NOW BOOKING FOR 2011!
We have a limited number of dates open for 2010, so we are beginning to accept wedding commissions for the 2011 wedding season! Please contact us at info@gwendolyntundermann.com to reserve your date!
Ah… has it really been 7 days already that I’ve been in Vegas?!?! I’m sitting at the airport right now waiting to head back to the East Coast, thinking about the blur that has been the past week. Between all the workshops, shoots, trade show, chatting with people and dealing with a 3 hour time difference, I feel like I was hit by a truck that went in reverse and ran over me again! Whew!
I’m taking away a lot from WPPI, and one of those things is some fun Trash The Dress photos on the Las Vegas strip! This was part of a group shoot set up by Chicago photographer Melissa Diep. As you can imagine, trying to do a group photo shoot with over 40 photographers and 5 models on the busy sidewalks of the strip was a bit chaotic. But when we were able to take the models to the side streets and shoot we were able to get some fun images. Here are a few:
Maricel & EJ are getting married this May in California and were referred to us by Jenny & Miguel (see their engagement photos at the San Diego Fair here). When I was thinking about coming out to Vegas for WPPI, I shot Maricel an email and asked if she had any interest in coming out to Vegas while I was here. She wrote me back and said that EJ was already going to be in town the same weekend!!! When she told me that, I KNEW I had to make the trip out here!
We met up with Maricel & EJ at a gorgeous spot on the Las Vegas strip. Maricel kept hinting that she had some sort of surprise for me, but I had no idea what it was. Then when we met up she said “Here’s your surprise!” and it was Jenn! It was a huge surprise! We ran into Miguel a little bit later in the shoot. Their friend Pia also joined us and helped out a lot with lighting (thanks so much, girl!!). My roommate Ananda came along to shoot as well, and we all had so much fun!
Just seeing Maricel & EJ again (and my “surprise”) made the trip to Vegas worth it, but the photos just keep making me feel all lovey dovey. At one point Pia started crying because you could just see the love between Mars & EJ. I know I don’t have to explain it because the photos say it all! They are so in love and so full of happiness!
I miss you guys already, but will see you soon! And this time, Matt will be with me! ; )
We’ve been sharing lots of photos from Stacey & Mike’s gorgeous Bahamas destination wedding, but now it’s finally time to post the important part – the place where they said “I do!” The wedding and reception were held at in a private community in Nassau, offering the perfect blend of the island’s tropical and historic charms. About an hour before the ceremony, dark clouds covered the sky and it looked like it might rain, but once the ceremony began the sun was shining once again! It was such a beautiful setting! As the sun set, everyone enjoyed cocktails by the pool and then came inside for an intimate reception.
As the evening came to an end, Stacey & Mike made their grand exit to the limo waiting outside. We all followed behind on the buses and joined the bride and groom in their suite for an after party. It’s bittersweet that it had to come to an end, but that’s what photos are for! We will have a final video slideshow soon, but for now here are some more photos from Stacey & Mike’s destination wedding:
We’ve posted some of the events leading up to Stacey & Mike’s gorgeous destination wedding in the Bahamas, but posting the actual wedding day photos has been a challenge because there are just too many for one post. I asked Matt what we should do and he said to just create a long post. When I told him I had 50 images edited just from the first card, he said “Oh!” So what we’ve decided to do is post the wedding day in multiple parts. Soon we will share photos from the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception and all of the gorgeous details that made this wedding complete!
But for today’s post, we thought it was only appropriate to give you a “first look” at their wedding by sharing what happened leading up to the ceremony. Stacey & Mike gave us a lot of time to be creative before the wedding began, including a very emotional first look on the beach where the ceremony took place. All of the months of planning, visiting Nassau, having family visit Nassau to also help with plans, the waiting and dreaming of what the day would be like, the threat of rain on the wedding day, the excitement in the days preceding the wedding – it all came down to this one moment when they remembered what it was all for. It was just the two of them (and a couple of photographers observing from a distance). Matt and I wondered what was going through their minds, but we think that the photos will tell the story.
After the first look, we took a few photos of them together before they relaxed with the wedding party and watched the guests arrive…
Following an amazing rehearsal dinner at Luciano’s of Chicago, we stopped by The Cove at the Atlantis Resort for a mini-engagement session! The Cove is a very posh and stylish hotel with modern decor. Even the Starbucks there had flat screen TVs and couches! It was late and Stacey & Mike had to get ready for the BIG DAY, so we just did a quick photoshoot. We could have easily spent hours doing photos there!
But you know what this means! Wedding photos are next!! We’ll start posting wedding photos beginning tomorrow! : )
Stacey & Mike put so much detail in planning the perfect destination wedding in the Bahamas. They wanted to make it a unique experience, so for their rehearsal dinner they didn’t choose Bahamian cuisine. Instead, they shared their “Dinner on the Eve” at the beautiful, intimate Luciano’s of Chicago. Luciano’s was just across the harbor from Paradise Island and offered a stunning view of the Atlantis Resort. Dinner was an exquisite menu of five courses served family style, which made the evening very personal and engaging. The dishes they selected were so incredible they would make you cry. We will definitely visit Luciano’s the next time we visit Nassau!
As Matt and I were capturing the laughter and memories created that evening, we decided to do something different. First, we decided to not use flash because of the distraction it would create. We decided to compromise technical perfection for composition (you have no idea how big of a leap that was for me). We also shot most of the photos in black and white. Some of you might be thinking, “Well, couldn’t you just convert the photos in your post processing?” And we could have, but it’s not quite the same and we really thought that black and white would capture the emotion of the evening better than color photos. When I first started shooting film I always preferred black and white film, but ever since going digital over five years ago I have NOT ONCE shot in black and white. We couldn’t have chosen a better opportunity to start!
Pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zone was well worth it, because had we not done these things I don’t think we could have captured the feel of the evening as well as we did. It was such a wonderful evening and as we went back to the hotel, counting down the hours before the wedding day would begin, I felt myself get teary-eyed thinking about how the wedding would happen and this would all be a memory. Stacey & Mike and their friends and family truly are some of the most incredible people that we have ever met, and the way that this wedding brought them all together made it clear that this is what a destination wedding is all about. It’s not just about a beautiful location. What makes a destination wedding special is that it’s an escape from the every day to focus on what matters most. On this evening, it was clear that family was all that mattered.
We just returned from Stacey & Mike’s incredible destination wedding in Nassau, Bahamas. Their destination wedding events happened over several days and there are so many beautiful photos to share that we will be sharing everything over multiple blog posts.
The first post is to highlight the accomodations for the bride and groom and all their wedding guests. Stacey & Mike selected the luxurious Atlantis Resort & Casino on Paradise Island so that their guests could enjoy some sun and fun during their trip. The Atlantis also served as the venue for the welcome reception, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and brunch the day after the wedding.
Matt and I took some time on Friday to walk around the resort and check out the many pools, lagoons, beaches, aquariums, and architecture that the Atlantis offers. Matt was particularly excited about the sea turtles! : )
Here are a few pictures to give you some idea of how gorgeous the resort is:
Matt and I are currently in Nassau, Bahamas shooting Stacey & Mike’s destination wedding! We just arrived at the Atlantis Resort & Casino and will be heading down to the welcome reception shortly and then everyone is heading out for the bachelor/bachelorette parties!
When we met up with Naomie & Laymoun for their engagement photos in Downtown Jacksonville last month, it was about 27 degrees outside. So they were REALLY hoping for some warm weather for their wedding day!
And they got the warm weather they wished for along with beautiful sunny skies! The sunshine matched the beautiful canary yellow decor inside the reception hall. The decor also included elegant touches of black and white damask (and I obviously LOVE damask!). We had so much fun shooting all of the details!
Naomie was a stunning bride! She was already radiant, but she really sparkled with all of the bling in her hair, jewelry, and even her hot little shoes! Gotta love lots of sparkle!
Matt had a lot of fun shooting the guys’ getting ready shots. I think there was tequila involved somewhere in there! The guys always have such a good time. Matt also captured a cute photo of Laymoun’s son, Micah, holding the ring before the ceremony.
This wedding went about as smoothly as possible! It was beautiful and everyone has such a good time dancing to the sounds of Taylor Made Productions. All of the vendors made this wedding spectacular! Alpha & Omega Event Consultants handled all of the details and decor (including the florals). Naomie’s makeup was done by the lovely Paulina Perez, winner of Jacksonville Magazine’s “Best of 2009″ award! And that gorgeous cake you see below (you can go ahead and peek if you want) was created by 3 Sisters’ Chocolate. I finally got to meet the famous James, Executive Pastry Chef, after hearing so much about him. I also finally got to try one of his cakes… and I am craving another one. I don’t suppose they could whip up one for my birthday tomorrow??
I prepared more photos than usual for the preview because we just LOVED everything about this wedding! Congratulations again to Naomie & Laymoun and we wish you and your families much happiness!
We have a few groups in Jacksonville that get together and shoot for fun every month. This month, makeup artist Faythe Mesic and her team of stylists and models got together for a hot pinup shoot in a junkyard! Oh yeeeeeeaaaah! Just the idea of it is awesome, but I had no idea just how SWEET it was going to be!
Matt says I rocked this shoot and while I really love the images, I honestly feel like I can’t take much credit for how amazing they are. Faythe and her team had the vision for this shoot. They sought out the location, found the models, and organized it all. The makeup and hairstylists made the models look their most amazing and the models really gave their all posing and working the camera despite the miserable rain and the cold. So when I tell you that my part was easy, I want you to understand just how much everyone else put into this shoot to make it rock!
Thanks so much to talented artists Faythe, Erin, and Sonia for an exceptional job on hair and makeup and to the amazing models, Sarah, Kymbr, Tara, Tiffany, Jamie, Sammi, Elizabeth, and JayBee, for being so great to work with (and bringing the HOTNESS!!). Also, it was great hanging out with photog friends and making some new ones at the shoot!
