Annie + Jerome // Selah Springs Ranch Wedding
I've been waiting for Annie & Jerome's wedding for months since Lou, Annie's mother, first came to me. I've been communicating with her back and forth since her daughter's wedding because Annie and Jerome both are super busy. The couple travels often for work or for training. Jerome will be in the next Olympics for Hammer throwing!! (Several of his groomsmen were Olympians too!!) It wasn't until a few weeks before the date that I had a chance to talk to them both. I actually felt like I've know them for awhile. They are so kind, easy going, and pretty goofy. Annie grew up in San Angelo, Texas while Jerome's Italian family grew up in France. They wanted to have their wedding at Selah Springs out in Brady, Texas. It's about a 3 hour drive from Dallas and its in the middle of Hill Country which is beautiful! I've never been to that side of Texas so I was shocked that there so many miles of hills. Truth be told, I expected to see desert or plain fields for days. But arriving to Selah Springs was so incredible. The owners, Andrea and Phil, really took the ranch and have transformed it from Phil's grandfather's cozy country plot of land into a peaceful but expansive ranch serving as a hunting lodge and wedding venue. I can see why this was the wedding destination of choice!
Normally, while the groom and groomsmen are waiting for the ladies, there's maybe a TV, beer, or a pool table just to pass the time. But out here you do skeet shooting. Now, I've been in Texas my whole life and I sadly have never heard of skeet shooting until that day. Phil hung out with the guys and they had a blast playing shooting games which I really wanted to join. It seemed like a lot of fun!
Annie's mother Lou reached out to me asking me to recreate Jerome's parent's wedding photo just as a fun little memory. I wish I had shot this on some film to really give the same vintage quality. But I love that Jerome looks just like his parents! I've overlapped the images just so you can see the similarities and differences.
Congrats to Annie & Jerome! I was thrilled to witness their wedding and meet everyone! Not to mention I got to throw out one or two phrases in French that I knew >< while trying to speak to Jerome's parents! Here's to a lifetime of wedded bliss! Cheers to Mr. & Mrs. Bortoluzzi!!!
PHOTOGRAPHY Esther Huynh & April Ashton // Special Thanks to Stan Kwan & Chris Luong // Much gratitude and thanks to Lou & David Duncan // And a huge huge shout out for the warm hospitality of Andrea & Phil of Selah Springs Ranch