“Daddy, would you pray for me?” she asked, moments before she walked down the aisle. And there, in the little corner of a back room of this church, Renee’s father sat down with her to pray, just as he always has with her other daughters. It was this beautiful quiet moment, a simple heartfelt prayer in the corner of this room, that’s unquestionably the highlight of the day for me.

Speaking of ‘simple’, that’s really how Renee & Marv are. Ever since the first time I met them (which was only a week before their wedding!) there was this overwhelming sense of simplicity that resonated with me. Two people who are deeply in love with each other who were about to make a lifelong commitment that from this point on one will put the other’s best interest before his/her own. In this busy world a wedding has so often became so much more about EVERYTHING ELSE but what truly matters, and it was refreshing to see this simpleness  so profoundly displayed throughout their day.

The cool breeze, the warm morning sun, the blue sky. The day was SO gorgeous, I could have shot outside all day! Renee was simply glowing!

Meet Jasmine. She’s cute. And you’ll see her again soon. (Oh and she just turned one. And that she’s already walking like a pro, which put my own one year old to shame.

A couple of portraits with the bridesmaids..

Marv’s cleaned up pretty good too!

Marv’s groomsmen are all his brothers. I thought that was really, really cool.

Can you tell? =)

The following 2 portraits are taken moments before the ceremony started. SO much emotions spoken through no words.

One of the cutest ring-bearers-flower-girl team ever. No kidding!

Renee & Marv decided to do Holy Communion at their ceremony. It was, once again, simple. And beautiful.

After the ceremony Renee asked if we can take portraits down the road from the church, at this very generous couple’s AMAZING garden. Are you kidding? With how gorgeous the day was, I could have shot there all day!

Bridal party..

I had my work cut out for me – NOT – these guys were easy on the eyes!

I saw this path cutting through one side of the garden and I asked Renee & Marv if they are willing to do this – and I’m glad they did!

And the light was, simply, excellent.

Renee’s uncle brought his Corvette to the party, and we took advantage!

I’ll end this post with a couple of shots from the reception below. Renee &  Marv, thank you once again for inviting me to be a part of your very special day. I enjoy capturing the simple love that you share with one another, and I hope I’ll see you guys again at church soon!

I’ll say this with conviction: Matt & Jenn’s wedding is the most fun wedding I’ve had the privilege to shoot. I had to think for a bit as of why I feel this way. It’s  not because of the location or the decoration or the food. But because it was truly a reflection of who they are as a couple – fun, energetic, spontaneous, often unpredictable (especially Matt. No kidding,) personal, and filled with much, much love. And it’s my job to capture all that and convey it so that when they look at the pictures many years from now all the wonderful memories flood back.  You see, my job is not just to give them pictures to look at so they remember what their wedding was like. No, my job is to give them pictures so that they can look at them and feel all over again. Ooooh boy. Here we go!

“This is my wedding hair!” she giddily exclaimed.

Jenn got her make-up done in this other room at the back of the salon. It’s got this new-agey music going that really calmed the soul. Just what a bride needs in this hectic day! The one thing that stood to me was the cool wall decoration..

My attempt at post processing this image a little differently – I think it sort of give a vintage-modern look at the same time.

The ceremony was held at Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, about 20 minutes north of Baltimore.

The following few shots are some of my favorites of the day. Matt gave 2 special cards to Jenn that she reads as she was getting ready..

We then head out in the hot blistering sun to get some pictures of the girls..

Then it was Matt’s turn to get ready and get his pictures.

A touching moment with mom…

Did I say Matt was spontaneous and often unpredictable?

‘

Jenn: “Matt’s groomsmen are a bunch of goofballs. You’ll see what I mean when you meet them.”

Yes Jenn, I see that.

Few moments before the ceremony, always a perfect time for a chest bump.

The ceremony begins.. Jenn’s brother walked her down the aisle.

the KISS!

This image is taken right after they walked out of the auditorium. THIS. IS. WHY. I. SHOOT. WEDDINGS. Hands down my favorite image of the day.

Some group portraits..

By this time it was probably close to 100 degrees outside. I mean it was blazing hot. Matt & Jenn were such troopers to still willing to take some pictures outside anyway. We stopped by this location on the way to the reception.

Yes, this was probably one of the coolest entrances ever.

First dance.

Yes, that’s Matt doing a split during one of (many) impromptu dances.

These ladies sure knew how to get your money’s worth during the dollar dance.

Matt & Jenn, thanks for sharing your really special day with me. I had tons of fun! And got to take some pictures to boot! I really enjoy you guys and I hope I have done some justice in capturing what a fun day it was. Best wishes as you start your marriage together!!

When I met Anoa for the first time she shared that her fiancee, Tim ( check out his myspace page here, ) is a Jazz musician. Those of you who know me personally probably know I’m a huge Jazz fan, a Jazz keyboardist wannabe at times, but mostly I enjoy listening. The Rippingtons started it all for me 13 years ago and I’ve been listening to Jazz ever since. One of the best night in my life was when me & my wife attended a Rippingtons concert in Harrisburg a couple of years ago for the first time ever. So needless to say when I hear that Tim and most of his groomsmen are accomplished musicians, I was giddy and excited. And nervous.

And the day finally came. It was one day after we had moved to our new home, and needless to say that morning I woke up exhausted. The forecast called for a wicked hot day too. But the day turned out to be the highlight of the year for me and it was such a treat to be able to be a part of this special occasion.

So, without much further ado.. here are the pics!`

I took this one while Anoa was getting ready. The bathroom has this cool little mirror and I caught her reflection on it.. and snapped away.

Meanwhile Tim is getting ready as well.

When Dontae, one of Tim’s groomsmen, started practicing his trumpet, I know this was going to be an awesome day.

Leola Village is an unassuming location right off the main street on Leola. If you don’t know that it’s there you would drive past it. But I can’t say enough how much I love shooting here. It’s simply made for weddings.

Anoa is getting ready to put her dress on..

The next two images are two of my favorites of the day. I just love, love everything about them.

Anoa, you’re beautiful!

I find the moments leading up to the ceremony to be one of my favorite moments of the day. There’s so much emotion packed into that last few minutes. All the preparations, late night work, planning, and everything else the couple do come down to this moment. Suddenly nothing else matters anymore. They just want to get married. It’s beautiful.

Tim’s planning a surprise..

Anoa walked to the building. I love, love, love the next two images. They speak a thousand words.

She entered the room, and smiled.

You must really be there to experience, feel, and be a part of this. I hope these next few images do it a little justice. It was simply beautiful, and I’m not ashamed to say I teared up too just like everybody else.

I was actually holding up real well, kinda, until this man opened his mouth and started singing. And I lost it. Here I was, hired to be a photographer, and was blessed beyond I ever expected.

After the ceremony everyone was ribbing each other about the fact that they all cried.

By this time it was right at mid day, and the sun was scorching in all its glory. As a result I didn’t get to spend as much time as I’d like to take pictures but we managed to get some..

The first dance..

Guess what? Tim pulled off another surprise and serenaded Anoa to an awesome, awesome solo. I got chills.

The speech and the dance..

Tim & Anoa, Thank You for allowing me to be a small part of your special day. Let me tell you once again how much it blessed me more than I ever expected. I enjoyed the wonderful music, the laughter shared among loved ones, and the bond that you two shared with each other. I hope that I have done a little justice in capturing your special day, and I wish you both the happiest marriage!

Steve & Megan had the wonderful opportunity to get married in the place that started it all for them – Elizabethtown College. I thought this was really cool – they could have gotten married anywhere else, but instead they decided to get married in a place that mattered to them. Both were selfless in their services to the community and those in need, and it’s really fitting that their engagement happened after their trip to Puerto Rico.

Here’s Megan & Steve..

Their ring bearer was too cute..

Some shots of the bridal party..

The ceremony..

And the kiss.

After the ceremony we spent some time taking pictures on the grounds of the college..

One of my favorite picture of the day.

And yes, the light was just perfect.

We walked around some more..

This is where Steve proposed to Megan. How cool is it to be able to take your wedding pictures at the exact spot you got engaged?

Another favorite of the day..

When I first sift through the pictures I almost delete this shot.. and now it’s one of my favorite of the day!

I’ll end this post with some shots from the reception..

Their first dance..

Um, I think EVERYONE pretty much cried during this. (me included.)

I love this close-up shot of Steve’s dance with his mother..

Steve & Megan, thank you so much for sharing your special day with all of us. May you both continue in your selfless service to others as you start your journey together as a couple!

I met Matt & Jenn through Wes & Betsy, another super cool couple whose wedding I shot in March. Matt is Betsy’s big brother. They’re getting married in 3 weeks, and a month ago they drove up to Lancaster to do their engagement session. Starting from my first shot I could really tell that this is a really fun couple!

We started at Lancaster County Park, one of my favorite places to shoot.. I mean, I can shoot these all day!

When I first learned photography I would ask around “what’s the secret to a great image?” and the answer I always got was “light.” Not the amount of light, but the quality of it. It took me a while to grasp that, but when I finally did, it was like a switch turned on inside. This, is perfect light.

One of my favorite of the day.. captures perfectly who they are.

I just love how Matt can playfully interacts with Jenn, and then on the next second do something like this..

Easily another one of my favorite..

Rule #67 of Engagement photography: when you see a bridge, you must include it in your session. must. (OK I just made that up, but it gives me an excuse why the next 6 pictures are in front of a bridge.)

There were talks about getting into the water… but cooler heads prevailed.

Matt: “Can we get a running picture?”
Me: “Excuse me?”
Matt: “Running picture. All my friends have running pictures on their engagement photos so it becomes sort of a running joke.”
Me: “Well, lets better make it as cheesy as it can then.”

Here you go, Matt.

We then left the park and walk around Downtown lancaster..

Yeah, they were totally blocking that sidewalk.

Matt & Jenn, I hope you guys enjoy these pictures as much as I do capturing them. You guys are so much fun, and I’m so looking forward to your wedding in a few weeks!

When I got to the hotel room where she was getting ready, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Michelle’s Mom & Aunt in the room. Michelle had shared about how difficult it was for them to get their paperwork from Brazil to be able to attend the wedding, so their presence was definitely a treat for Tom & Michelle!

Ring shot..

I think there’s something extra special when the bride has her family / close friend to do the hair and makeup because there’s a certain comfort level that’s just not there when you just met the person doing your makeup. This photo of Michelle and Tom’s sister is one of my favorite of the day.

While the girls are getting ready, what do the guys do? Playing HALO, of course. Easy answer.

Tom’s getting ready..

He cleans up real good!

Then it was Michelle’s turn to put her dress on..

Another one of my favorite of the day..

Michelle was just glowing and SO ready to get married!

The ceremony took place in this room with some cool blue lights at the front..

The processional..

The exchanging of vows might be my favorite time of the ceremony.. Michelle & Tom’s vows to each other were just so heartfelt and touching.

The Kiss!

The weather was quickly going downhill so we quickly went out to get some outdoor shots… and I’m so glad that we did! Tom & Michelle were such troopers for running around with me!

Another favorite of mine.. Love the scenery!

The reception is held in the Pisces room, which is on the top floor of the hotel. It’s got an AWESOME view of Baltimore harbor at night. By the way, I love the details that Michelle had put together for the reception! It’s just elegant and classy. She also used some pictures from our engagement session as table number signs – a great idea!

Cake Cutting..

First dance..

And party time afterwards!

Tom & Michelle, it was an honor for me to be able to capture your very special day. You two have a special relationship and your love for each other are admirably evident. Wishing you the best marriage and many years of happiness!

“You’re getting married where??“ I asked Barb & Rob when they told me where they were going to get hitched. “Trust us, it’s going to be cool!!” Barb said.

And cool it was. Barb & Rob are a really fun couple and they wanted a wedding that express who they are as a couple – fun, easy going, relaxed, yet quirky. They wanted a wedding that’s not a typical cookie cutter wedding. So they picked Stoudt’s Brewery as their wedding location, just because Rob drove by it so many times when he commuted to see Barb in Philadelphia. There was once even talk about renting a smoke machine. “You’re going to have a unity what???“ I asked. “Yep. Unity beer.” Rob said. See what I mean?? =)

Barb & Rob opted to see each other before the wedding so that we can take advantage of the really cool sceneries around the brewery. First thing I noticed was the super awesome button bouquet.. it’s pure genius. I think it’s worth the 3 hours it took Barb to make!

Meet Barb & Rob, our awesome couple.

They are natural in front of the camera…

They like to kiss.. ( to quote Barb’s dad, “What are they doing behind my back? Kissing? Oh, that’s okay then. They’re always kissing behind my back.” )

And they like to make each other laugh..

We then walked across the street the the most awesome Stoudtburg Village. They had described it as “Really cool & artsy european village style houses” and that’s exactly what it was! I was giddy like a kid in a candy store when I saw the colors.

Then I saw these windows. Couldn’t resist.

There’s a fountain area in the middle of this village..

Holy purple wall, Batman!

And blue wall! (see a pattern yet?)

And mosaic wall! (I’m on a roll.)

Love these next couple of pictures.. the colors are just lovely.

And lastly green wall! (What colors did I miss to complete the rainbow?)

And just because I love windows so much..,

It was finally time for the ceremony. Before the ceremony Barb & the ladies were hanging out at the back.. How bout them buttons!

The ceremony was held in this really cool courtyard at the brewery.

The processional begins..

One of my favorite pictures of the day. This is why I shoot weddings.

Barb & Rob wrote their own vows, and it was beautiful and heartfelt.

And now! The long awaited unity beer! Everyone was cracking up when they realized what’s about to happen. I was struggling to get a clear view and the sun was directly in front of me.. but I think it actually gives the image a cool effect..

Cheers!

And they’re married!

After the ceremony and a few pictures later, we went out with the bridal party to get some portraits. Don’t know about you, but I often love many of the ‘accident’ or ‘not ready yet’ shots when I shoot weddings. There’s just something about those moments, frozen in time, that are endearing to me. Here are a few of the guys that I particularly love..

Is this an awesome jump or what?

So awesome that even the girls wanted to do the jump as well!

Some ‘normal’ bridal party shots..

Coolest. bridal party shot. ever.

Barb rappin it up..

And Rob getting into trouble..

I’ll end this post with some shots from the reception. Barb & Rob, being the avid music fan that they are, used vinyl records as the centerpieces of their tables. Genius.

I love the atmosphere of the night..

Barb & Rob, thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of your special day. You guys are truly a unique and fun couple and I hope I had succeeded in capturing who you are. I wish you two many many years of happiness and love!!!

Numb. That was the feeling I felt as my eyes darted around the foyer and then up the stairs. Winny and Mega were sitting on the floor crying, and in my hand was a business card with a phone number written on it. “Saint Joseph Medical Center.” Yusnan was brought there. “Critical condition. Sorry, but that’s all I know,” the nice young policeman told me.

I nervously dialed the number and asked to speak with a doctor. “It’s OK. He was just in an accident. People recover from critical condition all the time,” I kept reassuring myself as I waited for the doctor at the other end of the line. He introduced himself. The few seconds felt like eternity, yet never did ‘death’ cross my mind. “How is his condition, doctor?” that’s the first thing I said. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I have bad news.”

It felt like a lightning just hit. “NO.NO.NO” was all I could say as the doctor explained that Yusnan was already not breathing when they found him at the scene. “NO God. Not us. Not now. This is not supposed to happen.” Mega cried louder. I walked upstairs, sat next to them, and we cried.

1:30am

The quietness was deafening. John, my awesome neighbor and friend, was at the wheel. Mega sat alone at the back seat. Winny stayed home to be with Jackson. I felt my left arm slowly feeling numb, like I slept on it wrong or something. We were on our way to the hospital. John had began to explain what’s going to happen once we got there. He said there will probably be a policeman waiting for us there to explain what happened. The hospital was in a nice area in Towson. I kept wondering how far do we have yet, but I dread arriving there.

We finally arrived and it played out just like John had explained it would. They took us to a room where we met 2 policemen. They didn’t see the accident but they were the first at the scene. “Driver side accident.” the officer said. Probably took a turn too fast, fishtailed out of control, and overcompensate the other way. Crossed the other lane.

They took me & John to a room where Mega waited outside. There he was. His whole body was covered up. Never noticed he was that big before. The officer pulled a chair next to the bed. “Take as much time as you need,” he said as he walked out of the room. This can’t be real. I slowly revealed his face, and I broke down.

I cried like I never have. John cried. He prayed softly, asking for grace to be poured out for me. My brother is gone. It’s not supposed to happen like this. I tightly held his cold hand as I cried “WHY WHY WHY.”

We took Mega into the room. “Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked. She nodded purposely. She saw him for the first time. She held his hands. Touched his hair and kissed his forehead. She smiled and said, “He still smells like Yusnan.” We cried.

Saturday, 11 am

We’re inside Yusnan’s apartment trying to find his car title, passport, and other documents and bring home some stuff that we can. Timo had driven us there, and my youngest brother Dimas is with me too after arriving from Pensacola the night before. I opened Yusnan’s room door and immediately felt this huge wave of sadness washing over me. Everything was still there. Everything was where it’s supposed to be. Someone lives here. I can even smell him. This feels so wrong. Tears started rolling down my cheeks as I began to collect his belongings. At his bedside table I found a Bible marker laying there.. and it says, “Life is fragile, handle with prayer. Live each day with kindness and care.” And I lost it.

We drove to the towing company where his car was impounded at. “Did he survive the accident?” the gentleman behind the counter asked. He was at the scene apparently. “No, he passed away that night,” I answered. He shook his head slowly. “Damn, I’m so sorry dude.”

We were directed to the back of the building to the lot where they keep the cars. There it was, what used to be his prized civic. He loved that car so much. He took care of it. “Can we get in to get the stuff in there?” I asked the man. “You may try, but it’s going to be hard.” I could see why. It looked like someone nearly bent the card in half. All the windows were shattered. As I was taking stuff out of the glove compartment I saw Yusnan’s pair of glasses laying on the car floor. The left side glass broke. I nearly lost it again. My eyes darted on the floor and I saw a car speaker with shattered glasses on it laying on the floor.. it was my last Christmas gift to him. I picked that up too.

We managed to get most of the stuff out of the car, and Dimas was determined to find his cell phone which was amazingly still on, but nowhere in sight. He finally got it from underneath the crushed center console. 12 miss calls.

Tuesday, 4/13, JFK airport

“It’s over. It’s over.” I breathed a sigh. Relief. Barb, one of the sweetest lady I know, nodded and smiled. “You did well.” “Was it enough? Nothing is ever.” I whispered. We had just took Mega & Dimas to the airport for the trip home. I so wish I could be in that plane with them too. Yusnan’s body is in another building, waiting to be boarded another plane (I was having problems trying to get him on the same plane as Dimas & Mega) I suddenly felt so, so tired. But my job’s almost over. One last thing I have to do for Yusnan – his memorial service.

Monday, 4/26

Yesterday was Yusnan’s memorial service. I think it went pretty well. Now my job is truly over. Now the hard part. The quiet. The grieving. “Be strong,” people said. That’s got to be the advice I hate the most. I’m tired of trying to be strong. I’m not supposed to be strong. Losing a brother and a friend hurts. It hurts a lot. As I drove back from work the song I used for one of Yusnan’s video was played.. and I sobbed, again.

That night I was sitting in my room. The lights were off. My wife’s asleep, Jackson’s asleep. I couldn’t hold it anymore. I went downstairs to my basement where all of Yusnan’s stuff from his apartment were. The room even still smells like him. I picked up a pair of shoes he was wearing the night of the accident and sobbed. “Lord I believe. Help me my unbelief.”

Today

One month. That’s how long you’ve been gone. Last Sunday I played basketball and remembered us playing together. When we couldn’t score I used to just dumped the ball to the post where you were so much taller than everyone else.. and you weren’t there this time. Some days I would look at your pictures and still couldn’t believe I’ll never see those smile again on this side of eternity. Sometimes I still feel like I’ve failed mom & dad for not preventing this from happening, but I’m sure they know there’s nothing I could do. Sometimes it felt like you are just going away for a really long time. Well I guess that’s really what this is. I still miss you, brother. Mom & Dad still miss you. Mega still misses you. Dimas still misses you. Winny & Jackson still miss you. We still miss you.