Kimber wrote:

My dress and bouquet contrast beautifully with the train car in this bridal portrait. The colors are so vibrant and is reason for it being another favorite photo of Tony’s.

After the ceremony they went off in a boat ride….

Kimber wrote:

I absolutely love this picture! This photo looks like a shot straight out of a movie.

 

Kimber wrote:

Stunning! –That’s the best word for this shot. Many people told me I should be on the cover of a bridal magazine after seeing this photo.

A lot of people thought the phot above was a portrait, it was a pure moment.

And here is my favorite on the boat ride:

From a wedding in Arlingonton Hall at Lees Park, Monica wrote of one of her favorite images of the day:

My mom made my veil, so it’s a very special heirloom that I will treasure forever.  I love it that this photo shows the detail of the lace and what a beautiful job she did.

Sometimes, the magic moment in a wedding occurs on the way between the ceremony and reception.  The expression of Monica and David says it all.  Their wedding was at the Highland Park United Methodist Church in Highland Park, TX (Dallas uptown), and reception in the Arlington Hall at Lee’s Park.

Monica told me she likes the image so much that it’s on her computer background that she looks at all day  (it is also used as their album cover)   I love it as well, and that’s why it’s on the first page of our website.  She also wrote:

 

“I love this picture because it’s one of the only times that David and I were alone after the ceremony – riding to the reception to celebrate with our friends and family.  We just look like we’re sharing a moment and happiness that only the two of us know about.  It’s a very private moment on a day where everyone is watching you.”

 

One of my favorite images from this year was at Ashley and Jimmy’s Wedding in the reception when Ashley tries to toast with Jimmy.  There is a foot of difference between them and this comical moment is when they try to a do a toast and Ashley couldn’t *quite* reach there:

Consequently one of Ashley’s favorites from her day was the following image:

She wrote:

“I love this picture not just because Jimmy is throwing cookies, but because it depicts the fun that Jimmy adds to my life. Of course, there’s way more to the story than that. These cute green bags show how loving Jimmy’s family is towards each other. Tricia (Jimmy’s mom) and his Aunts spent a few days before our wedding baking and packaging Tricia’s famous cookies. The cookies were like gold to our friends and it was a blast watching everyone try and catch them!”

And here is a photo of guests catching the cookies as Jimmy threw them:

Such is the moment here from Kristen and Mike’s Wedding in the Stephen F Austin Hotel:

Kristen wrote to me about this photo:  We love the one that is featured on your website in our reception.  This picture captures the pure joy and elation Mike and I felt that after 5 years of dating, we were finally married and ready to celebrate!!!

We feel the same way.  Love, love, love it!

We’ve all seen the proverbial “first kiss” image.  Every competent photographer shoots it.  But what makes this image special to me is the approach itself.  Usually, a typical kiss shot is photographed and then the couple walks down the aisle and that’s that.   However, every now and then, and it’s rare, but every now and then a great moment appears after the kiss – you just don’t know if it will happen or not.  In fact, I was so far away due to church rules that as I clicked through the first kiss, I just kept shooting because you just don’t know if something interesting will happen.

Right after the kiss, Joel, Ann Marie’s husband, kissed her on the forehead.  If I had simply removed my camera because “I had done the typical wedding image”, I would have missed this image.  To me, this image is far more important than the first kiss photo.  It shows love and tenderness between them.

This image sums up a lot of what I wanted to accomplish at each wedding - 90% of the time there will not be anything interesting after the kiss, but I am not after 90% of the typical wedding images, I am after the 10% or less moments that are truly special. I do photograph the 90% of the typical wedding images but what I am really after in each and every wedding, is that rare 10%.

It turns out that Ann Marie loves this image as well, this is what she wrote to me when I asked her what her favorite images from the wedding were:

“Initially, my church was not going to allow photographs. I was upset, and told Tony that I really wanted pictures of at least the main events, like the ring exchange and the first kiss. Part of Tony’s response was “Actually, you can recreate the first kiss. What you can’t recreate is the moment just AFTER the first kiss.” This picture shows exactly why. The church reluctantly agreed to give Tony a small corner angle in the church. After we kissed, Joel pulled me close, squeezed my hands, and kissed my forehead. The priest in black looking on is actually his dad. I love seeing the look of total happiness on his face as he looks on. Somehow, Tony just knows exactly what moments he needs to be ready for, and manages to capture them.”

- Ann Marie and Joel, married on April 25, 2009 in the Calvary Episcopal Church in Bastrop, TX and reception at her family’s private vacation house.