Springfield MO Wedding Photography: Unique Floral Designs

I recently shot a courtyard wedding behind the Inn at the Bay in St. Petersburg, FL and wanted to share a few pictures of the floral and candle decorations, as they were very unique.

Kudos to Scott Darhower of Apple Blossoms Floral Designs in Tampa for capturing the essence of the ceremony's setting in his designs.  Here are a few examples of his beautiful work...

I'm no expert on floral designs, of course (that would be scary!)... but I really thought his design reflected a classic look with a very modern and slightly eclectic twist. 

Here's one of my favorite shots from this couple's intimate courtyard ceremony, framed by Scott's beautiful designs...  

You can see a lot more of Apple Blossom's Tampa wedding floral designs online. 

You can also see examples of floral designs from other weddings we've shot in both Tampa, FL and Springfield, MO by visiting our wedding photography galleries anytime.

And of course please join me in congratulating Michelle and Billy, who were married in this beautiful setting!  Here are a couple more pictures from their wonderful wedding...



Springfield MO Wedding Photography: Kristi and Jay: A small, intimate wedding

If you're planning a smaller, less traditional wedding ceremony and reception, you're not alone.  They are very popular these days, and the reason may surprise you. 

Less Cost, Less Stress

As a professional wedding photographer serving two of America's most popular destination wedding locations (Branson/Springfield, MO and Tampa, FL) I speak to clients on a near-daily basis who are planning smaller ceremonies.

While the cost benefits of a smaller wedding are obvious, many couples choose to downsize their wedding simply because they want something more intimate.  The stress of planning and holding a much larger affair is replaced by a more casual and relaxed atmosphere, giving them a chance to celebrate their love for each other in a very personal way.  

Kristi and Jay

When Kristi first contacted me about photographing her wedding, she told me that she and Jay were planning a simple, intimate wedding on Apollo Beach in Tampa.

"We just want to get married in front of our close family and friends", she said.  "We'll have a big reception for everyone when we get back home to Minnesota."

The Wedding Pictures

A small ceremony was the perfect choice for this fun, laid-back couple. Here are some sample pictures from their special day on the beach behind the Sunset Grill at Little Harbor in Tampa. 

We started taking pictures in Kristi's hotel room, just as she was making her final preparations...

I thought the sun peeking out from behind the clouds just after Kristi and Jay were officially married was a great metaphor for their new life together.  Please join me in congratulating this wonderful couple!

Whether you're planning a small wedding or a larger affair In Branson, Springfield, or Tampa Bay, Cool Change Photography has a perfect wedding photography package for you.  Please feel free to contact us anytime.  I'd love to hear about your plans!

Nick

Springfield MO Engagement Portrait Photography: Gina and Patrick

Gina and Patrick said they wanted to do their engagement portrait shoot on the downtown Tampa waterfront.  I suggested that we try Harbor Island... which worked out well! 

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon downtown, and we found all kinds of cool settings, ranging from a pier, to a park bench, to a dark corner in the parking lot, to... well, see for yourself.

These are of course just a small sample of the pictures we shot on Gina and Patrick's engagement portrait shoot.  Congratulations to this awesome couple, who are planning a New Year's Eve wedding!

Cool Change Photography offers affordably priced wedding and engagement portrait photography packages in Springfield, MO, Branson, MO, Tampa, FL, and various other destinations.  View our prices, portfolio, and more online at CoolChangePhotography.com. 

Photo-Journalistic vs Traditional Tampa Wedding Photography

Yesterday I was on Indian Rocks Beach shooting a small, intimate sunset wedding ceremony arranged by Florida Gulf Beach Weddings. The couple (Peggy and Brian) wanted their wedding pictures to reflect the fun, casual vibe of their day.

It was a perfect match for my style of "photo-journalistic" Tampa wedding photography. It's all about capturing the details and moments that tell the story of a couple's wedding day in pictures.

Memorable details...



And priceless moments...



After the ceremony, we walked down to the surf. "It's a beautiful Saturday evening, we're on the beach, and you just got married", I told them.

"Just take a walk together and enjoy the moment. Have fun and don't pay any attention to me".

It gave me the opportunity to capture natural images that show their genuine love and appreciation for one another...





While I was shooting them in the surf, I noticed another photographer taking formal pictures of a different couple. Like us, they were down at the edge of the water. But as a formal photographer, he was meticulously posing them to capture the "perfect" sunset kiss.

From the placement of their hands, to the way they were standing, everything was posed.

I have a huge amount of respect for formal wedding photographers. It takes an incredible amount of patience, planning, and talent, and this guy totally knew what he was doing.

But while I'm sure the pictures he shot will be absolutely beautiful, they will inherently lack the natural spontaneity that you see in shots like these:





There's something about the way that Peggy and Brian are walking together, step for step in perfect unison, that makes that first one special. You can't "pose" pictures like that... they just kind of happen.

In any case, that's the difference between my style of casual, photo-journalistic Tampa wedding photography, and the more traditional style of so many other talented photographers in Tampa Bay.

Which style is right for your wedding or engagement portrait shoot? Only you know that... but choose carefully, because there really is a big difference!

Tampa Wedding Photography: The first kiss

Despite the anticipation, planning, rushing, and worrying that are all part of weddings, they are of course really about one thing: A couple's public expression of their love, devotion, and commitment to each other for the rest of their lives.

And nowhere during a ceremony is that more evident than the moment when they hear the words, "I now pronounce you man and wife", look into each other's eyes, and seal it with their first kiss.

Here are some of my favorite "first kiss" moments from weddings I've photographed around Tampa Bay. Like every wedding, each of these moments is special and unique in their own way...

This first one is from Kathy and Larry's wedding on Clearwater Beach. From a photography standpoint, it's one of my all-time favorites, and I use it often in our advertising. Really a dramatic moment...



The next is from a casual, backyard wedding I shot in Port Richey for Martha and Jim. When Martha first contacted me, she told me she was marrying, "the man of my dreams". They were so happy here...



Darlene and Jim were married on the beautiful beachfront deck behind Oystercatcher's restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. Yet another very beautiful first kiss...



Sometimes it's the moment right before the kiss that's even better. Check out the excitement in Kristin's face right before Toby leaned in to kiss her. "It was the happiest day of my life", she told me later.



Here's another moment right before Marlese and James' first kiss. I love the look on the officiate's face:-)



For a look at many more first kisses, as well as a variety of other images from recent ceremonies, check out the image galleries on our Tampa wedding photography website anytime.

Tampa Engagement Portrait Photography: Chantel and Kai

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending a Sunday afternoon shooting Chantel and Kai's engagement portraits. The couple chose the University of Tampa campus as their setting.

Chantel and Kai share a very deep love for each other, and have some incredible chemistry that made this a really fun shoot.

The key to capturing great images on an engagement photo shoot is finding a way to put the couple at ease in front of the camera. I typically start by asking them to take a walk, as we did here, down a beautiful tree-covered path in the park...



Chantel and Kai had no problem relaxing and being themselves in front of the camera...



Then, we headed up to the veranda on the front of the historic Henry B. Plant museum...





Up next, after a clothing change... we took some shots on the back veranda of the museum. It's one of my favorite spots on the entire University of Tampa campus for portrait photography, especially in the late afternoon when the sun's shadows are longer.

I did some post production work on both of these next ones to give them an "art-sy" sort of look that the couple wanted.





As the sun continued setting, we went back outside to get some fun shots in the park...





Another great spot for portraits in the UT campus is in and around the metal sculpture in the center of the park.



These are of course just a small sampling of the images I captured for Chantel and Kai on their engagement portrait photo shoot (there were over 90 total).

I'll be photographing their wedding on Clearwater Beach later in the year, and it should be a great time. Congratulations, Chantel and Kai!