Is anyone tired of this crazy weather as yet ? We are , and I can’t say that loud enough. Go away rain ! Go away cold ! Stacey and Chris flew Stan and I out to photograph their Tucson wedding. A desert wedding, how nice for a change. After scouting out the location at Saguarro Buttes we were excited to work with different elements again. Red desert sand, rocks,cactus, amazing sunsets and a full moon scheduled for our shoot. Well here we are in the desert and guess what… It rained all day long! Every outdoor shot planned was scrapped and our excitement quickly turned to annoyance. To be flown so far and yet not able to do what we are capable of doing is frustrating and annoying. Stacy, in her colorful custom designed gown was amazing. Rain did not stop her from getting out there and getting wet. The clouds cleared just in time for the chairs to be dried off allowing the ceremony to take place outside as planned. Whew, relief, or so we thought, but the rain started again as soon as the ceremony ended. Coyotes houwled  around us, deer tiptoed by, and more rain. Aargh! We ran in and out of the rain, bride and groom willing participants pulling off amazing shots just as the tiniest of color popped up over the horizon. The rest of the evening was a fun and lively party with our groom stealing the show several times with his fancy footwork. Stacey changed into a beautiful cocktail dress, and the party swung into full gear with their well rehearsed first dance. In closing, I’d like to say that no matter where we are, what we got to work with, or against, we always manage to get great shots. Can’t take all the credit for that though because if it wasn’t for the willing cooperation of our subjects, we would get nothing at all. We will be there rain or shine !

Posted by: editor on March 23, 2010

We love weddings, but I’ll tell you what we love the best…it’s being a part of a couples many milestones in life. Engagement photo sessions are the start of our relationship with most of our couples. Occasionally the relationship starts even earlier. We’re photographing a young groom, getting married next month, who we’ve been photographing since birth! AAAhhh…we’re not really that old though, he’s just pretty young It’s an honor and a privilege to be such an important part of a couples new life together. The wedding day pictures are one thing, but the calls that come after for us to photograph cudlley, cute new babies and the ever expanding families of our  couples are met with joy and appreciation. We enjoy seeing and being there for our happy couples as they grow into families. And what an honor to be included! We enjoy it so much that we treat all of our couples to a free photo shoot when their first little one comes along, be it a pregnancy ,newborn or family shoot. So, give us a call, and let our relationship with YOU start today… we’re looking forward to it!

Posted by: editor on February 2, 2010

I’d have to say that Heather and Todd have won the “Most Romantic Couple” award by S & S. What a sweet, caring, interesting couple! The details of their first meeting to Todd’s well thought out and tender proposal in Paris left me wondering if there are any men left in the world like him? What a lucky girl,and what a happy ,well suited couple. They chose the fabulous Bella Collina in Mont Verde, just north west of Orlando for their wedding ceremony and reception. If you’d like a closer look, call Stacy Hessburg at 407-469-4911 and I’m sure she’d love to take you on a tour. It’s one of our favorite locations for a Florida wedding and makes for stunning photographs. It has a Tuscan Mediterranean feel. Richly textured stone walls,narrow walkways, bridges and lush rolling hills    sweep you away to another world without leaving Florida. Heather chose her perfectly fitted dress, and those of the bridesmaids, from the collection at Brides by Demitrios, 407-869-5277. Todd’s Tux came from the Men’s Wearhouse , 407-352-0261. The fragrant flowers came from Winderemere Flowers and Gifts,and you can contact Rebecca at 407-296-9002. The hair and makeup….ohhhh so very critical on this important day,were perfectly done by Alison Chambers, 321-217-6478. Every detail came together to create a magical,memorable day  for Heather and Todd.We wish you both  much love and  happiness in the many years you will share together!!

Posted by: editor on December 28, 2009

Destination weddings are very popular  here is sunny Florida. As most of you already know, we are blessed with wonderful weather year round, compared with the rest of the world at least, and also have the wonderful worlds of Disney, Universal Studios , Sea World, Bush Gardens as well. Couples and blended families come to Orlando, from all over the world,  to take advantage of our great weather and exciting theme parks! Can you blame them?? Of course not . Kyla and Gordan  from Mississippi, joined together in marriage at the beautiful Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Studios. Her two daughters, and his son, along with Kyla and Sandy, anxiously await the newest addition to their expanding family, and we wish them well!! We’ve had Patience and Stuart get married at Paradise Cove, after flying all the way in from England. Angela and Graham joined us from England and chose the lush Leu Gardens for their wedding. And flying in from Ireland with their little man, was Eimeau and Christopher, who also got married at Leu Gardens. Jenny and Justin were the latest , flying in from Toronto with their three little ones. The Buena Vista Palace was a great location for their wedding. We do have to thank the wonderful owner of Elegant Weddings of Orlando, Helen Ronchetti, for sending these Destination Weddings our way, Thank you!!! It is a privilege to be such an important part of so many lives !

Patience and Stuart  Paradise Cove

Jenny and Justin       BuenaVista Palace

Posted by: editor on November 9, 2009

Photographing a wedding anywhere always poses a challenge…but half way around the world? So many questions and concerns arise…what will the location be like? The weather? Customs won’t give us a hard time with our gear will they? Will we even be able to keep it all on us as we travel as carry on? No way are we sending it in luggage! What if something does go wrong with the equipment? Can we get it fixed or replaced in time? And the list goes on. In all honesty though we encountered no problems when we flew to South Africa to cover Orlando based , but South African by birth, Joani & Derick’s June 2nd wedding, except for one tiny little obstacle…no light! You see , June in South Africa is winter time. Cold short days with early sunsets. The ceremony was scheduled for 4p.m and once Stan and I arrived at the location, where all the guests were staying for the weekend, we realized what was going to happen. After we’d come all this way, we weren’t going to be able to do the job we wanted to! By the time the ceremony finished we would be out of light! OMG!!! And considering we were staying at a game lodge on top of a hill , that was not the ideal situation, it was in fact the worst. I think that’s the only time I’ve truley panicked ! So, what happened? Well, that’s when it pays off to have amazing people involved. The bride , her parents, the groom and his parents all asked us what they could do to “fix” it. I laughed and said , “change the ceremony time and move it up 2 hours.” I almost hit the floor when the said “NO PROBLEM” Are you kidding me…really, would you really do that? YUP! Hah! The panic went away… that’s what happens when your clients want great pictures and understand what is a key ingredient to great pictures, great light, and as a result, we got it! All they did was make an announcement at dinner that Friday evening that the Saturday ceremony was now starting at 2p.m instead of 4p.m, , and no one had a problem with it! Not even the arrival of the flowers was impacted, flown all the way in from Orlando, made by the man himself, Mr. Lee James .The ceremony, held at the Hannah Lodge was beautiful and touching. The reception was a great party with fabulous local food. A huge fire, lit in the center of the room warmed the chill of the night, and Joani outdid herself with her decorations and attention to detail. We got our shots! I can’t tell you how happy , honored and thrilled we were to be included in this once in a life time journey…and relieved in the end that no one was eaten by a lion .

Posted by: editor on August 18, 2009

How could we possibly turn down a wedding in Trinidad? Home for me yes, mixed in with a little bit of work sounded more than fair to me! Not for Stan though. I stayed for 3 weeks and he only got 5 days , poor guy. Joanna and Garry flew us in to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, to photograph their 4th of July wedding. Naturally we were a little apprehensive as Trinidad’s rainy season had just started. And guess what…beautiful weather preceded the big day, but, of course, the rain came pouring down that Saturday, naturally. Why would it be easy and without a challenge? Luckily , my predetermined backup “rain plan”, combined with the efficient organizational skills of the mother of the bride…and many cell phones in constant use, prevented a disaster as the pre ceremony pictures were quickly shifted from the Botanical Gardens to the nearby Hilton Hotel. The rain did manage to stop in time for the 3 p.m ceremony at the St. Ann’s Church, and continued to stay away until we were finished with our post ceremony shoot on the Moka Golf Course on the way to the reception so graciously hosted at the home of the parents of the bride, Christine and Alan Alcazar. The party had officially begun around 5:15, and as any West Indian knows would not finish until the last man standing had fallen! The music jammed with a great mix of songs all night long. The decorations were phenomenal, and the food divine! Puff N Stuff , Trini style , and the crew in charge outdid themselves. Ahh, to be home again, even in a working capacity Dancing with my Dad being the highlight of my night, even with the bulky camera banging on my hip. Needless to say Joanna and Garry had a great time, as did all their guests, heat an’ all, and somehow managed to stay remarkably “fresh” looking as the night progressed. Don’t ask me how as everybody else was dripping with sweat! We left at the very end, ( o.k , it was 1 am and everybody else was gone) exhausted , yet satisfied, knowing that we did the job we came to do, and did it well!

Just a tease !!

Posted by: editor on July 17, 2009

S&S Custom Weddings is ready for another great Wedding in the country of Trinidad and Tobago.  Luckily for Charlene she is able to mix a bit of work with vacation time with her family. Honestly, doing Carribean Wedding’s is always a great time and experience for us as it gives us the opportunity to discover new terrain and  locations that we don’t get to use that often. The green lush of the Island of Trinidad with it’s rolling hills will offer us another great backdrop for our Island Bride as well as the opportunuty to capture those wedding images that will indeed last for generations. Another beautiful Destination Wedding awaits us for the Fourth of July and I can’t wait to get to Trinidad to join my family and of course do a little work !

Posted by: editor on June 29, 2009

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Posted by: admin on June 24, 2009

The talented , award winning, internationally acclaimed Disney Photographers of S & S Photography, Charlene and Stan Cheslock, have been shooting together, around the world since 1988. Their travels have taken them to Equador, South Africa, Trinidad, Grenada, and of course throughout the U.S.A. They completely enjoy what they do, and have some advise for todays budget conscious couples…”Do not choose a photographer based on price!” screams Charlene. Your wedding is not the day to compromise.  These images will be history to later generations in your families, and are worthy of the expense involved. Too many brides have come to us crying, desperate for “fixes” to their images. Too many horror stories are circulating, and we’re sure you’ve heard many of them, haven’t you?? Let me put it to you this way ladies, a way most of you can understand . How many of you choose a hairdresser based on price? Do you choose to get your hair cut and colored by the “cheapest” salon? Of course not! You choose a stylist based on their ability to cut your hair properly. Factors such as  the structure of your face, the texture of your hair, your lifestyle etc. all come into play. Not price… Ladies, would you ask the stylist to cut and color your hair in 15 minutes for $15.00?? We all know that’s not a realistic demand. A good cut and color will run at least 2 hours , and will cost a lot more than $15. O.K, point made? Our hair will grow back. We may be traumatized by a bad hair cut and color, but there is hope at the end of the tunnel because we know our hair will grow back , and we can eventually fix any damage done. This is not true of  bad wedding photography . The day cannot be recreated! The images cannot be replaced! We are all struggling through these tough times, we understand, we really do, it’s no different for us. Allow us the opportunity to work with your budget. Our years of experience and training will benefit you, and your hard earned money will be well spent. That’s a promise! Please, pick a photographer based on their experience, their talent, their reputation, their enthusiasm , their personality, and their ability to do the job!! Do not pick a photographer based on their prices, you will regret it, much more so than a bad hair day!

Posted by: editor on June 7, 2009

Located by Disney World, Paradise Cove is a beautiful venue if you are an Orlando or Destination bride planning an outdoor wedding in Orlando. Just be prepared! Luckily Kami and Dustin got to enjoy the incredible Florida sunshine . The sunshine however, did not stop Mother Natures other great forces, the wind, and believe it or not, the cold. Honestly though, it’s obstacles like these that challenge, sometimes even rewarding us with better than normal shots. I love how the wind takes the veil! It adds so much more to the images. We were entertained though, as throughout the pre-ceremony pictures, the wind kept knocking over the chairs set up for the ceremony ,like dominoes, just as soon as the caterers would walk away from setting them up again! I’ve got to admit the wind made my job difficult…everytime we set Kami’s train down it would blow into a different position, AARRGGHHH. What made all the difference in the world was our beautiful bride’s positive , all encompassing attitude!! None of it bothered her. She was amazing! Frozen and wind swept…her reality, she was getting married, and nothing was more important than that!!

Posted by: editor on May 27, 2009