Kimberly Reed Photography

oh my gosh- where to begin? i spent last weekend in lexington kentucky photographing a wedding with angela anderson. it’s always a treat to work with someone whose work i really admire, and angela is definitely one of those women. (seriously, check out her work. she’s ridiculously talented. plus, she referred to me as ‘effervescent’, a few hours after we met, so i liked her immediately ). we covered a three day indian wedding, and it was absolutely amazing. most event designers will tell you that a well-thought out event utilizes all five senses, and this one certainly did. the colors and textures and fabrics used were so rich, (and that was just using one of the senses!), i almost felt over stimulated at times- there was so much to take in! i’m going to blog about this in segments, otherwise this would be one super long post with a gazillion pictures at the end. so i’ll start with the mendhi thursday night. The mehndi party is a festive occasion celebrated by the bride’s family. The bride and close female members of her family have henna painted on their hands and feet while the rest of the family celebrate with songs. Mehndi signifies the strength of love in a marriage so brides try to leave it on as long as possible! Priya’s mehndi party was held in the backyard of her family’s home.:
here her mother helps her with her jewelry, and her twin sister does her makeup

this is priya’s dog simba. i’ve never seen a more loyal dog. he knew where priya was at all times! i think he looks a little concerned in this pic because so many people were hovering around priya. (his bandanna is pink and blue- the wedding colors).

inside the tent that was setup in the backyard

a few portraits- isn’t she gorgeous? (i’ve gotta give angela credit here- she was in front of priya giving her some direction for poses and i snuck off to the side to get these shots)

jeremy has the most amazing blue eyes

some details

this was right after priya’s adopted sister, on the right, performed a dance for her. the women in priya’s family were all wearing green.

jeremy’s mom enjoying the festivities

that’s all for now- we returned the following morning to document the puja. i’ll post those pictures next.

i was the second shooter for a wedding yesterday for shannon. it was my first time shooting an orthodox wedding, and let me tell you, their ceremonies are beautiful! here are a few pics from the day:

i love the way they are emerging from the light here, like in a dream. plus the smile and anticipation on her face are priceless.

from between the railings in the balcony

illuminated by candlelight

sneaking a kiss

their first dance. that’s her sister taking a picture in the background.

i think this is a great moment between the two of them, but what i love most about this shot is the expression on the faces of the people watching in the background.

ok, so my exciting news from last week was…(drumroll please)…I made Grace Ormonde’s platinum list! Grace Ormonde publishes Wedding Style magazine, which is the magazine of the wedding industry. Grace only accepts, as she put it, ‘the best of the best’ in her publications. To be included on her platinum list is quite an honor for a wedding photographer.

the weather ended up being beautiful on saturday for russ and sue’s wedding. They are so much in love, sue was just radiant. I swear she’s smiling in every single picture i got of her. Everyone I met was so warm and friendly. I don’t think I stopped smiling all day either! They are such a terrific couple; I’m so excited for them as they begin their new life together. they got married at a church just north of pittsburgh, and reserved the main dining room of the grand concourse in station square for the evening for their reception. if you haven’t been, it’s quite a sight. the architecture and detail of the place is just gorgeous. There are huge marble columns and stained glass and rich mahagany woodwork. also, if you remember from their engagement session, russ is a huge train lover, so this was the perfect location for them (it’s an old train station)! Cadillac Jazz provided the entertainment for the night. This was my first time working a wedding with cadillac jazz, and I’ve got to tell you, I was sooo impressed. The music was wonderful; they provided the perfect atmosphere for the evening. I recommend them without hesitation if you are looking for a jazz band for your ceremony or reception. Vanilla Pastry Studio from the West End did their cake; it was so moist and rich, I was in heaven! Hats off to Simone for pulling everything together; it was quite a grand affair.
Here are a few of my shots, the rest will be available online in two weeks:

Brad and Apryl are getting married on September 21. Apryl was college roommates with Amanda, a girl I graduated high school with. Such a small world! Brad and Apryl are super fun- we share the same sense of humor, and they are so obviously in love. As an added bonus, Amanda is in the wedding party, so I get to catch up with her. I can’t wait to shoot this wedding!

Julie and Dave tie the knot on September 15. I haven’t met Dave yet (I’ll have to wait until their engagement session for that), but Julie is so sweet, and super cute. I feel so fortunate that I’ve gotten the most amazing couples this year. I’m accepting a few more dates for 2007, and starting to book for 2008. Drop me a line if you’d like me to shoot your wedding!

I met the coolest person tonight. Her name is Michele, and she just booked me for her October 27 wedding. Not only is she gorgeous, she’s so laid back and ultra cool, that I cannot wait to shoot their wedding!! This reinforces my suspicion that I may very well have the best job on earth…