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Wedding Photography by Jeff Kolodny

Fort Lauderdale wedding photography

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This wedding took place at one of the most elegant wedding venues in Fort Lauderdale.

Bianca and Izhak decided to get married at a venue that offers the ultimate in Broward county luxury weddings.  There are many hotel chains in South Florida however, who has not heard of the Ritz-Carlton?  When someone hears Ritz-Carlton high end luxury always comes to mind.

As a Fort Lauderdale wedding photographer,  I love to learn as much as I can about my clients backgrounds and details about their wedding and why they planned they way they did. Many thanks to Bianca and Izhak for providing me with these great details about themselves and their unbelievable South Florida Jewish wedding!

Bride getting ready at her Fort Lauderdale wedding
Bianca started her Fort Lauderdale wedding day with her mother at the Ritz Carton. When I arrived she was in her room getting ready for the first look with Izhak.  When I arrive to start the photography, I always arrive early and spend time walking through the venue and deciding where we will start the photography. Then I head to the bride’s room to take the getting ready pictures. During the photography I also make it a point to take background pictures.  I use the background pictures for the wedding album page designs. If you are planning a Fort Lauderdale wedding then I suggest you pay a visit to the Ritz-Carlton because it’s one of my favorite venues in the area.

 

Bianca started her Fort Lauderdale wedding day with the help of her mother.
I started the photography at this Fort Lauderdale wedding in the brides suite. There Bianca was with her mother who was helping her prepare for the First look with the groom. If you are looking for a fantastic wedding venue in Broward County than check out the Ritz-Carlton. Everyone knows the Ritz is known for luxury and elegance and this venue does not disappoint!

 

Bianca & Izhak had their first date on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach in 2012, both dog lovers. One day Izhak told Bianca that it was important that his dog like her dog, because he is very grumpy. During their second snorkeling date all of their belongings were stolen! PHONES, KEYS, WALLET, EVERYTHING!!! . So they spent the rest of the date getting locksmiths to let them into their respective apartments and cancelling all credit cards. Luckily their belongings were eventually found and returned. It was from that day on they realized that in such high stress situation neither them would have tolerated 99% of other people. Since they knew how to deal with the situation and still get along, they figured it must be love. They both had their guards up and that day brought them even closer together.

Fort Lauderdale bride getting ready at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel
I kicked off this Fort Lauderdale bride’s pictures with some in the mirror photos. Mirrors are a great way to breath uniqueness into a wedding photo. By using a mirror you can shoe both the back of the bride’s hairstyle and her face in one single shot. Often mirrors have beautiful frames surrounding the mirror, using the frame really adds to the impact of an object.

 

As a Fort Lauderdale wedding photographer the first look is one of my favorite events to capture.
This Fort Lauderdale wedding took place at the Ritz-Carlton which is one of my favorite venues in town. Located in Broward County the venue sits across the street from the beach and is incredibly elegant. This first look sequence photo strip was taken on the second floor lobby just outside the main ballroom. The row of windows that look out to the Atlantic Ocean provided beautiful soft lighting when combined with flash made for clear flattering images. As a skilled wedding photographer it’s important for me to produce images with nice flat facial lighting.  As a professional Fort Lauderdale wedding photographer I skilled at setting up the first look so that the bride and groom have a memorable special moment and I also get the pictures.

 

Izhak proposed on Valentines Day of 2015. It was just one week after they had returned from a vacation in Israel, where Bianca met all of Izhak’s family for the first time. They took their boat to small island off the shore of downtown Miami and he popped the question! Later she found out that Izhak had spoken to her father, who told him ‘welcome to the family’.

Bride and Groom share a moment the the Ritz-Carlton a luxury Fort Lauderdale wedding venue
There are many Fort Lauderdale wedding venues however the most elegant venue is the Ritz-Carlton. Here the bride and groom share a moment in the decorative gallery hall that runs between the ballrooms and the main hotel.

 

Very few of their family and friends actually reside in Miami. Biancas extended family is all in Brazil and Izhak’s family is all in Israel. The both decided on a Destination wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale. They set their wedding date over a year in advance to give their guests a chance to make travel arrangements and plan their trip to South Florida

The Ritz-Carlton is one of the most elegant wedding venues Fort Lauderdale. From the very second you walk into the white marble floor lobby it's obvious this hotel is something special.
The inside lobby of the Ritz-Carlton is one of the most elegant places to take wedding pictures. If you are looking for awesome venues Fort Lauderdale to host your wedding then this place deserves a visit. The second you walk into the white modern and elegant lobby it’s obvious this hotel is something unique special. These pictures were taken just outside the hotels main ballroom.

 

I shot this Wedding photo in the hotel ballroom using the ceremony chairs as a background. The Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale has several large beautiful ballrooms.
Whenever I’m shooting weddings it’s always my goal to produce images that are unique. There are many great photographers here in South Florida. In order to stand out it’s important to create interesting images. Finding patterns that you can incorporate into imagery is a great way to breath a unique perspective into a photograph. Before the ceremony I noticed this pattern created by the ceremony chairs. Putting the groom into the shot created a pattern interrupt which made this photo more interesting. This wedding photo looked nice in color, However by converting this to Black and White I was able to add contrast to the chairs. The additional contrast enhanced the chair shapes.

 

They chose the Ritz-Carlton in Fort Lauderdale because of the location and the resort itself. With so many people coming from abroad, they wanted to give them a hotel that offered everything, including restaurants, spa, beach, pool etc, but one that also was located in an area with a lot of activities. The service quality was also very important to them. The Ritz helped them welcome each guest with welcome bags that they had printed and stuffed with snacks, water, and of course a schedule of the festivities.

The ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton ready for the wedding ceremony.
The main ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale is one of the largest a most glamorous around. Often the Ballroom is split into two rooms, one for the ceremony and the other for the reception. When the ceremony ends the wedding guests are moved from the ceremony room to the hotels Grand Foyer where they can enjoy the cocktail hour. During the cocktail hour the ballroom which includes the ceremony section is transformed into one huge elegant ballroom. If you are planning a wedding in Broward County you really should visit the Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale.
Wedding ceremony decor photos taken just before a Fort Lauderdale wedding ceremony.
Whenever I photograph as wedding, I always make sure to take lots of detail and decor photos. Couples who plan their weddings often spend lot’s of time thinking about their wedding ceremony decor and details. Getting pictures of this gives the bride and groom the opportunity to enjoy these details forever.

 

The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale was the central location for all of the destination wedding activities. Thursday they had a joint bachelor-bachelorette party, where all of their siblings, cousins, and closest friends could kick off the wedding weekend and start getting to know each other. Biancas brother organized a party bus that was so much fun. Imagine a bus full of people from ages 21 to 35 from all over the world that had come just to celebrate their South Florida destination wedding.

Fort Lauderdale wedding photographs taken during the ceremony.
As a dependable Fort Lauderdale wedding photographer, It’s up to me to get the pictures of the wedding ceremony as it happens. Being a professional means that you get the photos no matter what happens. In order to safeguard against a braking camera, I always have two cameras ready to go. This way if one camera stops working at a key moment the second camera is close by and ready to take over.

 

Friday they had a shabbat dinner for close friends and family. Izhak’s extended family that could not come from Israel sent a really sweet and happy lip-synched video. Biancas dad sang and played Over the Rainbow’ on his guitar while a slideshow of pictures of the two of them played in the background. It was a very special and memorable night for everyone. Izhak and Bianca parted ways on Friday night, and would only see each other the next day at the first look!

Working as a Fort Lauderdale wedding photographer it's incredibly important for me to capture everything that happens during to ceremony.
Jewish wedding ceremonies feature a lot of traditional elements. It these pictures I photographed the ring exchange, the groom giving the ketubah to the bride and drinking the wine. As a Fort Lauderdale photographer who in known for shooting Jewish weddings I’m expected to photograph all these traditions.

 

Fast forward…After the first look and taking pictures around the hotel,
they stepped out of the ballrooms into the corridor which is lined by windows overlooking the Atlantic ocean. THERE WAS AN ACTUAL RAINBOW arched across the whole ocean. They were able to take pictures outside on the balcony literally, under the rainbow… just like the song Biancas dad had sang the night before in the shabbat dinner. It felt like the day had been truly blessed.

The big kiss at the end of a Fort Lauderdale Jewish wedding.
In order to add a touch of artsy elegance to my photography I include a black and white images along with color images in my work. These pictures were shot as raw files when they were captured. By shooting camera raw I’m able to process my wedding pictures at both color and black and white.

 

Working as a Fort Lauderdale wedding photographer I always love it when I get to take pictures in such a great looking ballroom.
The flowers at this wedding were provided Dalsimer Events, one of the best event companies in South Florida.

 

They had a somewhat traditional Jewish ceremony with the Rabbi singing and praying in Hebrew and English so their traditions could be understood and shared with all our guests. They also provided kippahs with their names and a program with a brief explanation of the meaning behind elements of the ceremony. The ceremony began and they stood in the chuppah with our nuclear families.

This Ritz-Carlton wedding had so many beautiful details. I just love it when I get to photograph a Broward County wedding with so many details.
Shooting close up and artistic wedding detail photos as one of my favorite parts of photographing a Broward County wedding.

 

The chuppah was one of the most important elements of the wedding ceremony and the reception. They wanted a chuppah that matched the feeling and decoration of the reception, but that was also mobile so it could be placed in the ballroom after the ceremony. The chuppah was placed in the back of the ballroom, and the beautiful wedding cake was placed underneath. All South Florida Jewish weddings include a chuppah, but Bianca and Izhaks was truly magnificent.

One of the joys of being a Fort Lauderdale wedding photographer is getting to shoot such beautiful and colorful flowers.
It’s a good thing we have two photographers covering this wedding. While one of us photographed wedding guests at cocktail hour another photographer was able to spend time shooting the amazing ballroom decor.

 

The wedding colors were white, gold, with touches of lavender. Cocktail hour started at 7 and was located in the beautiful corridor outside of the ballrooms with floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the ocean (one of the main reasons They chose the Ritz Carlton over other options in Miami beach). They had an open bar but also served a signature cocktail to introduce the wedding colors which was a blueberry infused prosecco drink.

YES, there was a beautiful rainbow over Fort Lauderdale during the cocktail hour.
During the cocktail hour everyone was treated to a beautiful Fort Lauderdale rainbow!

 

Wedding reception at the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale
Photographing the bride’s fathers toast takes some low key photography. You don’t want your photographer to be too distracting but you also don’t want pictures of dad making funny faces or his mouth open. Timing is everything, what until he pauses after saying something funny. During the guests reactions, is when you take to picture. It’s also important to get the bride and groom’s reaction. I have shot lots and lots of wedding receptions in Fort Lauderdale, so I have some experience.
First dance photo taken at the Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale.
Parent dances at a Ritz – Carlton, Fort Lauderdale wedding.
Bride and Groom kissing at their Fort Lauderdale wedding.
Having the bride and groom in a decor photo is a great way to add interest.

They entered the ballroom to ‘Love Generation’ by Bob Sinclair, and all of the wedding guests were surrounding the dance floor. The DJ played the first dance song ‘Never my Love’ by the Association. They had tried to choreograph something simple, but decided to just slow dance, because it felt more natural. In the middle of the dance, everyone joined in to the slow dance. After that, the DJ kicked off the party with ‘Kuduro’.

Having a band at your wedding creates an opportunity for great photo ops.
The Fort Lauderdale wedding included the music by Prime Events

They really spread the dinner courses out to insure that their guests would stay until the end of the evening. While guests had their salads and entrees they had the father of the bride toast, in which Biancas dad welcomed our loved ones from all over the world: US, Brazil, Israel, Turkey, Colombia, and Mexico. He spoke in English, Portuguese, and actually prepared a small paragraph in Hebrew that surprised everyone.

Fort Lauderdale wedding photography dinner menu photo.
Another wedding detail photo. I always photograph the menu at every Fort Lauderdale wedding.
Fort Lauderdale wedding food photography.
In addition to photographing weddings, I’m also a formally trained food photographer. This means that I’m always going to get nice food photos are your Fort Lauderdale wedding.

 

Wedding cake photo taken at a Fort Lauderdale wedding.
The beautiful wedding cake was made by Sweeter Days Bake Shop
Wedding photograph of a wedding cake slice taken at a Fort Lauderdale wedding.
Yes, the wedding cake tasted as good as it looked!

Then they had the father daughter dance to ‘I Hope You Dance’ by Leanne Womack. When Bianca was in high school her dad gave her a little book with the lyrics to the song. She was very shy then and he wanted her to really get out there and enjoy life. This was her little way of telling him she had finally taken his advice. Izhak’s mother is very shy but they wanted to honor her as well so she danced with her son to ‘Wind Beneath my Wings’ by Bette Midler. After those slow dances the rest of the night was all about dancing. They still had about 20 people around 4am when they finally had to turn off the music! This was truly a South Florida Jewish wedding to remember! As a Fort Lauderdale wedding photographer, I can truly say that I enjoyed photographing Bianca and Izhaks wedding immensely!

Bride and groom kiss at the Ritz - Carlton Fort Lauderdale.
Wedding Photography by Jeff Kolodny

Wedding Planner: Joni Scalzo- Your Special Day by Joni
Hair & Make Up: Jenna Marie- Kiss this Makeup
Photographer & Videographer: Jeff Kolodny Photography
Flowers, Chuppah, Decoration, Lighting: Lane from Dalsimer Bridal
Venue: Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale
Event Coordinator from the Ritz: Beth McCullar
Catering: Ritz Carlton
Cake: Sweeter Days (Key Lime with Coconut & Nutella Chocolate were served to the guests and we cut a dulce de leche cake)
Brazilian Sweets: Vanessa’s Fine Pastries
DJ: Serge Ramirez and Live Musician components
String Trio for Ceremony provided by Serge
Photo Booth: Kiki Booth
Invitations: Jaffa Printing
Dress: Bijou Bridal, Miracle Mile Coral Gables
Groom’s suit: Calvin Klien
Bride’s Engagement Ring: Blue Nile
Bride’s Earrings: Coliseu (Brazilian Jewelry designer)

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