Category archives: Weddings

Ebony + CoryBuffalo Wedding PhotographyBuffalo, NY

I was honored to travel Buffalo, NY for this wedding and document the union between these two great people. Buffalo is a really cool place both the city and the respective families for these guys made me feel very warmly welcomed.

A big soul church ceremony followed by some portraits at the Tifft Nature Preserve and finally a super fun reception at the Avanti Mansion made for a great day.

From Superman socks to portraits in front of Buffalo City Hall to grabbing a moment in front of Shea’s to the most insanely hilarious garter getting dance it was superb… Buffalo wedding photography is my new jam. Congrats guys 🙂

A mother and daughter share an intimate moment while getting ready prior to the daughter's Buffalo weddingOld ladies in color contrast waiting in the foyer of a church prior to a Buffalo wedding ceremonyA father hugs his daughter as the groom looks on at this Buffalo wedding ceremonyThe bride engaged in a quiet moment during her Buffalo wedding ceremonyThe Buffalo wedding bridal party post for a portrait featuring their peach dressesA groom and groomsmen laugh it up in a casual portrait taken at the Tifft Nature PreserveA Buffalo wedding party celebrate post-ceremony in a shuttle to Avanti MansionA Buffalo wedding couple enter their Avanti Mansion reception in grand fashionThe groom checks out his bride during a break from their Buffalo wedding at the Avanti Mansion A groom goes in for the kill during the garter dance at this Buffalo wedding

Trevor + ValerieJenne Farm WeddingWhidbey Island, WA

From bustling New York to quaint Whidbey Island in Washington, Trevor and Valerie wanted a quieter commitment ceremony by having a Jenne Farm wedding. Even as a Seattle man, I could feel the contrast between the city lifestyle and something a bit more calm, and a little old fashioned. It was powerful.

At the very moment Trevor saw Valerie in her stepping out of the white farm cottage in her wedding dress, it was easy to tell that these guys had a strong history that dated back to their elementary school days.

No, not as students! They actually met while working as both teachers and basketball coach in Harlem when the sparks first started flying. I think they could teach us a little something about working the water works as well.

It’s easy to understand that a wedding where tears are shed is a wedding to remember. But I swear, not one person here had a dry eye! The cuteness factor multiplied by 10 fold when I saw the table toppers. Their students had hand written tips on having a happy marriage. “Dear Mr. B, Show her how much you love her.”

The windy Jenne Farm fields moved like waves under the rose woven alter and across the 140 acres to views of Ebay Landing and the Puget Sound. There they stood in the rich bounty of nature untouched by man’s skyscrapers and highways. It was them, their loved ones, and some dude with a camera with blue glasses and an earring.

I’m sure I’m making this sound way more hoity-toity and corny than it was. Believe me! After the wedding, let me tell you, Jenne Farm threw DOWN! This dance floor was hot. Ain’t no wedding reception like a Jenne Farm wedding reception!

A big congrats to Trevor and Valerie. Though they’re probably living it large and busy back in New York right now, I’m glad my photos could give them a bit of peace of mind when they look back on them.

Black and White wedding dress hangs at the windowStudent written table top tips on how to have a happy marriageGroom straightening tieBride cottage farmBride and Groom under rose alterBride and Groom walk through meadowBride and Groom at sunsetGroom doing the worm

April + RyanGlover Mansion WeddingSpokane, WA

Ponderosa pines. Cliffs. Rivers. Jazz. Light. This memorable event in Spokane, Washington was soaked in sunshine, atmosphere, energy, music and connection all day and all night.

The historic Glover Mansion, which was built in 1888, played host to the day, including both parties getting ready, the wedding ceremony and the reception. Spokane’s largest historical mansion, the Glover Mansion boasts a grand hall as well as an intimate garden for wedding ceremonies, creating a true sense of place. Wedding photography at Glover Mansion comes easy with such a great place to stage events.

We enjoyed seeing the city and taking wedding portraits at an array of gorgeous locations, including the stunning nearby Manito Park, cliffside above the Spokane River among the ponderosa pine as well as the sun-soaked downriver area of Spokane, making the most of a warm day and scenic spaces. Here the couple is framed in green pine and dappled in sunlight as they share a moment.

The sunshine and service warmed hearts as the bride’s father presided over the very personal outdoor ceremony at the Glover Mansion, and the local group Hot Club warmed bodies with its rocking hot club jazz and swing music for the reception. The talented groom even sat in with the band, making music as well as more memories.

Not wanting the celebration to end, an after-party at the historic Davenport Hotel’s Presidential Suite saw the groom and his friends singing and playing songs on the room’s piano until the small hours of the morning. Nature, music, friendship, fun and romance were in the air, in the room, in the moment.

A groom readies himself in front of a mirror for his Glover Mansion wedding
The father of the bride seeing her dressed in her gown for the first time ahead of her Glover Mansion wedding
A groom waits anxiously as his bride approaches for their first look ahead of their Glover Mansion wedding
A bride and groom share a snuggle on a golden balcony as part of their Glover Mansion wedding celebration
A bride and groom hold hands underneath an overpass while on a portrait stroll as part of their Glover Mansion wedding
Beautiful purple flowers mix with orchids and roses as a bride and bridesmaids present their bouquets for a Glover Mansion wedding
A bride and groom pose under Spokane's downtown railroad tracks on a break from their Glover Mansion wedding
A view of the 3 bridesmaids in purple and groomsmen in vests flanking the bride and groom as they stand under an arbor at their Glover Mansion wedding
A bride cracks up while looking at her husband while the best man is sharing some words in the background during a Glover mansion wedding ceremony
A 20-something blonde is giving saucy duck lips in a floral dress while on the dance floor of a Glover Mansion wedding
A groom is hoisted above the dance floor of his Glover Mansion wedding by the groomsmen
A groom entertains guests with the piano and singing in the Presidential Suite of the Davenport Hotel after his Glover Mansion wedding

Glover Mansion Wedding Details

Venue: The Glover Mansion – Spokane, WA
MOH: Tianna Kendall
BM: Alex Baron
Officiant: Mark Skubbina
Hair/Make-up: Jaazz Salon & Skin Care Center
Bridal Gown: Pronovias
Bridal Boutique: La Belle Elaine’s
Florals: Special Touch Florist
Coordination: The Glover Mansion
Music: Hot Club of Spokane
Cake: Happy Cake Co.
Rings: Essenza
Photography: Kip Beelman Photography
Photobooth: The Lightning Booth
2nd Photographer:  Jonathan Steinberg

Alex + TerranceGolden Gardens Bathhouse WeddingSeattle, WA

Alex + Terrance did it in front of friends and loved ones last fall while rocking a rainy Seattle day for a beachy Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding shindig with an edge. It was an action packed day dodging raindrops and celebrating with sand between our toes.

I was joined by Huy Nguyen (honcho at Foundation Workshop, Fearless Photographers and Love Unscripted) as a very, very capable second photographer and it proved to be a great experience working alongside him and a great asset to Alex and Terrance’s image collection.

My coverage started off in the Ballard neighborhood with the girls having hair and make-up done in a friend’s home. It was a cozy little bungalow that provided a homey, comfortable vibe. Huy started off an apartment on Capital Hill belonging to a friend and was on hand to photograph plenty of Xbox and consumption of spirits by the guys 😉

After a 1st look at Golden Gardens Bathhouse where Terrance got to see Alex in her beautiful family heirloom bridal gown for the first time, the couple and bridal party ventured to King’s Hardware in the heart of old Ballard to make use of the covered outdoor patio and establish a fun and relaxing mood with some bourbon cocktails, a great idea.

We next headed back to Golden Gardens to take some portraits incorporating the beautiful fall foliage and then ducked inside to ready for the ceremony. The bride’s brother was stationed in Istanbul and joined us live via FaceTime. One funny moment during the ceremony was when Terrance grabbed an instant camera to snap a few photos of Alex… I don’t think she knew that was coming and her expressions were priceless.

Style points for this wedding were: A time capsule of anecdotes and well wishes by guests, mojitos, some seriously tasty pie in lieu of cake, limbo dancing, their pugs cutting loose on the dance floor with a rainy nighttime portrait and wet sparkler send off. The best.

A bride with red hair has her long hair strewn over her face during hair styling from her Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding to reveal only her nose ring and lips with bold red lipstickA 2-up diptych of a brides velvety, orange high heels atop a pumpkin on the left and a garden gnome statue with her garter on the cone hat on the right photographed during prep for a Golden Gardens Bathhouse weddingA bride departs her getting ready location and descends steps in her unique family heirloom wedding gown holding a vintage parasol from Bella Umbrella en route to her first look for her Golden Gardens Bathhouse weddingA bride and groom pose side by side while looking at each other for their Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding holding vintage parasols from Bella UmbrellaA bride and her bridesmaids interact casually with big smiles on the patio of King's Hardware in Ballard before their Golden Gardens Bathhouse weddingThe maid of honor for a Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding sips a mojito at King's Hardware in Ballard while her elaborate chest tattoo is highlightedA detail from a Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding requesting guests to fill out cards stating what they love about the bride and groom for the purpose of a time capsuleA 2-up diptych of Golden Garden Bathhouse wedding details featuring a sign and sparklers indicating a sparkler send off at 9:45pm on the left and the bride's DIY floral and decor of votives and vintage glassware on the rightA groom takes a time out from his Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding ceremony to snap a few instant camera photos of his brideA couple dance their first dance at their Golden Gardens Bathhouse Wedding with an intimate, moody black and white photoMouths are agape and arms outstretched in an effort to catch the tossed bouquet at a Golden Gardens Bathhouse WeddingA Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding couple are photographed under a vintage parasol from Bella Umbrella at night with a backlight to highlight the torrent of rain falling around themA groom tows his bride during their Golden Gardens Bathhouse wedding sparkler send off in the rain

Golden Gardens Bathhouse Wedding Details

Venue: Golden Gardens Bathhouse
MOH: Caitlin Shipley
BM: Adam Critzer
Officiant: John Meyer
Bridal Gown: Family heirloom
Florals: The bride
Coordination: The bride
Catering: Larry’s Smokehouse
Parasols: Bella Umbrella
Photography: Kip Beelman Photography

Justyn + EliPalms Hotel WeddingSouth Beach - Miami, FL

Justyn + Eli rocked their Palms Hotel wedding in Miami Beach, Florida while I was honored and delighted to accompany Jeramie Shoda on this trip to help document the wedding of some of his lovely clients.  They chose to have a vodka luge… Let the good times flow.

Miami Beach.  The Palms Hotel.  A beautiful bride in Prada’s and gorgeous woven Jessica Fontaine gown.  Learning about the YOLO lifestyle… Exotic cars, plastic surgery and the 1% seemed to be found down every palm-lined boulevard.

The hot pink uplighting of the Palms couldn’t keep us from the ghetto grit & grime of Plantation, FL or the Cuban vibe of Calle Ocho.  South Florida… You are crazy.  Justyn + Eli… You are awesome.  Does anyone know where I can get my Lambo detailed?

Big thanks to Jeramie for having me out for this Palms Hotel wedding. It was great to camp out in Ft. Lauderdale at my uncles pimp crib in the sky and perhaps even more pimp to the dinner we had at the W Hotel’s Steak 954 on Atlantic Blvd.

Thanks too to the spirited Kat Braman for making the trek from Jupiter to Delray Beach for a delicious brunch at the Green Owl and some talk about the South Florida wedding scene.  See you in Texas next year for Foundation Workshop 11 lady!!

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