Downtown San Antonio Wedding with Mari and John

Mari is the kind of bride that all photographers like to work with.  She's easy-going, laughs easily, fun to be around, and she's always in a good mood.  When she told me the wedding would be downtown San Antonio, I was really jazzed.  I love taking pictures downtown. Visually, it's a smorgasbord of buildings and people.  

I was a little worried when I got to the Drury Hotel.  I had to park almost 4 blocks away.  Not a problem... I love walking downtown.  I hustled down Market Ave to the Drury, and had the desk clerk call Mari's room. When someone answered, I asked for Mari, and they said I had the wrong number and hung up.  When I called back, they told me I was pronouncing it wrong. I said it like "Mary", and it's pronounced "Maury".  

Mari and her bridesmaids were excited and nervous.  We went across the street to the ballroom and went into the bridal room.  It was big enough, but I think the owners were using it as storage.  It was filled with chairs and tables.  Not much room for the girls to get ready, and even less room for me to take some pictures of the bride getting ready.  That, and as always, they had it lit with some hideous orange light.

The coolest part of this day was Mari's baby, Tristan.  He was only a few months old, and he was just the most calm, happiest little guy I've ever seen.  After Mari fed him, he just looked around and was just happy to be there.  No crying, no griping, no screaming, not like most of the other weddings I've been to! LOL!

I got some great preparation pictures, and the ceremony was short, sweet, and smooth!  We even had a group of people watching from across the street in another high rise hotel.  The groomsmen waved at them before the ceremony began.

I spoke with the DJ before the ceremony.  I told him if he could possibly turn off his lighting effects for the couple's first dance, that would be great.  He said no problem, and that he always turns off the light effects for the first dance.

When it came time for the couple's first dance, whaddya know... he left on the colored strobes, the laser disco lights, and all the other colored lights he had.  The pictures of their first dance looked like I spilled four different colors of pain all over their bodies and faces.  Time for my black and white images.  It all turned out okay.  I had a great time, and Mari and John were so much fun to be with.