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Thanks for stopping by my blog! I am heading to Charleston for TWO weddings this weekend...lots of fun! I will be home Monday.
If you haven't already done so,
be sure to visit my website. |
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Chris and Wes: Ambergris Caye, Belize Wedding
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 | Main
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SEE THE WEBSHOW: CHRIS AND WES' SLIDESHOW
SEE ALL THE IMAGES AND PURCHASE PRINTS: PICTAGE LAB
Early last fall I received an email from Chris telling me about her plans for her wedding in Belize. Because Belize is one of my most favorite places on Earth, I was excited to learn more. Chris grew up in Dangriga, Belize (among many other things - a fun place for dancing to fabulous punta music and buying drums from amazing drum maker Austin Rodriguez).
I enjoyed chatting with Chris about our favorite places in Belize, and in the end she made arrangements for my second shooter (Sha) and I to travel with them for several days before going to Ambergris Caye for the wedding. It was fun getting to know them and documenting their time in Cayo. Chris and Wes have so many fun stories, and it was cute how they completed sentences for each other as they told their tales. If only I had known Chris' story of the ta-ta lady years ago when I was teaching school - that surely would have come in handy!
Ultimately, Chris and Wes decided that they would be married in an intimate ceremony at Victoria House with just their parents there to share in the celebration. Victoria House is small and exclusive with lush tropical gardens, hammocks that swing lazily between tall swaying palm trees, and sweeping views of the reef and white sand beach. This was my second wedding at Victoria House, and it was nice to return!
The azure sea sparkled and the sun beamed down brightly as Sha and I made our way by boat to Victoria House on the morning of the wedding. After a casual photo session with Chris and Wes, Javier took us to Carlos so Chris and Wes could make their final floral choices. There were so many beauatiful flowers displayed to choose from.
Chris is a natural beauty, but WOW, Carlos worked his magic and turned her into a total movie star. He did a fabulous job with her hair and makeup while telling us stories of the famous and not so famous of who have been married at Victoria House.
While Carlos was working with Chris and her mom, I took a little time to photograph the rings and Chris' dress. I placed Wes' ring on Chris' bottle of HOT perfume for a close-up shot to reveal the inscription, "For I found love..."
The inscription on Chris' ring finished the thought with, "...and it was you." Isn't that sweet?
Next, I photographed Chris' dress. It was so perfect for her and the location. The white and tan colors mimicked the sand - and the slight sparkle of the dress was reminiscent of the glistening caribbean sea. Just wait until you see it ON her!
Chris' mom helped her into her dress - and she beamed as she looked in the mirror...
If you have been to Belize in May you know it is too humid and hot to venture outside before the ceremony and we were short on time, so we had an impromptu session in the room. It's amazing what we accomplished in the bathroom!
Chris waited by the door for the ceremony to start...
Wes was waiting outside on the beach. Doesn't he look a little like Nicholas Cage? He has the same voice as Nicholas Cage too.
Well, we waited. And waited. And waited some more. I'm not quite sure what happened, but there was some trouble with the officiant that was finally worked out. I think I heard something about a charter plane being sent to get him. We were on an island in Belize after all - and Belizean time is quite different than U.S. time!
We received word that it would be a little longer before the officiant arrived, so I did what any good photographer would do. :D I headed to the bar to get glasses of champagne for the bride and her mom! The intial anxiety wore off as Chris sipped the bubbly drink and chatted with her parents.
And then - Carlos appeared in the doorway to let us know that the officiant had arrived and it was time for the ceremony to begin. From a photographer's perspective, the light was much more beautiful at 5:30 than the original planned time of 4:00. Photographers call the time before sunset the golden hour, and this image of Wes waiting for Chris to walk down the aisle illustrates this kind of light beautifully.
Chris and her dad...
The ceremony was held under two palm trees - with an aisle lined with conch shells and the flamboyant tree blooms that Chris and hoped for.
The ceremony was so sweet...
I love this image of the two moms in the background...
The sand ceremony...
And finally - Dr. and Mr. Chris and Wes Heath!
The sun was sinking low into the sky, so we took a few quick portraits before it was entirely too late to go on a "sunset" cruise! :)
The sunset sailboat cruise was great, and Chris and Wes enjoyed a champagne toast...
After the cruise, Chris and Wes returned where their families were waiting to meet them for a pool-side celebration dinner.
Before leaving, we went back to their room to retreive our camera bags. I thought the fresh petals were so pretty...
Thank you Chris and Wes for such a great time. It was a pleasure spending time with you and meeting your great families!
Keywords: Victoria House Ambergris Caye Belize Wedding Photographers Photography Weddings San Pedro |
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Chris and Wes at Victoria House: Ambergris Caye, Belize
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 | Main
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Saturday morning before the wedding, we met Chris and Wes for some casual shots on the grounds of Victoria House.
A quick kiss before heading outside...
I think the best thing about Belize (other than the people) has to be the hammocks!
The palm trees are not bad either! :D
I knew about a fun little place down the beach just a little ways so we took a quick walk...
...to the funniest outdoor bowling! I'm not into bowling, but I can never resist a few minutes of the oceanside version. It was all in good fun, and we didn't keep score. But between me and you...Chris whooped up on Wes! lol
But then again, it was Chris' ball that ended up in the ocean!
Wedding photos are next - so check back soon! |
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| 4 people commented on this post |
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Wes and Chris in Cayo: Xunantunich and Mountain Pine Ridge
Monday, May 12, 2008 | Main
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(I deleted my previous post about our trip to Cayo so I could post edited images and a slideshow.)
After checking out the photos below, click here to see their slideshow.
Cayo is one of my favorite places to be! Brian couldn't make the trip to Belize with me, so I brought Sha to second shoot. After landing at the airport in Belize City, we waited for Chris and Wes (bride and groom) to land and then headed to Cayo.
Chris grew up in Dangriga, Belize before moving to the U.S. for school. She and Wes made arrangements for us to travel around the Cayo area with them getting photos of them for several days prior to the wedding.
The following day we got up bright and early and went to Xunantunich to see the Mayan ruins. I have been a few times before, but it is always fun to go back. We crossed the Mopan River on a very short, hand-cranked ferry trip and then walked a mile to the ruins. The tallest structure, El Castillo is an impressive site with a great view of the frieze.
Chris and Wes standing in front of the El Castillo. This was just before...
Well..you'll see.
We trekked upwards 130 feet to the top of El Castillo. On the way up we spotted howler monkeys putting on a show for us by swinging from vine to vine in the nearby trees as we rose above them.
And then it happened...
...we made it to the top. :D ha
The breathtaking panoramic view is definitely worth the climb. Once atop Castillo, we were treated to a birdseye view of the thick, green forests of Belize and part of Guatemala, and a great perspective of what select ancient Mayans saw of the Ceremonial City of Xunantunich spread out below.
After exploring Xunantunich and laughing over our "fruitful" discovery plucked from a nearby tree, we went to Clarissa Falls for lunch. Our tour guide (Sergio) soon arrived to take us to Mountain Pine Ridge.
Our first stop was Rio Frio Cave. It boasts the largest cave mouth in the country with a 65 ft. gap. Is also the most accessible of all caves.
A sihouette of Chris and Wes...
Our next stop was Rio On Pools. Here you can go swimming in a series of mini pools which create many falls and natural "slides" that are quite fun!
It was a hot day and the water felt fabulous!
Wes and Chris under one of the waterfalls...
Our last stop for the day was Big Rock Falls - a 150 ft waterfall that is also in the Mountain Pine Ridge area. To get to Big Rock, we hiked down a steep trail until the Privassion River came into view and we were rewarded by the sound of the falling water.
Wes and Chris sitting on the boulders at the base of the falls...
Afterwards we returned to Clarissa Falls just in time to see a beautiful sun set dipping down into the mountains beyond the ranch.
Bright and early the next morning we went to the market in search of local fruits and spices. We hit the jackpot.
We had lunch just down the road at a place where Wes and Chris tried their first Belikin (Belizean beer).
Isn't Chris beautiful?
After lunch we walked over to the orange orchard beside the restaurant for a few photos...
From a previous trip, I knew of a little village named Calla Creek that is down a dirt road a few miles from Clarissa Falls. I wanted Chris and Wes to see it and to experience the rickety swinging bridge that you have to cross to get there. :D
The day that we were there was labor day so the kids were out of school. The children got a kick out of listening to us shriek as they stood at the ends of the bridge shaking it.
A few shots around the village...
Our last stop was Clarissa Falls where we were greeted by Chena. Chena has so many great stories. If you are ever in the area, you should definitely make a point to stay there or to least stop and eat.
Clarissa Falls is located on a big cattle ranch, so there are all kinds of animals roaming around. Even beautiful, wild birds like a toucan that frequently comes to visit. He even let Wes feed him.
Stay tuned for wedding day photos that are coming soon!
Keywords: San Iganacio Belize Xunantunich Moutain Pine Ridge Photography Photographers
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Happy Mother's Day!
Sunday, May 11, 2008 | Main
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I'm sitting in the airport in Atlanta waiting to go home and wanted to post a quick Mother's Day message to all the mothers out there and especially to my most awesome mama. We just got home from a fun trip to Belize.
This is the only photo of my mama that I have readily available on my laptop.
Happy Mother's Day - love you!
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The Big Catch
Thursday, May 08, 2008 | Main
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A few more photos from my point and shoot camera - please excuse the quality!
Yesterday we took a fishing trip out into the deep blue sea...
We caught fish right away...
The waves were quite choppy and mama got seasick so we didn't stay long - but we were quite proud to have caught anything!
The catch of the day...bluefin tuna.
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