We’re kicking off 2010 with a look at our last wedding of 2009, and what a spectacular close to the year it was! Rachel and Blair are simply beautiful people, inside and out. This wedding represented the joining of two wonderful families, and the warmth and happiness between them found its way into every part of the celebration. However, before the ceremony began, we had a truly special moment with our couple. We were able to steal them away from all the pre-wedding madness, and capture the emotion of Blair seeing his beautiful bride for the first time. It was incredible to see the bond shared between these two souls. Tears were shed, but I won’t mention just how many or by whom 
. After composing ourselves and drying our eyes, it was time to get down to business. Embracing their faith, Rachel and Blair chose to have a traditional Jewish marriage ceremony. They were first bound by the signing of the Ketubah, where Blair was surrounded by family and friends as blessings and advice flowed as freely as the vodka. Then, their vows were spoken under the Chuppah, within the architecturally impressive sanctuary of Temple Beth El in West Palm Beach. The entire experience was moving and joyous, and was followed up by one rockin’ good party. Bear Lakes Country Club played host as Blair and Rachel danced the night away to the tunes of the Dereck Mack Band. Seats were empty as almost every guest there danced late into the night, laughing and smiling the all the while. Rachel & Blair, we couldn’t be happier for you. Mazel Tov!
Tags: ArtEssence Studio, Bear Lakes Country Club, Blair Hyman, Bride, Chuppah, crying, Dan Rakofsky, dancing, Dereck Mack Band, First Look, Gown, Horah, Jessica Savidge, Jewish Wedding, ketubah, Kiss, Marriage Contract, Night, Nikon, Photography, Rachel Rogozinski, Reveal, Rings, Roses, Temple Beth El, Vodka, West Palm Beach
Tags: Add new tag, Art, ArtEssence Studio, Bride, Champagne, Church, Cocktail, Dan Rakofsky, dancing, Destination Wedding, Fountain, Gown, Jessica Savidge, Museum, Night, Nikon, Photography, Rings
After spending an entire day in the Keys with Brian and Stephanie for their engagement session, we were really looking forward to documenting their wedding. They are a wonderful couple who bring smiles to the faces of everyone around them. It was a gorgeous fall day at Bahia Mar in Ft. Lauderdale, and the joy of this couple, and their families, was contagious. Stephanie and Brian exchanged their vows in a lush jungle setting alongside the intercoastal waterway. After a warm and heartfelt ceremony, the bridal party and guests adjourned to a fantastic party in the ballroom, but Brian and Stephanie let us steal them away just long enough to go play in traffic. Why would we do that, you ask? We had to… how often do you get to photograph a bride and groom in the middle of A1A on a Saturday night?!? After our traffic stunt (we promise, no one was hurt or delayed in the creation of this photographic collection) we rejoined the party and watched this fun crowd dance the night away. Overall it was a wonderful wedding… but one thing cannot go without mention. The cupcakes. Dear Lord- the cupcakes. Instead of a traditional wedding cake, Brian and Stephanie served cupcakes. Unbelievably delicious, liquor soaked, buttercream topped cupcakes. Foodies that we are, we were knocked out by how great these cupcakes were. Being a wedding photographer has so many perks- great people, fun locations, creative outlet- but no one ever tells you about the food! Well, let me tell you- it’s awesome. An ArtEssence Studio Cookbook just might have to be our next endeavor…
Tags: A1A, ArtEssence Studio, Bahia Mar, Beach, Bride, Dan Rakofsky, dancing, Destination Wedding, Ft. Lauderdale, Hotel, Intercoastal Waterway, Jessica Savidge, Kiss, Night, Nikon, Photography, Rings, Traffic
Dan was there when Rachel and Blair first met, so being chosen to document their wedding had very special meaning for us. Friends with both of them for the past several years, the opportunity to create beautiful imagery for their engagement was a treat in and of itself. For starters, Blair never takes himself too seriously. He plays GQ just as easily as he mugs like Jim Carey, and Rachel’s natural beauty is seemingly effortless and stuns the eyes even more when she is with her man. We knew we were going to have a great time right from the start.
Our night began with Bellinis on the dock in West Palm Beach courtesy of Blair’s mixology skills. After enjoying sunset on the dock, we watched a little Gators football- great for Rachel, Blair, and Blair’s rabid Gator parents, yet painful for us Miami fans. But it’s ok… sometimes we must suffer for our art. From there, we moved on to the uncertainty of the Clematis Street fountains, which Blair navigated through with ease. Finally, with Rachel’s sister in tow, the five of us landed at the enticingly named GREASEBURGER on Clematis, where we collectively indulged in a delicious bachanallian adventure with what amounted to a side of beef.
It was a wonderful night with wonderful friends. We’re looking forward to Rachel and Blair’s wedding in December, and have a feeling it will be just as playful and fun as the engagement session was!
Tags: ArtEssence Studio, Clematis, Cocktail, Dan Rakofsky, dock, Engagement Session, Fountain, Greaseburger, Intercoastal Waterway, Jessica Savidge, Night, Nikon, Photography, sunset, Wedding, West Palm Beach
Sunday, November 8th, 2009. Arguably the windiest day of the year for us Floridians. Storm brewing in the Gulf, waves crashing along the coast… just perfect for an engagement session on a peninsula… Ha! Yet again put up to challenging conditions, we were excited to see what we could do with it… and yet again, we had an absolute blast. Andrea and Alfonso met us at the southernmost point of Key Biscayne, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park; home to a picturesque lighthouse, scenic ocean vistas, and a rather strenuous breeze (to put it mildly). We had arrived just a bit early to scope out a few locations beyond the reach of the raging surf and gusty wind. What we found was a tropical paradise that was the perfect setting for our couple. We wandered along the coconut palm path to the lighthouse, then made our way further into the park, finding shelter in the trees. Andrea was an absolute champ- her long blonde hair was at the mercy of mother nature, and she worked it like a super model. By the end of our shoot, Andrea and Al looked like the windblown, gorgeous couple you see on the cover of a romance novel. Eat your heart out Fabio- we found your Cuban replacement. After a brief after dark shooting spree along the Rickenbacker Causeway, we went and had a fantastic dinner at one of Al’s favorite Cuban restaurants: Little Havana in North Miami. We will spare you the delicious details, but know this: I’m still full. Andrea and Alfonso, we had a wonderful time with you, and can’t wait for the wedding in June!! And any time you need company for dinner, you know who to call ;-).
Tags: Alfonso Llanes, Andrea Asseff, ArtEssence Studio, Beach, Bill Baggs State Park, Brickell, Cape Florida, Dan Rakofsky, Engagement Session, gust, Jessica Savidge, Key Biscayne, Kiss, laugh, Lighthouse, Miami, Night, Nikon, Photography, Rickenbacker Causeway, Storm, sunset, wind
Being based in south Florida definitely has its perks…. we really do live in paradise. And if that wasn’t good enough, we have the Florida Keys right in our backyard. When we asked Stephanie and Brian about what was important to them for their engagement shoot, they had the perfect answer: the place Brian proposed to his beautiful bride-to-be. Lucky for us, that place just happened to be on the incredibly photogenic island of Key West. The idea of trekking off to the Keys for a day of fun and photography fit right in with our motto of “have camera, will travel”. We started off with a great lunch on the island of Marathon, and started our shooting expedition shortly thereafter. And it really was an expedition. Our first location was the pedestrian bridge that runs parallel to the famous seven mile span of the overseas highway. Then, we moved on to Bahia Honda State Park. Stephanie and Brian were amazing. It was windy and hot, and we had them climbing hills and walking rather rustic trails. They laughed and smiled the entire time- even when faced with the local dinosaurs (aka… iguanas). By the time we were done shooting on the old railroad bridge the sun was starting its afternoon descent, so we moved on to Key West and The Reach Resort- the very spot Brian had chosen to ask for Stephanie’s hand. From there we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening wandering around the island… the wildlife there was just as exotic as Bahia Honda, but only if you count a man who trains cats to jump though hoops at sunset “exotic”. LOL!! We really had a fantastic time on our journey to the Conch Republic with Stephanie & Brian, and are looking forward to the wedding in November!!
Tags: ArtEssence Studio, Bahia Honda, Beach, Brian Garcia, Bride, Conch Republic, Dan Rakofsky, Destination Wedding, Engagement Session, Florida Keys, Hotel, Jessica Savidge, Key West, Kiss, Mallory Square, Marathon, Nikon, Overseas Highway, Photography, Proposal, Seven Mile Bridge, Stephanie DelRio, sunset, The Reach
Kelly and Stephen sure know how to throw a party! This was a fantastic beach wedding in every sense. Kelly’s dear friend Carlos did an amazing job of decorating the Colony Hotel’s Cabana Beach Club, transforming the rustic beach setting into a stylish, colorful wonderland. The catering was top notch; instead of a formal sit down dinner, Kelly and Stephen opted for sumptuous hot hors d’oeuvres to be served throughout the party, along with specialty drinks chosen just for the occasion. Then, a sinfully delicious cake from Chrissy’s Sweet Treats topped of this culinary extravaganza. Aside from the impeccable attention to detail, authentic Delray Beach feel, and visual beauty of the party, this wedding was truly special because of the people. It was a wonderful joining of two families, and joy for the event was visible on every face there. During the beach ceremony, Kelly and Stephen exchanged stirring vows with each other, then turned to Stephen’s two sons and included them in their promises to love, cherish and protect one another. Yeah- no dry eyes at this one. After making our way back to the cabana, Kelly and Stephen danced the night away along side friends and family. They let us steal them away from the festivities just long enough to capture the last rays of light as the sun set on this gorgeous day. Kelly & Stephen, it was truly a privilege to be part of your wedding, and we wish you and your family many, many happy years to come.
Tags: ArtEssence Studio, Artistic Artichoke, Beach, Bride, Chrissy's Sweet Treats, Cocktail, Colony Cabana Beach Club, Dan Rakofsky, dancing, Delray Beach, Destination Wedding, Gown, Hotel, Jessica Savidge, sunset, The Colony Hotel
Tags: art deco, ArtEssence Studio, Beach, bridal, Bride, cake, Dan Rakofsky, dancing, Destination Wedding, hora, Hotel, Jessica Savidge, Jon LaRosa, Kiss, lifeguard stand, Miami, Miami Beach, Nikon, nuptials, Photography, pool, sara kamiab, South Beach, sunset, tarantella, The National Hotel, tuxedo, veil, Wedding
Carol and Derick are just too much fun…
We knew we were in for a great time with this couple right from our first meeting. Their laid back and fun loving personalities really came through during our engagement session. We decided to take advantage of the late afternoon light under the Lauderdale by the Sea fishing pier. In typical ArtEssence fashion, it quickly went from a beautiful serene portrait session to oddball requests (And in case anyone is wondering, yes- Dan is the oddball) resulting in lots of laughter and truly great photographs. The setting was perfect- blue green water framed by the concrete structure of the pier… and we were working with a gorgeous couple who were really excited about the shoot. They were so excited that they actually did pretty much anything we requested (tisk tisk… when will you all ever learn…). Dan thought it would be a good idea to test out our liability coverage, so he suggested that Derick scale the concrete pillars. Game for pretty much anything, Derick jumped right up and grabbed onto that pier like his life depended on it. He came down with raw hands and a huge smile on his face. Now that is dedication!!! After Derick’s amazing acrobatics, we knew we could really play around and have some fun. “Derick, I want you to run at Carol and tackle her like she’s a quarterback” … “Ok!”… Ha!! And Carol was a champ! No matter how many times she was chased down the beach, Carol laughed and looked amazing with every single shot. We took a break from the antics and slowed the pace slightly for a leisurely stroll on top of the pier, followed by drinks and some amazing flatbread at 101 Ocean (Photographers first, foodies second. A very close second). When we were done, the waning evening light was just perfect, so we went back to the beach and fired off another amazing round of portraits. It was a great night, with a great couple. We can’t wait to document their wedding at the Boca Raton Museum of Art in December…. and we should probably consider increasing our liability insurance coverage before then.
Tags: 101 Ocean, ArtEssence Studio, Beach, Carol Incarnacao, Cocktail, Dan Rakofsky, Derick Schirm, Engagement Session, Fishing Pier, Ft. Lauderdale, Jessica Savidge, Kiss, Lauderdale by the Sea, Night, Nikon, Photography, sand, spin, tackle, Wedding
Love seems to find us when we’re least looking for it…. even at the airport! As mentioned in the Big Easy Pt. 1 blog post, I travelled to New Orleans over Labor Day weekend for a little work and pleasure. Having been to the Big Easy once before, I knew I was in for a visual treat. The French Quarter is a throwback to another time, and I was just itching to find a way for Dan and I to bring its flavor into some of our ArtEssence work. Ask and ye shall receive…. So there I was, sitting at the gate in Ft. Lauderdale International, when Takira and Sylvester walked by. He was holding a large garment bag that looked suspiciously like a wedding dress, and she had an excited air about her that could only mean one thing… destination wedding. My suspicions were confirmed when the pilot on our flight announced their pending nuptials. Fate smiled a third time when Takira happened to come and stand next to me in the baggage claim. Seizing the moment, I decided to strike up a conversation. I congratulated her and introduced myself, explaining that I was a wedding photographer in town for the weekend. We chatted a bit and she let me know that they were getting married on Saturday, but hadn’t hired a photographer for the wedding. An uncle would document the experience for them, but they would be missing out on the portraits that a professional photographer would be able to create. What a travesty! This couple was so clearly in love, so happy to be sharing the celebration of their marriage with their New Orleans family, and deserved to have beautiful portraits to remember this moment by. So I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse- I gave her our card, told her to call me to set up a time before the wedding so we could do an ArtEssence Portrait Session in Jackson Square, on the house. Once she realized that I wasn’t kidding, genuine delight, (and a little shock), seemed to sweep over her. This was going to be fun!
Saturday afternoon quickly arrived, and I couldn’t wait to get started with them. The bells of the St. Louis Cathedral struck four, and the square was crowded with the usual cast of tourists, musicians, artists, and psychics. The festival atmosphere seemed to blend right in with the rich history and architecture surrounding us. Takira looked stunning as she stepped from the limousine, Sylvester solicitously helping her with her flowers and dress. We started off in Pirate Alley, a slightly secluded and distinctly New Orleans spot on the side of the cathedral. Takira and Sylvester were so happy to be able to have their portraits done, they complied with every request I made of them. Sylvester was hilarious- each time I said “ok, now a more serious face” he would instantly recompose his features and be a blank slate. Takira was just as comfortable in front of the camera, and was so nice that she allowed a tourist to have a picture taken with her. After all, she did look like a princess in a fairy tale setting. After wandering around and shooting for about an hour I reluctantly had to let them go and enjoy their wedding. Takira and Sylvester were wonderful- it was such a pleasure to work with them, and in such an amazing location! I’m so glad that we both happened to be in the right place at the right time- sometimes life is just like that…
Tags: ArtEssence Studio, Big Easy, Bride, Church, Dan Rakofsky, Destination Wedding, French Quarter, Ft. Lauderdale, Gown, Jackson Square, Jessica Savidge, Kiss, New Orleans, Nikon, Photography, Pirate Alley, St. Louis Cathedral, Sylvester Johnson, Takira Morris
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