A modern luxury wedding with a southern vintage flair is how photographer Keith Cephus of Virginia Beach, Virginia, describes the wedding of Cristina and Joe at a private estate in Purceville, Virginia.

“My approach was to assemble my team and impress upon them the importance of my expectations as well as my photographic mindset,” says Cephus. “Marco, Matt and Joie have been assisting me for a combined 20 years and I knew they were up for this tremendous challenge. The details alone were so extravagant (worth at least 75k or more) that my team and I photographed over 12,000 images on details alone!” 

Cephus says that when he first met with Joe and Cristina, they all hit it off instantly. “Their engagement session started in Annapolis, Maryland, and concluded in Washington, D.C. We had such an amazing time during the shoot that we all celebrated over dinner and a bottle of Champagne! Tanya Wilbon, the wedding planner (and founder of The Event Group International), assisted me during the amazing session that lasted about 8 hours. This was truly not normal but the chemistry and cohesion with this awesome couple was epic. I recommend getting to know the couple on a personal level because it really takes away the stress and pressure on the wedding day.”

Of course, with a wedding like this where details are key, Cephus and his team also made sure to capture plenty of the designer duds, including the bride’s Monique Lhuillier gown, Oscar de la Renta veil, and Christian Louboutin shoes. Oh, and the groom’s tux—Gucci!

Since the wedding, Cephus says he has photographed Cristina and Joe’s maternity session, family portrait sessions and corporate functions. “I am now officially their family photographer. It’s these type of relationships that allow our photo businesses to stay relevant and thrive.”

GEAR OF THE DAY

Cameras: Canon 5D Mark IVs
Lenses: Canon 14mm f/2.8, 16-35mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.2, 85mm f/1.2, 100 macro, 70-200 f/2.8 and 200mm f/2.0
Lighting: Profoto B1 and B2, and four Canon 600EX II-RTs

CREDITS

Wedding Planner and Event Designer: Tanya Wilbon, The Event Group International
Tent and Lighting: Skyline Tent Company

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