A Tampa Love Story, From Proposal to Wedding Day

I’ve known Adriel and Dru longer than I’ve been a wedding photographer, which feels like the right place to start.

We all went to USF around the same time, our friend groups overlapped, and Adriel and I had already made plenty of memories together before he ever asked me to photograph one of his. So when he reached out in 2024 because he was planning to propose to Dru, I was all in. We mapped out how he could walk her through Philippe Park, where everything would be waiting, and where I needed to be when he finally asked the question.

There wasn’t a doubt in anyones mind that she was going to say YES!

They loved the photos, and about a year later we found ourselves sitting at Ploy Thai with Arianna, my laptop open at the table, talking through their wedding. By the end of dinner, they had decided to trust me with that too.

That trust means a lot to me. Photography is personal. You’re inviting someone into moments that only happen once, asking them to pay attention, understand what matters, and somehow preserve the feeling of it all. I think the best way I can honor that is by really knowing the people in front of me and listening to what they want their memories to feel like.

For Adriel and Dru, family and culture were everywhere.

A Waterfront Ceremony at the Tampa Bay River Center

Their wedding weekend started with a rehearsal dinner at an Airbnb near the venue. Their families are from Trinidad and Jamaica, so dinner included food that represented both cultures, plenty of family, matching shirts, and a whole house full of people getting excited for the next day. They even gave my wife, Arianna, and me shirts of our own, which was a small detail, but one that made us feel like part of the group instead of people simply showing up with cameras.

The next morning, Arianna headed to the Airbnb with Dru and the bridesmaids while I met Adriel at the JW Marriott in downtown Tampa. We took portraits, talked through the day, and even had a little guy pep talk before everybody came together again.

One of my favorite moments happened before we ever reached the venue.

Adriel and Dru wanted to share their vows privately while saving the first time they saw each other for the ceremony. The Airbnb had a large living space surrounded by windows, so we put them on opposite sides of a wall where they could hold hands without seeing each other. Then they read.

That’s it.

No elaborate setup or staging. They just stood there holding hands, listening to the person they were about to marry, and I got to document it.

Those are the moments that remind me why I love photography so much. Sometimes my job is directing, finding the light, adjusting a pose, or moving everybody five feet to the left because I can already see the photograph in my head. Other times the beautiful thing is already happening and my job is simply to notice it.

The Tampa Bay River Center gave us plenty of beauty to work with too. Their ceremony sat right beside the river with downtown Tampa in the distance, surrounded by palm trees, green fields, blue water, and all the movement of the Riverwalk. Tampa was where their relationship had grown, so getting married somewhere that felt unmistakably like the city made perfect sense.

Culture, Family and a Packed Dance Floor

After the ceremony came portraits, cocktail hour, dinner, toasts, a dress change, and sunset photos.

Then everybody danced.

Adriel and Dru asked guests to bring flags representing their home countries, and the DJ moved through dancehall, soca, kompa, and everything else that could keep the room moving. The bridesmaids started handing dollar bills to people on the dance floor to encourage everyone to join in. By the end of the night, there was money everywhere and just about everybody had danced.

Wedding Photography That Lets You Relive the Feeling

When Adriel and Dru later wrote about their experience, they said we captured everything from the rehearsal dinner through the end of the reception so they could relive one of the most important days of their lives. They also said, “the vibes are unmatched,” which might be one of the highest compliments you can give me.

Because that’s what I want.

I want you to remember how everybody looked, sure. But I also want you to remember how loudly they laughed. How your hand felt in theirs. Who was crying during the ceremony. What song finally got everybody out of their seats. The tiny things you noticed and the hundred things happening around you that you never had the chance to see.

A wedding lasts a day.

Photography lets us hold onto it a little longer.

Testimonial

“My husband and I are returning customers with Ky candids, and per usual they were amazing! They previously did our engagement photos, which were spectacular, and somehow raised the bar for our wedding photos. The event coverage was spectacular, from our rehearsal dinner the night before to the end of our reception, they captured every moment so we can relive one of our most important days. The amount of compliments we receive on our wedding photos is living proof of how great they came out. And despite the extremely large amount of photos provided, the wait time after the wedding was quick and well worth the wait! Their photo quality is always top tier, and the vibes are unmatched. You cannot help but smile and laugh during their shoots, which always leads to increased comfort and beautiful photos. I cannot recommend Ky candids enough, and we will be utilizing them for all of our photo needs!”

– Adriel and Dru