Locations:
Prep & Ceremony - Church of St. Therese in Chesapeake, VA
Reception - The Dry Dock Club in in Portsmouth, VA
Introduction:
This wedding hits pretty close to home as the bride, Amber, is actually my sister-in-law! She and Jenarius are a perfect match for each other. Their personalities can either mesh magnificently or contrast in the most perfect fashion. With her outgoing, over-the-top personality and his stoic, yet extremely comedic demeanor, I was almost certain it was going to be a fun wedding to shoot.
Prep photos:
Amber and Jenarius both split their initial prep at the places where they laid their heads the night before, but both completed the process at the Church of St. Therese. The church provided a number of scenes to use from its garden on the side and it's beautiful, street-facing statue in the front.
I had the sole duty of photographing them both throughout the day as this was a rare time that I had no second shooter and my usual assistant was the maid of honor. With Jenarius, I was able to get some shots of he and the family as they were entering the venue and along the side in the garden. With Amber, I tried to capture the entire process of hopping into a dress while her sister and friends made sure that she kept her composure and to not mess up her makeup.
Ceremony photos:
Amber and Jenarius had a traditional Catholic wedding ceremony. There were plenty of Catholic rites and rituals with readings from Amber's friend and Jenarius' aunt. The story of how they met was a funny one and was told by the father to all in attendance. Following the blessing and exchanging of rings, Amber and Jenarius partook in the tradition of jumping the broom. The lighting in the church made for some beautiful pictures even though I was limited in area and angles. We would reconvene immediately after the ceremony to take more formal shots with the wedding party and family. Right before leaving, I was able to get a few additional shots of the rings.
Reception photos:
After a 15 minute drive, we arrived at the reception venue--The Dry Dock Club. It's a beautiful venue that's located on a Naval Base. The couple had a steel drummer playing for the guests as they awaited the first entrance of Mr. and Mrs. St Louis. The theme was definitely one of internationalism as every guest had a flag at their seat from their home country. The couple enjoyed plenty of fun moments on the dance floor and even had everyone join them for Amber's favorite Soca song "Pump Your Flag".
Conclusion:
It's always great when it's a family affair and this wedding fit the mold. I had a great time shooting this wedding at the Church of St. Therese and the Dry Dock Club was a beautiful reception hall. Amber and Jenarius asked me beforehand if I wanted to shoot the wedding or just enjoy it as a guest. Of course I decided to shoot their wedding, because I enjoy every wedding I shoot! Congrats to them and sending my love. Cheers!
#BlackSororityFraternity #CatholicWedding #CulturalWedding #AlphaKappaAlpha