Britt Moreno, the CBS Denver morning news anchor and her fiance, financial planner Jordan Curry, tied the knot on Saturday, December 2 at Austin Country Club. It was a beautiful day for a beautiful couple.  The bride wore an elegant dress designed by Matthew Christopher which was purchased from The Little White Dress Bridal Shop in Denver. I'm not sure who designed Jordan's tux but he looked ever bit as magnificent as the bride.

Britt and her mother, Irma Moreno, did almost all of the event planning themselves. They selected navy and gold for the event colors and coordinated with specialty vendors to pull the room together with dramatic ceiling draping, special effect lighting, elegant table linens, fabulous flower arrangements and a black and white checkered dance floor.  The ceremony was held under an open air Porte a Cochere providing security that the weather would not impact the ceremony - which it did not - and provided a beautiful vista of the Austin hills.

My favorite part of the day was THE FIRST LOOK. That is when Jordan was blindfolded and brought to see Britt prior to the ceremony. They enjoyed a few moments of privacy together to admire each other prior to taking pictures on the patio. Then, we jumped into a six passenger golf cart and headed to the 4th hole of the golf course for some additional pictures of the bride and groom in front of Lake Austin. One of the reasons I love this segment of the wedding is I get to see and photograph the couple's personal dynamics. In this case, I witnessed all pre-event nerves melt away and they beamed with love from that moment forward. This is always an indication of a good fit.

Britt might be a one time Dancing With The Stars celebrity but Jordan produced and choreographed a three minute dance that he and his groomsmen performed for the bride during the reception. What makes this even more impressive, Jordan had to email the dance instructions to his groomsmen because they did not live in Denver.  It was an outstanding spectacle of talent and so much fun to watch.

NOTE TO SINGLES: This couple met at a Christmas charity party in which they were selling raffle tickets to raise money for underprivileged children. It just goes to show you that "doing good" can have a profoundly positive impact on others and potentially a little something special for you too.

Thank you Britt and Jordan for allowing me to be apart of your special day.

Key Players:

Venue: Austin Country Club
Venue Coordinators: Amy Kennedy & Jordan Myers
Photographer: Francois Photography, Kim Francois
Assistant Photographer: Cat Mattingly
Video: That's Amore Films, Anthony DiFonzo
Wedding Dress Designer: Matthew Christopher
Bakery: Michelle's Patisserie
Special Effects Lighting: Austin Event Lighting, Sean Krenek
Table Linen: Premier Rentals
Decorative Draping: Premier Rentals, Ken Sharples
Florist: Westbank Flower Market
Invitations: Paper Place
Band: Matt Wilson Band
Valet: Uptown Valet
Minister: Dr. Dave Haney

This 17 year old senior is very special to me!  She is my grand daughter - Merritt.
I have taken pictures of her ever since she was a baby. Last week, on the beach, it took my breath away as I looked through my lens to see the beautiful women she has become. It's not that I had not noticed how she was maturing over the years - I did.   It's just when I aimed my camera and studied her features and movements -  I gasped at the marvel she has become.  And, as if that is not enough. Her insides match her beautiful exterior. It makes my heart soar with pride to post pictures of this wonderful young adult. 

I love you Merritt!

Credits:

Photographer: Kim Francois
Venue: Destin, Florida
Parents: Michelle/Dave

Imagine a beautiful bride, handsome groom, an outdoor wedding, thunderstorms with torrential rain and a motorcycle get away vehicle.
RIGHT! That is exactly what I was thinking that afternoon when I photographed Shauna and Chris's wedding. How is this going to work?

Apparently, I was the only one worried about this because both Shauna and Chris seemed thrilled to be getting married and ignored the obvious impediments. So I packed up a dozen umbrellas and called Shauna to meet me under the MOPAQ bridge along with her wedding party for pre-ceremonial pictures. She did. We did. The results were beautiful soft pictures with a surreal mossy background.  Who would have thought this possible standing on the only dry surface under a highway bridge. But it worked. And everyone stayed dry. At least for the moment.

The ceremony was a little trickier. Fortunately, the rain paused for about 10 minutes while friends and family gathered around under umbrellas while Shauna and Chris recited their vows and committed to a life of love together. It was very sweet and intimate. And then it rained - hard - sending everyone running for shelter inside the Clubhouse. Again, Shauna and Chris were unfazed. They danced in the rain to their hearts content and later departed on Chris's motorcycle. AMAZING!

Thank you Shauna and Chris for letting me be apart of this heart felt event and for being such amazing people.

Key Players:

Venue: Zilker Clubhouse
Event Planner: Linda Cooper
Decorations: Chris and friends
Photographer: Kim Francois, Francois Photography
DJ: Kyle Clark, DJ Motivate
Catering: Two Chicks Catering
Band: Trent Turner & the Moontowners
Flowers: Central Market
Cake: Amanda Dickinson
Hair & Makeup: Kayla Rieger

Some people have it all!

Beauty, promising careers, a loving family, great friends and a spouse that loves them dearly. That is Tristan and Shane. On March 4, they surrounded themselves with friends and family to witness their union of marriage. Tristan's closest eight friends (yes, I said 8) dressed in delicate pink, matched by Shane's eight buddies in formal black tuxedos, accompanied the couple to the alter. All together they created a human wall that extended from one side of the patio to the other.

It has been said that it is good luck to have rain on your wedding day. I think that expression was made up by a wedding coordinator trying to pacify a bride. However, this time the misty, mossy green, soft light impact of an overcast sky was beautiful. We moved the ceremony from the lawn to a covered patio and all of the wedding party and family pictures were done under a covered portachere. Use of this indirect light source was perfect. I was wet, they were dry and I was totally happy.

My favorite part of this wedding was the "First Look Session" where the bride and groom spent 30 minutes with each other prior to the ceremony. I like to recommend a pre- ceremonial meeting between a bride and groom for two reasons. I find it calms their nerves allowing them to be more in the moment for the rest of the day. And, it gives me a chance to photograph them with favorable lighting - especially during the winter or early spring when the sun sets so early. Some couples resist this concept because they want the first time that they see each other to be when the bride is walking down the aisle. I always say: "There will always be a first time that you see each other on your wedding day. The question is, do you want it to be a private moment or public one?" When you put it that way, they frequently see the merits to the advanced meeting. With Tristan and Shane, I could tell they were both nervous that morning and seeing each other was exactly what they needed. I set them up back to back and told them to turn around. When they did, I witnessed their amazing love. They just lit up. I could tell they were both in love and best friends at the same time. They beamed. Capturing this moment was a privileged and I felt honored to be apart of such an intimate moment in their lives.

Thank you Tristan and Shane for allowing me to be apart of your most special day.

Key Players:

Venue: Austin Country Club
Photographer: Kim Francois, Francois Photography
Assistant Photographer: Cat Mattingly
Event Planner: Samia Joseph
Minister: Judge Bob Perkins
Make Up: Avery Allen
Hair Stylist: Dannan Patrick, Mint Salon
Florist: Kimberly, ParkCrest Floral Design
Photo Booth: Shutterbooth
Disc. Jockey: Josh Wilkerson, Penguin Entertainment
Bakery: Olga P. Lee, Polka Dots

What do you call two love birds and a dog? The perfect wedding.

Last Saturday, I photographed a wedding where the bride was beautiful, outgoing and tons of fun. She was exuberant in everything she did. She posed with sophistication. She lavished affection on her groom, friends and family. She giggled, wiggled and folded with laughter. It was intoxicating to be around her. I imagine she is like that all the time. I had a blast photographing her and all her charm. The handsome groom was much more reserved throughout the day but revealed his propensity for theatrics when he took to the stage during the reception to sing songs to his new bride. And he was rock star good too. Of course it helped that he was singing with the AMAZING 3 time Grammy Award winning talent - Drew Womack and his band. They were so good they should have charged admission to attend the event.

Mitch's daughter from a previous marriage is ten and her name is Violet. So naturally, violet was the color of the dress she choose to wear at the wedding. Cute as a button, she fit right in and contributed to the fun, fanfare and enjoyed the celebration.  And then there was Tank - the silver Labrador. He got his 15 minutes of fame when he was invited to participate in the "First Look" portion of the wedding event. Wild with enthusiasm one minute practically tackling the bride and a masterful poser the next. A lot of showmanship in this family. They belong in the movies.

Thank you Louise and Mitch for allowing me to share this special occasion with you.

Key Players:

Venue: Lakeway Resort & Spa
Event Coordinator: Alexandra Folden
Photographer: Kim Francois, Francois Photography
Photography Assistant: Shauna Mora
Entertainment: Drew Womack - 3 time Grammy Award winner
Florist: Magpie Blossom Boutique
Cake Balls: Cute Sweets
Officiant: Adam McIsaac
Bridal Gown: Vera Wang
Hair and Makeup: Austin Wedding Hair and Makeup
Dog: Tank - Silver Labrador