Name: Akil Bennett Photography
Address: Houston, TX, US
Telephone: +1-713-858-7634
Price range: $$$

Sydney and Cade outside St. Paul’s before their Hotel ZaZa Houston wedding reception.

Sydney and Cade’s Hotel ZaZa Houston wedding brought together white flowers, deep teal dresses, and a black-tie celebration that ended with a packed dance floor. They married at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church on October 14, 2023, then celebrated at Hotel ZaZa Museum District with planning by Belle Events.

There’s a lot to love in the details, from the lace on Sydney’s gown to the illustrated cocktail napkins. But the photographs I keep coming back to are the ones that put those details alongside the people: a hug before the ceremony, a look beneath the veil, and friends right in the middle of the party.

Getting ready at Hotel ZaZa

The day began with champagne, finishing touches, and a room full of friends. Sydney’s gown from Casa de Novia Bridal Couture had a lace neckline and a long train that caught the window light beautifully. Ivory and deep teal stationery from Bering’s introduced the palette, while Lovelykind Beauty handled hair and makeup.

Ivory and deep teal wedding invitations with a ring box and white flowers.

Lace wedding dress and long train hanging in a sunlit hotel window.

White pointed-toe wedding shoes with sparkling ankle straps on lace fabric.

Fabric-covered buttons and floral lace on Sydney’s wedding dress.

Sydney having her makeup finished while wearing a white robe.

Sydney and her bridesmaids raising champagne glasses before getting dressed.

Sydney having the lace neckline of her wedding dress adjusted beside a window.

Sydney smiling as she hugs a man in a tuxedo before the wedding.

Bridesmaids in deep teal dresses seeing Sydney in her wedding gown.

Sydney smiling beside a hotel window in her lace wedding gown.

Cade having his black bow tie adjusted before the wedding.

Cade wearing a black tuxedo and white boutonniere beside a hotel window.

White boutonniere pinned to a black tuxedo lapel.

A first look at St. Paul’s

Sydney and Cade saw each other before the ceremony inside St. Paul’s. That part of the day gave us a different kind of photograph: the first reaction, a handwritten note, and time together before joining the wedding party outside. The stone walls and greenery made a lovely setting for their portraits.

If you’re considering a first look, here are eight ways to make room for it in your wedding day.

Sydney and Cade reacting to one another during their church first look.

Sydney reading a handwritten note to Cade inside the church.

Cade kissing Sydney’s temple as she smiles outside the church.

Sydney and Cade touching foreheads beneath her veil.

Sydney and Cade kissing as their wedding party cheers outside St. Paul’s.

Sydney and her bridesmaids holding white bouquets outside St. Paul’s.

Sydney and Cade walking beside the stone exterior of St. Paul’s.

The ceremony

White flowers and greenery by Bergner & Johnson complemented the church’s tall arches. A wide view shows the setting they married in; their smiles walking back down the aisle tell the rest.

White flowers and greenery arranged in an urn inside St. Paul’s.

Wide view of Sydney and Cade’s wedding ceremony beneath the vaulted church ceiling.

Sydney and Cade smiling as they walk back down the aisle together.

White florals and a black-and-white reception

At Hotel ZaZa Museum District, white arrangements, green taper candles, gold chargers, and black napkins filled the reception tables. Bergner & Johnson’s florals carried the look through the room, and a black-and-white dance floor from Mike’s Dance Floor Rentals gave the party its center.

A three-tier cake from Three Brothers Bakery continued the white floral palette. Blue cocktail napkins with dog illustrations added a playful detail beside the drinks.

Hotel ZaZa reception room with white flowers, long tables and a chandelier.

White floral centerpiece with tall green candles and gold chargers.

Three-tier white wedding cake decorated with white flowers beside a window.

Ranch water and vodka lemonade with blue illustrated cocktail napkins.

Blue cocktail napkin with a dog illustration and the name Bogey.

Reserved family table with gold chargers, black napkins and white flowers.

From the first dance to the last song

This is where the gallery changes pace. The first dance and family dances led into toasts, cake, and a dance floor full of friends. The Drywater Band brought the live music, with a saxophonist right among the guests and party wands raised overhead.

I want your wedding photographs to bring back both sides of the day: the way everything looked before the room filled, and the way it felt once everyone was in it.