When Washington, D.C.-area wedding photographer Kanayo Adibe was referred to couple Mercedes and Jarrett Morton, things just fit. “They had just had their engagement photos done but were not satisfied, so their wedding planner (Jamésa Brown of Jayne Heir Weddings) set up a meeting with the couple. Within a few minutes of talking, we all knew we were on the same page. They were really interested in high-impact imagery and creative portraits with unconventional techniques, so we set up an engagement session, reserved their wedding date and went from there.”

All Photos © Kanayo Adibe

Photographed at Ceresville Mansion in Frederick, Maryland, the wedding day went smoothly. “The only real challenge was time,” Adibe explains. “Jarrett was fashionably late to the venue for prep because he had car trouble, so when he arrived we had to move at a much faster pace than we normally would, but it wasn’t really much of an issue—I work pretty well under pressure.”

Says Adibe: “What was special for me was getting to learn about the couple’s history—all they had been through together and also seeing how they were able to cope with certain wedding day hiccups together, as a unit, forever strong. It was really inspirational. Jarrett is a man of few words and usually has only one facial expression, but on this day, he was full of words and emotions. It was a true testament to what Mercedes means to him. This was really a beautiful day to document.”

GEAR BOX
Adibe says he typically brings the same gear to all his weddings…
Cameras: Two Nikon D810s (hanging from Holdfast Gear’s Moneymaker multi-camera strap)
Lenses: Nikon 20mm f/1.8, 35mm f/2, 45mm f/2.8 PCE, 58mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.8 and the 135mm f/2
Lighting: One video light and two speed lights
Bag: Think Tank Airport Extreme

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