The MOMENTS BEFORE...

Taking us back to Miromar Lakes in Florida for today’s image. We photographed this wedding two years ago at Miromar Lakes Golf and Beach Club. 

For most weddings, if Neal and I are working together, I stay with the Bride right before the ceremony, while Neal is up front with the Groom. I love this time with the Bride, her Bridesmaids, her Father, or whomever is walking her down the aisle. There is always laughing, crying, and nervous jitters behind the scenes. If the Bride is super nervous, I try to throw out some jokes to help calm her down. I can’t say they are good, but it seems to do the job!

This shot was taken on my walk over to the ceremony with the Bride and her father. There were no nerves from this Bride. She and her father were cracking jokes and laughing the whole time. I couldn’t help but laugh too. It made for great photos.

We were standing in main entrance to the Club waiting for the wedding planner to ok us to continue walking over. The sun was starting to set and I was in luck that it was happening right behind them. The light was coming right through the top of the doors creating a beautiful glow around them. I always do simple basic portraits right before the Bride walks down the aisle. With this lighting and cool looking doors, I knew I could do something really beautiful. I asked the Bride and her father to have a final moment between each other before “Go time!” They were already standing where I needed them, so they didn’t really need to do much.

My favorite part of this image is the Bride is still laughing at something her father said to her. It was great they were still having a conversation and being themselves. This is surely a moment they will always remember!

 -Danielle

Desination Fort Myers, FL Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Ceremony, Photo Session & Reception - Miromar Lakes

Destination Wedding Planner - Jet Set Wed

CABANA BY THE BEACH!

Shooting by the beach can always be tricky. Sure, you can get sand all over you, or get splashed by a wave if you get too close. But the end result can be beautiful if your Bride and Groom are willing to go for it!

We traveled to Miromar Lakes Golf and Beach Club in East Miromar Lake, Florida. It is near Fort Meyers. We arrived the day before the wedding to scout out the location. Little did we know, you can’t get into the resort unless you are on the “list.” A quick phone call to the Bride and we were in. We were greeted by the wedding coordinator, who gave us the ok to go anywhere we wanted on the grounds.

The ceremony took place at the golf club and the reception was to follow. That didn’t leave us much time for photos. We had about 25 minutes to get family portraits, wedding party, and the Bride and Groom portraits. Good thing we scouted the day before and knew exactly where to go and how far away it was. We had the limo take us to the locations. Time was ticking away! We got to the beach and saw the lonely cabana. I brought the couple to where Neal wanted them and set up some lighting behind them. We left the couple alone and let them have some time together. Right as the sun was peaking out from the clouds, they had a kiss. It couldn’t have been more beautiful. Neal turned the photo black and white to make it a bit more dramatic. 

Getting lost in the magic, we almost forgot the time. We had about 5 minutes to get back to the reception and one more stop on the way. We had everything ready to go for the last shot. All the lighting was ready and we told the Bride and Groom what we needed them to do. 3 minutes to go! We all jumped out, got the last shot and got back to the reception with about 10 seconds to spare. Close call, but we would do it all over to get another image like this!

This image is also featured in "How to Photograph Weddings" by Michelle Perkins from Amherst Media!

-Danielle

Desination Fort Myers, FL Photography by Neal Urban Studio

Ceremony, Photo Session & Reception - Miromar Lakes

Destination Wedding Planner - Jet Set Wed