First commissioned by couples to document and preserve wedding day memories, many of his poignant photographs have appeared online, in newspapers, books and even on magazine covers across worldwide media. Some of these timeless images have achieved notoriety reaching iconic status and a select few are honored with placement in the Smithsonian’s permanent collection owing to historical significance. We present a compendium of treasured Denis Reggie photographs, most originally captured on film.
Classic Denis Reggie Photographs
stories behind some of his most recognizable images
Quietly watching the antics of these two adorable flower girls during the wedding ceremony with a telescopic lens, I smiled as I witnessed this moment. Twenty-six years later, I was honored to be contacted by the grown-up former flower girl (on right with hand extended) as a bride-to-be to ask me to photograph her upcoming wedding. I smile every time I think of her then and now.
One of my early wedding assignments in Atlanta was for a noted art gallery owner in Buckhead. Adorable pet Henry had the run of the reception and when I saw him keeping so close to the bride, I fell to my knees to capture dog and garter perched under the fashionable canopy of her cropped bridal dress. This classic has been published worldwide in numerous art and photography books.
One of the most elegant yet simple weddings I had ever photographed happened on rustic and remote Cumberland Island, Georgia in an old wooden chapel. John Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette exchanged vows by candlelight and avoided any media attention. I was honored to be in on the secret and to be their photographer.
This iconic image of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette exiting their secret wedding ceremony was taken in total darkness in a remote place at a time when cameras used film and were focused manually. My flash illuminated the instant the groom gallantly reached for and kissed the hand of his bride. I adore her expression of surprise and the tenderness of the scene. It became one of the most visible wedding photographs ever and is part of the permanent collection at The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington.
Back from the time when smoking was permitted in public, the scene at this stately New York club on Park Avenue took on a mood from another era, maybe a speakeasy from the thirties. The bride is a noted fashion and beauty expert who was also founding editor of Allure magazine.
For one of his final portrait sessions, I was summoned to his home in Hyannis Port to create a series of photographs of Senator Edward Kennedy on an October evening at sunset. This warm portrait with his schooner Mya visible in the harbor became the cover photograph for his best-selling True Compass autobiography.
Photographing the Hyannis Port wedding of Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Kennedy compound was both an honor and challenge. Blustery winds off Cape Cod played havoc with Maria's veil in this memorable scene. It was a pivotal moment in my adaptation of wedding photojournalism in deciding whether to stop to help the ladies in distress - having been raised to be a Southern gentleman - or to just keep photographing the fun. It became my first LIFE magazine double-page photograph and later included in a book showcasing their editors' favorite photographs of the decade .
From our True Compass photo session in Hyannis Port in 2008 came this dramatic portrait at dusk of Senator Kennedy at his home overlooking the sea. At the request of the Smithsonian, this portrait is now part of the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington.
A perfectly sunny afternoon for their tented wedding reception when I captured this moment as the newlyweds rush to greet reception guests after arriving at the venue by car. Black-and-white seemed to be the perfect medium to capture this moment given the light and shadows.
This festive New Orleans wedding included a second line march through the French Quarter led by these opposing political operative newlyweds and a guest list of notables from both sides of the aisle. Their reception including this cake cutting was held at historic Arnaud's Restaurant.