All about wedding and portrait photography in Charleston and beyond. This is my journal as a documentary photographer. It is about my life and others. It is about art and photography. It is about fatherhood and everything else in between. It is about taking risks and living and appreciating life. It is about the journey to self-fulfillment and the pursuit of happiness. It is my way of telling you- life is truly beautiful.
Thank you so
much for stopping by and taking the time to look at some beautiful documenttion
of life as it happens. This is our online journal as modern, documentary
photographers. It is about our lives and others. It is about art and photography. It is about taking risks and
living and appreciating life. It is about the journey to self-fulfillment and
the pursuit of excellence and happiness. It is our way of telling you that LIFE
IS TRULY BEAUTIFUL.
We specialize
in modern artistic and contemporary lifestyle photography. We are storytellers.
We take pictures to tell a story. Whether it’d be wedding or portraits
photography, our documentary approach is to give our audience a storytelling
perspective. We often see what you feel, typically when you’re not looking. We
capture that moment as it happens- YOUR moment.
And another cool wedding we were so blessed to be a part of…
The first time Jessica and her family and I crossed path was 18 years ago when her parents and my parents made us go to church for the 9 am mass. We sat across each other. Then i met her mom at a local bridal show and hit it off. I then found out that Jessica is getting married to Minnesota pilot and i said, “ooh Top Gun”. I also found out that we had mutual friends.
Jessica is the coolest, most down-to-earth person in the world. Very easy going. Jessica and Alex are a perfect match.
They tied the knot at St. John the Beloved in Summerville and held the reception at the Woodlands. The beautiful decor and flower arrangements were done by Dale Wallace .
Thank you Jessica and Mrs. Mcdowell for trusting me. I am very grateful for your kindness and your friendship. Jessica and Alex, I wish you both lots of love, blessings and children.
And now the highlights….
And for the slideshow, click the play button below or click here
Ashley I met Ashley and her mother last year with the fabulous wedding planner and designer Stacey Fraunfelter of Red Letter Events .
Ashley and her entire family are genuinely nice people. Andrew is very kind too and they just are a perfect match. I loved all of their details. Stacey and Karin and Ashley worked together to put out such an amazing wedding. Karen from Ok Florist did the flower decor and center pieces and bouquets. I love the colors that were chosen. They all just blended together, consistently and cohesively.
Did i mention Stacey Fraunfelter? I worked with her in several occations and I love working with her. I feel very at ease that things will go smoothly on wedding day when Stacey is involved. And when things do not, i know she will take care of it. Stacey, if you’re reading, that is very true and honest.
And by the way, when is Trevor proposing ?!?
Oh, back to the main topic, i really really really enjoyed taking photographs at Ashley and Andrew’s wedding. It was a very emotional wedding for the family and i am just grateful to be able to witness the moments and be able to document them. “Capturing the moment” is such an overused and abused phrase in the industry. With this wedding, i just focused on capturing every moment i could and not worry about reinventing the phrase or abusing it.
Here take a look and see for yourself.
For the slideshow, click the play button below or click here
Lauren’s been shooting portraits. A lot. I’ve been shooting weddings. A lot. And e-sessions. We’ll share them as soon as possible. So stay tuned.
Here are a few from Virginia and Shelton that i shot last month. i’ve been meaning to share these for a while, but it is very difficult to find the time this time of year. We’ll do better in sharing though.
Can’t wait to work with Virginia (Ginny) and Shelton again. It is going to be a fun wedding in September.
i just love this. i have had this vision in my head and i finally fulfilled it by making this image.
June 23, 2009 - 2:05 amstephanie - awwww!! this session looks sorta familiar!!! SOO GORGEOUS! makes me miss charleston and makes me miss you! the day we had our engagement session was SOO much fun!! i love these images. they're gorgeous! cute couple, great shots!!
I met Cathy and Chris through a friend i went to high school with. Within 2 minutes of meeting these two, i immediately knew that they were going to be fun to work with. Cathy and Chris compliment each other. They are each other’s balance. Besides being so beautiful, Cathy is hilarious. There is something really funny and entertaining about Cathy. I enjoyed many conversations with her. Not only that she is very funny, she has a big heart, always willing to help people and be there for her family and friends.
Chris is probably one cool guy that i see myself having a few Guinness. He is very good to Cathy. Very positive. Very energetic. Always smiling. Always looking for ways to have a great time.
The wedding was held at St. Lukes in Charleston and the reception was held at the Francis Marion Hotel. With the amazing Jessica Dorfman and the staff at the FMH, Cathy and Chris ate some yummy food (we did too), drank a lil ( wink ) and danced the night away.
To Cathy and Chris, thank you for choosing us document your beautiful day. We had a blast! It was truly an honor to take photographs of you two for your engagement session, your bridal session and recently, your wedding. I will always be grateful for your kindness and friendship. I wish you both the very best in everything.
And for the slideshow, click the play button below OR click here
Much love and many blessings,
Virgil Bunao
CVI Photography & Co.
Available for Travel. Anywhere.
June 9, 2009 - 7:32 amRon Montgomery - Vigal
Another beautiful Charleston Wedding. You captured some amazing photographs.
June 15, 2009 - 8:18 amshannon - Wow....thank you Cathy & Chris for allowing me to be a part of your fabulous day and love. Thank you Virgil for capturing it in a way that brought tears to my eyes & joy into my heart all over again! xoxo shan
Jessica and Joey’s wedding was very cool. They celebrated their wedding at Prospect Hill, Jessica’s parent’s home in Edisto.
Throughout the week, everyone involved kept their fingers crossed as the weatherman gave a very grim weather report. I myself was very concern and nervous- borderline freaking out. “The rain is going to ruin everything,” I say to my wife.
Nevertheless, the weather, held. For the most part. It rained towards the end of the ceremony. Some fled to the nearest shelter, but most stayed to witness Jessica and Joey seal their vows with the most romantic kiss and embraced EVER.
With Susan and Jessica’s vision and design style, Lisa Thomas and the wonderful folks at Ooh Events, made sure that every detail is pristine. We’ve never been presented with so many photo opportunities throughout the day until this wedding. From Jessica’s “getting ready” stages until the end of the reception, stories, moments, random scenery and beauty unfolded before us.
If you are in need of event stuff rentals, floral arrangements, and/or event day of coordination- Lisa Thomas, Jerri Heater and the rest of the gang at Ooh Events are the ones to call. The words “awesome” is an understatement when it comes to Ooh Events. We’ve also worked with a few fabulous vendors, Good Food Catering, Other Brother Entertainment and High Output. These people were magnificent and we were very honored to have worked with them.
Back to the Hoffords- i tell you, they were the coolest, most-down-to-earth people i’ve ever met in my life. We’ve never felt so welcomed and respected and trusted. We truly had a great time documenting this beautiful wedding.
To Jessica and Joey, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your day. Thank you for your trust, your kindness, your generosity, your friendship. Thank you for allowing us get a glimpse of the beautiful life and family and friends that you have. May God bless you both with lots of great things, good health and special moments in the future and lots of children (for Hank and Susan, your mom and dad, to watch)
A million thanks go to my tireless assistants- Sarah and Ron. They don’t get the credit and appreciation very often but several of the photos you see on this blog, every wedding, are their shots. A million thanks to the fabulous Carmen Ash for being a part of our team that day.
And now, the highlights….
Cake and stuff by Jim Smeal . Love it!
Charleston rock band The Blue Dogs rocked the house and got the girls and guys to dance crazy all night.
For the slideshow, click on the white screen below or click here
Thanks for looking, until next time, , ,
Virgil Bunao
CVI Photography & Co.
Available for Travel. Anywhere.
She is easy-going, down-to-earth, knows-what-she-wants type of woman. She is adorable. Not to mention, an absolutely beautiful bride. I met Tyler on their wedding day. Tyler is such a nice guy. They make a great couple. Their marriage will last a lifetime. I am sure of it. They will watch each other when they’re 80, rocking their chair, still in love. They have strong families and friends to support them. Their faith in God is strong. Their love for each other is unconditional.
To Blair and Tyler: it was an honor to witness and document a beautiful wedding. Thank you for trusting me.
For the slideshow, click here or click the play button below.
So, we’ve been swamped since February.
I’m not complaining. I am very very very grateful that we are busy. As matter of fact, i got so busy that i overlooked to share some of Whitney’s bridal portraits at Lowndes Grove last March. We shot the session in March and i was not able to post them because their wedding was not until April. So, i’ve been itching to post them on the blog since March.
I still have lots of great images to share. Lately, i’ve had just enough time to eat, charge my battery and go to my next shoot. And maybe sleep after that.
At any rate, this weekend, Jessica married Joey. I’ll be posting some images from that wedding very soon.
Jessica is the one of the coolest people on earth. Very sweet. Very kind. Very funny. I really enjoyed knowing her and working with her.
Here are some of Jessica’s bridal portraits, shot the week before the wedding.
There are so many things to share about Kristin and Andrius.
i’ve known them for a little over a year now and throughout, i developed a great friendship with the two of them. They are the most down-to-earth, kindest, generous and sweetest people in the whole wide world.
The week of their wedding, North Myrtle Beach was experiencing some major wild fires. Several homes were burnt to the ground. The fire ALMOST affected the reception site, The Member’s Club. The fire was put out yards away from the site. Needless to say, it was a pretty stressful experience on Andrius and Kristin’s part that week. BUT, with love, faith and hope, everything went well as if nothing happened.
They wrote their own vows which i thought was really cool.
Kristin said, “Today, i vow to move the driver’s seat back after i drive your car so you don’t hit your knees on the steering wheel. I vow to stop stealing the sheets and share it with you in bed at night. Today i finally commit myself to us. I promise to be there for you always, to fill your days with special laughter and love, to comfort you and support you and help you reach your goals and respect you as an individual. I love you with all of my heart.”
Well said.
To Kristin and Andrius- i am very grateful to have met you both and played a part in such a wonderful and beautiful celebration. I adored everyone in your party. Thank you for allowing me get a glimpse of your world. I wish you both the very best in life as you begin your life together not as boyfriend and girlfriend anymore, nor as fiances, but as husband and wife.
May 19, 2009 - 1:49 pmAndrius - Virgil - words can't express the thanks Kristin and I have for you and your team's kindness, patience, and dedication during our "eventful" wedding. Our goal was to make it "classy fun" and your shots definitely portrayed our vision. Thanks so much for everything - good luck to you during the "busy season" for weddings!
May 21, 2009 - 10:29 pmKristin - Really? The one of me laughing. Can't wait to see the rest!!!
May 22, 2009 - 1:09 pmAnton Lorimer - Hey Virgil, love the images. Looks like you killed it. Had a great time out in Myrtle Beach, it was a beautiful wedding.
June 1, 2009 - 6:16 amChristina H. Lake - WOW! Virgil you have done it again-- truly amazing! Not that I don't love my wedding pictures from 13 months ago(4/5/08) (yes, I still go to the archives and play my slide show from time to time) but I have to say I feel this wedding was your best work to date...very creative shots. I don't even know this couple but their pictures are some of my favorites you have shot. Congrats to the lucky couple! Beautiful wedding, awesome photographs for you to enjoy and cherish for years to come :) Virgil you are like a fine wine...better as you age/get more exposure, love it!
One of my favorites!
by Virgil Bunao
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