Litrato Photojournalism » Wedding Photojournalism at its finest

Bride and Groom - Michelle and Byron.

With only 60 guests, Michelle and Byron’s wedding maybe a small wedding, but it’s one of the most fun wedding I’ve ever shot. The couple are so relaxed on their wedding day. Both prepared at their beautiful home in Bear, DE with their four cats roaming around as they get dressed. It was so fun seeing this couple trying to hide form each other before their “first glimpse” moment – the first time Byron sees Michelle in her wedding dress. We did all the formals and their bride and groom portraits before the ceremony at Rockwood Park and Museum on a gorgeous Memorial Sunday. Ceremony was a mix of emotions and comedy, especially after Byron picked up Michelle on their first kiss as husband and wife. And last but not least, the party was a blast, and thanks to Don of D&J service, who got the crowd going!

Ceremony and Reception - Carriage House @ Rockwood Park and Museum in Wilmington, DE. This 150 estate is a perfect setting for a very romantic wedding on a warm Memorial day weekend. Here’s something about the place from their website:

“The mansion is a wonderful example of Rural Gothic architecture.  In the museum, you will find the rooms restored to the way they looked in 1895, the Gilded Age of the Victorian Era. The Museum reflects the way the Bringhurst Family, descendants of Shipley, lived in their early years at Rockwood.”

Caterers - The Greenery Caterers. One of the best caterers in Delaware! I love their watermelon designs at the cocktail hour…check out their website for their amazing menu. And not to mention their superb food. Great job guys at Michelle’s wedding!

DJ and Entertainment - Don of D&J DJ service. This guy is so fun. He works really well with other vendors and he gets the party going for the guests. Love his selections of music….Don is truly the life of the party.

Here are some images from yesterday’s wedding…

Michelle and her mom spend a laughing moment while putting on her dress. The wedding dress by the way was the original dress her mom wore on her wedding day.

Michelle and Byron have four lovely cats. And as they couple are getting ready for the wedding yesterday, these adorable cats get curious about all these wedding stuff laying around the house, including Michelle’s flower bouquet. Yummy!

Michelle says goodbye to her babies before she left for the ceremony. One of the cats gets a little curious too about what’s inside that wedding dress….LOL

Love these little cat figurines around their house…

What a gorgeous bride!

Mom can’t control the tears as her daughter says her vows to Byron.

Congrats to Michelle and Byron! I wish you guys a happy and blessed marriage! Have fun in Mexico!

…who will be getting married this Friday at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ. The reception will follow at the gorgeous Pleasantdale Château in West Orange, which is a very popular location for some Hollywood films like The Hoax and Cadillac Records, and TV’s Law & Order and HBO’s The Sopranos.

Here are some images from their engagement session in New York City. Eliza and Ramon’s love for each other is very inspiring…I wish them a blessed marriage and a successful relationship!

The venue for their wedding ceremony is one of the most amazing churches in the United States – Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ. We shot here before the storm came that evening, so we got lucky with the clouds in the background.

While looking for cherry blossoms at a park near Eliza’s New Jersey home, we stumbled upon this cool location to do some “GQ posing” for Ramon and of course some “America’s Top model posing” for Eliza…LOL

Had lots of fun in Times Square. Ofocurse, can’t resist to re-enact the proposal, which according to Eliza, Ramon actually forgot to kneel on one knee due to nervousness when he did the actual proposal last year. Hey, not bad for a second time around…heheheh

And we ended our five-hour engagement shoot (longest I’ve ever done…heheheh) at the Brooklyn Promenade, overlooking the Manhattan Skyline. This couple is awesome and I did not mind going overtime…as long as they get the best photos out there. We had a blast!

After the shoot in Athens, Greece, we travelled to the islands of Santorini. Santorini is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from Greece’s mainland.

The whole area was amazing, and the views from our hotel room (VIP Suites) and in every angle you look is breathtaking! The only thing missing in these “picture-perfect” views is a bride! I would say, this is one of the world’s best place to get married, if you want to have “picture-perfect” wedding.

Check out the images I’ve taken while visiting Santorini.

People in Santorini are also super nice! Being a small village, people are very hospitable and welcoming. Our hotel manager Carmen Rusu is the best! Not only she upgraded us to a bigger room when we arrived…she brings us coffee every morning during our stay. She also introduced us to an amazing wedding planner in Santorini – Liza Tilley of Wedding Designs. We look forward to work with her in the future for many destination weddings to Santorini.

And It has been decided! We are adding Santorini, Greece to one of most favorite destination weddings. I will be available for wedding photography in Santorini, Greece beginning 2010.

And if you want to find the best deal on airfares, make sure you check out the BEST TRAVEL AGENT out there – Loretta from www.1stoptravel.com. She always finds ways to get us the best deals on airfares. Thanks Loretta for all your help! Till the next trip…. =)

I want to invite you and give you FREE TICKETS to come and visit our booth at the Great Bridal Expo in Philadelphia this SUNDAY, October 11, 2009. You will be amazed with what you will see. We will also launch our new line of products, including our new METALLIC and ACRYLLIC ALBUMS. Check us out!

*Email me at weddings@litratophoto.com and use FREE TICKETS on the email subject, and I will reply to you with the SPECIAL CODE to get your free ticket to the EXPO. Here’s the detailed information-
Show Date: 10/11/2009
Show Time: 12:00 NOON
Address: SHERATON PHILADELPHIA CITY CENTER 17th & Race Streets   Philadelphia, PA 19103

CLICK ON THE PHOTO BELOW TO SIGN IN FOR YOUR TICKETS-

I wish the churches I shoot at allow this…

If you were at the wedding, you will know what it means… =) Congratulations to Kelly and Nate (07/11/2009)! From the wedding ceremony to the reception, everything went well perfectly. And the best part is, the rain held up until late evening! Our prayers are answered.

Had a blast shooting Waldemar and Faith’s wedding in Punta Cana, República Dominicana on July 3rd. The wedding was held at the Paradisus Palma Real Resort in Playa de Bavaro, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. 

Here’s something about the area from Paradisus website-”Punta Cana, it’s all about the beach. Punta Cana is undeniably breathtaking with tall swaying palms scattered along 21 miles of some of the whitest and finest coral sand beaches in the world. The area has become a haven for vacationers who are seeking a beach chair, a Piña Colada and a good read.” - www.paradisus.com

We were blessed with a beautiful weather on their wedding day – perfect for a beach wedding. I was kind of worried at first because it rained so hard 2 days before and I was crossing my fingers that the dark clouds hovering around that day would go away. And my prayers were answered! Check out some of the images from Wally and Faith’s special day to see what I am talking about-

Here’s one of my photos on the Best of Weddings competition Finalists Wall of Fame.