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This was The best Breakers wedding ever!

Emily and Rich the Breakers wedding of a lifetime!

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Every time I photograph a wedding at The Breakers I can’t wait to see what fabulous décor and flowers have been created by The Breakers’ own Design Studio. Cameron Keating and his team never cease to amaze me with their wondrous creations. Emily and Rich’s recent wedding was an added testament to the Design Studios’ talents and also to the talents of Trina Chaney-Hoo and The Planning Company who coordinated the wedding.  This article was actually moved from my old website.  Even though this wedding took place many years ago I love the pictures and the couple.  They were so easy to work with and the nicest ever.  Now years later I get to watch them grow their family.

The bride and groom portrait was taken on the brick walkway of The Breakers. This walkway leads directly to the Ocean Lawn which features a spectacular view of the ocean. It didn’t rain during this wedding but the clouds created a beautiful soft light that added some drama to the sky.

As a South Florida wedding photographer, shooting at a venue such as The Breakers is a privilege for many reasons – least of which is that the location affords an endless array of breathtaking settings in which to photograph the bride and groom. With that said, I am always looking for new ways to present couples at this venue and to feature its most unique aspects. Emily and Rich were amazing subjects and I had a great time working with them to create some of the shots you’ll see in this post.

Because the bride hired a really great make-up artist along with a bridal gown wrangler she was photo ready when I arrived.  This is a big deal because it insured that I had plenty of time the photograph lots of getting ready photos which included the fine details as well as the special moments between the bride and her mother as well as the bridal party.

When I arrived to start the photography I was blown away by the brides stunning bridal gown. Many wedding gowns only look great when the bride is wearing the dress. After all gown are designed to be worn and not admired while still on a hanger. However, this dress looked fantastic even on a hanger.

Many thanks to Trina Chaney-Hoo and her team for putting together the wedding description below. They did such a great job, that we’ve decided to present it pretty much as is. They worked closely with both Emily and Rich in their planning process and were able to provide great insight into how the entire wedding came together.

I take this wedding photo often. Couples must like this type of shot because whenever they pick the wedding album pictures this photo is always included.

Details about Emily & Rich’s wedding:
Dress: Amsale Blue Label Collection — “Bijou” in Café – purchased at Boca Raton Bridal 
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Venue: Emily told us that she used to come to lunch with her mom at The Breakers long before Rich was in the picture and she would peak her head in the Mediterranean Ballroom and say “I’m going to have my wedding here some day.”
Every time we stopped by The Breakers for a tasting or a meeting with The Design Studio we’d continued to peak our heads in the ballroom and Emily would start tearing up because she was so excited that her dream from years before was finally coming true! And of course our team was thrilled her choice because we were excited to work along side our good friends Jeff Fowler, Cameron Keating and the rest of the fabulous Breakers’ staff.

I shot this posed groom portrait on the croquet lawn of The Breakers, Palm Beach. Because of the soft lighting and the beauty of the Breakers grounds I was able to photograph in any direction.

 

The Breakers is loaded with endless places to create beautiful wedding photographs. I shot this photo of Emily and Rich using the huge fountain located on the main drive as a background. The front of the hotel is one of the most popular places for bride and groom photos.

The Breakers has some of the most beautiful flowing fountains in Palm Beach.  These picturesque structures are a no brainer when looking for interesting photo spots.  Because of the flowing water using them as photo props adds interest because the action of the water breaths action into a posed photo.  In the photo linked below I used the fountain combined with an action bride and groom pose to create a dynamic wedding photo.  Bride and Groom action shot.

Posed bridal portrait are such a big part of wedding photography. It’s important to make sure enough time is built into the wedding timeline to take these pictures. Sometimes a wedding will have few family members involved and other times a wedding will contain a lot’s of family members and a huge bridal party. Even though Emily and Rich had a large guest list they did not have a really big family photo list. This meant that some additional time could be spent photographing the bride and grooms “First Look” and posed pictures.

Often engaged couples will ask about the cost of a Breakers wedding.  I can tell you it’s not inexpensive.  The Breakers is one of the most luxurious wedding venues in South Florida.  Actually any wedding venue in Palm Beach is going to be costly.  However, Palm Beach as a elegance that no other place in Southern Florida has.  If you want high end then Palm Beach is the place to be.

Just look at these amazing flowers! You can tell they spared no expense when putting together this elaborate Palm Beach wedding.
The wedding ceremony took place on the Ocean Lawn and featured that beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean. I just love these custom monogram with the bride and grooms initials printed on the ceremony chairs.

Many of the wedding ceremonies that take place at The Breakers happen on the hotels Ocean Lawn.  After the ceremony concludes the cocktail hour begins in the same location.  After the cocktail hour concludes the wedding guests are guided into one of the hotels awesome ballrooms.  This doesn’t mean that all the ceremonies take place overlooking the ocean.  I have photographed a number of wedding ceremonies in the hotels ballroom as well.

If you are recently engaged and planning a Palm Beach wedding then the Breakers is most likely going to be on your list of places to visit. However, just down the road is the Eau, Palm Beach, the Four Seasons, and of course Mar-a-Lago. However, the largest property with the best views happens to be The Breakers.

 

During the ceremony the Full Moon appeared from behind the clouds. This made a opportunity for me to take a truly unique wedding photo. I shot this photo using a camera specially modified to shoot infrared. Infrared photography produces a very interesting looking finished photo which is perfect to weddings.

 

After the wedding ceremony ended the wedding guests were treated to a wonderful cocktail hour on the Ocean Lawn. Often if the ceremony takes place on the Lawn then the cocktail Hour happens there to. After the cocktail ends the Breakers staff escorts the guests to one of the hotels breathtaking ballrooms for a reception filled with music, and awesome cuisine. Just like the wonderful ceremony flowers, the ballroom is also decorated to show the elegance that is the Breakers, Palm Beach.

 

During the cocktail hour I was able to sneak off with the bride and groom for some more pictures. Whenever I plan the photography schedule I make sure to allow for enough time to get plenty of posed and photo-journalistic pictures. I also make sure that the posed photography stops at a certain point because the couple should enjoy their wedding day without always being in front of the camera lens.

About the Couple: Rich and Emily are a sweet, sweet couple and you can tell they are genuinely so happy together. When we were in the wedding planning process they were always checking up on everyone in our office. Sending us sweet “get well soon” e-mails when we were out sick or condolences when one of us lost a family member. Simply put, they are good people, with good hearts. We’re so happy for them and are already planning dinner together in the near future to “catch up.” They’re heading to the South of France for their Honeymoon in a few weeks.

As you can see the front of The Breakers is nothing short of magnificent. It’s the perfect place to take a posed wedding shot of the bride and groom. Out of all the hotels in Palm Beach it’s the only place that has such a grandiose brick roadway leading up the to main entrance.
“Priceless” is the look on the brides face in these photo. When she saw her wedding reception ballroom she was in awe. Shooting wedding here is South Florida I get to see lot’s of bride’s expressions. Between the First Look with the groom and the look of the bride as she walks down the aisle, I get to see a lot. However, this shot tells it all.

Theme: The breathtaking ceremony on The Ocean Lawn was highlighted with pops of powder blue in the Jenny Yoo bridesmaids dresses, the ceremony programs and the couples monogram on the back of each guest’s Lucite chair. Pearl and Diamond accents were used throughout the décor because they are Rich and Emily’s respective birthstones. For the reception in the Mediterranean Ballroom, Emily wanted to enhance the beautifully ornate details of the room with ivory and champagne hues. And of course, Cameron from the Design Studio took her vision and created a stunning décor palette.

This is what the bride get to see the second she entered her Breakers Ballroom. Nothing short of amazing, from the flower balls hanging from the ceiling to the chair covers that match her dress, walking into the Mediterranean ballroom was one heck of a visual experience.

BELOW:  Details, Details and More Details.  As a wedding photographer I love having lots to shoot.  Part of what I enjoy most is shooting all the little detail photos that can be taken at a wedding.  This wedding sure kept me busy.  Between the brides vintage family purse and the marriage bucket there was so much to cover.  In addition this wedding had a rocking party vibe as well.  When I get into a wedding reception I just go to town shooting as many interesting party shots as possible.   What makes a great party photo?  How about a photo that projects closeness between the people at the party.  Pictures of people just standing around doesn’t convey a pert that you want to be at.  Guests hugging, Guys palling together, fun drinking shots, it’s the photos like this that create the imagery that makes party pictures great.

Did I ever mention that The Breakers created the best wedding cuisine around? If you are luck enough to get invited to a wedding at The Breakers expect to be treated to a fantastic world class dining experience. If a wedding at The Breakers is not in your near future then I would suggest you make a reservation at one of the hotel restaurants.

Photographing people giving toasts is nice but it’s important to get pictures of the toasters looking great in the process. Sometimes this could be difficult. This skill required timing and a sense of the persons smile pattern. Your photographer can’t just snap away. Well actually they can just snap pictures, that will result in photos of the people toasting with their tongue hanging out, or making a funny face. The key is to keep the camera focused and ready, then wait until a pause, or until the very end of the toast, then shoot the very second they stop. It your photographer needs to cheat they can always grab the guest who was toasting, then get a mic from the band and stage the smiling toast picture. Obviously doing this should only be a last resort.
Hole in the Bucket? During the reception everyone participated in a family singing tradition. They gave out singing cards and all the guest sang their hearts out!!! Great photo opportunity here!!
Here it is, the actual wedding bucket!!

Because some wedding guests may not like wedding cake, the reception moved toward it’s conclusion with a wonderful assortment of tasty sweet treats. Leave it to The Breakers to make a strawberry shortcake dessert like this!

Cake: Yes it was edible! And dusted with edible gold! Emily wanted it to mimic the pattern on her dress. It was perfect!

Details Produced by The Planning Company:
Our staff’s graphic artist (Kristen) created a custom monogram that was carried throughout the event from the Lucite chair design, dance floor lighting, the menu cards and even on the guest towels in the restroom.

While guests wined and dined at the reception, Door tags were placed on every guest’s hotel room that declared, “Please Do Not Disturb! We are partied all night at Rich and Emily’s Wedding!“ Local wedding guest were greeted with valet tags on their car mirrors wishing them a safe journey home. And lastly, every guest received a “Wedding Recovery Kit” complete with Tums, Advil, Starbucks Instant Coffee, Water and a Silk Light Blocking Mask for the morning after their big night of fun with the bride and groom!

Since I first wrote this article I have shot more wedding at The Breakers, Palm Beach.  If you would like to see more pictures from this awesome venue check out the links below:

Breakers Palm Beach Wedding Photo

Bride and Groom Kissing at The Breakers

A Scenic Wedding Photo taken at The Breakers, Palm Beach

Florencia De Salvo: AMAZING PICS!!!!!!! Great job Jeff (Feb 1, 12, 03:19pm)

Mrs Vickie Gates-Lundon: What a beautiful wedding! Emily and Rich, we’re so sorry we missed your big day but your pictures are amazing! What a fabulous, lovely couple. Best Wishes from Vickie & Kevin, Liverpool England x (Aug 29, 11, 09:03am

Leagh@bunchesdirect: Sumptuous wedding! Everything is just perfect! Sorry,I missed a thing-where did the flowers come from? I really like the columns, entwined with flowers and centerpieces are stunning! Wish to have more details! Thank you for sharing!  (Aug 5, 11, 07:09am

Jameykay: Such great photos! her dress is amazing! (Jul 16, 11, 09:25pm)

Derek: Amazing job Jeff, very inspiring. (May 26, 11, 11:44pm)

Scott Kelsey: Amazing… I love that dress. (May 22, 11, 11:25am)

 

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