Wedding at Bar Marco

Intimate Fall Wedding at Bar Marco

A woman in a white sleeveless dress and a man in a dark green jacket and black bow tie stand together in a restaurant, smiling, with shelves of bottles and wooden tables in the background.

This intimate fall wedding at Bar Marco was a special one for me. The bride, Emily, is one of my besties and it was an honor to photograph the wedding for her and Steve. He’s such a great guy and I am over the moon with happiness for both of them.

The Bride Gets Ready

On the left, a woman in a white robe smiles while getting her hair and makeup done. On the right, she holds a Chanel mirror, reflecting her face as she applies makeup near a window with natural light. A collage of three images: a white wedding dress, heels, and jewelry on a bed; embroidered shoes with wedding rings in a box; and child’s sneakers with red suspenders and a bow tie arranged in a heart shape. Three framed abstract artworks hang on a white wall. The left and right images feature blue and green tones, while the center image depicts a person holding a white dog, also overlaid with blue-green textures.

Emily got ready at the Homewood Suites in the Strip District. She did herself a huge favor and had her hair and makeup professionals come to her. Makeup artist Iryna Piddubna did a fantastic job and brought her own daylight-balanced light in a softbox. Things like that make a difference because you don’t want to go by some nasty LED lightbulb as a color reference for your tone. Plus, I saw the reflection from the light in the artwork on the wall of the hotel room and made an interesting photo. That sort of thing gets me all jazzed up 🙂

Side-by-side images of a woman with long, wavy dark hair wearing a sleeveless white dress; in one photo she looks serious, in the other she is smiling while seated.

A couple of portraits before heading to the venue. Hair by Nicolette Chieffe.

First Look at Bar Marco

A bride and groom have their first look in a bar: In the first image, the bride approaches the groom from behind. In the second, she embraces him as they smile at each other, surrounded by bar shelves and stools. A couple dressed formally, with the woman in a white gown and the man in a green velvet jacket, stand smiling and embracing each other in a stylish bar setting. A smiling couple in formal attire stands at a marble counter in front of a tiled wall and shelves with wine bottles, sharing a joyful moment together. A plant is visible in the foreground.

We arrived at Bar Marco before they opened for dinner. After a quick scan of the facility I put Steve in place in the first floor dining room while Emily waited outside. She came in and they had a beautiful moment together. We did a few photos in the bar area before heading upstairs for the rest of the bridal portraits.

Portraits at Bar Marco

A bride in a white dress stands indoors before tall windows, holding a bouquet. She is surrounded by large floral arrangements on clear stands, with sunlight streaming in behind her onto a wooden floor.

The flowers were set for the ceremony in front of the lovely arched windows in the Union Hall space upstairs. With the late fall afternoon sunshine illuminating the room, it was the perfect spot for portraits.

Black and white photo split in two: on the left, a woman in a sleeveless dress with a tattoo on her arm stands among flowers; on the right, a man in a suit and bow tie stands by a window, smiling. Black and white split image of a man in a tuxedo and bow tie on the left, smiling, and a woman in a white dress with wavy hair and visible tattoos on her arm, holding flowers, on the right. A bride in a long white dress and a groom in a tuxedo stand side by side, smiling in a decorated room with empty chairs and floral arrangements, captured in black and white.

Emily’s dress was perfect thanks to Iron Horse Atelier.

Wedding Ceremony

A young flower girl in a white dress sits on a bench, holding white flower petals. Beside her is a white box labeled Here comes the bride and a bouquet of greenery and white flowers is on the floor.

Steve’s niece was the flower girl. She took her job very seriously.

A bride and groom stand together at the altar during their wedding ceremony in a bright room with large arched windows, surrounded by guests seated on both sides and floral arrangements lining the aisle.

Emily’s uncle Bill officiated the wedding ceremony as guests watched from their seats.

A young boy in a hat, red suspenders, and glasses walks down the aisle with a book at a wedding, then hands it to a couple standing at the altar, surrounded by smiling guests and floral arrangements.

Emily’s nephew was the ring bearer. The little guy brought some wise advice along with the rings. He’s a such a great kid.

A bride and groom embrace and smile at each other in front of large arched windows during their indoor wedding ceremony, surrounded by white floral arrangements. A smiling bride and groom walk hand-in-hand down the aisle as guests stand, clap, and take photos in a bright room with large windows. A smiling couple in formal attire poses together at an indoor event; the woman in a white dress hugs the man in a dark suit, with party decorations and a sign visible in the background.

Look how happy they are!

Family Style Dinner Reception

A split image shows a modern wedding venue with black chairs arranged for a ceremony on the left and an elegant reception table set with black plates, glassware, and floral centerpieces on the right. Two coloring book pages shown side by side: the left page features a man labeled Steve with a wavy striped background, and the right page features a woman labeled Emily with a pattern of large petals behind her. Two images show an elegant dinner setup: The left image features long, black-clothed tables with candles and floral centerpieces in a bright room; the right image shows a close-up of a place setting with a menu, candle, and flowers.

Once the wedding ceremony was over the staff at Bar Marco flipped the room for dinner as guests enjoyed cocktails in the other half of the space. Planner Maria Mack made sure that everything ran smoothly. The flowers and table design was by Amelia Fawcett. She also made the couple’s jewelry. Emily and Steve had custom coloring books made for the kids. If I weren’t so busy I totally would have colored during dinner.

A series of three Bar Marco Wedding photos shows guests giving speeches as the bride in white and groom in a tuxedo sit at a decorated table, smiling and laughing with friends and family in a warmly lit reception hall.

Emily’s sister and Steve’s brother were maid of honor and best man. They gave some beautiful toasts.

 

Dance Party!

Two images side by side show a bride and groom dancing closely at their wedding. The bride wears a white dress, and the groom wears a dark suit. Guests watch from tables in the warmly lit reception space.

The couple got the evening started with their first dance.

A couple in formal attire shares a dance at an indoor wedding reception; guests watch and smile in the background. The second image shows the groom wiping away tears while embracing the bride.

Then Emily danced with her twin brothers. They’re big softies – I love those guys.

A man in a green suit jacket dances with a smiling young girl in a white dress in front of seated guests at a warmly lit indoor event, likely a wedding or party. The guests watch and smile, surrounded by candles and flowers.

That was followed by Steve and his niece dancing together. So cute!

A large group of people, including adults and children, pose and smile for a photo at a wedding reception. The bride and groom sit together on a tan couch, surrounded by friends and family in a brightly lit room.

A group photo seemed like the thing to do.

A young boy in a suit laughs while sitting on a brown leather couch as a smiling man in a green jacket playfully reaches toward him. Coats hang on a rack and a bag is on the floor nearby.

Then Steve moved the couch out of the way to clear the dance floor.

A collage of four photos shows a group of people dressed formally, dancing, singing, and celebrating together at an indoor party or wedding reception. Everyone appears joyful and energetic. Three photos show a joyful wedding dance floor: a woman in white leads a group dancing; two women gesture playfully; the woman in white slides on the floor as people and flower girls watch. Three photos: people dancing at a party, a group dancing under red lights, and adults lifting a child in the air in a bright room, all capturing joyful celebration moments. A bride and groom dance closely and joyfully at their wedding reception, surrounded by friends and guests who are singing and celebrating with big smiles and raised hands. Warm lights hang overhead.

We all had a lot of fun burning off the calories consumed during the delicious family-style dinner. It was a fantastic evening!

Wedding Album

Emily and Steve had me design an album for them. The book is 12×12-inches with a Espresso leather cover. It is magnificent!

A wedding photo album lays open on a patterned carpet, displaying pages with portraits of a bride and groom, close-ups of the bride, and images from a beautifully decorated Bar Marco Wedding ceremony. Three-panel image: two open photo albums displaying Bar Marco Wedding photos on a patterned red carpet, with the third panel showing a closed brown album cover on the same carpet.

I am a firm believer that an album is the ultimate way to enjoy your wedding photographs. It’s a bound narrative of the event and there’s just something special about seeing the photos on a page. Plus, an album requires no technological interface so it’s a keepsake for the ages.