I do sometimes get pictures of the groom and groomsmen as they're getting ready in the hotel room, but I find that the best pre-ceremony photographs of the guys are taken either as they're hanging out at the church or other ceremony venue, fixing each other's ties and such, or sitting at the hotel bar, as was the case with these guys at the Ace Hotel in downtown New Orleans.
They'll tend to be more relaxed and comfortable in this kind of environment, and the resulting pictures reflect this. This particular shot was captured with available light, thanks to the large windows to the left of the camera.
The Ace Hotel was, conveniently, also where this couple's wedding took place. It was an intimate ceremony and brunch reception, with a festive second line parade in between. While the hotel does have larger event spaces, the small courtyard area was perfect for this couple, as they only had a dozen or so guests in attendance. Here's the review they wrote for me after the wedding:
We couldn't be happier with Michael Caswell! We specifically sought him out because he featured both opposite sex an same sex couples on his website, and it was important to us that our vendors share our views on equality. He worked with us to select the perfect photography package for our very small destination wedding in New Orleans. Michael is super responsive and completely transparent about his very reasonable pricing (which is listed on his website, unlike many other vendors). We were able to meet with him during a wedding planning trip back in March, and his friendly, professional manner immediately put us at ease. On the day of the wedding, our friends and family commented on how efficient he was at shooting the formal portraits, and how great he was at being unobtrusive during the ceremony. We are thrilled with how our photos came out and would highly recommend Michael to anyone who wants beautiful, photojournalistic wedding photos!
Location: 600 Carondelet St, New Orleans, LA 70130.
