Mary and Charles, Saddlebrook Wedding

Mary and Charles were married recently at the Saddlebrook Resort. It was a lovely ceremony right there at the resort. They knew they wanted to limit the amount of posed shots and were hoping to get lots of photos of their friends and family interacting naturally. I really enjoy this style of shooting, so I knew it would be no problem. Of course, there are always a few posed shots that you have to endure. Just grin and bear it! These two were real troopers and fun to work with.

We'll lead off with a posed shot. Although it may not be the most artistic image in the world, a lot of you folks out there probably just want to see a nice photo that shows the lovely couple.

Here is Mary posing in front of the altar area that was decorated so nicely. The natural light was perfect for portraits here, but I added a flash with a diffuser behind the bride to illuminate the white fabric, flowers and greenery.

I managed to squeeze off a few portraits of Charles while he waited to make his entrance to the ceremony.

The ring-bearer's assistant catches up and checks in on the rings.

Both sides of the family. Here you can see that the altar is back behind the trees and was a lot darker than the area where the people are standing. Without the additional flash, the background would just be dark.

Mary reluctantly agrees to pose for just a few more photos after the ceremony. The background flash also serves to add a nice edge light on Mary's hair.

The happy couple takes a quiet moment after the ceremony and toasts to the occasion.

Posed? Not posed? Maybe you'll never know!

Mary's dress got covered in dirt while walking around outside. She handled it very well, and we ran inside to get as much off as we could before they entered the reception. Since she was stuck in one place while her dress was being cleaned I was able to play with the lighting and composition to try and create some unique portraits. (Note to future brides: your dress will get dirty. It's inevitable. Please handle it as well as Mary.)

Now we'll jump to some of the natural shots of friends and family enjoying themselves at the reception. I love this photo. What a sincere moment!

A kiss for the new mother-in-law.

The reception was full of fun and laughs.

Another sweet moment. At first, I went to crop this photo down to just the couple. But after looking at it, I think I like the server in the background and the random head in the foreground. It gives you the feeling that there is a lot going on around these two, but they are only aware of each other.

Mary and Charles doing what they do best.

It's obvious these two are having fun. On a side note..."Hey guys, professional photographer standing right over here....oh well." I'm just kidding.

Mary and Charles share their first dance as husband and wife.

Congratulations Mary and Charles! I had a great time trying to capture your wedding naturally and unobtrusively. Thanks for having Tampa Photo be a part of your special day!

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