Written and Photographed By Roy

Eden Roc Miami Beach Wedding

Love is ALIVE! Romance never goes out of style and I never tire of hearing about your engagement “moment”!

Michelle knew that something was up when David started the day saying “He could not wait to marry me one day”.

Going to class that day, Michelle assumed that David was at work~little did she know that he was busy~ setting up the perfect proposal!

On her way home she realized that no one in the family was answering the phone and that David kept calling. Something inside her said this was it~that it was happening!

“As I stepped out of our elevator rose petals led the way to our door, upon entering our home rose petals covered the floor, candles set the mood and there was David all dressed up waiting for me!”

“I started to cry once I realized what was going on. All I could say was “your not doing this your not doing this!” David dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him and of course I said YES!”

Now what happens next shows me that David values the love and support of family!

“After the best of proposals, David told me to get dressed because we were going to dinner to celebrate. When we got to my favorite restaurant both of our families were there waiting to celebrate with us. David even got my cousin (who is the maid of honor) who lives in California to come in for the night and surprise me!”

Michelle and David will be getting married at the beautiful Eden Roc Resort on Miami Beach in the fall and we are looking forward to an amazing wedding!

Check out this engaging slide show below by clicking on the play button:

For those of you that are engaged, consider an engagement session as a great opportunity to get to know your photographer better. For me it’s wonderful to see how you “dance” together, to observe the little subtle ways that you love each other. With this experience, your wedding photos will truly reflect you two as a couple. Aside from that these images make great Save the Date images, gift portraits for parents and grandparents and it makes for a great guest book that’s as personal as you are!

This just in! After this Blog post was published we got the most amazing note from Michelle!:

“Roy- I can’t thank you enough for doing such a good job with these pictures. Since the pictures went up, I have received so many emails/phone calls telling him how amazing the pictures are. We are so happy with them. I just wanted to say thank you again for everything! You have made us so excited for the wedding because we can’t wait to see how incredible those pictures will be.”

Give me a call and let’s get engaged in an amazing relationship creating great memories of the two of you together!

XOXO

Roy Llera~ Contact Me

Written + Photographed By Roy

Temple Emanu-El Miami Beach Wedding

Get the ring~check! Make reservations at the restaurant of first date~check! Visit future Mother-In-Law to ask for Rebecca’s hand in marriage~”Houston-We have a problem”

Life is often unpredictable and the plans that Matthew had for the day that he planned on proposing to Rebecca were quickly thrown out the window when on his way to see Mom, quickly realized that Mom was making chicken soup for Rebecca who was a little under the weather.

So what’s Matt to do~Improvise! He patiently waited till Mom got home to discuss his intentions~check! Now back home, Matt realizes that dinner plans are now canceled. Ohh–realize that Rebecca had no idea about the “plan”. After agreeing to take-out sushi~ Matt quietly paced the condo thinking how to propose. As dinner arrived, Rebecca prepared a beautiful spread on the coffee table and as Matt entered the room stated “see, I’d make a good housewife”.

Matthew saw his opening.

He took the box out of his briefcase and walked over. Becky didn’t pick up on what was going on.  Matthew sat on the floor, opened the box, and said “speaking of housewife, will you marry me?”

Becky froze like a scared cat for about 15 seconds and then realized that Matthew was proposing.  Matthew’s hand shook when he placed the ring on her finger.  After a few minutes Matthew had to remind Becky that she never actually said yes yet.  She said yes!

Enjoy this lovely engagement session in the slide show below~Just click on the “play” button below.

To enjoy more of  Temple Emanu-El weddings click Temple Emanu-el Weddings to see more.

So what’s your story? Will you let me capture your love story? Call me~you’ll be thrilled that you did!

XOXO

Roy~ Contact Me

Photographed By Roy + Adriana  |  Written By Roy

Mirasol Country Club Palm Beach Gardens Wedding

Weddings are a myriad of moments that continue throughout the day. From getting ready to that last wonderful dance of the evening~the feeling is similar to that of an amazing roller coaster that you never want to get off of. With Eryn and Andrew’s wedding day experience it was a ride of a lifetime~the beginning of so many wonderful things to come.

I have three sons and when my oldest, Ryan was getting ready for the wedding I remember emotions running through my heart of joy and pride. I can relate to Mom’s reaction above. You’re there helping your baby girl get ready for the most incredible day of her life and you step back and look at the most beautiful bride and it just hits you…this day is really here!

Eryn looked amazing in her Monique Lhuillier designed bridal gown! I love the way she just totally fits in Andrew’s arms. A romantic vibe is so alive in these two!

“I remember waiting to walk down the aisle and feeling really nervous, then once they gave me the go ahead to walk and I saw Andrew’s face everything went silent, I didn’t hear the music, I didn’t see anyone in the crowd, all I could see was this big smile on my almost husband’s face and I knew this was the moment that was going to change my life forever!”

“The rest was a walk in the park, I’ve never felt more confident than I did when I was reciting my vows.”

“It was truly the most magical day of my life and I’m the luckiest girl in the world!”

A Few Details: Wedding Venue: Mirasol Country Club; Event Coordinator: Danielle Dworkowitz of Creative Touch Party Design; Decor + Flowers: Xquisite Events; Video: Broadway Video; Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier; Music: Drew T

A special thank you to both Danielle Dworkowitz of Creative Touch Party Design and Doranda Fitzhugh of Mirasol Country Club for a flawless wedding experience!

Enjoy their lovely slide show by clicking the play button below!

Finally a wonderful note from the joyous Bride and Groom and why I am so enthusiastic about what I love to do:

“We finally finished looking through all our fabulous pictures last night and were able to re-live the most magical moment in our lives thanks to your wonderful eye! We are blown away by your ability to capture our expressions of nervousness, excitement and pure joy! Your dedication to us throughout our wedding was so comforting and very appreciated. Andrew and I are so grateful to have these pictures and love to look at them and reminisce about our most special day! I’m so thrilled with the way everything turned out and I haven’t stopped smiling since I got my pictures! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

xoxo Eryn & Andrew”

So if you want every moment captured forever and want to be totally thrilled with your wedding photographs~we’re just the ones to call about your special day!

xoxo Roy ~ Contact Me

Written By Roy  |  Photographed By Roy

Coral Gables Congregational Wedding  |  Comber Hall Reception

I love weddings! Love the love stories, getting to know each of my couples, and best of all capturing their wedding day experience! Knowing that these photographs will grace the homes of happy parents, grandparents and that an amazing album will reflect the love of our Brides and Grooms inspires me to give 100% of all that I am to create a wonderful experience. So it was with much anticipation that I was looking forward to Ashlee and Alexis’s wedding day! From the moment we met and then photographing their engagement session I knew that this was going to be a fun and spontaneous wedding.

As a Miami wedding photographer I am focused on many details that make a wedding and I love seeing what the Bride is wearing but check out the shoe behind Ashlee’s shoe. She surprised Alexis ~ These are his party shoes!

Ashlee and Alexis decided to get ready and have their “first look” at the beautiful Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. This image is what I call a transition shot~taken as we go from one lovely setting to another. With the couple captured in the moment~spontaneously! Refreshing isn’t it?

A wedding is a collection of amazing moments and subtle details. In the months leading up to a wedding, I get to know my couples and understand the story behind all the subtlety. The brooch that is lovingly attached to Ashlee’s bouquet has a photo of her Grandparents that could not attend the wedding. This photo was taken at Ashlee’s parents wedding.

Ashlee looks stunning in her Lazaro designer gown and together they make a beautiful couple. This portrait was taken moments after the ceremony at Coral Gables Congregational Church before dashing off for the reception.

And what a reception it was! The joy of life I saw in this lovely couple was magnified by the awesome family and friends partying like there was no tomorrow! They even had a “la hora loca” literally a crazy hour to take the party to another level. The music cranks up, out comes masks and fun trinkets that has a definite carnival feel to it!

I bet you can’t wait to see their amazing slide show~~Click on the play button below for a fantastic wedding experience! I guarantee that after you see this you’re going to feel like you were a guest at their wedding!

A Few Details: Wedding Venue: Coral Gables Congregational Church; Reception Venue: Comber Hall; Bridal Gown: Lazaro; Catering and Decor: Sylvia’s Weddings of Distinction; Limousine: Meilan Limousine; Music: DJ Connection

Another interesting detail, Ashlee’s grandmother created with a lot of love each one of the pastries you see in the details image above.

A special “thank you’ to Sylvia Viyella of Sylvia’s Weddings of Distinction for introducing me to this amazing couple! It’s such a joy to work side by side with one who shares an equal passion for weddings!

Finally we received a lovely note from Ashlee and Alexis:

“I finally had a chance to get through all of the pictures this weekend (a few times) and I felt compelled to express my gratitude. You managed to capture all the emotions of our wedding while showcasing “fun” as the central theme of it all. The pictures capture everything we could have ever wanted AND MORE. They are beautiful, fun, sentimental and HILARIOUS. If I had to do it all over again, I would pick you again and again without hesitation. You’re an incredible photographer and you just blew us away with your dedication to our day.  You and your team bent over backwards to capture every detail of our day and even stuck around to the very end.  I am certain these pictures will give us the same feeling of nostalgia we had on our wedding day EVERY TIME we look at them.”

Now this is how every bride should feel after getting her wedding photos!

OK, I am super excited for this Saturday’s wedding! If you want your wedding to be captured as you dreamed it would be~then call me~ I guarantee that you’ll be glad that you invited us to be at your wedding!

Loving life!

Roy~ Contact Me

Written and Photographed by Roy

The Omphoy Ocean Resort Wedding

If you find your task is hard,
Time will bring you your reward,
Try, try again ~  T.H. Palmer

The other night, I was reading a story to my sons and the story spoke of perseverance and never giving up. The Toy Story Movies message is never to give up on trying. And so Vanina was on her fifth and last day of J-Date when she happened upon Brandon’s profile. A flirty comment and a great smile peaked Brandon’s attention and destiny was set in motion.

Emails and long phone conversations led to a dinner date on a Tuesday but the Sunday before Brandon called and wondered “Why not tonight?” Vanina said “Yes”.

“So, off we went for sushi, talked for hours, ate gelato and then…we kissed. That kiss sparked a chemistry and romance neither of us had ever felt before.  We spent ten of the next 14 days together and were inseparable – the two of us finally found true love – and we owe it all to patience, positivity and yes, J-date.” The next year was life at warp speed as they met each others families, traveled together, moved in together and shared each others dreams. Brandon knew that Vanina was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Vanina’s parents excitedly gave him permission to marry their daughter. Now comes the thought that every guy has to ponder~ How to ask her?. “When Vanina was planning my birthday party, I knew I had found the opportune time to ask her to marry me.  Right before the cake came out, and in front of 50 friends and family, I asked Vanina if she would continue making me the happiest man on earth for the rest of my life and then…we kissed.”

Enjoy their engaging slide show below by clicking on the play button. The image below was their “Save the Date” to tell all their family and friends about their exciting news!

Vanina and Brandon will be getting married in the very near future at the Omphoy Ocean Resort, the only beachfront boutique hotel on Palm Beach island.

What a great love story! What about yours? I’d love to capture your love story with an eye for romance, love and all these wonderful moments that are going on in your lives!

Engage in life!

Roy~ Contact Me

Written By Roy  |  Photographed by Roy + Adriana

W South Beach Hotel Wedding

Wow! It’s that exclamation that you want your family and friends to feel on your wedding day. No doubt this is what all of us were feeling at Helena and Stormy’s destination beach wedding. Sun, sand and an incredible view of the ocean blue and you get the feeling that this wedding’s blissful blessings will be as infinite as there are grains of sand in the deep blue sea.

Their wedding took place at the very chic W South Beach Hotel. This place is coolness defined. The W South Beach Hotel is a destination wedding paradise. With the Atlantic Ocean as your backyard and South Beach as your playground, it’s ideal for your family and friends to unwind and really have a great South Beach experience. I love the vibe of this ring shot!

The look on the Bride and Groom as they revel in the joy of their wedding day is priceless. Knowing that the rest of their lives will be spent together, growing~sharing~exploring!

I love this view as Helena’s parents escort her to her Stormy. I love the happy faces of the guests as she makes her way to the Chuppah.

You think that Mom is a happy girl?! It’s such an exciting time for all to share in the wedding of this sweet couple.

Special thanks to Susan Jaffe of Pieces of Dreams Events for her passion and creativity in planning this affair. It’s working with Susan and her amazing team that makes my experience all the greater!

A Few Details: Wedding Venue: W South Beach Hotel; Wedding Planner: Susan Jaffe~Pieces of Dreams Events; Floral Decor: Xquisite Events; Music: Powerhouse; Video: Wolfson Productions

Enjoy their wedding in the slide show below by clicking the play button.

Have an amazing day!

Roy~ Contact Me

Written and Photographed by Roy

St Patrick Catholic Church | Miami Beach Wedding  |  Four Seasons Miami Reception

I’m beginning to see a pattern with these engaging proposal stories. The guys take this really seriously and so things happen. With Maria and Miguel it was their third dating anniversary and for Miguel the day to propose had arrived! New Years Day 2009. As they arrived at the Biltmore Hotel for lunch, Maria found it odd that Miguel was having some trouble getting out of the car~so much so that he hit his head. Maria thought, “That’s odd, but I guess everyone has their days.”

What she didn’t realize was that Miguel had a ring box that he was trying to conceal! After a wonderful lunch, they had a delightful walk around this stunning hotel. When they neared the fountain by the golf course, Miguel wanted to take pictures of Maria and then have Maria take a few pics of him. I think it’s here that he’s thinking, “How do I segue into the proposal moment?”

Well he distracts her by stating that he thinks he sees a turtle in the fountain, “When I turn to tell him that those were lights I find him on one knee and I start not believing what is happening and he laughed and told me “Mari, will you marry me?” and while I am a very composed person most of the time, I lost it!” She stated over and over again, “Are you serious? No way! Oh my God!” Then the tears starting pouring from Maria’s eyes and Miguel asks her again, “Will you marry me?”

Well, we all know the answer to this one because tomorrow Maria and Miguel are having a wedding!

You’re invited to take a look at their amazing slide show. Just click the play button below~Enjoy!

Maria and Miguel will be getting married at the beautiful St Patrick Catholic Church in Miami Beach followed by their reception at the Four Seasons Miami. Click to view more weddings that we have photographed at St Patrick and at the Four Seasons.

I just had a thought, if you’re a guy planning on asking your best girl the “question” think about having this moment photographed. It would be amazing to capture her expression in that moment of surprise and sheer joy! I’d love to be there for you!

Have a great weekend! I know I will~

XOXO,

Roy- Contact me

Photographed by Roy, Stella + Ricardo

Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale Wedding

“Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark.”  ~Amiel

When I photograph a wedding it is with great anticipation that I approach such a momentous event! The passion for photographing weddings in me is ignited by the love that exists between the Bride and Groom. Combine that love with the feelings of parents, grandparents and your closest friends and I have an amazing experience to photograph!

Dad was overwhelmed by the moment of seeing Beth for the first time as a Bride. One minute they’re babies in your arms and the next she takes your arm to be given to the love of her life.

Beth and Adam chose to have a wonderful first look before the ceremony. Aside from spending so much more time with each other, you get great formals in a relaxed environment and after “The Kiss”, you’re off to enjoy cocktails  and the rest of your party without missing a beat!

What a view, what a setting! During the ceremony Stella positioned herself in a balcony overlooking the ceremony. Not only does it capture the ceremony from a  spectacular vantage point but it gives you a sense of wonder. That love has no limits, no boundaries, that it can go wherever you want it to go! Great shot Stella!

Rabbi Rothstein spoke eloquently of love, commitment and respect for each other.

Another great moment as Adam dips Beth for a fantastic finish to an amazing first dance! Again thank you Stella for an amazing moment captured!

A special thank you to Adriana Arboleda, Kathryn Hill and all the wonderful professionals at the Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale for your invaluable guidance in creating a flawless affair!

A Few Details: Wedding Venue: Ritz Carlton, Ft Lauderdale; Officiant: Rabbi Sol Rothstein; Floral Decor: Dalsimer; Music: Higher Ground; Wedding Video: Broadway Video

You’re invited to take a peak at this amazing wedding by click the play button below:

“Now that I’m coming off cloud nine, I just wanted to thank you for such a wonderful wedding experience! I saw the Facebook album you created for Beth and Adam the very night of the wedding and they are wonderful! You are terrific to work with!” ~ Mom of the Bride

“You were absolutely amazing and we appreciate all your help, expertise and passion!” ~ Adam

A wedding for me is the ultimate expression of love. To capture those moments, glances, subtle caresses, tears and kisses is an amazing experience! Thank you to all those couples past that have honored us with the trust that we’re going to tell your story with passion!

Engaged? Call me – we have a wedding to talk about!

XOXO,

Roy~ Contact me

Loren shared this pearl of wisdom with me: “Its funny how when you least expect it you find your other half.”

And I love this snippet of how they met and became engaged: “We met at dinner with mutual friends. I wasn’t planning to go but decided last minute and was late as usual so there was one seat open right next to David… we immediately clicked. He was warm and so funny.”…“The night David proposed I had no idea. It was the night before New Years during a romantic dinner- he told me he couldn’t imagine starting the New Year without completely starting it together…that was how we started 2009!”

Loren and David were married at the tropical paradise that is Jungle Island in Miami surrounded by wonderfully loving family and great friends. Loren is one of four sisters that are amazingly close with a lot of terrific nieces and nephews…and David’s grandfather is his Best man…that is so cool! And get this…Rabbi Abramowitz was Loren’s parents Rabbi when they had their Bar and Bat Mitzvah’s, their wedding and the weddings of Loren’s three sisters!

Loren shared her feelings of anticipation with me as her parents escorted her down the aisle:“I remember I started to walk down the aisle and had butterflies but the minute I saw David standing at the end I was absolutely calm and couldn’t wait to get to the end of the aisle so we could begin our lives together.”

A few details: Wedding Venue: Jungle Island; Floral artistry: Petal Productions; Bridal Makeup & Hair: Tatiana Peralta; Wedding Reception music: Marcia Mitchell Music; Wedding Videographer: Senderey Video; Miami Wedding Photographer: Roy Llera Photographers

Enjoy their amazing wedding video!

To say that their wedding was a wild one would be an understatement; with music provided by none other than the Marcia Mitchell band. Marcia and her master musicians created an ambiance that could not be tamed…and when one of those gorilla’s showed up…he just made a monkey of himself.

Loren shared with me her thoughts about her wedding day: “Our wedding night was unforgettable; we danced until we literally couldn’t dance anymore. From the band to the flowers to the amazing food (including banana splits!) it was like a fairy tale. Roy and his team didn’t miss a second of the evening!”

Loren and David, on behalf of Ricardo, Stella and myself—Thank you for an amazing wedding experience. We are honored by your decision to choose only the best that Miami has to offer in wedding photography.

Have a great day and stop in again soon…we have so much to share with you!

Roy Llera – Contact Me

“That bridge is special to us because… she told me that every Saturday during the summer brides getting married in the area would come to that bridge for pictures.”

“…I took her out for a dance lesson. She always said that she wanted to take dance lessons…”

How many times have you been on a date and the rain catches you, you take her hand and find a lonely doorway or you happen to have an umbrella that just draws you that much closer.. So when Greg shared with me that the weekend that he met Jennifer it rained and the day that he asked her to marry him it rained…so the planned walk around the city turned into a early dinner in hopes that the rain would subside. “After we finished dinner and I had gone to the bathroom twice to look at the ring!!!”… the rain stopped long enough for their walk to that bridge and as planned Greg took a knee and ask Jennifer to marry him and after a positive response and a hug that you want to last forever…it starts to rain again…who cares! They just got engaged and with that feeling anything can happen and it’s wonderful!

Upon entering their suite at the hotel, a hundred roses were awaiting Jennifer and the cork popped, the champagne was poured and a toast for love everlasting sealed the deal. “I was just so happy to begin my life with Jennifer that all I could think about was the moment”

Enjoy an amazing slide show of this beautiful beginning!

“The engagement shoot was a wonderful time for Jennifer and me and we loved every minute of it. Pictures are very important for me and Jennifer as we aren’t together every day, and when I look at the pictures from the engagement shoot I think about that day and how happy we are and it makes me smile.  Knowing that that photo shoot was kind of the “unofficial” start to our wedding celebration is something very special… it is an honor having you photograph such a special occasion for the two of us”

…and the day they had their engagement session…it rained…and then the sun came out and somewhere I am sure there was a rainbow. Well, we are so looking forward to an amazing wedding and partly cloudy skies with no chance of rain!

Come again!

Roy Llera – Contact me