Mary Ann and Benjeil's Wedding

Jenni and I enjoyed a beautiful wedding day in Brooklyn. We found Mary Ann at the Akwaaba Mansion, a lovely bed & breakfast, where she was getting the final touches of her makeup applied. The warmth of the room and the friendliness of her bridesmaids set the perfect tone for photography of her preparations. She was absolutely breathtaking in her elegant gown and shoes, both by Vera Wang. Her flowers were designed and arranged by Benjeil's sister and added a beautiful splash of color that complemented the colors of the wedding. (Click the picture to the left to see a larger version).

There was so much richness to their wedding, both culturally as well as emotionally. Two musicians introduced the ceremony by walking down the long aisle of the church, beating a set of African drums while all eyes looked attentively towards them. After the wedding party took their stations at the front, Mary Ann was slowly escorted down to Benjeil by her father. And when the ceremony was over, there was a jumping over a broom by the extremely happy couple.

Once they'd spent some time receiving the greetings from joyous friends and family, we took some family and party photos, and then headed over to the Vanderbilt at South Beach in Staten Island. Since there was a beach right there, we asked Benjeil if they'd like to take some time to walk on the sand for some romantic portraits. Mary Ann didn't hesitate and rapidly nodded a definite "yes!" And we're so glad that we were able to spend that time with the two of them. While we didn't spend long, the pictures that came out of that time together are some of our favorites because they really showcase how intensely Mary Ann and Benjeil love one another.

Mary Ann and Benjeil, thank you so much for letting us share in this incredible day. The staff at the Vanderbilt were very kind to us, even making sure that we were provided with a wonderful multi-course dinner. We truly felt like your honored guests there. The music provided by DJ Shuttle was among the best, and we could tell that you and Benjeil definitely enjoyed your time on the dance floor, as did everyone else.

The full gallery of images will be released after Mary Ann and Benjeil get back from their honeymoon. You'll find them at our main website in the "Client Proofs" section. For now, click this link for a slideshow preview of a few images (PC only). And feel free to click on the "comment" button to add your own thoughts and well-wishes to Mary Ann and Benjeil. We'd all love to hear from you.