A Toast

The ladies take time to celebrate after a day of details and getting ready for a fairytale.

Unicorn Castle is an amazing location for a wedding. The ladies get ready in the Kings Suite which is truly king size!

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Family Portraits

So rarely in today’s world do we get extended families to be all together at the same time. Weddings are the best time to schedule these extended family portraits that will become priceless for these generations and the next.
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Rehearsal Dinner Laughter

Charlie and Amanda hosted their rehearsal dinner at their home. It was a great night filled with friends, food laughter and of course a play by play plan of the ceremony featuring solo cups and silverware for all the major players.
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Simple Portrait - Simple Beauty

Some things are timeless.

Simple portraits of amazing people on one of the best days of their lives are one of those.

Window light at the hotel after a day of preparation and details makes for amazing beauty and simplicity.

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Hangin with the Boys

What more can I say?

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun… and my job is to be there and be part of the fun. I love these impromptu portraits that are a little unexpected and playful. Even at my own wedding the groomsmen were photographed on the playground at the church’s preschool.

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I promised my son that I would post his Lego creations on my website. He’s quite talented. My hope is that I have a gifted engineer in my house. I think he will do well.

Michael J. McCrystal
McCrystal Image Photography, LLC
Tampa Wedding and Portrait Photography
 

Quiet Moment

Weddings are fun, loud, sometimes chaotic and always life changing events. I love them for all of that. They are exciting and always surprising.

After years of being blessed to be a part of so many people’s weddings I have developed a keen eye for the moments when the couple find a moment to shut out the entire world and enjoy just being together. These moment are fleeting and require a special sensitivity to seek them out and capture them. Many of my favorite moments at weddings happen and I’m the only one in the room away of what is happening between the bride and groom.

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Father's Arms

Walking dow the aisle with her Father is an emotional experience for any bride. It is a moment that is fleeting yet weighted very heavily for me. I have been the man at the other end of the aisle watching the love of my life walking toward me and someday I will have the honor of walking my little girl down that aisle. (A very long time from now.) One of the reasons I am passionate about weddings is that I am invested in my brides and grooms. Christina was a perfect example, excited, nervous grinning and misty eyed. Her dad, of course, is strong for her. That is just what dads do for their little girls.
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Speak Easy

I think one of the most important part of being a wedding photographer is a sense of humor. There are always funny things happening at weddings and having an eye for those things really sets me apart. Kids at a wedding are a favorite source of humor for me. They are always there for comic relief and surprising moments.

At my own wedding the flower girl spent most of the ceremony hanging over the communion rail singing “I’m a Little Tea Pot.” It’s one of my favorite memories. I wish there was a photo of it.

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Reflection

One of the beauties of spending as much time with the bride as I do is being there for the moments of reflection. Times when things are stopped (or at least slow down a little) and allow the bride to think and savor the experiences she is having on this most important day.
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Unique Locations

The choice of location is so important to setting the tone for your wedding. I love weddings that are outside the traditional box of most reception halls. Cross Creek Ranch is one of those locations that create a mood and atmosphere you can’t find anywhere else. The country elegance here is an amazing touch for a couple to have their entire wedding.
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Making an Entrance

Matt and Cara made a big splash with their guests at their reception at the beautiful Palmetto Club.

Every couple puts their own personality into the planning of their wedding. That is part of the fun, being a part of these very unique celebrations.

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Second Kiss

After the first kiss at the altar, there is a second kiss away from everyone else. I love catching these parts of the story that most people don’t see. Images like this make a great addition to a wedding album and work as fantastic art at a couple’s home.
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Family that Prays

The wedding rehearsal is a great time to get to know the families at a wedding. My goal at a rehearsal is to get to now as many people as possible and to become a part of the family.

For the Brooks and Shirley families prayer is hugely important. This moment of prayer at the rehearsal is a defining moment not just of the wedding, but also of their marriage.

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Getting Ready

Not every photographer spends the day with their brides and grooms. I see it as a vital part of the story telling process. By being there for hair and make up I can b
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