Denis Reggie is an American photographer who popularized the genre of wedding photojournalism.David Shonauer (December 19, 2008) "A Conversation with Denis Reggie"
PopPhoto.com

Life and career

Denis Reggie was born into a prominent family of Lebanese descent in Crowley, Louisiana. His father, Edmund Reggie, was a local judge and banker, and his mother, Doris Ann Boustany, was a Democratic National committeewoman. His mother's family was wealthy from a Louisiana bakery business. At the

1956 Democratic National Convention The 1956 Democratic National Convention nominated former Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois for president and Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee for vice president. It was held in the International Amphitheatre on the South Side of Chicag ...

, Edmund Reggie helped deliver his state's delegates for the vice-presidential nomination to Senator

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

, which sparked a lifelong alliance with the Kennedy family, to whom he was a close advisor. Kennedy visited the Reggies in Crowley in 1959. Years later, Doris Ann Boustany would cast the only Louisiana delegate vote for Ted Kennedy at the 1980 Democratic National Convention. Denis Reggie attended

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...

, where he took photographs for the yearbook and local newspapers.PDN and Kodak Professional Legends Online: Denis Reggie Biography
, Kodak.com Reggie became a full-time wedding photographer, specializing in society weddings. He started photographing Kennedy family weddings in 1980 when Ethel Kennedy hired him to photograph her daughter Courtney Kennedy Hill's wedding."PDN and Kodak Professional Legends Online: Denis Reggie Interview
", Kodak.com A 1987 profile in ''The New York Times'' said that he "might be the hottest photographer of the moment."
The New York Times In 1996 he took the photograph of

John Kennedy Jr. John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. (November 25, 1960 – July 16, 1999), often referred to as John-John or JFK Jr., was an American lawyer, journalist, and magazine publisher. He was a son of the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kenn ...

kissing the hand of

Carolyn Bessette Carolyn Jeanne Bessette-Kennedy (January 7, 1966July 16, 1999) was a publicist for Calvin Klein. After her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr., Bessette-Kennedy's relationship with her husband and her fashion sense became the subjects of media scru ...

that was described by ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' as the watershed image that transformed wedding photography forever.Explorer of Light - Denis Reggie
, Canon Digital Learning Center Reggie is based in Atlanta and travels to photograph a wedding nearly every weekend. In April 2011 Reggie told ''The Wall Street Journal'' he had photographed 1,900 weddings.Sarah Tilton (April 8, 2011) "English Charm... in the South"
WSJ.com He has produced instruction material and video tutorials for camera and photographic manufacturers,PDN and Kodak Professional Legends Online
, Kodak.com Canon, and

PocketWizard The PocketWizard is a wireless radio triggering system for off-camera lighting developed in the late 1990s, by LPA Design, an American company based in South Burlington, Vermont. It requires a transmitter electrically connected to the camera, usu ...

.PocketWizard Inspirations Profile - Denis Reggie
, PocketWizard.comResources for the Wedding Photojournalist
, LearnPhoto.Pro In addition to more than 21 Kennedy weddings, Reggie's clients have included

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...

, Vera Wang,

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as "Witchy Woman", "Despe ...

, Chris O'Donnell, Noah Wyle,

Alan Greenspan Alan Greenspan (born March 6, 1926) is an American economist who served as the 13th chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006. He works as a private adviser and provides consulting for firms through his company, Greenspan Associates LLC. ...

and

Andrea Mitchell Andrea Mitchell (born October 30, 1946) is an American television journalist, anchor and commentator for NBC News, based in Washington, D.C. She is NBC News' chief foreign affairs & chief Washington correspondent, reporting on the 2008 presid ...

, Dominick Dunne,

Tom Clancy Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science, military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of ...

Karenna Gore Karenna Aitcheson Gore (born August 6, 1973) is an American author, lawyer, and climate activist. She is the eldest daughter of former U.S. vice president Al Gore and Tipper Gore and the sister of Kristin Gore, Sarah Gore Maiani, and Albert Gore ...

Carey Lowell Carey Lowell (born February 11, 1961) is an American actress and former model, best known as ADA Jamie Ross in ''Law & Order'' (1996–2001, 2022) and as Bond girl Pam Bouvier in the James Bond movie ''Licence to Kill'' (1989). Early life ...

Ted Turner Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, cable news ch ...

, Peter Jennings,

Bob Schieffer Bob Lloyd Schieffer (born February 25, 1937) is an American television journalist. He is known for his moderation of presidential debates, where he has been praised for his capability. Schieffer is one of the few journalists to have covered all f ...

Mary Matalin Mary Joe Matalin (born August 19, 1953) is an American political consultant well known for her work with the Republican Party. She has served under President Ronald Reagan, was campaign director for George H. W. Bush, was an assistant to Preside ...

and James Carville, Holly Hunter,

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreograph ...

, Fran Tarkenton, Susan Lucci, Emilio Estevez, Maria Shriver and

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

, Kenneth Cole, Mario Cuomo, and

Rudolph Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...

. Reggie has appeared on ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...

'', ''

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...

,'' and the '' Today show''. A series of his photos is now part of the permanent collection of the

National Museum of American History The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and military history. Among the items on display is t ...

of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reggie, Denis American photographers Living people Wedding photographers Year of birth missing (living people)