April, 2010 | San Diego Wedding Photographers | Gwendolyn Tundermann Photography

Archive for April, 2010

Cassandra & Terrance | Engagement Photos at Jacksonville Beach | Jacksonville Wedding Photographers

April 29, 2010

We posted a sneak peek of Cassandra & Terrance’s photos on Facebook at around 5am this morning. By the time I woke up, they had over 30 comments already! Anyone who has met Cassandra & Terrance can understand why they are so loved by friends and family. They are so genuine and caring and the love between them, well, the photos below attest to the strength of their love. It’s the way they look at each other and laugh together that says they have a love that will last!

We had so much fun shooting these photos! One thing we learned about Cassandra & Terrance is that they LOVE to shop! Yes, Cassandra you know you have a keeper when your hubby-to-be loves to shop as much as you! ; )

I can’t believe we have to wait a whole year to see Cassandra & Terrance say “I do!” We’ve been talking to them since last year and I am so anxious to see them get married because you can tell they were meant for each other. We love being around you guys and even though a year seems far away we know it will be here sooner than you know it! In the meantime, we look forward to getting to know you even better and can’t wait to meet all of your loving friends & family!

Posted in Engagements, Video Slideshows | 7 Comments »

Kera & Waymond | Engagement Photos at Jacksonville Beach | Jacksonville Wedding Photographers

April 26, 2010

When Kera & I were talking about when to begin their engagement session, we somehow got this crazy idea that we should do a sunrise shoot! We both thought it was insane to get up that early, but it was soooo worth it! The beach was quiet and calm. Other than a couple other people out shooting and a few runners and surfers, there weren’t many people around so we had plenty of room to shoot without interruption. As we watched the sun quickly rise over the horizon, we were so in awe of its beauty. What better way to start a romantic photo shoot than watching a breathtaking sunrise?

Kera & Waymond are so super sweet! They are full of laughter and so at ease with each other that really all we had to do was sit back and observe and capture them being the way they naturally are together. At one point, someone stopped our shoot to tell Kera how beautiful she looked. She radiated with all the beauty of a woman in love, and it was so sweet to watch the way that Waymond looked at her so adoringly! After spending the morning with them, we really can’t wait for their wedding day! They are truly a couple that is meant for each other!

I smile when I look at their photos because they are so full of happiness that you can’t help but feel better by just being around them! We hope these photos make you smile, too! : )

Posted in Engagements | 2 Comments »

Stephanie & Dave: Part III | Wedding at Bayfront Mansion House | St. Augustine Wedding Photographers

April 22, 2010

Today, we share with you the final part of Stephanie & Dave’s wedding day – the reception! They held this part of the wedding at the Bayfront Mansion House, which was so beautiful as the sun set and every partied the night away! There were candles lining the dock and floating in the pool. Stephanie’s friend, Amy, spent the entire day organizing everything with all of the vendors. The tent, table & chairs, and lighting were all provided by St. Johns Illuminations. The gorgeous 8-tier cake was created by Sweet Weddings, a gourmet cake shop in St. Augustine. Catering for the reception was provided by Chef Pratt of Chefs For A Night, who spent the whole day cooking away in the Bayfront Mansion kitchen!

Stephanie, Dave, and all their guests were entertained through the night by live band Think Big out of Orlando. These guys were phenomenal and kept everyone dancing all night long! It was such a fun reception with tons of laughter and even a few tears as some of Stephanie & Dave’s closest friends gave heartwarming speeches. One of my favorite parts of the evening was when Dave removed Stephanie’s Steelers garter with no hands! : )

And we didn’t think it would really happen, but it did! Some of the guys, including Dave, ended up in the pool! I grabbed my camera and kept saying to Matt, “I think they’re going to throw him in the pool. They’re totally going in the pool! Let’s go!” It was awesome!!

We hope that everyone enjoyed looking at the wedding highlights. Here’s a quick link back to the other posts about Stephanie & Dave:

St. Augustine Engagement Photos
Rehearsal Dinner at Lightner Museum
Getting Ready at Bayfront Mansion House
Wedding at Llambias House

We wish Stephanie & Dave all the best! They are a very unique couple and I think you’ll agree that their love really shows!

Now for some reception highlights followed by Stephanie & Dave’s wedding slideshow! : )

Posted in Video Slideshows, Weddings | 2 Comments »

Stephanie & Dave: Part II | Wedding at Llambias House | St. Augustine Wedding Photographers

April 20, 2010

Yesterday, we shared the pre-ceremony photos from Stephanie & Dave’s wedding at the Bayfront Mansion. Today, we’re sharing the part of the wedding at the Llambias House – the place where they said “I Do!” Stephanie & Dave stood before friends and family with bright blue skies and the sun shining down on the garden of the historic home. The wedding party processed in to the beautiful sounds of a harp played by Reverend William (Bill) Reister. It was everything that a St. Augustine southern wedding should be!

Beyond being beautiful and elegant, this was also a very personal ceremony. It was officiated by Stephanie’s Aunt Tammy, who was ordained just so she could conduct their ceremony! Dave’s cousin, Bryan, also led the couple and their guests in prayer, so that both sides of their family were involved in the ceremony.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom and their wedding party were escorted once again by horse-drawn carriage to the Bayfront Mansion. On the way, we stopped at the Castillo de San Marcos for some fun photos! Stephanie was such a cool bride. Her only request was that we do photos on a wall, so we did a few different wall shots! I have to agree that walls are pretty fun to use, and Stephanie rocks for climbing walls in that gorgeous gown! : )

Tomorrow we’ll share the final part of Stephanie & Dave’s gorgeous St. Augustine wedding – THE RECEPTION! Live band, a huge tent on the water, and a very lively group of guests! It was so much fun!! Tomorrow will also include the slideshow with highlights of the entire event, so be sure to check back! Right now, we hope you will enjoy photos of their breathtaking, very romantic ceremony!

Posted in Weddings | 3 Comments »

Stephanie & Dave: Part I | Wedding at Bayfront Mansion House | St. Augustine Wedding Photographers

April 19, 2010

I never thought I’d be so happy for Monday morning to arrive! Last Friday, we shared photos from Stephanie & Dave’s rehearsal dinner at the Lightner Museum and all weekend we’ve been so anxious to post photos from their gorgeous St. Augustine wedding!

This wedding included so many incredible details that there was no way we could cover it in one blog post, so today we are going to share some of the pre-ceremony photos. The first part of the wedding was at the Bayfront Mansion House, a beautifully appointed 3-story mansion just two blocks away from the Castillo de San Marcos. The girls stayed at the mansion and had hair and makeup down by the fabulous Faythe Mesic, who was assisted by Sonia Garza. Faythe created this amazing hairstyle for Stephanie that was chic and elegant and perfectly added to the vintage look that Stephanie wanted for the wedding day! Stephanie added the sweetest little hair clip to complete the look! The bouquets and boutonnieres were done by Celebrations and added a pop of color to the wedding. I really adored the green orchids! They were so unique and vibrant!

If you can’t tell by the images below, we really LOVED all of Stephanie’s wedding attire and accessories. She wore a very delicate, vintage-looking dress from Love, A Bridal Boutique. She said that when she selected her veil, she looked for the oldest looking one she could find. I love it! I was so in awe of her necklace from Erica Koesler’s collection (also available at Love) and her precious handbag from an Etsy store in Australia. Stephanie & Dave’s beautiful rings were custom-designed by dimend Scaasi in Chicago and included a beautiful inscription. But the showstopper was her totally rockin’ Badgley Mischka shoes! HOTNESS!!

The guys stayed just a short walk away at the St. George Inn in historic downtown St. Augustine. Matt met up with the guys for some photos, including a “Reservoir Dogs” inspired shot of the guys walking down the street. One of my favorites is of the guys jumping. It’s funny because I know that Matt couldn’t have convinced them to do it, so they must have come up with the idea themselves! They were a hilarious group of guys! So silly, but a bunch of sweethearts! And though the girls had a great time hanging out at the stunning mansion, I’m a little jealous of Matt because the guys were hanging out at Stogies, one of my favorite places in St. Augustine, enjoying cigars before the wedding. Guys get to do all the cool stuff! : )

Horse-drawn carriages from Country Carriages picked up the girls and guys at their respective locations to bring them to the ceremony at the Llambias House. Tomorrow we’ll share some photos from their gorgeous Llambias House garden wedding and the Bayfront Mansion reception photos will be posted on Wednesday along with information about the live band Think Big, an amazing cake creation by Sweet Weddings, and reception setup by St. Johns Illuminations.

Be sure to check out Parts II and III here:

Ceremony at the historic Llambias House
Reception at the Bayfront Mansion House

For now, we hope that you enjoy Part I of Stephanie & Dave’s wedding day!

Posted in Weddings | 4 Comments »

Stephanie & Dave | Rehearsal Dinner at the Lightner Museum | St. Augustine Wedding Photographers

April 16, 2010

Wedding rehearsal dinners are such intimate events. We love watching families come together in celebration on the eve of the big day! Last Friday, Stephanie & Dave’s family and friends gathered for their rehearsal dinner at the Lightner Museum’s Sala Menendez Room. Sounds of laughter and the clinking of glasses filled the room as stories about the happy couple were shared among the tables. Dave’s parents gave some very heartfelt, but sound, advice to the couple to wish them both happiness and a successful marriage. And to add to the celebration, Stephanie’s father as well as Dave’s father and grandmother were all celebrating birthdays around the same time! Such a happy weekend! : )

The Lightner Museum was such a great setting for the rehearsal and set the tone for Stephanie & Dave’s St. Augustine wedding! The gates were closed and the Sala Menendez Room and Lightner Museum courtyard were theirs for the evening. Everyone chatted during the cocktail hour, admiring the courtyard and marveling at the colorful koi. Stephanie’s mom made these beautiful lamp centerpieces using wine bottles and labels which included their St. Augustine engagement photos! Each one had cute little phrases on it, adding a really personal touch and creating the perfect mood during dinner, which was catered by A1A Ale Works.

The Best Man and Matron of Honor had Stephanie & Dave play a game where they had to answer questions about themselves as a couple using Ken and Barbie dolls! For example: “Who is better looking?” It was so hilarious, especially the times when they disagreed on the answers! And though Dave is a very handsome guy, I have to say Stephanie was looking smokin’ hot at the rehearsal with her cute pink and black dress and killer heels!! She also had her makeup done by Faythe Mesic for the occasion!

I just finished watching the slideshow. The first time, I almost cried. The second time, I REALLY had to fight it. Stephanie & Dave are such an incredible couple and we really enjoyed getting to know their friends and family on Friday evening and Saturday during the wedding. We always judge how good a wedding was by how exhausted we are the next day, and I’ll just say it took us about 3 days to catch up on rest from this one! It was THAT much fun! And there are so many gorgeous details and so many parts to their wedding day that I think we may have to break it up into multiple blog posts! So be sure to check back next week for their stunning wedding details!

Until then, here’s a glimpse at this wonderful couple and an evening with those closest to their hearts:

Posted in Destination Wedding, Rehearsal Dinner, Video Slideshows, Weddings | 1 Comment »

Michelle & Josh | Destination Wedding in Hilton Head | Destination Wedding Photographers

April 10, 2010

We are so fortunate to meet some amazing people through our photography, but we’re truly blessed when those people become friends. When we first met Michelle & Josh for their engagement photos in Plano, TX, we wished that we didn’t live 16 hours away from them! But Facebook has helped bridged the distance between us!

We were really excited to see them again for their destination wedding in Hilton Head, SC. They held the wedding at the Crowne Plaza Resort Hilton Head Island, a gorgeous resort on the beach that showcased the natural beauty of the island. Michelle & Josh made the wedding very special with a lot of personal touches. The ceremony was officiated by Josh’s father, the Reverend Franklin D. Wilson Sr. from Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church in McKinney, TX. The processional and recessional was performed by Josh’s brother, Josiah, and his wife, Candace. They were Vocal Performance majors in college and performed the song “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. As Michelle & Josh walked past their guests for the first time ever as husband and wife, they immediately went into their first dance on the beach. It was such a beautiful, unique idea! But one of my favorite personal touches from their wedding was more subtle. Michelle wrapped her father’s dog tags around her bouquet to honor his memory. As she walked down the aisle on the arm of her brother, Daniel, she knew that her father was also with her. It was so moving!

Another thing I love about their wedding is the colors! Michelle & Josh asked all of their guests to wear different shades of blue to the wedding. And Michelle’s gorgeous bouquet from A Floral Affair perfectly matched the the sand and the periwinkle blue ocean. Toward sunset, the sky turned a brilliant blue. It was such a spectacular setting for photos, and we’re so happy that the sun came out for their destination wedding!

We think after seeing these photos you’ll see why Michelle & Josh are so special! They are so full of laughter and love and we are so happy that we met them! In addition to our excitement about sharing these beautiful wedding photos, we’re also thrilled to say that today is Michelle’s birthday! We already started celebrating over here on the East Coast an hour ago, but now it’s officially Michelle’s birthday in Texas, too! We wish you the happiest birthday and congratulate you and Josh on your nuptials! And let’s make sure we plan that trip to meet “half way” in New Orleans soon!! We miss you guys! : )

Posted in Destination Wedding, Travel, Video Slideshows, Weddings | 64 Comments »

Monica & Mike: Part II | Destination Wedding in Eleuthera | Bahamas Destination Wedding Photographers

April 8, 2010

Yesterday, we posted Monica & Mike’s romantic Eleuthera destination wedding photos! It warms my heart every time I look at their photos because it’s so apparent how happy and in love they are! It’s hard to even describe their wedding day because I get lost in looking at the photos and smiling. I think their faces tell the story better than I can!

So to tell more of the story, we’re happy to present their slideshow! I’ve watched it so many times already. In fact, I just paused to watch it again. Their love is so inspiring! If you want to feel all warm and fuzzy, watch along with me…

Posted in Destination Wedding, Travel, Video Slideshows, Weddings | 3 Comments »

Monica & Mike | Destination Wedding in Eleuthera | Bahamas Destination Wedding Photographers

April 7, 2010

Imagine flying to a quiet island in the Caribbean, renting a gorgeous house overlooking the beach, and getting married in a private ceremony with palm trees, turquoise water, and pink sand in the background…

Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Monica & Mike’s destination wedding in Eleuthera was so peaceful and beautiful! They spent a week at Cayo Loco, a private Bahamanian beach house with a spectacular view of the ocean! The house is on a hill with acres of tropical plants between it and the beach. The ceremony was held on the verandah and the skies were bright blue. It was a breathtaking setting!

Monica & Mike couldn’t have chosen a more beautiful location for their destination wedding. It’s is the closest place to paradise that I have ever seen! I posted a few personal photos from Eleuthera the other day on the blog.

Now, we’re excited to share Monica & Mike’s beautiful Bahamas destination wedding photos! Check back tomorrow for more photos on their slideshow!

The flowers were flown over from Nassau!

Enjoying sunset from the verandah of Cayo Loco

Posted in Destination Wedding, Honeymoons, Travel, Weddings | 5 Comments »

Space Shuttle Discovery – NASA’s Final “Night” Launch

April 5, 2010

This morning, Matt and I went outside to witness NASA’s final shuttle launch in darkness. It’s sad to see the space shuttle program come to an end and though we always say we’re going to watch the shuttle launch this is the first time we’ve really done it. With only a few launches left before the program comes to an end, we are promising to head down to Canaveral to view one of the final ones!

Growing up in Central Florida, I’ve seen a ton of shuttle launches. And even though I spent most of my life living less than an hour away from Cape Canaveral, I’ve only been to Kennedy Space Center once for a school trip. Maybe we’ll get a chance to go later this month!

Here are a few photos that Matt took of Discovery’s launch this morning. They were taken about a block away from our house in Jacksonville. Before we could park the car the shuttle was in the air, so these are all taken without the use of a tripod.

Posted in Personal | 5 Comments »