Surprise Graduation Party at The Clubs of Prestonwood in Dallas, Texas

May is the month for celebrations and what better occasion to celebrate than graduating with an MBA!  Olamide with LamzOaks weddings approached me to photograph an intimate surprise graduation dinner party for one of her very best friends.  I was excited to work with her and the event proved a true visual feast! Enjoy the photos from the night.

The private room at The Clubs of Prestonwood in Dallas held estate style seating for friends and family to gather around.  The light from tall white candles flickered above soft white hydrangeas dotted with pale pink roses & tulips.

Without a doubt, this elegant dessert display draped in glittering chandeliers, black lace, and sparkling sequins stood out as the main attraction.  

Fancy Cakes by Lauren created a chic black and gold three tier cake.

Gold flecked gourmet lollipops by Sweet Caroline Confections begged to be devoured alongside the most adorable graduation hat topped cupcakes from Kristi G cupcakes. 

Prashe outdid themselves with the dessert display and flanking mirrored tables bookended with tall cream colored banquette style seating.

This little guy could not contain excitement as he waited with anticipation to yell “purprise” to his mom the graduate.

She thought she was on her way to a gala…so surprised she was!  Well done team!

Anytime I am able to sneak in quick portraits at an event, I get a little giddy.  And come on, who wouldn’t want to photograph this stylish family!  Black-Tie never looked so good!

DJ Expression did his thing, and kept the dance floor hopping with a mix of old school tunes and Nigerian hits.

Congratulations Nkechi on your MBA!  What an accomplishment worthy of celebration.  Olamide, you did an amazing job! I’m excited to see all the good in store for LamzOaks.

Seven Brides + Seven Grooms | Joint Wedding at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church

To celebrate it’s 40th anniversary this year, my church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, held a joint wedding ceremony at a recent Sunday service. Couples who participated in the church’s pre-marital process were invited to hold their ceremony at church on Sunday and the church would pay for the reception.  Quite the deal!  

The idea of a joint wedding was pretty intriguing to me, so I was excited to be able to participate by photographing.  I worked alongside Irwin Thompson (Pulitzer Prize winning photographer from the Dallas Morning News) as Dr. Tony Evans officiated the wedding of 7 couples. Yep, you heard right, seven brides and seven grooms all pledging to say I do at the same time.  It was certainly a unique challenge as a photographer, but one I enjoyed sinking my teeth into.

Enjoy the photos from this most unique wedding!

Capturing shots of 7 different ladies getting ready at the same time in the same place had me wanting to sing the theme song from Rocky to prepare myself.  Fortunately the ladies were all kind and gracious so I was able to grab a few quick images (for all who wanted) while Irwin photographed the gentlemen.

Now when it comes to church, I am most comfortable far away from the front row, so it took a ton of bravery for me to stand at the very front of the sanctuary to photograph.  Thankfully I was able to get in my zone once the camera was in my hands and concentrate on the couples in front of me.  

A third photographer was assigned to photograph the reception, so here's a quick peek at the cake and décor.

Before the day of the weddings my biggest question was what exactly would the ceremony be like?  Truthfully, it was like any other wedding.  We started with the getting ready, the brides walked down the aisle and then were presented to their grooms. Vows were said, rings exchanged, and it was all sealed with a kiss.  All couples jumped the broom and shortly preceded to a reception for family and friends. Each couple had the chance to dance their first dance, enjoy a yummy looking cake and eat specially catered foods. So yes, this was a wedding day like any other……times 7.  I loved the fact that no bride or groom looked the same. Each had their own unique style!

Congratulations to all of the couples! Thank you to the team at OCBF that pulled off a truly incredible wedding. I felt honored to document the day.