlooking the course, and the girls and I were out on the green, getting some formals before the ceremony. Jason managed to keep them distracted though, and it all went off seamlessly. They had chosen Tiffany blue for their main wedding color, and everything looked gorgeous all decked out there on the patio at the clubhouse.

It’s hard to say what my favorite part of the ceremony was – there were so many stunning moments that it makes it hard to choose! Lauren, Erichs daughter – twirled down the aisle sprinkling flowers as she went, and it was so cute I almost cried. She’s six – and missing more than a few teeth, making her so freaking adorable that I wanted to just take her home with me! They also had a group of Carrie’s students sing a gorgeous song during the ceremony, with acompniment of a gutairst (who doubled as the officiant) and a flautist. It was just so beautifully done! As a grand finale to the ceremony, they danced back down the aisle to Black Eyed Peas “I’ve Got A Feelin’” and it was just PRICELESS!

The reception got underway after a few bridals and couples portraits out on the course, up in the clubhouse. Their cake was not only delicious, but very well done! We loved the little golf cart on top, it was the perfect touch! They partied into the night, and even did some karaoke! Normally, that sort of thing would be fairly frightening at a wedding reception – but not at this one! Since almost all the people there were very talented musicians and singers in their own right, the karaoke was GREAT!

We had so much fun you guys! We wish you well in your life together!

Roz and Jason

First we headed out to the tennis courts at NMSU and took some shots of Brenner doing his thing. The shot where he’s bouncing the tennis ball was so funny that we nearly couldn’t shoot straight – every time I had him look at the camera, the ball would go bouncing off into oblivion. We did eventually get it, but this shot of him looking down towards his racket and ball is one of my favorites.

So after some tennis, and taking a few more photos around the campus, we headed over to Starbucks. Now Raleigh, his sister has been a friend of mine for a few years, and we’re always laughing about the great impersonations Brenner can do. Recently, there was a skit on SNL that we’re all big fans of, and which Brenner imitates with amazing skill. So I urged Raleigh to convince him to bring a hoodie, despite the heat, and we headed over to Starbucks for an iced coffee. The shot we took of him doing this impersonation, is not really the type of senior shot we’d usually do, but is so “Brenner” that we had to do it!

So… Brenner…. what’s so scary about Connecticut anyway? Leaving your tennis racket in a Pottery Barn?

We love you guys!

Roz & Jason

Ed and Darby elected to have a first sight, which let us shoot most of the bridal party photos before the wedding. Ed was a tad delayed by his Boxer puppy Sasha, who hopped into the car when the guys stopped by his place for a few last-minute items and did not understand why she couldn’t come to the wedding too. Darby of course looked stunning, and Ed’s face lit up when he first saw her sitting on a bench in the Kent Hall courtyard, where the scene was set for a gorgeous ceremony.

After a lot of really incredible portraits, and a minor incident involving some dead tree branches that were in my way (I triumphed eventually, but it was a messy victory , Darby and her maids headed to another building while the guests got seated. La Cella Bella provided music to set the scene, then segued into the Wedding March as Darby entered, preceded by the wedding party. There were sprinkles of rain for luck during the ceremony, but the shining sun kissed the raindrops into molten gold. Afterward, we shot a few more sunset bridals (Darby’s cathedral-length veil provided options Roz just could not pass up), then everyone piled into the limo for the short drive to Old Mesilla and Josephina’s Old Gate.

Josephina’s was decked out to the nines with garden lights and black-and-white linens that turned the gardens into a New Mexican fairy-tale grotto as twilight descended. Soft music and happy conversation blended with birdsong; I completely forgot that we were just off Mesilla Square! For dessert, Darby and her maids created a delicious chocolate mousse, topped with garden-fresh berries and served in cups of milk chocolate.

After dessert, the party really got rolling. The guys broke out cigars, while the girls tore up the dance floor. Around midnight, Josephina’s was shutting down, but the party was still going strong, so the bridal party hopped into the limo and rode over to El Patio. Roz and I tagged along, and we got some more excellent images of everyone at the bar before we called it a night.

Ed and Darby, you guys had one of the prettiest weddings we’ve ever had the privilege of participating in. We’ll give you a shout when you get back from Hawaii!

This Saturday we were so privileged to photograph the wedding of Anthony and Allison, who are both huge Beatles fans! We were so excited about their wedding – we knew that all the music would be The Beatles, and there were also lots of other little details, as I’m sure you’ll see, that had our shutters clicking away in sheer delight!

First, I met Allison over at Crawford Studios, where Robert Tellez did his usual fabulous job with Allison’s hair and makeup. Allison had brought in a magazine photo that she really liked, and Robert wasted no time getting straight to work! Her makeup and hair were flawless, and they stayed that way all day long! Allison’s Maid of Honor, Melissa, also had her hair done at Crawford Studios, and looked equally fabulous. Time was running short however, so we rushed over to the brides parents house, where we got her into her dress!

Meanwhile, Jason was hanging out with Anthony and his parents at their house not too far away. As usual, things were a little more relaxed for the groom – they even broke out the guitars and had an impromptu jam session with Anthony’s dad! When they were finished jamming, Anthony had to get not only himself, but Allison’s little yorkie Hannibal ready for the wedding! Hannibal was starring as the ring bearer, and was quite dashing in his little tuxedo.

We all met up at the NMSU Botanical Gardens just outside Mesilla. Despite the fact that we’ve been having a week of on again – off again rainstorms, it couldn’t have been a more gorgeous day. The gardens were almost magically spring-like, with the birds chirping, the slight dampness in the air, and everything so fresh and green. Allison’s choice of blues, creams, and the brilliant colors of peacock feathers accented everything perfectly! Her bouquet, done by Barb’s Flowerland in Las Cruces was just perfect! The look on Anthony’s face when he saw his bride for the first time was priceless! It was an absolutely wonderful ceremony, ending with a butterfly release and many cheers for the newlyweds. After some quick bridals at the gardens, we were off to the Stan Fulton Center at NMSU, overlooking the stadium for the reception!

At the reception, the couple showed a slideshow, set to their favorite Beatles songs with their favorite snapshots and photos from their lives before they met, and while they were dating. After some very emotional toasts, it was time to cut the delicious looking cakes from Si Bistro! We were so excited, because we knew beforehand that one of the themes that the couple were trying to work into their wedding decor was Dia de los Muertos, and their cake toppers were skeletons dressed as a bride and groom! We loved them, original things like that really make a wedding special! We wish you both the best in your new lives together!

Roz

The upcoming year is going to bring some really great promotions, so make sure you keep checking in to see what’s happening! As I sit here at my computer, and look at the huge whiteboard behind it, I have to smile knowing what we’ve got planned. Every single month has a new surprise, and we think you’ll be as excited as we are about 2009!

The studio is closing for Christmas, but we will be back on December 30th! As sort of my last hurrah before the holidays, I made a special trip out with Suzanne and Julio this morning. Their engagement photos were posted a couple of days ago, but as we were driving home from that shoot, Suzanne was wishing they’d brought their NMSU sweatshirts for some photos at the University. We decided that we’d meet up this morning and get those shots, and I’m sure glad we did. Since it’s the holidays, both of us had our kids with us as assistants… and they were so well behaved. Thanks for meeting me out there you guys, and have a happy holiday! I’ve posted my two favorite shots from this morning!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Roz