THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

A new photographic group is born and I wanted to share it with everyone.

The Wedding Photographic Society (WPS) - a network of professional photographers who share ideas, thoughts and information to help raise the artistic, technical and business level in our profession. Membership in The WPS offers many professional & personal growth opportunities through educational opportunities, networking, critiques and camaraderie. The WPS meetings, forums and web pages are open to any and all professional wedding photographers across the world.

This all started with a handful of photographers meeting at a coffee house talking shop in 2005. Four years later the core of WPS was born. Martha Manning, Shane Snider, Robin Lin, Brian Mullins, Stacy Borelli and myself, Christobal Perez participate in bringing information to help the growth of photographers across the country. Everyone is invited to help and donate their time so The WPS grow into a international organization.

The WPS was created to help build relationships, share knowledge amongst peers and help create a competitive yet supportive photographic community. Leaders & Members of The WPS donate their time in order to help find guest speakers, topic discussions and provide advice, guidance and information sharing freely without compensation.

With that goal in mind, The WPS launched their website, forums & blogs to bring together the professional wedding photographic community.

You can visit us by going to The Wedding Photographic Society's website/blog.

LISA & GERARD

Pink + Perfect + Waffle House = Gerard and Lisa's wedding day

We had sunny skies, 65 degree temperatures, and not a speck of rain (which was forecasted). Gerard is a master of perfecting smiles in North Raleigh. Lisa is a vivacious soul, who loves the color pink and every shade of it known in the universe.

Lisa and Gerard, also know as Dr. Hottie, were married at Christ United Methodist Church in Southern Village, Chapel Hill. I have never been to this church and it had beautiful stained glass windows and architecture.

After a sparkler exit from the church, we headed over to the reception at the Carolina Inn. The flowers were simply amazing and I am always in awe of Lyn's talent from Fresh Affairs. A framed canvas bridal portrait greeted guests, along with a wonderful cocktail hour. The menu on the buffet was crab cakes, vegetable spring rolls, tortellini, pasta, beef wellington and my personal favorite at the Carolina Inn, shrimp & grits.

The bride and groom entered the pink filled room and were introduced by Ken Holmes with Joe Bunn DJ's. The couple grabbed the mic and thanked everyone for coming to the wedding and then broke into a song from from Disney's Enchanted. The song was "That's How You Know" and they sounded great! The room was full of smiles, laughter and flashes capturing the moment.

After some dancing, conversation and great food it was time for cake (which was created by Sweet Memories). It was a four-tier cake, intricately decorated and topped with a glamour "M." Each level was a unique flavor and everyone had seconds. The groom's cake was in the shape of a tooth coupled with a toothbrush.

The closing song was "Last Dance" by Donna Summer, but the night was not over. Lisa and Gerard wanted to visit Waffle House at 12:30 a.m. The staff there, along with the patrons, were amazed. They were congratulated by the staff as soon as they walked into the door and were given the royal treatment. After documenting the moment, I joined them and feasted on grilled cheese and enjoyed great conversation until 1:30 a.m.

What a great night and what a wonderful couple. Congratulations Lisa and Dr. Hottie!

JANE & SCOTT

Another amazing wedding at Fearrington. Jane and Scott were the lucky couple whom I had the honor of documenting on their wedding day.

On the way to the Red Room (groom's dressing area), I caught Scott carrying his tux while wearing kaki shorts with dress shoes and black socks. I later informed Jane of her future husband's dress attire and she said laughingly, "That's my man."

The ceremony was coordinated by Fearrington's Gilda McDaniel, Special Events Manager, and her associate, Barbara Yates, who were wonderful to work with. Jane and Scott were married under the shade of crabapple trees and the sky was Carolina blue with big fluffy white clouds.

They almost sprinted down the aisle after the ceremony, but saved their energy for a race later. You see, Jane and Scott like to run, so they had a little race after the portraits and I hate to say it Jane... Scott won. After the race, they still had enough energy to jump and click their heels. Well, really just because they could.

The reception was kicked off with a solo entrance by the bride and groom, which led into their first dance. Kevin with No Regret Productions got the party started and never let up. The dance floor was packed the whole night due to a great job by Kevin. The exit was lit with sparklers and a surprise fireworks display.


Jane and Scott are a wonderful couple with great souls and if you ever meet them, you will understand why. Congratulations Jane and Scott!

OLYMPICS

I was documenting a wedding last weekend on 08.08.08 and while walking with the bride and her bridesmaids for portraits, the bride made a comment to her friends on how just four years ago I was covering the summer Olympics in Greece. I looked over to them and said "I could be there right now if I wasn't a wedding photographer." Then the maid of honor said something which made me think, "Well, if you were in Beijing covering the Olympics, you would not be here taking pictures of this wonderful wedding."


You know... she was right.


Four years ago, while in Greece, I provided the Houston Chronicle my two weeks notice. I was leaving the newspaper to start a new business with my wife (Kathleen). I was very nervous and scared when I left the paper and had no idea what to expect. Now I know this is where I belong and everything I have ever done has brought me to this stage in my life. I am very thankful for the experiences of my past and I look forward to future ones.


Thank you Becca for enlightening me on that I should be in the USA and not in China. You are absolutely right.


Below are images from the Olympics in Greece I shot for the Houston Chronicle in 2004.

JACKIE & JOHN: PUBLISHED IN THE KNOT

Wow! We are published in The Knot.

Jackie and John's wedding was an event to remember. I always say any time the police visit a reception... well that's a party! The ceremony was held in Jackie's parents' backyard and portraits were shot on a stairwell which was specifically designed for this day. Grace with Grace Leisure Events pulled it all together with her amazing skills as a planner. The reception was underneath a circus sized tent, which housed great food, a candy bar, wonderful flowers by Tre Bella and amazing music. Their wedding also helped me win a couple of awards from the Wedding Photojournalist Association. I like it when that happens.

BRIDAL SHOW

Come meet us at the Southern Bridal Show and Expo at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh this upcoming Sunday, August 17th. We will be there from 12 pm to 5 pm and would love to see you. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at www.foreverbridal.net. If you can't make it out to the bridal show on Sunday, we will be having an open house for brides at Midtown Place three weeks after the show. Stay tuned to our blog for a specific time and date. See you soon!

GRETA & JASON

Here are some photographs from Greta and Jason's wedding, which took place at Fearrington. I (Kathleen) had the honor of documenting their big day, which was amazing. Enjoy!