The Wedding: Pier 22

Last year, I made the decision to begin pursuing photography professionally. I started by working with individuals, couples, and families to capture small moments, big moments, and everything in between. It wasn’t until the end of 2021 though, that I decided that I wanted to capture weddings. I loved the idea of shooting weddings because they incorporate every aspect of photography that I love: capturing emotions, composing interesting angles, and not being completely in control of the environment. Because of my experience in street photography, which includes all of these things as well, the transition to weddings felt very natural to me. Some photographers find it overwhelming, but those are the moments I thrive in!

At the beginning of 2022, I had the opportunity to photograph Austin and Natalia’s wedding. In this blog, I want to give you all the inside scoop on how I captured this day! I won’t go into every aspect of the wedding, but you’ll get some good highlights. The venue was at Pier 22 in Bradenton, FL. It was a beautiful location next to the water and I’m excited to show you more of it. Let’s get started!

Getting Ready

I arrived early and explored the area to get familiar with the venue. This helped me later on with the composition of the photos of the newlyweds. I greeted everyone and made sure to communicate as clearly and efficiently as possible to minimize the stress that can come with wedding days! Capturing the moments where the bride, the groom, and the bridal party is getting ready is beautiful because you can feel all of the emotions that come with a wedding. These moments create wonderful images that tell a story and something to look back on in awe after the blur of the day is over.

After spending some time with the bride, I went over to the groomsmen. The groomsmen were mostly ready, so I had them meet me outside to get some shots. I asked them to fix each other’s ties and to interact naturally and joke around so I was able to capture their authentic joy about being a part of the day.

“The Walk”

I photographed the groomsmen, bridesmaids, and their families in separate locations. The groomsmen stayed at the venue while the bridesmaids walked over to the ceremony location. As the bride and her bridesmaids walked over, I had them act like the bride was a superstar and they were her entourage escorting her to her new destination. Moments like these allow for more casual, relaxed, and fun photos that really capture the personality of the people I am photographing.

The Ceremony

It was finally time for the most important part of the day, the ceremony. The sun was beaming and the weather was cool; I knew the photos were going to be magical. As the bridal party began walking down the aisle, you could feel the anticipation building for the moment the bride would arrive. It was an emotional feeling and that was what I wanted to capture. When the moment finally arrived, it felt like it was happening in slow motion. I could talk forever about this moment, but I’d rather let the photos do all the talking.

The Newlyweds

The photoshoot of the newlyweds was my favorite part of the wedding because I got to simply focus on them. For thirty minutes, I put down my documentary photographer hat and put on my portrait photographer hat. I was directing, communicating, and posing them to get the best portraits possible. Outside of the ceremony photos, these were the ones that I really wanted to WOW them with. This is why I took the time before the wedding to get a good idea of what the area was like. It helped to have some locations ready for shots during this time.

The Reception

The reception was when the party started. We got to eat, hear some touching speeches, and see some fantastic dance routines too! My goal for the reception was not to shoot a thousand photos from the dance floor. I wanted to pick my shots of the special moments: the couple’s first dance, the groom being pulled onto the dance floor, the bride tossing her bouquet, the girl catching it. I wanted to capture the moment that the bride’s dad and brother became the focus of the party and when everyone on the dance floor went nuts because their favorite song started playing. These are the moments that make a wedding special and they are the ones that I wanted Natalia and Austin to be able to remember forever.

Do you want to know how I captured fun dance floor pictures? The secret is to be a part of the fun. Instead of standing off to the side of the dance floor and taking shots, I was right there dancing along with the guests! Because I joined the guests on the dance floor, they were more comfortable around the camera. I was laughing, dancing, and having a great time with everyone. As a result, I captured some amazing and fun memories.

The Exit

The bride had explained to me earlier in the day that they did not have the props for a big exit and didn’t plan to do one. I suggested that they have everyone use the flashlights on their phones to create an effect similar to what sparklers would do. The exit is an important moment for the bride and groom to look back on and I thought it would be a shame for them not to have that memory.

The bride was on board, so I decided to make it happen! I had to communicate clearly and quickly to everyone what I needed to make it work, so I enlisted the help of the bridal party and we got it done. As the couple exited the flashlights on everyone’s phones worked like a charm and the photos turned out amazing. The bride and groom were happy and that is what it’s all about!

And they lived happily ever after…

That’s a wrap for this wedding blog! I hope this gives you some insight on how I handle weddings and the reasons behind the shots I take. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this blog and the photos please share it with your friends and family who may be looking to tie the knot soon. I would love to be able to capture their big day for them!

Until next time!