Aaron and Cherie - Williamsburg Winery
Posted on November 7, 2007
This was a cool late afternoon, into the night wedding up in Williamsburg. The Williamsburg Winery has always been one of my
favorite places to shoot because of the scenery, and the expansive hall they offer for receptions. This wedding was different
in that the hall wasn’t used. Instead, it was the Gabriel Archer Tavern. Transformed from a chic gathering place for finger
foods and wine to a VERY nice reception venue.
The first thing I noticed after looking over the ceremony area by the big tree was all the flowers and mason jars hanging from
the branches. It was certainly a great idea, and a HUGE challenge to shoot in the breeze.
Lots of orchids, carefully strung together and hung from the branches.
The guys arrived first and were doing as the guys always do. (wait for the girls!) So, I went
about shooting details and some of the bridal preparations. I loved the retro look of the dresses.
The rose petals in the grass ALWAYS attract the little ones. Without fail.
 |
 |
One thing about shooting weddings, they’ll keep you moving. I don’t know how far I walk during a wedding, and if I ever do one COMPLETELY outside, I’ll wear my GPS to keep track of it (which would be an interesting little bit of statistical trivia to know). Anyway, this particular one had me running around quite a bit. Not to mention I had already run the Fleet Week Half Marathon earlier in the day. (you know, that Marathon training thing!)
I left the girls to find the groom to do some shots of him alone. He was easy to find.
I like to do some solo shots of the groom. Men in weddings often end up feeling like a stage prop by the end of the day. Plus, it’s a great time to give the groom a breather. Usually doesn’t take longer than 5 minutes.
Then it’s back to the girls. Ceremony time has rapidly crept up on us. So, before walking out for the ceremony, I notice some extremely cool light filtering into the cavernous reception hall (which is below the girls’ dressing area at the Winery). The result of which is seen below.
I mentioned the retro look of the dresses (bridesmaids), and the accessories were just as cool. Accessories can definitely make an outfit “pop”. This was definately a “very cool” look to my eyes. Cherie’s gown was just incredible.
The day fades into evening, and the reception rolls on. I love it when a guest pops a flash in JUST the right spot to give me a back light effect. My flash has more horsepower so it overcomes theirs and creates a nice halo around Aaron and Cherie during their first dance.
The cake was awesome. I can’t remember who did it, but she did a remarkable job on it. It was a two layer cake. The top is the anniversary cake. The 2nd (bottom) layer was in reality a FOUR layer cheesecake. Four different flavors. Decisions, decisions!
 |
 |
The party went on till late. The dancing continued. The children attending were very patient. They watched in wonderment as the celebration unfolded before their eyes.
I think they were gossiping. 
Congratulations to Aaron and Cherie!
Filed Under Uncategorized, Weddings | 3 Comments
