Sarasota Beach Wedding to Remember

Sarasota, FL beaches are famous for their sparkling white sand, stunning sunsets, and tropical backdrops that have made them top destination wedding locales over the past several years. Each year, wedding couples come to Sarasota to say their vows and begin their lives together, such as Ana and Ivan Bustamante. The happy couple was married at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota and celebrated the start of their lives together with family in friends in attendance at a unique beach wedding that everyone in attendance is sure to remember for years to come.

Capturing Anticipation

While it’s important to capture iconic moments during the wedding—the walk down the aisle, the exchanging of the rings, and that all-important first kiss, other moments that take place before the wedding are just as special. PixelArt Photography, the Sarasota photography company that Ana and Ivan chose, captured some of these moments, which spoke of all the excitement, anticipation, and reflection that the bride feels before she exchanges vows with her new husband.

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However, not all of the moments were reflective and quiet. Ana also shared some whimsical moments with them as well, revealing that parts of her wedding ensemble were as unique as the wedding that was about to take place! Capturing these moments not only helped Ana feel more comfortable with her photographer but also capture the air of anticipation and pageantry that can only come with a destination wedding.

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Setting the Scene

Once the photographers captured all the pre-wedding moments that would become a timeless part of Ana and Ivan’s wedding photo album, it was time for the happy bride and groom to head down to the water, where the sparkling white sand and the blue waters of the gulf of Mexico provided the couple and their guests with a breathtaking backdrop. Rustic brown wooden chairs faced a white fabric arch that was adorned with tropical plants, and the path the bride and groom would walk was lined with colorful potted flowers.

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As the guests began to arrive, they were treated to the sights and sounds of the beach as palm trees swayed in the near distance and offered shade to the Ritz Carlton and to the beach below. Soon, the bridal party began to make their way down the aisle, and flower girls scattered flower petals, leaving the fragrant blossoms in their wake in honor of the bride. Once Ana made her appearance and met her groom at the archway, the couple prepared to say the vows that would make them man and wife.

Unity Sand and Salt Sea Air        

The backdrop of the Gulf of Mexico’s shimmering blue water was the perfect setting for Ana and Ivan to take their vows. Their vows included a unity sand ceremony, where the couple combined large vials of sand into one container to symbolize their coming together as man and wife. The reverend who presided over the ceremony also draped the couple with a single strand of crystal beads with help of a few members of the bridal party, which served as another symbol of their new and everlasting bond.

Once the ceremony was complete, Ana and Ivan parted briefly as everyone prepared for some wedding photos. After several moments, Ana descended the Ritz Carlton grand staircase to meet back up with her groom, who waited for her below.  The couple spent a few moments alone while Ivan admired his bride and then they joined the rest of the wedding party, friends, and family for a number of photos that would later become a part of the couple’s wedding album.

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Strolling at Sunset

After Ivan and Ana posed for photos with their guests, they once again stole a few moments alone as the Sarasota sun began to set. The couple strolled along the sand, hand in hand, as Ana shaded her head and bare shoulders with a delicate blue parasol. Once the sun went down, the couple rejoined their guests in the hotel courtyard, where they were greeted outside their reception with bright and festive sparklers before everyone headed inside to enjoy the rest of the evening.

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The First Dance

Soon after the reception started, Ivan and Ana shared their first dance as husband and wife as their happy guests looked on. Candles and lace tablecloths adorned the reception tables, which quickly filled up with Ana’s and Ivan’s guests as they danced.

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Multicolored lights lit up the dance floor and ceiling as the tropical Sarasota air drifted in from outside, giving the atmosphere a whimsical and fairy-tale element that Ana and Ivan are sure to never forget and relive every moment every time they open their wedding album from PixelArt Photography.

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Lebanese Destination Wedding in Lake Como

Varenna is a beautiful, small town in the east coast of Lake Como. It is worldwide famous for being one of the loveliest towns of the Lake, because it kept all its pure medieval beauty, with many colorful houses between the green waters and the majestic mountains.

The “Pearl of the Lake” was chosen by Marianne and Thierry, a lovely couple from Lebanon, as the perfect location for their Italian wedding. We met them in the wonderful Villa Cipressi, and the first thing Marianne told us was that she wanted us to be her wedding photographers even before Thierry proposed her – definitely an inspiring way to begin a wedding photographic service! Marianne and Thierry got ready in two different rooms of the Villa, surrounded by their friends and relatives.

After the getting ready, the guests and the groom reached by feet the amazing Church of Varenna: it is one of the few Catholic Churches allowing non-Italian weddings, and it is probably one of the most pictoresque churches a person might ever see. In fact, the whole church is built of Nero di Varenna, a black calcareous stone which creates amazing tricks of light in the candle light.

When Marianne and her father arrived to the Church, the ceremony began – it was a very peculiar ceremony, for it was led in Arab by a Lebanese priest who came to Italy for the celebration.

It was a Catholic-Maronite wedding, that contained many of the Orthodox Wedding traditions, such as the coronation of the bride and the groom. After this beautiful ceremony – notice the priest taking Selfies with the couple! – we had a wonderful and fun couple shooting among the beautiful wild gardens of Villa Cipressi.

When the shooting was done, the couple and the guests could enjoy an Italian dinner in one of the beautiful frescoed halls of the Villa, with dances and fun between one course and the other!

They had a great fun at the wedding, and we had a great fun with them, too: congratulations to these lovely people!

Lebanese Destination Wedding in Lake Como by Mauro Pozzer Photographer

Love in Villa Crespi

A fairy tale surrounded by reality

Its origins date back to 1879 with the dream of Cristoforo Benigno Crespi who wanted to carry the charm of Baghdad to his beloved Lake Orta.

The amazing villa with minaret first welcomed poets, captains of industry, princesses and King Umberto of Savoy.

Today, hosts Franziska and Adrian and their love.

We want to share their love with you

www.photo27.com

Athelhampton House Wedding in Dorset

Athelhampton House weddings are always a pleasure to capture.  A beautiful tudor manor house steeped in history just outside Dorchester in Dorset.

It was the second time around for this couple walking down the aisle together.  Having had their actual wedding back in Mladja’s home country of Serbia, this was Aimee’s traditional English wedding!

A great day with some great images captured.  A first for me to hear that the Bride had forgotten her bouquet when she arrived at the venue – so just as well I had some photos of it from the time of the bridal preparations!  A quick thinking Bridesmaid hastily gathering blooms from the grounds of the venue, just before Aimee took to walking down the aisle saved the day!

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Johannesburg Wedding

Lila and Charles’ Wedding

… at the beautiful Shepstone Gardens Wedding Venue (also known as the Secret Garden) in Johannesburg!

We had so much rain prior to this wedding, and even on their wedding day it bucketed down, but we had perfect moments at the right times of the day.  This must be one of my favorite wedding venues so far, a wedding photographer’s dream with endless creative possibilities.

The venue is situated in Hope Road in Mountain View, Johannesburg, and is privately owned by the Rayner family for more than 35 years. It is truly a hidden gem in this suburb!

Darrell Fraser Photography
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