Tender Kiss from Groom at The Addison, Boca Raton FL

The Addison has become one of the most popular wedding venues in Boca Raton because its signature feel and architecture are present in its courtyard, within its historic walls, and in the grounds surrounding it. To avoid enthusiastically chatty guests headed to cocktail hour, we escaped with the happy couple to one side of the building for some private portrait time. A column-lined walkway leads to an elongated pool with a water feature, frequently catching the sun’s afternoon rays. Nearby, the climbing vines and stately wooden doors add to the building’s character and provide a great starting point in terms of portrait locations. There are a few places around the property that must always be incorporated into photos, including the gigantic banyan trees and arched entranceways. Working at the Addison repeatedly has given us the frequent challenge of documenting our couples in the same space as many others, while still creating something new each time. We enjoy the challenges of photographing at new locations as it drives us creatively, so we treat venues like the Addison as though they were brand new to us every time we work there.

The Addison does not appear in this image, but the light it bounces is part of what makes this photo so appealing. The sun is coming in from the right side, hitting her arm and casting a small beam of light onto her shoulder. This was a bright, sunny day which would usually create an extreme hot spot on her arm and cast hard shadows across their faces. The cream colored surfaces of the Addison and its walkways reflect so much light that their faces are lit enough to balance out the sun while still having subtle sculpting shadow lines. Having them close their eyes allows them both to focus on the kiss without squinting from the harsh sun and helps give her such a genuine, sweet expression.

The cropping of this image brings you into the moment and highlights certain things that might have been overlooked had more of the background been left in the frame. Overall, the image has a naturally circular effect as you are immediately drawn to hey eyes, down to her smile, then trace the lines of her shoulder around her arm and back to his face, ending up at the point of the kiss. The bride’s dark eyelashes and brilliant teeth both jump out against her skin tone, as does the single bright earring against her deep brown hair. Without the small sliver of white fabric at the bottom, your eye might have tricked you into thinking she wasn’t wearing anything at all, but this subtle inclusion in the lowest part of the image not only makes her seem clothed but leads your mind into immediately recognizing that it is, in fact, a wedding dress. There is a great balance within this photo, as the sweet softness of this image still manages to display the bride’s firm muscle tone in both her shoulder and bicep. All of these elements combine to make this a great example of a simple, yet elegant couple portrait.