Lee and Naresha's Lexington Wedding

Everything came together beautifully a few weeks ago for Lee and Naresha's wedding. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the details were perfect. Even if nothing had come together right, I doubt you would have been able tell from these two. You could tell how genuinely happy this couple was to be marrying and it made my task of photographing their wedding a real joy. Add to that sweet family and friends, and it was a wedding I didn't want to leave!

Other favorite memories from this wedding...

The bride's adorable 7-month-old twin niece and nephew. They had bibs which read, "The bride is my aunt".

The beautiful architecture of Lexington's First United Methodist Church -- the columns, the steps, the texture of the stone are all perfect for formal occasions like this. Add to that their coordinator Bonnie, who's just a nice, pleasant lady to work with. Just as we were photographing the bridal party, the sun hit the towering 5/3 Bank Building a few blocks away and bounced beautiful afternoon light on the steps, providing the largest reflector I've ever worked with. It was serendipitous.

When the bridal party arrived at the Marriott for their recepion (where Lee and Naresha work and met), it was so neat to see many of the hotel staff on hand at the car port to congratulate them as they exited the limo. Over and over I saw how much this couple is loved by their family and friends -- and it's not hard to see why.

Finally, it was fun to hear the tunes of a band (Funk Seminary) started by our old college friend, Mike Vandemark. They kept the party going!

Others who contributed to the wedding:

Video: Jeff Meadors at JM Video Productions

Hair: Noelle Palmquist

Make-up: Tina Howard

Programs: Hunter at Notables, the Party Store

Florals: Bonnie at Stems

Transportation: Gold Shield

Wedding Photographer: Cydil Waggoner Photography

Cousins

Last month I was excited to be able to attend the annual reunion of my Whiteford family (my mom's sisters' & cousins' families). I was especially excited because I have some cousins who were close friends/playmates growing up but have moved far, far away and can't feasibly come to the Midwest for the reunion every year. One morning after everyone was fed and before we took off for the rock climbing wall and zipline (yeah, my cousin Elyse and Aunt Marcia know how to plan a reunion!), I took some quick family photos of my Jenkins cousins' families and kids outside the B&B where we were staying.

Here's Sam. Big brother and Star Wars officianado. (Funny thing is, I remember playing Star Wars with his dad and uncle nearly 30 years ago -- otherwise, having no brothers, I'd probably still be saying "Star Whuh?").

Here's Maya. She likes Star Wars as much as her brother. She's also got a small role in her Dad's film and I can't wait to see her on the big screen! I'm sure she did GREAT!

Sweet Beannie. Bean made my day during the weekend when she came over and sat in my lap.
When years go between visits, you can't expect kids to really even know who you are, let alone warm up to you immediately, but I was so glad that she felt comfortable enough with me that she sought my lap as a place to rest.

(Below) Sam, Maya, and (a tired) Bean, with their parents, my cousin Dallas and his beautiful wife, Amanda.

Here's Isaac. He's the little cousin of the kids above. He wasn't thrilled at first to have his photo taken... until he was given a croquet ball that he started throwing at the photographer... with amazing accuracy -- thank goodness for lens hoods! (Maybe it has something to do with the athletic genes he inherited from his collegiate baseball coaching dad?)

(Below) Isaac with his dad, my cousin Chad, and his lovely wife, Christa. (Baby Micah is due next month!)

My cousins have found the greatest spouses. We love hanging out with them and only wish we could see them more often!

Jay and Mary Ellen are married!

It was such a struggle to distill my favorite images from this wedding to an acceptable number for this post! Thankfully, I had a fantastic special, er second, shooter (Jan, a Washington D.C. based photographer) at my side who posted on her own blog her personal favorites from the day (so you'll get TWICE the number of teaser pics -- I wish I could do this for all my brides)! We had a wonderful time, thoroughly loving this couple and their families.

Wedding Photographer: Cydil Waggoner Photography

Seasons Catering and Special Occasions

A few weeks ago I had the privelege of taking 'head shots' for Michael and Kellie Stoddart, the owners of Seasons Catering and Special Occasions. They're going to be launching a new website soon and wanted some updated photographs of themselves. I was happy to help since I've thoroughly enjoyed working with Kellie at some special events over the past couple of years. My clients have raved about her service and attentiveness to their needs. The photo session was my first time to meet Michael, the man behind the yummy food and amazing, hand made ice sculptures. In addition to catering, their company provides wedding and event consultation services -- so if you need assistance, I encourage you to consider them! Though they are the exclusive caterers for The Signature Club at Lansdowne, I have seen them do a great job at other venues too. Click here to visit their site.

Lexington Photographer: Cydil Waggoner Photography