Summer might be just around the corner, but this winter wedding photographed by Keith Cephus this past February really stood out to me because of the lighting, the beautiful décor and color selections, the size of the wedding party, and the bride’s vendor choices.

“The theme was to capture the ambiance of a true and memorable winter wedding at the John Marshall Ballrooms that wouldn’t be forgotten,” bride Jalessa told Cephus about her and groom Courtney’s wedding. That included having wedding colors of plum and white, floral arrangements that included ivory and plum colored roses for the ceremony and the reception, and magenta-colored venue lighting to accent the white and plum colors in the décor.  

While it might seem rare that any wedding goes off without a hitch, especially on the photographer side, Cephus says he really didn’t have any challenges. “Chrystal Culbert was my second shooter and she did an amazing job shooting the groomsmen while I focused on the bride and large group of bridesmaids. Having a second shooter that can adapt to your photographic mindset and deliver consistent quality images is the key to success,” he explains. “Sometimes photographing in the busy streets can be problematic at times with the traffic, but it’s all about getting those cool shots and pleasing the client—as well as staying safe!”

The bridal party was comprised of a whopping 29 people but Cephus was not daunted by that number. He just wanted to make sure, as for every wedding, that he had his lighting down.

“My lighting for the formal group shots were two Profoto B10s with Profoto large umbrellas from left to right. In addition, I used a Profoto A1 on camera to trigger and add extra pop on the group. When photographing African Americans groups, it’s important to use additional light to properly highlight the black tuxes and skin tones.”

Adds bride Jalessa: “For our special day we wanted to support and use minority-owned businesses as our vendors. Our wedding was an ultimate success and is still talked almost five months later.”

GEAR OF THE DAY:

Cameras: (2) Canon 1DX’s and a Canon 5 5D Mark IV. 

Lens: For the wide shots, Cephus used the Canon 16-35L vs3, which he says is his favorite storytelling lens. For the portraits, he used the Canon 70-200L and the Canon 85 1.2L. In addition, the Canon 100 macro was used for the details shots. 

Lighting: Profoto B10’s and Profoto A1’s. For his signature portraits, he says the Stella Pro CLx  in conjunction with the Stella Pro 5000 were used.

VENDOR CREDITS:

Photographer: Keith Cephus Photography @kcephus1

Wedding Planner: Elle Loren & Co. @ellelorenandco

Makeup Artist: Kristina Theodore @ktiskristina

Hair Stylist: Latanya McMorris/Amazin Dope Chic Studio @AmazinDopeChic

Floral: Bron The Flower Guy @theflowerguybron

Video: Viz Ink Weddings @vizinkweddings

Music/DJ: Michael Hutchins – DJ EZ-Hutch @djezhutch

Wedding Cake: Creative Cakes by Gloria

Wedding Planner: Kerri Johnson – The Blush Events @theblushevents

Venue: John Marshall Ballrooms @thejohnmarshallballrooms

Check out more Weddings of the Week, and email Jacqueline Tobin with submissions.