Trisha and Essex are a super cute and fun couple and we just couldn’t stop taking photos. One of the really memorable moments at this wedding were the speeches which were full of tears and emotion!

The couple and I wanted to do something special for this wedding and we chose to do the coverage is in 16:9 wide format.

Two days later we also did a Day After session, which was a very nice and romantic lifestyle theme at the Ranson House in Huntersville in NC. You can find those photos on Critsey’s awesome new Blog.

The boys got in style at Uptown’s Aloft Hotel, admittedly Charlotte’s hipest hotel, the girls got ready at the Duke Mansion.
After a little incident with the dress that Crystal, Matt’s sister who BTW is a highly decorated professional ice skater, fixed with skilled hands, the two got to see each other in the beautiful Duke Mansion gardens for the first time.

Ok, now it’s time for the cute little church: Caldwell Presbyterian, a hidden gem close to Uptown with a spring garden right by it.
So where do we go for the reception? Byron’s South End! Not only is this a great place for a party, it also makes for some awesome night shots.

This was some serious fun!!

Getting ready: Aloft Hotel Uptown Charlotte and Duke Mansion
Ceremony: Caldwell Memorial Presbyterian Church
Reception: Byron’s South End
Catering: Best Impressions
Cake: Sunflour
Flowers: Flowers of Charlotte

Beth and Jeremy’s wedding was something special (more of that in a later post) and their reception at the VanLandingham Estate had our cool Photo Booth as a wedding present to the couple. They did not know beforehand.

Always precious: the older generation going wild!

Richard’s family is from Italy, Manika’s from India, they had a ceremony in Rome and then a few weeks later a Hindu ceremony at the Westin in Charlotte.

The day before the Mendhi ceremony (that is when the henna paintings are applied) took place at the Renaissance Suites Hotel.

Manika was just the sweetest bride and at the evening of the Mendhi ceremony we were stunned by her beauty. But we had no idea what we’d witness the next day, she was so gorgeous and radiating! There were many of the guests in the traditional attire, Richard looked extremely handsome in it.

The dancing was one of the big highlights, and the lighting in the reception room complemented is extremely well. Oh, yes, and the food … certainly awesome!

Mendhi Ceremony













Wedding Ceremony:

And you just gotta love their details. A bouquet made of buttons! Cool shoes everywhere! And Cody just looked gorgeous. (Yes, yes, Aaron looked just as swank!) To top it off they had a Ford Model T as their car!

Their moving ceremony was at Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church and the reception at the Wadsworth House, a hidden jewel here in Charlotte. The party got pretty hot and a dance instructor helped everybody to get the 20s moves. A lot of fun came from a Polaroid camera (I lurve Polaroid!), mostly operated by the most charming and cutest little guest. Severe competition for our photo booth – however, in the end I have to declare the booth the winner, the images from that were just too hilarious!

Catering: Best Impressions Caterers
Cake: Dale Richardson (704) 321-1621
Flowers: Elizabeth House Flowers (704) 342-3920
Band: Dailey Soul

I consider myself very lucky and blessed to photograph weddings in so many different places, even on different continents. So it was a special honor for me to document this wedding. It took place in the little town of Oberammergau in Bavaria, Germany. Despite it being small, Oberammergau is the place where the world famous Passionsspiele (Passion Plays) take place annually. Starting in 1634 these plays are performed exclusively by laymen, the inhabitants of Oberammergau.

Dominika and Florian are locals and by chance and luck I got to be their wedding photographer. This wedding was founded in many very old traditions, all the costumes worn are genuine local style. They are the real deal – not cheesy Oktoberfest outfits. You could probably buy a small car for what many of the guests and family wore. Jewelry, some centuries old.

My luck was, being from close to this place, speaking the dialect, knowing the habits. You can’t just walk in and say “hey, I am a great wedding photographer from the USA” to be part of a wedding like this. Come and witness strange habits, cool outfits – and tons of fun!

The beautiful Rokkoko church of St. Peter and Paul (1749)

The house of Dominika’s parents. Some parts are several centuries old.

Dominika’s dad and grandma.

Florian is arriving in a carriage.

He brought Dominika an old necklace.

Florian’s suspenders sport the sign of Oberammergau.

Always part of the game: snuff.

The best man, rehearsing his speach.

No, this is not a backdrop …

Leaving for the ceremony.

St. Peter and Paul.

The altar is decorated for the Erntedankfest, a Thanksgiving holiday on the first Sunday in October.

One of the musicians greets Dominika’s mom.

Boutonnieres

The wedding bands are placed on a silver tablet.

The priest leads the couple, best man and maid of honor into the church.

The musicians. Double-necked guitar and zither.

Old traditions – new stroller.

The old church benches.

“The church cordially asks for a donation to renovate the organ.”

After the ceremony, the couple is greeted by a sack race.

The musicians.

Lederhosen. The real deal.

The sign for the 2010 Passion Plays. The inhabitants of Oberammergau are extremely proud of this. And many of them have acted in them.

The couple takes off to the reception restaurant …

… led by the music.

Stay tuned for part 2 where you will witness how the bride is abducted (no harm there – it’s an old tradition) and Florian has to re-conquer her. Daunting tasks lie ahead …

Their party was boiling and their cake – well, see for yourself … And look: purple GG-Images colored Hershey Kisses ( ;-) ) and candied sugar in brown and azure like the bridesmaids dresses! Chris topped it all at the groom-and-mother dance. Yep, he wore this way cool Stetson.
Gosh, and I totally love them dancing with Chris singing for Kelly! Despite ongoing rain their sparkler exit was a blast. As was the whole wedding.

This was an awesome, unique and memorable wedding with one heck of a crowd. The two got to see eachother the first time outside the venue and just by chance the boys and the girls were standing on opposite sides. Check out how A&J are eyballing eachother … that calls for a shootout ;-) From there it wasn’t far to get these super cool duel shots.

See more photos on my facebook page!

Fashion, photography, honeymoons, flowers, catering, bakers, rentals, and plenty more… there’s something for everyone.
Brides & Grooms, register now online, get $2 off admission, and become eligible for gifts, including a grand prize honeymoon vacation!
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The GG-IMAGES Booth is W5, it is easy to find: just turn right when you enter the exhibition hall!

And I can tell you: it was awesome. New Jersey style, with all the bells and whistles. Mike looked sharp and Jessica was just plain stunning. I started with the guys getting ready at their hotel, and the flasks the groomsmen got as presents were way cool: they came with a little funnel! Of course this had to be tested – along with some flavor testing ;-)

If you want to know what was going on with the girls getting ready, check out Critsey’s blog, she covered the ladies.

After the ceremony at St. Lucy’s in Newark, NJ we went to Lambert Castle in Paterson, NJ. Mike had booked the whole interior for the afternoon to get great shots. Way to go Mike!

The reception was at the (“One and Only”) Westmount Country Club which is plain gorgeous. Please excuse the plethora of food shots, but what would be a NJ wedding without all the food? And yes, flamed sweets. Oh, and check out the live and freshly made Mozzarella. This so made my day!

Mike topped it off with the coolest garter grab we have ever seen. While he was rummaging under Jessica’s dress, what he pulled out was not a garter, but … a cigarette. That rocks.

Jessica and Mike love photography and they were game for anything we did. This was definitely one of  our best weddings in 2009. And now for the pictures!