Ines Del Mar Magazine / Marea Magazine photoshoot - Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

So over Memorial Day weekend, Natalie and I headed to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico to shoot a fashion spread for Ines Del Mar Weddings Magazine!! We didn't get in until 3am and had to start shooting at 8am! Yikes! I didn't really care about sleep, I had adrenaline pumping the whole day of the shoot. Not to mention lots of coffee!! We met up Sofia, the editor and her two assistants. Our first destination was this really cool resort / restaurant on the beach. It was decorated with white sheer curtains, bright orange couches, with pieces of driftwood and sand dollar chandeliers everywhere. Now and then, the wind would ever so gracefully pick up the white curtains and blow them up in the air. Even it being May, the weather was perfect. Our model, Jenny, is a real bride living in Charlotte, NC. Ines Del Mar is planning her wedding and in this shoot, she is modeling six different Claire Pettibone wedding dresses and the one that's her favorite, she gets to wear for her wedding day!! How lucky is she? She is so nice and down to earth too, which really helped in connecting with her through the camera. Natalie was in charge of hair and makeup and did an amazing job, as always. ;) After the first location, we went onto another area on the resort property, horse stables (one of my favorites!), and then into downtown Aguadilla. We were so pooped by the end of the day, but I was very satisfied and relieved that I got the shots! The next day, we one more shoot to do, which was photographing the cover for Marea Magazine, a women's lifestyle surf publication. This took all of an hour to do so we had the rest of the day for some much needed R & R. Natalie and I booked a horse-back excursion and we got to ride on the beach! One of the things that I've always wanted to do in life. :) Here are a few of my favorite images from the shoot. The issue is set to come out in December '08. I'm so excited that I got the chance to work with one of my favorite magazines! It was a little nerve-wrecking, but a confidence builder for sure!

Tricia and Matt's Museum Wedding!! 06.07.08

May and June have flown by! With all the traveling that we have been up to, I can't believe it's already July! And with that being said, I'm constantly trying to play "catch up" with my blogging! Phew! One major event in particular that I've been SO meaning to blog is Tricia and Matt's wedding that was held at the Orlando Museum of Art on June 7th. My second photographer, Bob Knapik and I met up with the crew at the JW Marriott to photograph their getting ready and for some fun portraits. Up in the bridal suite were Tricia and her bridesmaids getting ready and toasting with champagne. We photographed all the details, from the rings, jewelry, the dress and shoes. I loved their colors! It was periwinkle, I believe, and chocolate with a touch of white. Very classic! We headed onto the Orlando Museum of Art, an awesome venue to tie the knot here in Orlando. In the main gallery hall, they have a fantastic colorful glass sculpture that stands pretty much from floor to ceiling. That is where their ceremony was held. Shortly after the ceremony, we all headed outside to catch the most perfect light for portraits! The reception was just the right amount of space with again, the periwinkle and chocolate setting the overall look and feel of the evening. You could tell that the bride and groom were ecstatic and really enjoying themselves. Brandee with Blush By Brandee Gaar did a fantastic job coordinating this beautiful wedding! Everything ran smoothly with great music and food. At the end of the evening, all their guests lined the sidewalk blowing bubbles, creating a perfect exit for Tricia and Matt! Congratulations to both of you! I am so honored to have been apart of your day. xoxo - Abby

South Beach "Day After / Trash the Dress" with Jodi and Roland!!

I have had such a blast getting to know Jodi and Roland! Their wedding was not too long ago (back in April). About a month later, we met up again in Miami Beach to initially shoot their "Day After" session. When I talked to Jodi on the phone the day before our shoot, she said, "I want to trash my dress too." I LOVE that attitude! We both arrived in South Beach in ridiculously hot weather, them in Roland's nice pick up and me in a God awful mini-van (rental.) Ugh!! I about cried at the counter. Anyway, we braved the hot Miami heat and had some fun walking around finding random corners to shoot on. We stopped by the infamous Delano and Loews Hotel. That's where they honeymooned. I asked what they did the whole time, if they went to any good restaurants, etc. Apparently they never left the hotel and one night for dinner, had French fries and champagne. My kind of couple!! Thanks Jodi and Roland for some great portfolio work. I look forward to many more shoots with you two in the future. It's been a pleasure. -Abby

Andrea + Mike's beautiful beach wedding... May 17th, 2008

So, needless to say, keeping up on blogging has been quite a challenge for me this wedding season. I appreciate everyone's patience as there's only so much time to blog in one day! :) Getting on to talking about the lovely Andrea and Mike. This couple is so great together. About a year ago, I photographed their engagement session in Tampa and got a chance to know a little bit about them. Their pride and joy are their two dogs, Ebony and Isabella. They said if they could have them in the wedding, they would.
The big day was held on North Redington Beach, FL, just in between St. Petersburg and Clearwater Beach. They kept it simple. One maid of honor, and one best man. The ceremony was a quick one, held right on the beautiful white sands with the sounds of the waves in the background. Short and sweet is what I like to call it. Then off to the reception where guests enjoyed cocktails on the terrace while the sun set. Andrea changed into a fabulous reception dress just in time for introductions and to enjoy the rest of the evening. It was a hot one, but it cooled down as the night progressed. Their cake was not a traditional one, which didn't surprise me at this point now knowing a little bit about Andrea and Mike. They had their favorite cakes from P.F. Chang's and The Cheesecake Factory. Yum!! Needless to say, I had a slice of the chocolate and it was HEAVEN!! I want to say thanks to my second photographer, Zekeshem Parsons for helping me photograph their big day! Hope you two enjoyed Hawaii!!
xoxo Abby