Josh Solar Photo Blog: Married: Andrea & Alex

I had a freakin' kick ass rockin' time at Andrea & Alex's wedding. Not only was the wedding off the chain, but I got to share it with lots of old friends and a new one.

Here's the list of amazing photogs and videogs I got to work with:

Kristy from Wreckless Photography
Kelley from Kelley Photo & Design
Drew & Selena from VanHorn Video

And the rest of the details...
Ceremony Location: St. Mark's Catholic Church
Reception Location: Intrigue Park Place Hotel
DJ: KC Pro Jocks
Flowers: Licata's Flowers

Before we get to the pics, I have to say that after I dropped Kelley and Kristy off at Kelley's car last night I had quite a long drive home. I decided I wanted to listen to something quiet, and Jose Gonzalez was my choice. I rolled down the windows, cranked the tunes and it hit me like a rock to the face at how blessed I am with all the great people in my life. Let's start with my wonderful, beautiful wife who, without her, I would not be where I am right now. Our little family is finally complete with our 3 kiddos (well, maybe complete when we get a dog), and I have the best parents in the whole world. The relationships I've built with the photographers around me, the ones who support me, help me at the drop of a hat, and who are just there to talk about life in general (you all know who you are) are one of the main reasons I am where I am currently in my photography journey. And, finally, a thanks to all my great clients who trust me to capture their most precious memories. Without your support, I definitely couldn't be doing what I'm doing. This is dragging on, and I'm sorry, but I'm VERY happy with where my life is right now, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else doing anything else with anyone else (if that makes sense :)

Back to the wedding. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, Andrea was absolutely gorgeous, basically, gorgeous was the theme of the day. Well, except for Alex who wasn't gorgeous, but just flat out excited to be marrying Andrea. Let's do a little math: Gorgeous Bride + Excited Groom - Crappy Weather = A fun day for me and my friends to capture :) I know I'm lame, and it will just get worse from here so let's just check out some of my favorite images from the day...

Alex strong like bull

Andrea: "There's a glare, can you turn out the lights, please?"
Me: "Um...yes" (thinking to myself - thank God she's in that nice sliver of light)
Oh, and she's sneaking a peek at what's going on in the sanctuary.

This was Alex's face all day!

Which finger does the ring go on again?

The gorgeous flower girl (I told you gorgeous was the theme of the day)

The gorgeous wedding party

The gorgeous couple

Ok, ok, I did not take this photo, but it was taken with my camera, and I was in it a little. Here's the story: Kelley decided she wanted a top down shot of Andrea & Alex laying in the road by the arrow. Well, tall as she is, she needed that little extra boost, so I got down on my hands and knees and Kelley stood on my back. Well, Kristy spotted on one side, and Drew spotted on the other, so no one was available to capture the chaos it took to get this shot, but it was totally worth it! Don't you just love the sacrifice that we go through for our art :)

Besides bringing a flat tire for Jenny's Jeep, Kristy also brought the scrumptious California light

The Groom's Cake. Alex likes hunting, and we like playing with video lights. If you combine the 2, you get shots like this. To me, it looks like the hunter is hunting his prey by moonlight, and he's ready for the kill :)

Happy Birthday Alex!

The Ring Shot. They had a sweet little arcade in the hotel, and we tried to get the rings on the game over, but it wasn't happening, so I stuck them in the coin slot :)

The dancing was off the hook! These few shots are only a brief snippet of the action.

Here's just a few of my favorite shots of some of my best buds in the industry. First up is Drew. Yes, not only does he make insane movies, but he'll dispose of your flowers, too. Seriously, if any of you future brides out there are looking for a videographer, please snatch up Drew and Selena. You will not be disappointed.

I know you can't see their faces, but I love this shot of Kelley & Kristy. This is the kind of teamwork we had yesterday :) I met Kelley last June when she shot our family pictures, and I'm so happy that we've been able to become such great friends. She's awesome, check out her work, and get totally inspired and blown away. Also, I met Kristy when I picked her up from the airport on Wednesday, and it's nice to add another photog to my growing circle of friends. I've been following her work for quite some time now and it's great to finally meet her. Once again, check out her work, it will blow you away, too.