Sunday
Oct242010
Hanley and Jamie's wedding in Key West
Sunday, October 24, 2010 at 12:06PM
Might I just start with a hearty "wow!"
Hanley & Jamie's wedding has been a long time in the making. It had been in the works since they were engaged back in 2008, and it had finally arrived!
Key West is one of the most unique places I have ever been to. I don't spend a lot of time in resort/vacation towns, so this was kind of a new thing for me. I stayed at the Best Western Hibiscus with Sarah, Michele & Richard. Best Westerns have treated me well for cheap, clean convenient accommodations when luxury wasn't a factor.
I must say this: each one of them is an excellent travel buddy. No one got bossy; no one got cranky; no one was whiny. It was the best travel dynamic I think I have ever had with three or more people. I spent extended amounts of time with each one of them, and I would go on vacation with any one of them again in a second. Part of the reason we all got along so well, I think, is that we all have a common priority: food. But. Moving on.
I don't have a ton of vacation photos, but trust me, it was a great trip.
I flew in to Fort Lauderdale & picked up a car; then I met the other three in Miami, and we drove out to Key West together. It took us between 5 and 6 hours, but we had a great time driving through all the little towns and keys on the way. Richard is a great person to have in the car during a trip because a) he doesn't get car sick, and b) he's a traveling tour guide. He had Wikipedia on his phone, so he gave us fun facts and travel tidbits throughout the trip. There's never a dull moment with these three characters.
When we arrived in Key West the first night, we had Hanley & Jamie's bachelorette parties. My travel mates and I were plum tired, so we actually didn't make it very long into the night. But Sarah & I had a lovely midnight dip in the pool when we got back. One place a heated pool is definitely not a selling point is in Key West. They're not very refreshing because the water is the same temperature as the outside! But regardless, we continued this mini-tradition for the duration of our trip. Each night concluded with a midnight dip...and often a snack.
The next morning we awoke refreshed and renewed, unlike those who chose to stay out later for the bachelorette party! As a result, we were able to do some really cool stuff before the rehearsal that night. We went on a snorkeling trip in the morning, and we saw a giant turtle. Highlight of my trip!
The wedding rehearsal was a nice run-through of the ceremony out on the pier. What a beautiful place! Then we headed out for a little sunset cruise for the rehearsal dinner celebration. The cool thing about going to a small destination wedding is that every guest goes to every event, so we got to mingle and meet the rest of the guests before the wedding. It made the whole thing a lot more fun.
The boat took off & Hanley was ready to party!
Here's Michele taking a picture of me taking a picture of her
And Hanley & Beth were rocking out to Dolly Parton
The sun set on a perfect Key West day. This is not camera trickery. The sky, sun & water were a glowing golden color. It was gorgeous.
And to top off a typical Key West day, a gay pride barge passed us on the red right return.
A couple of my favorite group shots...
Brides & Brother
Cousins and such...
Rah & Miche
Hanley & Jenny took full advantage of the dance deck until the staff made them get off board the boat
The next morning (Sunday) the brides' parents hosted a lovely brunch at the Strip House. This place was fascinating. I want to say the decor was raunchy, but it was classy raunch. I think that's technically called "smut." I'll let it speak for itself.
After brunch, everyone had a little time to relax, then it was time to get ready for Hanley & Jamie to get married! I did a few of the "getting ready" shots with both brides.
Jamie's shoes & purse waiting for her to collect them!
Hanley's dress in the sunlight...
I spent the rest of the time with Han while she and her mom & bridesmaids & bridesman prepared.
On the way to the cab! I just love this (and every!) photo of Jenny (left). She has so much emotion on her face.
We got to the strip house to prepare for the ceremony, and all the flowers were lined up and ready to go.
Han & Mom have a quick moment before the craziness starts.
The pier was a gorgeous place to have a wedding. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the water was sparkling.
The ceremony was beautiful, but I'll spare you the photos of every single person walking down the aisle.
Brides & Dads
A couple of quick rings...
And it was time to start the party (again)!
One special and unique thing the brides did was take a photo of all of the guests on the pier. They used it for their thank-you notes. It worked really well!
Then we banged out some formal group photos. I was pretty proud of how efficiently I managed to handle the group. Everyone was a little miserable because it was so hot and humid, but they were all cooperating and smiling, which was great!
Here are some of my favorites.
Jamie and her dad are just the cutest.
The reception room was intimate and and decorations were very suited to the brides.
Note to self... a little tilt is good... a lot of tilt is bad.
Michele and Richard!
Sidebar about Michele's dress... we were at Macy's over 4th of July (I think it was 4th of July?) and she found this dress, but it was like a size XS (that's extra-small for those of us who don't venture into the realm of tiny person clothing). But she tried it on anyway. She squeezed herself into it and even though it was a little snug, it was absolutely gorgeous on her & we may have talked her into spending way too much. It was worth it.
I love this picture of Han. I got her those glasses!
I think this is a really cool picture of Hanley's parents walking into the reception. It's all blurry and weird, but they were in such happy motion, it captures the moment. I love how Chris (Mom) is in focus, but moving. Ron is just giving the room a big hug!
Hanley & Jamie's first dance
I just love this photo of Jamie.
Han & her dad's dance... another crazy motion shot
Sidebar on Jenny. She's the cutest little thing. So polite, always smiling. But when she sat down with her prime rib, it stood no chance. Jenny finished the entire plate of food before any of us knew what was happening. This isn't a high quality photo, but I just had to document this feat.
And this was her about 10 minutes later. I guess she needed the energy!
Hanley & Jamie's cake cutting was possibly my favorite part of the whole night. They were hilarious!
Hanley & Jamie's wedding has been a long time in the making. It had been in the works since they were engaged back in 2008, and it had finally arrived!
Key West is one of the most unique places I have ever been to. I don't spend a lot of time in resort/vacation towns, so this was kind of a new thing for me. I stayed at the Best Western Hibiscus with Sarah, Michele & Richard. Best Westerns have treated me well for cheap, clean convenient accommodations when luxury wasn't a factor.
I must say this: each one of them is an excellent travel buddy. No one got bossy; no one got cranky; no one was whiny. It was the best travel dynamic I think I have ever had with three or more people. I spent extended amounts of time with each one of them, and I would go on vacation with any one of them again in a second. Part of the reason we all got along so well, I think, is that we all have a common priority: food. But. Moving on.
I don't have a ton of vacation photos, but trust me, it was a great trip.
I flew in to Fort Lauderdale & picked up a car; then I met the other three in Miami, and we drove out to Key West together. It took us between 5 and 6 hours, but we had a great time driving through all the little towns and keys on the way. Richard is a great person to have in the car during a trip because a) he doesn't get car sick, and b) he's a traveling tour guide. He had Wikipedia on his phone, so he gave us fun facts and travel tidbits throughout the trip. There's never a dull moment with these three characters.
When we arrived in Key West the first night, we had Hanley & Jamie's bachelorette parties. My travel mates and I were plum tired, so we actually didn't make it very long into the night. But Sarah & I had a lovely midnight dip in the pool when we got back. One place a heated pool is definitely not a selling point is in Key West. They're not very refreshing because the water is the same temperature as the outside! But regardless, we continued this mini-tradition for the duration of our trip. Each night concluded with a midnight dip...and often a snack.
The next morning we awoke refreshed and renewed, unlike those who chose to stay out later for the bachelorette party! As a result, we were able to do some really cool stuff before the rehearsal that night. We went on a snorkeling trip in the morning, and we saw a giant turtle. Highlight of my trip!
The wedding rehearsal was a nice run-through of the ceremony out on the pier. What a beautiful place! Then we headed out for a little sunset cruise for the rehearsal dinner celebration. The cool thing about going to a small destination wedding is that every guest goes to every event, so we got to mingle and meet the rest of the guests before the wedding. It made the whole thing a lot more fun.
The boat took off & Hanley was ready to party!
Here's Michele taking a picture of me taking a picture of her
And Hanley & Beth were rocking out to Dolly Parton
The sun set on a perfect Key West day. This is not camera trickery. The sky, sun & water were a glowing golden color. It was gorgeous.
And to top off a typical Key West day, a gay pride barge passed us on the red right return.
A couple of my favorite group shots...
Brides & Brother
Cousins and such...
Rah & Miche
Hanley & Jenny took full advantage of the dance deck until the staff made them get off board the boat
The next morning (Sunday) the brides' parents hosted a lovely brunch at the Strip House. This place was fascinating. I want to say the decor was raunchy, but it was classy raunch. I think that's technically called "smut." I'll let it speak for itself.
After brunch, everyone had a little time to relax, then it was time to get ready for Hanley & Jamie to get married! I did a few of the "getting ready" shots with both brides.
Jamie's shoes & purse waiting for her to collect them!
Hanley's dress in the sunlight...
I spent the rest of the time with Han while she and her mom & bridesmaids & bridesman prepared.
On the way to the cab! I just love this (and every!) photo of Jenny (left). She has so much emotion on her face.
We got to the strip house to prepare for the ceremony, and all the flowers were lined up and ready to go.
Han & Mom have a quick moment before the craziness starts.
The pier was a gorgeous place to have a wedding. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the water was sparkling.
The ceremony was beautiful, but I'll spare you the photos of every single person walking down the aisle.
Brides & Dads
A couple of quick rings...
And it was time to start the party (again)!
One special and unique thing the brides did was take a photo of all of the guests on the pier. They used it for their thank-you notes. It worked really well!
Then we banged out some formal group photos. I was pretty proud of how efficiently I managed to handle the group. Everyone was a little miserable because it was so hot and humid, but they were all cooperating and smiling, which was great!
Here are some of my favorites.
Jamie and her dad are just the cutest.
The reception room was intimate and and decorations were very suited to the brides.
Note to self... a little tilt is good... a lot of tilt is bad.
Michele and Richard!
Sidebar about Michele's dress... we were at Macy's over 4th of July (I think it was 4th of July?) and she found this dress, but it was like a size XS (that's extra-small for those of us who don't venture into the realm of tiny person clothing). But she tried it on anyway. She squeezed herself into it and even though it was a little snug, it was absolutely gorgeous on her & we may have talked her into spending way too much. It was worth it.
I love this picture of Han. I got her those glasses!
I think this is a really cool picture of Hanley's parents walking into the reception. It's all blurry and weird, but they were in such happy motion, it captures the moment. I love how Chris (Mom) is in focus, but moving. Ron is just giving the room a big hug!
Hanley & Jamie's first dance
I just love this photo of Jamie.
Han & her dad's dance... another crazy motion shot
Sidebar on Jenny. She's the cutest little thing. So polite, always smiling. But when she sat down with her prime rib, it stood no chance. Jenny finished the entire plate of food before any of us knew what was happening. This isn't a high quality photo, but I just had to document this feat.
And this was her about 10 minutes later. I guess she needed the energy!
Hanley & Jamie's cake cutting was possibly my favorite part of the whole night. They were hilarious!
Everyone survived.
After a moderate dress emergency...
the rest of the night was a lot of dancing and good times!
The glowing brides lived happily ever after...
and the sun set on Key West yet again.
Reader Comments (1)
I don't think I've ever seen this post before. You're 2010 reflective post reminded me. I said it once and I'll say it again, you're such an amazing photography. The only reason I wouldn't hire you for my wedding is that I'll think you'll have your hands full with all you're other MOH duties ;)