Ronny & Dave – Family and a “first”

A couple of weeks ago I received a Facebook message from Ronny asking if I was free on a Friday afternoon for an hour or so.  It wasn’t a usual request for me, as being a documentary wedding photographer my wedding work is a little longer than 60 minutes!  However, I know Ronny from two places; the Human Rights Campaign in Cincinnati, but also through a company called Interbrand where I interned for three months in their photography studio in 2009.  He and Dave, his now husband, have been together for many years and were planning on having a very private and intimate ceremony at Mount Auburn Presbyterian church in Cincinnati.  Mount Auburn wasn’t their regular church, but the pastor and church council welcomed them with open arms.    The members of Mount Auburn had stopped all legal weddings in their church back in 2004 – until “all” could be legally married in it. Since the marriage equality ruling that came down from the highest court in our country, the church had reopened for legal weddings. Ronny and Dave were to be the first same sex couple to be legally married there, something that they considered a great honour.  I was delighted to be able to say yes and to be part of their celebration!

The afternoon began with meeting the pastor of Mount Auburn, Barb, the musician, Beth, and going over the details of their ceremony.  Ronny, Dave, their children, and groomsmen arrived about fifteen minutes later.  For those of you have not been to this church before, it is a big space, but what surprised me was that it was instantly filled with a fantastic feeling of love, family, and warmth.  It was really quite amazing and I felt quite special to be a part of it.  The ceremony started at 5pm sharp with a short procession and a beautiful candle lighting ceremony dedicated to family.  There were some readings, beautiful blessings, wonderful music, and some fantastic singing by Ronny, who I’ll now be talking to about the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus, one of my regular clients…..

After the ceremony, we took a quick trip to Eden Park for some additional photos.  The early evening weather was beautiful and the flowers were in full bloom.  We found a great spot under some trees where Dave and Ronny cracked open a bottle of champers to celebrate their nuptials with their groomsmen.  It was the perfect closing to their ceremony that was filled with moments from the heart.  It goes to show that events that are simple and straightforward are just as poignant and memorable as other more lavish affairs.

Ronny and Dave, thank you for including me in your afternoon.  I am honoured to have been included.  Congratulations to you both!

Bruce & Doug – Smiles and Hugs

Laughter and smiling is such an infectious thing. One of the things I love about photographing celebrations is that people are always happy. The celebration of Doug and Bruce’s wedding was no exception!

Bruce and Doug spoke to me while I was photographing an event for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra that they were also attending. I was in the middle of photographing the CSO’s pride night celebration when Bruce, a long time friend, casually slipped into the conversation that he and Doug were going to be tying the knot and was I available to work with them. I was delighted at the opportunity, penciled it into my calendar until we could meet properly to chat, and carried on with the evening.

A few weeks later we got together to talk in more detail about the plans. Bruce and Doug are such fabulous people to be with, are such wonderful hosts, and were planning a great evening.  I was thrilled to be onboard with the celebration! Taking place at the Clifton Cultural Arts Centre, a building that Doug had been involved with re-designing, the night promised to be stylish and with more than a few memorable moments. I wasn’t to be wrong!

You’ll see from the images that I made that night that Bruce and Doug are people who like to smile a lot. They also hug a lot. That theme of smiling and hugging goes perfectly with one of their songs from the evening, “Love is in the Air”.  When I was finishing their images and putting together their slideshow, I was struck by how appropriate it all was and how well the images, music, and energy came together. There was SO much love in the air that night. I used a number of sequence shots in the slideshow simply because it shows the sheer amount of happiness, love, and emotion that exists between these two fine chaps. Watching them laugh, smile, and hug through their first dance was a very special moment indeed. Take a look; you’ll see exactly what I mean!

Congratulations, Bruce and Doug. I’m really pleased we got to work together. It was a super night and I know everyone had a great time!

Rick and Richard – The Surprise Wedding!

I’m really fortunate that I get to work with so many people that I know from other parts of my life.  I know Rick through the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus and also through photographing for the American Guild of Music, an organisation that he has been involved with for many years.  When Rick called me to tell me about his wedding plans I was excited to get the opportunity to work with him again.

What was making this even more special was that this was to be a surprise event for all of the guests.  Each year Rick and Richard throw a fantastic and highly anticipated holiday party.  This year, however, they had told their guests that there would be a few surprises in store and the biggest one was that Rick and Richard would be getting married!  Other surprises would include Richard dancing, something that I was looking forward to with great excitement….

The evening turned out to be just as amazing as planned.  As the guests arrived they were caught by surprise at the wedding arch in the grand room, the atmosphere was fabulous, and the feeling of love and respect in the air was magical.  The ceremony was beautiful and Rick sang beautifully to his groom during the vows, leaving everyone with moist eyes.  Rick and Richard danced a superb first dance that Richard managed fantastically!  It was such a special evening of love, friendship, and blessings and I was delighted to be a part of it

Congratulations Rick and Richard.  You’ve waited many years for this moment.  Here’s to many more years ahead!

Jim & Dave – Family, love, tears, and fun!

I first met Jim and Dave in 2012 at the wedding of Hannah and Ben.  Dave was the organiser who was coordinating the wedding planning with Hannah’s mother, Rhonda.  I remember that Dave was charming, very well organized, and made Hannah’s wedding go with a real swing!  I was thrilled when, three years later, Dave and Jim, contacted me to talk about imaging for their day.

We met in their fantastic  backyard one summers evening to talk about their plans for the event.  It wasn’t long before we had decided to work together and we had begun to talk through the event.  I was excited to be working with Dave again as I knew that this would be a great event

Jim and Dave were married on November 14th at the Madison in Covington, KY.  The event unfolded across three floors of the centre and was as fantastically planned as I expected it to be.  Attended by over 100 of their friends and family the evening was a great celebration of their love.  Jim bawled his eyes out through the ceremony and Dave beamed with happiness at everyone.  A great event of love and joy! You can see how the event went in the video below

Congratulations Jim and Dave!

Jim and Cary – A reception 28 years in the making.

I first met Jim and Cary at the HRC Gala about four years ago. They were with their friends Jim and Jeff and I took some pictures of them all together. I remember being struck by two things; first how sharp they all looked and second, how friendly they were. My next encounter with them was at pride a few months later. I took some pictures of the four of them together again. They remembered me and I remembered them. It quickly became a ritual that whenever I saw them I would take group shots of them. I run across a lot of people at events and weddings but these four chaps stood out to me from the very beginning as being very friendly, warm, and genuine people.

It was wonderful when I was approached by Jim and Cary about photographing their special day. They have been together for 28 years and actually got married in Hawaii in March of 2015. Because it isn’t very practical to take 200 friends with you to Hawaii, they decided to hold a separate reception event at their house in June with reception area, receiving line, toasts, dinner, and dancing. A unique way to celebrate for a unique couple! We met, discussed a few things, including my style of coverage, and the stage was set for a very memorable evening.

To say that Jim and Cary have a flair for throwing parties would be an understatement.  Held at their house in Trenton, they transformed their house and backyard into the most impressive setting I have seen in a long time.  With their signature colours of lavender and teal the event was visually stunning and was topped with everyone wearing white.  There was dining, drinking, dancing, and magic.  Jim and Cary spent the evening with people who clearly cared a lot for them and that is what love is surely all about, right?

You can see the results here. Love, happiness, tears, laughter, and friendship were the themes of the evening. I’d like to think that comes across here. Cary and Jim, thank you for asking me to document your evening. I’m so glad I met you those four years ago and I wish you all the happiness for the next 28 years!

<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/133245678″>Jim and Cary – June 20th, 2015</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user10952086″>David Martin</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Mark and Tom – A Night at the Museum. Slideshow and blog

On April 18th, 2015 Mark Palkovic and Tom Shessler tied the knot in New York City after 31 years together.  Following the footsteps of many couples who get married out-of-state, they went with a small group of friends and made things official with an intimate ceremony, a romantic dinner, and a whirlwind weekend.  Not wishing to leave the rest of their friends out back home, they also organized a celebration the following week for almost 100 people at the Cincinnati Museum Centre.

Home to both the Cincinnati Museum and the headquarters of the all things railway in Cincinnati, the evening began at Union Terminal in the Presidential Office and Suite for some family photographs.  We had been worried that we might not be allowed to climb on the furniture after our tour the previous week, but with no one looking, we risked it anyway and spent a wonderful 30 minutes exploring the suite and taking pictures in the chairman’s office and boardroom.  Next stop was the Graeters Ice Cream Parlour, complete with original Rookwood tile for a quick portrait or two, before heading into the museum area for an intimate reception, where I discovered that Tom and Mark like to hug people….a lot.  Everyone was hugged multiple times and then again for good measure.  The feeling of love was, well, palpable.

After cocktails and canapés, the party headed through the museum itself to the lower levels for dinner, where, next to a boat with an appropriate sign of “Queen of the West”, guests listened to a couple of speeches, toasts, and jazz for the rest of the evening.  There was plenty of chat, laughter, wine, and a lot more hugging.  The cake was cut, people danced, Tom and Mark visited all the tables and hugged everyone again, old friends caught up with each other, and new friendships were made.  The evening completed with some special cards being exchanged before everyone hugged for the final time and headed off into the night.

It’s always special when I get to photograph with friends, especially ones who have been together for a long time.

Thanks, Tom and Mark, for letting me be a part of your celebration!

David.

Kevin and Jasen – Getting Hitched. Slideshow & blog.

A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of photographing my first same-sex union.  Kevin and Jasen approached me last year to ask if I would make photographs of their day, and without a hesitation I jumped at the chance.  As a gay man who married my husband in 2010, the opportunity to do this was something I certainly wasn’t going to pass up.  Having known Kevin and Jasen for a while through our associations with the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus, it was exciting to get to photograph my first same-sex union with people who share a similar vision on so many issues.  As someone who is passionate about love, relationships, and equality, I was excited at the prospect of working together with Kevin and Jasen on an occasion that I knew would be very special for them. Our first meeting in November of last year talked about the documentary driven style of my work and we quickly agreed to work together for their date of October 11th, 2014.

Their day was a magical day for so many reasons.  Starting with the “getting ready” phase at the Hilton Netherland in downtown Cincinnati, the air of friendship, excitement, and love was very evident.  I had also worked with Kevin and Jasen the night before at their rehearsal dinner, so watching the day unfold and gather speed proved to be a great build up to the main event at 5pm.  A slight mishap with the first bus leaving for the church without the two grooms sent us to Fountain Square for an impromptu photo session (together with some anti-fracking protestors), then a ride to the church on the second bus with additional guests all helped lend a merry and convivial air to the occasion.  The ceremony was beautiful, with the celebrant, Alice, delivering some stirring words while people laughed, cried, and kissed their way through the hour, culminating with Kevin and Jasen declaring their love and getting “hitched”, as their twitter hashtag put it.

The evening portion kicked off with a cocktail party back at the Hilton, a reception hosted by local celebrity Penny Tration (of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame), a surprise rendition of “Everything’s Possible” by a scratch Men’s Chorus comprised of singers from the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus and the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus, sumptuous food, the “Rubber Chicken” photo booth, and an evening of dancing and delights.  It’s clear that everyone had an outstandingly good time.  The sense of equality, joy, and compassion that existed throughout the day was fantastic and I was so thrilled to be a part of it.  I certainly can’t think of a better wedding to blog about for my first post on this new blog than this one.  My first same-sex union, and hopefully the first of many more to come.  You can view a slide show of image highlights from their day below.

Congrats chaps!  #bleylecoolearehitched

David

 

Kevin & Jasen – Married. October 11, 2014 from David Martin on Vimeo.

Welcome to the new blog

Yes, It’s finally here.  The MKphotographers blog is ready to roll!  I have a thriving Facebook presence, a dandy website (that you can find here, and now a blog too!  It’s about time, right?  Facebook is all well and good for those short posts but it’s here that I’ll be writing a little more about what’s going on.  It will be a mixture of things from Fine Art work, Gallery, Non-Profit, Weddings and Unions, Commercial, Education, and everything else too.  Hopefully, a little something for everyone.  When the blog is updated, I’ll make sure to let you all know via Facebook, so check me out there if you haven’t already done so!

Cheers,

David