Every year I travel to Europe to see my family and friends, while visiting some of my favorite countries and booking destination weddings.  This year I was lucky enough to photograph a wedding for my friends Jitka and Jirka in the Czech Republic. They had a beautiful ceremony in the small village of Laskov in Moravia, and a reception in Prostejov with all of their family, friends, and loved ones. 

This almost Autumn wedding was filled with genuine love, special breathtaking moments and lots of fun.
I had the pleasure to photograph this wedding with Marketa Rozsivalova ( Peggy Cotton Photography ) to spoil the couple with lots of photographs to choose from. 

Every wedding in the Czech Republic goes from the early mornings to the late night hours, with lots of unique customs.  One tradition is eating  soup with a broken spoon or one spoon,  and the couple has to feed each other.  Another custom comes after the first cheers and a glass of something yummy, a family member brakes the glass and the bride and groom together have to clean the mess.  It is a early reminder that a couple should do things together, and love each other and support one a another. 

Congratulations, I was happy to celebrate this special day with you!
Flowers by: Pavla Koutna ( Kvetiny Floris ) Prostejov

Christina and Corey are in love,  and they show it in the sweetest way.  This couple has been together for many years, and their affection and love for each other was beaming at this amazing beach wedding under the stars.  Christina and I conversed a lot about the details of her wedding, the planning and our underwater shoot ( another blog will follow ) , and we shared the excitement and anticipation from the moment she was booked. 

The family stayed at the Lighthouse Inn which provided for such a sweet background in downtown Key West and although the skies were not glowing with tropical with sun, this couple radiated love.  The family was full of laughs and playfulness and the beach wedding at Ft Zach was officiated by Christina's father.  There were so many laughs and great moments at this destination wedding. 

We were able to get some great images of the couple at the Fort itself, using the circular stairway and the iconic arches and architecture. The reception overlooking the ocean was spectacular as the ever popular DJ Buggy played a few hours of music that nearly everyone danced too!  What a night and what amazing memories!  Happy and blessed to be a part of this ceremony of love.  Cheers to the newlyweds Christina and Corey!

Wedding Venue: Fort Zachary Taylor Park, Key WestWedding Planner : Kirsten B. Corpion 
Photography: Romi Burianova - Weddings By Romi
Videography : Mark J. Pierson Wedding Films
Make Up: Studio Marie-Pierre Hair and Make Up 
Flowers and Decoration: Duarte Floral Design
Music: Dj Buggy 

Despite rain being in the forecast, the weather held out for Meghan and Jeffrey on their wedding day!  The clouds rolled in later in the evening and fortunately Mother Nature held out on the rain until after the ceremony.  We had just a small move from the outside patio at the Reach Resort,  to the inside of the ballroom where everyone had so much fun on the dance floor. Make sure you scroll down to see all the fun pictures! 

Meghan and Jeffrey came to celebrate their destination wedding with friends and family from San Antonio, Texas. 
They choose blush/tan colors and had beautiful homemade decor from driftwood, shells, succulents, babies breath and mercury vases/candles.

Meghan had a cotton lace sweet heart dress with a small diamond belt and looked absolutely gorgeous. 
You can learn a lot about a couple by listening to the toasts that are given.  What did I learn about Meghan and Jeffrey?  I learned that their personalities work together like Yin & Yang,  that they have many people who love them, have fun with, and that a bright and wonderful future full of adventures awaits.

Jennifer and Glen met each other on a blind date that led them to this very special day.  Their love overflows whenever they are near each other.  Their wedding day was intimate and charming with lovely and sentimental details throughout.  The Reach Resort Gazeebo was their wedding venue, and we had a few moments to sneak away and capture some romantic moments with other Key West scenery.

Jennifer's  beautiful wedding gown was fit with sequined details and ruffles.  Jennifer surprised the Glen with a bagpiper who arrived right after the ceremony and played them down the isle.  Not one eye stayed dry.  We love those little special moments and memories that makes every wedding unique. 

Jennifer's bridal party was so fun and playful all day.  Getting ready with them and capturing all of her details was so much fun.  Our flower girl shined throughout the day and kept dancing with her brother all night.  This wedding was sweet and full of love and humorous toasts from loved ones.  Cheers to you Jennifer and Glen, It was a pleasure  and honor to be a part of your special day! 
 

This wedding party knew how to have fun!  Leslie and Robert's destination wedding in Key West took place at The Reach Resort and everyone had a great time at this festive event.  Our bride wore an elegant and sleek lace backed bohemian dress with beautiful Badgley Mischka wedding shoes and she looked amazing and full of smiles as they said their vows.  A wedding archway of driftwood and orchids framed our couple as they took turns lyrically expressing their love and affection. 

The Bride and Groom had their cute dogs at the ceremony and it is no secret that many of us consider our dogs to be family. So it only makes sense to include them in one of the most important days of their life! 

Leslie's father gave the sweetest toast and there was much dancing throughout the night.  Robert could not have looked happier and the energy was electric under the stars and the sliver of a moon. It is always a pleasure and sometimes great fun to be a part of these memories.  Congratulations to you Leslie and Robert!

Photography has always been about light, and capturing amazing and romantic wedding photos is no different... yadda yadda

Figuring out your timeline is important, How much time is needed to get great shots?

Sunset is very important.  Ideally your ceremony will end with about 1 hour until the sun sets..yadda yadda 


This is my suggested ideal timeline. Each wedding is different and there is always room for adjustments, but this presents an amount of time and a suggested timeline for a 6 & 8 hour wedding package   

This wedding was spectacular!  Catherine and Sean spent so much time preparing an unforgettable destination wedding for their family and friends.  There were so many memorable details from the table decor to her magnificent wedding dress!   Our day began in spacious suite at the Marriott Beach Side Suites with a Gulf view room.  The bridesmaids and flower girl all got ready in this beautiful space and everyone was in great spirits.   A trolly took the wedding party to Saint Mary's Star of the Sea Church for a full service in the beautiful and iconic Key West church.  

We ventured out for some candid and fun photos to the vintage postcard mural, and the banyan tree near the Westin.  The winds were picking up and there was some discussion to put the wedding indoors, but the night turned out perfectly and the beach wedding was exquisite.   There were so many great toasts and speeches and the night was absolutely perfect.  There is nothing like a candle lit dinner and dancing on the ocean front beach of the Casa Marina. 

I loved Catherine's style and color palette she chose for her wedding.  Catherine's dress was stunning with lots of details. It was a pleasure to work with the whole wedding party and this was such a fun night to be a part of!  Congratulations Catherine + Sean!

Photography: Romi Burianova
Venue:  St Marys Church & The Casa Marina Waldorf Astoria Resort
Planner:  Just Save the Date
Flowers:  Milan Event
Hair and Make up: Studio Marie-Pierre Hair & Makeup 
DJ:  Visualize Entertainment
Videography:  Cineverde

Kristin booked me as her wedding photographer long before her wedding date.  She worked so hard on all of the details and for such a long time,  and it showed.  Oscar and Kristin booked out the Reach Resort Ballrooms and the outdoor patio.  There was a beautiful ceremony at the The Reach Gazebo,  spectacular food, great speaches, and a lot of dancing.   This was a larger destination wedding with so many fun people.  

There were many laughs and a lot of comradarie from the large families.  We were able to take them around to some of Key West's quintesenntial locations to shoot a couple photos.  The Key West Postcard, Higgs Beach, and a small church that reminded me of Greece or Italy.  Kristen's dress was stunning and I loved the purple flowers and bow ties.   This couple had known each other for a long time, believe or not since elementary school, and asking them to interact with each other was as easy as a Sunday morning.   They were adorable together and their love was a joy to capture.  Congratulations Kristin and Oscar! 

Wedding Venue: The Reach Resort 
Flowers: Milan Decor 
Videography: Mark J Pierson Wedding Films

Our beach wedding was filled with dancing and much celebration at the historic Casa Marina Hotel.  Elyse had a style all her own and the pair of them knew how to throw a great party!  A live band, eclectic Israeli and Persian music, and family and friends from Turkey, Sweeden, London, and NYC filled the beach with laughter and great stories. 

Elyse's dress was simple and elegant with vintage details, and their wedding arch was created with her creative eye.  I loved all of the dancing and celebration that this wedding embraced.  This was a true tropical celebration full of revelry and romance!   Congratulations to Elyse and Michael, may you enjoy many more nights like this one was!  It was my pleasure to be a part of your very special day!

The beachfront at the Casa Marina Resort is a beautiful venue to have a wedding ceremony and reception.  Cindy and Peter's wedding was full of traditional elements and and was so much fun to shoot.   Our bride did a lot of research for her wedding, and interviewed myself and others thoroughly before choosing a photographer.   Cindy had graceful and elegant taste.  Her wedding dress was adorned with vintage lace, and she changed into a more traditional evening dress for the cake cutting.   

Each person who attended the wedding was given a small favor and thanked for attending the celebration.  The cake at this wedding was out of this world!  Cindy's mother was so sweet, always with a big smile and the dancing and celebration after the ceremony was joyful.  It was an honor to a part of this exquisite day at the Casa Marina.  Congratulations to Cindy and Peter!