I have been looking forward to photographing this wedding reception for Mary Frances and Gardner ever since they visited me last year.  She is just extraordinarily beautiful and so much fun - a photographer’s dream.  Gardner obviously can’t quite believe his good luck in finding Mary Frances, and he loves to dance just as much as she does.  They had met a few years ago in Harbor Beach, Michigan where both their families have been going for summer vacations for generations.  The celebration had that extra warmth that that you often see when the bride and groom's families have been friends for years and everyone already seems to know each other.  Mary Francis had always wanted a small wedding and a large party, so they had an intimate wedding ceremony earlier this summer followed by a larger party here in St. Louis in the fall.

We kept the posed photographs to a minimum because Mary Francis and Gardner wanted a very photojournalistic record of their party.  I suggested that they use market lights in their tent which allowed me to photograph the party without using a flash in order to make the photographs a more authentic record of the night.  I was able to offer this option thanks to the ability of the latest Canon cameras to take pictures in low light situations.  These are amazing cameras!  Another fantastic feature that Canon has incorporated into their new cameras is automatic, simultaneous dual card back up. No longer any worries about loosing images on corrupted cards - which until now has been a major concern for professional photographers.

The party had a great buzz from the beginning.    Beautiful peach tone floral arrangement were created by Bloomin' Buckets , and a clear tent with market lights provided by Contemporary Productions.  The Fabulous MoTown Review  kept the dance floor crowded all night.

Congratulations you two!