Chantal and Brian, Columbia Restaurant Wedding

My first day back from vacation and I jumped right back into things with the opportunity to photograph Chantal and Brian's lovely wedding. The ceremony was at the First Chirstian Church in Hyde Park and the reception was at the historic Columbia restaurant in Ybor. The Columbia is a great venue for an event; not to mention some great food! Congratulations Chantal and Brian! You guys were great and I think we walked away with some special images. Special thanks to Al, the second photographer. Let's walk through some of my favorites.

Chantal and Brian were great! As the reception was ending, I asked to pull them away from their party for a quick portrait upstairs where the light was really nice.

This shot was taken right after the one above. Just a few extra minutes resulted in some great images.

I was with the guys upstairs in the church before the ceremony. We waited a few minutes for the last usher to come up for some group shots, so I used the time to fire off a few quick portraits of Brian. Thanks to one of the groomsmen who held my light for me. By the way, this shot almost resulted in my head having a chance meeting with a ceiling fan. Note to other photographers: look up before standing on chairs!

The mothers are seated, the guys are at the altar, and the bride sneaks into the front of the sanctuary ready to make her grand entrance. The church staff closed all the doors before her entrance and I didn't want to open them and cause too much of a scene. But I really wanted a shot of Chantal in that special moment before walking down the aisle. The small windows in the doors offered enough of a glimpse to create a special image.

The ceremony is over and we arrive at The Columbia. A photographer in The Columbia is like a kid in a candy store. I could easily shoot there all day and not run out of cool locations. Some great down-lights add a dramatic touch to this shot.

This is near the main lobby of the restaurant. And although it looks like it is their own private romantic hideaway, customers kept passing through congratulating the couple. I loved the warm, intimate feel of the ambient lighting at this spot. Unfortunately, the light was no good for faces. I had to find a way to properly light the couple without killing the mood. A flash on a stand zoomed in on the couple was set to add just enough light to light them without overpowering the cool lamp light.

Chantal and Brian put a lot of work into planning their special day and it showed. There were lots of great details to record. I had a tough time deciding between two different matchbook shots because I liked them both so much, but this one won. The color and texture of the napkin offer a glimpse into the style and feel of their wedding.

Yee-Haw!! Now those are some dancing shoes! Brian goes to remove the garter, but first has to remove the cowgirl boots. (Yes, she had separate shoes for the ceremony)

I love this technique for highlighting the bride and groom on a busy dance floor. The light in my left hand is zoomed in so it only illuminates Chantal and Brian. A nice moment between the couple is really what makes the image.

Once again, congratulations to the happy couple! The wedding was awesome and all of us at Tampa Photo would like to wish you the best.