Diana & Jimmy:::MARRIED!!!

The second part of the whirlwind weekend took place in Old San Juan, PR at Diana & Jimmy's wedding (see Travis & Katie's Wedding for Part 1). Diana and I met back in December of last year when I was photographing Jen & Vikkal's wedding up in New Jersey at Liberty State Park.  Diana & Jen have known each other for years and after playing the supporting role of maid of honor in Jen's wedding we began to talk of her up coming wedding in...PUERTO RICO!!!  Um...yes, please.  Actually it was perfect.  My familiarity with Puerto Rico and Old San Juan thru La Vuelta, a 3 day 375 mile bike ride around the island, is what excited me most about this wedding.  A ceremony on top of El Morro, a reception at the infamous Hotel El Convento downtown and a backdrop the likes that is unrivaled in many respects made this the highlight of my wedding season.  Plus, we'll be in Puerto Rico, the home of the best frozen mojito I've ever had at the Parrot Club downtown. (My 2nd shooter, Sarah also thought the same thing).

So I sent Sarah down to San Juan the night before to ensure one of us would be there the day of considering I was flying in that morning from Philadelphia...and it was a picture perfect day.  The clouds were great, ambient even better, it may have been a little humid, but no problem.  What we didn't count on was the Arts Festival happening on the grounds of El Morro.  Fine for us, but NOT OK for the guys trying to get to the wedding.  Arts Festival=Traffic. Traffic=No Guys.  YET...No Guys=Extra Time with the Girls walking around downtown.  And that's what we did.  AMAZING!!!  I've never been more excited and happy to get the shots we did when the shit was hitting the fan, plus we still got great shots at the Fort.  Doubly Good. :-)

 Sarah & I were so lucky to be there.  Thank you so much Diana & Jimmy for being such great people.  Your love was infectious all evening long, despite a few hiccups along the way.  (And Jimmy, best vows ever my man!) Congrats!

Take Away: Every wedding I try to come up with some idea that I would steal for my own wedding.  This might be the type of cake or programs or something of that nature. And the winner is: The day of the wedding morning run followed by bagels and coffee.  This is going to be an odd one, but I think I'm going to have to avoid the obvious call of the reception, even though it was the best sangria EVER! The winner is: Diana's Dad.  This guy cracked me up all evening long.  It was a party and he knew it, and he wanted you to know it as well.  Diana, honestly, I felt as if you have James Bond's Dad as your father.  And his choice of style that night was fantastic.  So, to Mr. Liscinski, Diana and Jimmy--wonderful, wonderful day.  I wish you all the best.  xoxo

 

And here we are altogether! YAY!

Finally, the slideshow.

http://www.kippierson.com/slideshow/DianaJimmy/

For more photos, check out:

KIP PIERSON PHOTOGRAPHY
www.kippierson.com

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Travis & Katie:::MARRIED!!!

A whirlwind of a weekend.  That's what best describes this weekend.  Actually, a better description would be "a whirlwind of a week." Washington, DC to Ithaca, NY to Philadelphia, PA to San Juan, PR to Philadelphia, PA and back home to Washington, DC.

Hours of travel - 34

Mileage - I have know idea

Weddings - 2

Pints of Chocolate Milk drank while traveling - 4 (for some reason I love chocolate milk and car rides...weird).

Times I played the ROCKY soundtrack to keep me awake - 1.75

Laptops and hard drives that were stolen while traveling - 2

A whirlwind to say the least and it all begins with the wedding of Travis and Katie.  Travis and Katie are just like Michelle and Brendan - members of the DC Tri Club.  That's how we met, but now that I think about it, I can't remember exactly when we met.  Travis and I have been training partners for some time now, but how that all began...it's tough to say.  I do know I've helped them move into their new home, Travis helped me move into mine, and he's even accompanied me on the last 20 miles of a 50 mile race I ran last year.  So, you put that all together, I guess it just makes sense that I would photograph their wedding.  

But where to have the wedding?  Annapolis? DC? NY? Well, after what sounded like an eternal search for the right venue - Ithaca, NY was the choice and it couldn't have been a better choice.  You must understand, when a member of the Capitol Hill DC Tri Club clan has a wedding, it's not just a day, but an adventure.  People will bike, people will swim and people will run.  It's a training weekend with a wedding thrown in the middle.  And Ithaca provided one heck of a landscape.  You may all know the slogan: "Ithaca is Gorges."  Well...it is.  And I'm not sure if Travis made a deal with someone, but the weather was AMAZING!  Add a few relatives from miles away and an extremely cool venue and you have the makings of a fantastic weekend.  Plus, the John Joseph Inn provided the perfect backdrop.  John & Elizabeth were extremely helpful in every facet of the day understanding exactly what needed to be done to make a perfect day happen.  Not to mention, John was instrumental in getting the picture in the sunflower field.  Thank you John!

What made the wedding great was that is was a weekend.  It wasn't a wedding day, but a wedding weekend.  Memories won't be contained to just one single event but from several events throughout the 3 days everyone was up there.  (OK, I was only up there for 2) But nonetheless, this approach to the wedding provides an ease which most weddings don't have.  So if you're in the market to be married and looking for a place, I highly recommend Ithaca and the Hamilton Farm at the John Joseph Inn & Elizabeth Restaurant.

Take Away: Every wedding I try to come up with some idea that I would steal for my own wedding.  This might be the type of cake or programs or something of that nature. And the winner is: The day of the wedding morning run followed by bagels and coffee.  For me, being a runner first (who loves hills) and a photographer second this was such an awesome morning.  We didn't go out too hard, but the terrain provided all the difficulty we needed.  I was in oxygen debt immediately, but with a mid-run respite at one of the gorges and a later pit stop at the local farmer's market, this run wasn't just social in nature but a wonderful introduction into what Ithaca has to offer.  I would definitely come back and visit and the morning run should be a staple in all weddings. Good call Travis!

Ladies and Gentleman, Travis and Katie.

Sunflower field behind the John Joseph Inn

Yes, those are Travis and Katie's initials. Probably the cutest thing I've ever seen at a wedding.  Love Travis' Mom.

The Inn provided amazing natural light all day long. Loved it.

The Inn just after sunset.  Stunning place to spend the weekend.

Finally, the slideshow.

www.kippierson.com/slideshow/TravisKatie

For more photos, check out:

KIP PIERSON PHOTOGRAPHY
www.kippierson.com

and

Become a FAN of Kip Pierson Photography on Facebook:
CLICK TO BE A FAN!