Tag Archives: Destination

Stacy and John are risk-takers!

Never have I put my clients’ lives in danger more than I did during this session. Despite facing peril at every turn, Stacy and John handled it like complete pros! And that is only one of the reasons I think these two are the bee’s knees. Stacy doesn’t know this, but I have admired her from afar for quite awhile now. She is super stylish, uniquely beautiful, and one of the sweetest, kindest girls you’ll ever meet. I have been so lucky to have some of the coolest brides ever, and Stacy is certainly one of the coolest of the cool. Although I don’t know John quite as well, I know that if Stacy loves him, he must be equally as incredible, because no one but a total stud could win her heart!

The risk-taking begins in Soho, where yours truly wandered around Canal St. for a good half an hour because she didn’t take the time to write down the hotel address before she left. Whoops! I meandered aimlessly, clutching my camera bag to my chest, darting inside McDonalds every time I saw a sketchy character, but luckily Stacy and John found me, and we snuck into the Soho Grand Hotel for a few very-against-the-rules photos.

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Then, I decided that breaking into an old courtyard surrounded by locked fences and big semi trucks was a good idea. It only took us about 1 minute to get kicked out, but I got my shot!destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Next we decided to brave the streets of Soho again, stopping wherever we felt inspired (and that was quite often!). There may or may not have been some pigeon corralling involved…. I plead the 5th. destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

My favorite way to risk my client’s lives is to make them play in traffic!destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Next it was off to the much more safe and peaceful Central Park…destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Did I say safe? Well, I’m sure laying on the side of a bridge with a 30-foot drop is relatively safe….destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

destination engagement session of Stacy Bilnoski and John Matthew McEnaney in Soho Grand Hotel, Times Square, Central Park, New York City by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Stacy and John, thank you so much for putting your lives on the line for me and allowing me to hang out with you in the Big Apple! You guys are troopers, not to mention super hot models, and I can’t wait for April!

Sizzlin’ Destination Day After

Dear Nikole and Chris’ parents,

If seeing steamy, sexy, awesomely hot photos of your two little darlings makes you uncomfortable… You should probably stop reading right now! I tried to keep it G-rated, but.. well.. newlyweds will be newlyweds!

XOXO,
Stacy

Day After sessions are, hands down, my favorite thing in the entire world. No contest. One of main reasons I am a photographer is because I love making people feel beautiful and capturing that beauty in images, and I feel that everyone is at their most beautiful when they are dressed up all fancy-like with the person they love most in the world, which is exactly what happens in a Day After session. It also gives people a chance to be totally narcissistic and fill the walls of their home with amazing portraits of themselves, which I of course fully support.

As I mentioned before, I absolutely adore Nikole and Chris for many reasons, but I especially love them for taking some time out of their honeymoon to wander around Puerta Plata with me and roll around in the sand and water. Check out some of my favorites:

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

destination wedding day after portrait session with nikole busenius and chris bordato at sun village resort in cofresi, puerta plata, dominican republic by dallas wedding photographer stacy reeves

Nikole and Chris, thank you first of all for being so easy on the eyes, making my job ridiculously easy, and thank you for being so great to me and allowing me to have a blast with you both during your wedding and honeymoon. I’m just sad that you’re so far away now :( I guess I will just have to make the trek up north to come visit!

Random side note: I am seeing a lot of hits to this post via the NAPP forums, and a friend on those boards informed me that a lot of you all are discussing this post in regards to use of actions and plug-ins.  I want you guys to know that virtually every image in this post, aside from the B&W/Sepia images, is pretty much SOOC, with minimal tweaking in Lightroom. In fact, only one action was used, and that is Totally Rad Action’s Old Skool, used on the last pair of images in this post. In the past I have been a big fan of actions, but these days I am leaning more towards the school of leaving images mostly as-is, and letting their beauty speak for itself. In the future, if you have comments or thoughts about my images, I would love to hear them in the comments section of this blog. Thanks! It’s always great to know that my work is inspiring discussion :)

Destination wedding in Puerta Plata

How do I love Nikole and Chris… Let me count the ways!

First of all, they are Canadian, and I am more than slightly obsessed with all things Canadian. It started when I was younger and took a few trips up north with my mom. All I can remember is that the country was beautiful, the people were nice, the weather was good, and I had a blast. Fast forward to about two years ago, when I moved into my former condo and had what seemed like 600 TV channels, including one that focused solely on Canadian TV shows. I fell in love with the Canadian accent and sense of humor, and I have been a canuck-lover ever since. I only wish I could go visit again (hint, hint Canadian brides!!).

Furthermore, Nikole is a photography enthusiast, and you know what I always say - photographers throw the BEST weddings. Chris and Nikole’s wedding was no disappointment there. Everything from the wedding party attire to the decor to the location was super photogenic, and I was in heaven capturing all the cool details.

It also didn’t hurt that Nikole and Chris’ wedding also served as a much-needed vacation for Jason and I. Every year I pick one destination wedding and make that my vacation for the year, and I stay for an extra 4-6 days to relax and have fun. I am extremely lucky to have a boyfriend who is also a talented photographer in his own right, so he can serve as my second shooter as well as my traveling companion.

This was the first time I have ever shown up to shoot a wedding without ever having met the bride and groom in person beforehand, so I was a little unsure of what to expect, but luckily I had no reason to fear. Nikole and Chris are warm, friendly people who went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable and having as much fun as they were. It was very clear that their top priority on their wedding day was to make sure everyone had a great time, and that’s definitely what happened!

I am in love with ALL of the photos I took that day, but here are a few that I think really tell the story:

The current Mrs. Bordato and the soon-to-be-other Mrs. Bordato getting primped and prepped at the spa… I don’t think Chris’ mom was super happy with how her hair was progressing.

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Nikole added these cool brooches to each of the bridesmaid’s bouquets. I thought that was a really cool gift to her girls, not to mention a fantastic decor detail.

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Nikole’s classic J. Crew gown - light and airy, perfect for an island wedding!

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Why do I get all the beautiful brides??

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

The ladies arriving at the ceremony in style!

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

The reaction every girl wants to see as she’s walking down the aisle!

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Mr. and Mrs. Bordato!

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Canadians can JUMP!

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

And pose like rockstars…

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

And laugh like they mean it!

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

The reception was held in a cool hut just off the ocean, right next to a flamingo habitat.

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

The single greatest entrance I have ever seen

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding of Nikole Busenius and Chris Bordato at Sun Village Resort in Cofresi, Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Holy cow! I have to stop posting photos or I will go all day! Don’t worry though, I have a lot more great stuff from their wedding week to show you.. Including a fun family portrait session and the most smokingest hot Day After session you have EVER seen.

Darbi & Neil, part 2

Am I the worst blogger ever? YES. I am so sorry this is so delayed.. I had a huge event going on this past weekend, and it required a lot more of my time than I expected it to, so my blog unfortunately went neglected for a few days.. Major apologies to all of you who checked the blog expecting to see posts that didn’t show up. I am a bad, bad blogger :(

That said, here is the long awaited second half to Darbi & Neil’s awesome Nebraska destination wedding!

A few details from the ceremony location…

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

And everyone’s favorite.. The ring!

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

After the ceremony, we headed to a “Little Mexico” area near Bellvue for some fun wedding party shots

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Then it was off to the Livestock Exchange Building for the wedding reception!

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

A few of my favorite reception details. Have I mentioned that photographers throw the best weddings?

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

A few photos from the first dance…

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Darbi and her dad, one of the coolest, funniest, most outrageous dads I have ever met!
Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

My favorite part of this wedding was the toasts at the wedding reception. The toasts ranged from emotional to funny to earmuff-worthy, courtesy of Darbi and Neil’s very entertaining families and wedding party. I loved the toasts so much I had to do a collage of the images Lara and I took.

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

After the normal garter and bouquet toss, Darbi and Neil added a special twist.. They had the girl who caught the bouquet (Wendy) put on the garter, and had the guy who caught the garter pull it off…. with his teeth! Note Wendy’s boyfriend standing in the background, keeping a close eye on the situation ;)

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Finally it was time to DANCE!

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves
Neil’s groomsman and fellow bandmate Mike Quinn (who also performed Darbi’s song at the ceremony) sang a song for Darbi and Neil that he wrote himself.

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Darbi with her two loves.. Neil and, of course, her Canon 5D.

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, so finally the lovebirds had to say their goodbyes and head off to JAMAICA!

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves
One last photo of Darbi and Neil outside the Livestock Exchange Building in Omaha

Destination wedding photography of Darbi Gibson and Neil Hebrank in Omaha Nebraska by Dallas wedding photographer Stacy Reeves

Darbi and Neil, thanks again for letting me be a part of your wedding day and flying me all the way to Nebraska to be there. I’m so glad you got to come visit me in Dallas this past weekend! Hopefully I will see you again soon in October! ;)