Tori & Kenny married on Jan.16 at the beautiful Southern Oaks Plantation in New Orleans, Louisiana.  The day started a little tense as a gloomy weather forecast and a big playoff game for the New Orleans Saints could affect the mood of the wedding.  But thankfully, the Saints stomped the Cardinals and the rain stopped just in time for the start of the wedding!  I was so relieved that the Saints’ easy win enabled the guys to make it to the wedding in time and the guests to arrive with cheery smiles.   And Tori was still able to have her outdoor ceremony, which started with a horse drawn carriage ride and ended with a banging fireworks display.   The reception also went off perfectly, with lots of dancing, laughing, and good times!  I have worked at a ton of wedding venues, and I must say The Southern Oaks Plantation wowed me with their smiles & service!  I was surprised to see them sweeping up rainwater to cater to the bride’s outdoor ceremony request with only 20 minutes to spare…trust me most venues would not even consider setting up outdoors with any amount of rain!   Tori & Kenny’s wedding turned out great, and I was glad to be a part of it! To see the story of their day unfold click ‘play’ below to check out their album proof.

I just finished the final revision for Kate & Alex’s wedding album. This beautiful tall volleyball loving couple got married at the Green Gables Country Club in October 2009. It was a gorgeous fall wedding filled with unexpected snow, a surprising and (very good) choreographed dance, yummy details, and lots of tears and laughs!  Play the slide show below if you would like to watch the story of their day.

Tatiana & Joaquin’s engagement pictures were taken around various spots in Denver, the urban shots around downtown Colfax St. and the sunset ones at City Park.  Below is the guest book proof I just finished creating for their wedding day to be held at the beautiful Blackstone Country Club in Aurora, Colorado.  Keep in mind that each image below is actually a 2 page spread, as if the book was open flat.  One of my New Years resolutions is to purchase a new app that will actually flip the pages like a book, but for now enjoy the slideshow.  Happy New Year everyone!

For Anika & Chad’s engagement photos in Denver we met on Colfax St. for some funky urban pictures then went to City Park where the flowers were blooming and the leaves were turning beautiful shades of gold. Below is their guest book designed from their engagement photos and to be used on their wedding day.  I’m excited to be their photographer for their wedding this  spring at one of my favorite non-traditional wedding venues, Red Lion Restaurant in Boulder, Colorado.

When I photographed Emily & Andrew’s engagement session I made sure to include some of their favorite things – baseball, freshly brewed beer, and history!  Feel free to check out their guest book below.  Keep in mind that these are 2 page spreads opened flat.  I’m still working on finding an application that will let viewers flip through the pages like a real book…it’s on my rapidly growing to do list for 2010!
Check out more samples of former engagement sessions on my website: www.nicolenicholsphoto.com

Wedding season may be over, but it is certainly wedding album season for me! Here’s one I just finished that I had a lot of fun working on. After all, how often do you get a wedding that takes place on Halloween Day in New Orleans and includes costumes and a walk through the famous St.Louis Cemetery? Andrea & Eric really had more of an elopement then a wedding, but they still had a ceremony, toast, cake, and most importantly – a great wedding photographer!
Enjoy viewing the 1st draft of their wedding day story below, keeping in mind that each image is actually a 2 page spread. Comments are always welcome.

Countdown 5 weeks & 4 days until Tori & Kenny’s long awaited wedding day!  I am so excited to be photographing their wedding at the beautiful Southern Oaks Plantation located in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Below is their guest book designed with their engagement pictures to be used for guests to sign on their wedding day.  Each layout is a 2 page spread and has plenty of negative space for their guests to leave notes and their signature. This product has been a favorite among couples and always receives lots of positive comments from their wedding guests too. I only wish I had learned about these and been able to do one for my own wedding last year. …guess I’ll just have to wait till my 5yr. anniversary wedding

The Embassy Suites in Denver, Colorado is a great find.  As soon as you walk in the door the serene peacefulness of the lobby relaxes you instantly.  It’s very hard to find tropical warmth in the winter time in Colorado, but it can be found at the Embassy! The sky lights which make up the ceiling let in an abundance of light which allows for the Embassy to grow huge beautiful tropical plants filling the bottom floor with palm trees, irises, and luscious growth.   Not only is the natural sunlight great for plants, but its great for photographers!  Many hotels can be nightmares for photographers with their windowless dark hallways.   But the abundant natural light filling the Embassy makes it a great place for pictures.    The Embassy also has superior staff and incredible food!   At their request, I created a sample wedding album consisting of all the events I have photographed for them in the past such as special event set-ups, engagement sessions, and a wedding.   If you want to see samples of what the Embassy can do for your special event, check out the preview book below.  Please keep in mind that you are viewing full page spreads, or 2 pages open flat.

Kate & Alex were recently married at the beautiful presigious Green Gables Country Club in Denver, Colorado. The fall leaves may have been covered unexpectedly by snow, but thankfully the antique interior of the Green Gables Country Club provided a charming cozy setting for their ceremony and reception. It was a year ago when I did Kate & Alex’s engagement pictures in downtown Denver and it was hard to believe a year had gone by and it was already their wedding day. Thanks to the help of Penny with Revelry Events, all the details were in place and everything was set perfectly for this special day. The wedding party had a gorgeous unique display of flowers created by Bella Fiori.   And my favorite local DJ, Center Stage Entertainment,  provided acoustic guitar for the ceremony and groovy danceable beats for the reception.  Some wedding receptions seem to drag on for hours, but you could tell everyone was having a blast because before we knew it the last song came on and the lights turned up. No one wanted to stop dancing, but all good things must eventually come to an end. I was just so glad to be a part of it!  Check out their storybook below:

I just finished the proof of Lindsay & Mike’s Wedding book from their recent wedding at the Crystal Rose near Highlands Ranch.  When viewing, keep in mind that you are looking at the layouts of 2 open pages.  These story books can be quite time consuming but they are definitely my favorite part of the post production/editing process.  But then it gets even better when I send my design off to print and I get to hold the final piece and see my client’s reactions when I hand it it to them.   To me its like collaborating a work of art!  The bride has been meticulously picking out all the colors and details of her wedding day palette, I capture that in pictures, and then create a beautiful book which will be seen by many and preserved for generations to enjoy in the homes of the newly married couples.    Sometimes its hard to give up my artwork, but then that’s when I order another sample copy for myself