From the creators of Trash The Dress, Don’t Box Us In is a wedding photography website that exists to “show off the other amazing shots, besides the dress trashing, that are being created by photographers who have been given creative control.

Check it out and feel free to leave a comment!

After the engagement shoot I did with Kristen and Matt I couldn’t wait to see what they had in store for their wedding.

I wasn’t disappointed.

Kristen and Matt’s first dance was unbelievable. They had a whole choreographed sequence where they went through multiple songs, including MC Hammer’s “You Can’t Touch This” (complete with a synchronized typewriter dance move). Beyond the fun first dance they were great hosts for the reception and had a wonderful evening planned down to the tiniest detail, especially the wedding cake from one of my favorites, Etiquette of Chocolate. It was the most delicious and moist carrot cake I have ever sampled!

Thank you so much, Kristen and Matt, for being such a great couple to work with.

Her dress is really something amazing. It’s a custom-made silk shantung gown with silk charmeuse lining, hand-sewn metallic trim, individually set metallic rhinestones, and a detachable train. 

The best part about it is Vy’s mother, Hanh Nguyen, made all of it. It helps that Vy’s mother has been making dresses professionally for many years and she’s made dresses for Dancing with the Stars!

I couldn’t wait for Sarah and Will to get married. From the first time I met them, when I did their engagement shoot, I knew they had such awesome chemistry. They were so much fun and so obviously in love.

Their wedding was held at Sarah’s aunt Agnes’ home in Amelia Island, FL. Sarah told me that ever since she was a little girl she dreamed of getting married under the big oak tree in the pasture on her aunt’s property.

The flowers were gorgeous, the setting was perfect, and luckily the rain held off until after the ceremony. And even though a rainstorm was going on outside it didn’t dampen spirits as everyone celebrated inside the home and in the large tent out back.

Kristen’s dress is an elegant Vera Wang so we stayed at the studio to make sure it stayed perfect for her wedding, which was an equally elegant event.

I think we got enough location shots during Kristen and Matt’s engagement shoot.

Sarah’s bridal shoot took place near Amelia Island in historic Downtown Fernandina Beach.

If Sarah’s incredible dress looks familiar it is because it is by Amsale and was in the movie 27 Dresses. Sarah actually picked out her dress before the movie came out, but the fact that it showed up in a Hollywood feature film is definitely a testament to her great taste. I even remember commenting on how cute it was when I watched the movie in the theaters. It was simple but elegant and those cute pockets were perfect for something like a handkerchief for those emotional moments.

We had a great time shooting around town and at the historic court house. Our timing was perfect, the judge saw us shooting outside and invited us to shoot on the balcony. The setting was perfect and we had our own natural wind machine!

]]> http://news.agneslopez.com/2008/07/21/bridal-shoot-sarah/feed/ http://news.agneslopez.com/2008/07/12/wedding-sonia-michael/ http://news.agneslopez.com/2008/07/12/wedding-sonia-michael/#comments Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:55:15 +0000 Agnes http://news.agneslopez.com/?p=139 Ceremony & Reception: Marriott at Sawgrass
Event Designer: Liza Chung
Gown: Love Bridal Boutique
Entertainment/DJ: McGee Entertainment

Michael and Sonia had an amazing and glamorous event. When I first met with Sonia, she told me her wedding would be an event I would definitely want to shoot.

She was not kidding.

The ceremony was heartfelt, with Michael and Sonia reciting a beautiful vow to each other. The ring bearer was so cute; he surprised everyone when he got down on one knee to present the rings. He came up with it all on his own and had been practicing all day.

Sonia worked with event designer extraordinaire Liza Chung to create an incredible reception. The three ballrooms at the Marriott were decorated in a luxurious theme with fabulous centerpieces and details like the elevated head table that was backed by a wall of crystals that hung from the ceiling.

Thanks again, Sonia and Michael, for including me in your incredible event!

Update: Sonia & Michael’s story was featured in the Florida Times-Union newspaper.

Here are some reactions from when the reception ballroom was unveiled.

During our drive Justin told me some great cop stories (he’s a police officer), but none that I can share here!

Denise and Lee live in Washington D.C. and it was obvious that they worked hard on the planning from afar. They brought in top notch vendors and it was a pleasure to work with all them.

They were such a sweet couple and their ceremony was beautiful. Watching them on the altar I could see how excited they were to be married. After the wedding I was able to ride in the limo with them. When they reflected back on what had just happened Denise said everything came out exactly how she envisioned it.

It was great to see all of their planning come to life. Their favor to the guests was a rented photobooth. The guests had a blast with the booth and we even had to get in on the action.

Michelle and Mike had one of those beach weddings that I love to shoot.

It was so relaxed and had such wonderful details. Michelle’s dress was custom made by a family member, the cake looked like it was resting on a bed of sand, and they even found a way to include their dogs, Chili and Mac, in the ceremony.

Their reception was held at a private house on the Matanzas Inlet.