Picture Perfect

Texarkana Native Jayce Keil and Husband Brian O’Reilly Document Luxury Weddings All Over the World
By Jenny McCormack Walker

Jayce Keil and Brian O’Reilly are luxury destination wedding photographers who have traveled the world helping couples document the happiest days of their lives. They invest a lot of time studying wedding trends and finding ways to infuse cultural influences into their work. While they shine as they cover posh ceremonies abroad in Ireland, France, Amsterdam, and the UK, their own romance has been a beautiful and sometimes messy adventure. They wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Jayce, a Texarkana native, met Brian while she was working as a ski instructor in Telluride, Colorado. Brian was a river guide from Ireland who had been in West Virginia for a river festival. Just before he was set to return home, a last-minute impromptu trip to Colorado with a friend changed the course of his life.

Photo by jacye keil photography

“I had three days left on my visa, and my friend had worked in Telluride before,” Brian said. “He said we should go, and I wanted to make the most of my time. I went, and that’s where I met Jayce.”

In those three days, Jayce taught Brian to ski, but snow was not the only thing that was falling. They kept in touch, and the adventurous duo soon made exciting plans to get to know each other in a big way: by backpacking together across Southeast Asia. 

“It was challenging,” Brian laughed. “We almost broke up several times, but we made it through. We found out that I was better at booking the hotels, and she took care of me when the ATM ate my debit card. It all worked out.”

Alongside their love, Jayce found herself enamored by another new passion on that trip as well: photography. 

jayce in florence, italy

When they left Asia, Jayce and Brian began to explore Australia until COVID quickly sent them both back to their home countries. They continued their long-distance relationship, and Jayce used that time to take classes online to develop her skills as a photographer. When she and Brian married two years later, she convinced him to join her for a new adventure: shooting weddings across the globe.

“At first, he was a pack mule carrying my stuff for me,” Jayce said. “Then he started working as a second photographer, but later we realized that he could really offer a lot as a videographer.”

Brian in Tuscany, Italy during a wedding he and Jayce shot together.

Jayce and Brian strive to go beyond providing the standard wedding shots; instead, they aim to build relationships with their clients, which enables them to create more personal and intimate photos and videos.

“Each wedding is different,” Jayce said. “We try to craft a story for each couple. We become their friends and get to know them. We follow them on social media and talk to them a lot leading up to the wedding. We really become friends with the bride and groom, and that makes all the difference in the way we are able to really capture and tell their story.”

Jayce and Brian also stay current on wedding trends, cultural perspectives, and even fashion photography in order to give their clients the best service. 

Jayce on a shoot at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.

“I want every bride to feel her most beautiful and know she is worth celebrating,” Jayce said. “So that means we have to be the best at what we do. We are constantly learning new things.”

While they are committed to keeping up with the most up-to-date photography methods, the couple also respects and appreciates classic photography standards. In fact, they now shoot not only with digital cameras but also occasionally on film.

“I love shooting with film,” Jayce said. “I’m really excited that we are bringing it back for some of our work.”

Jayce and Brian with their pet corgi, Mae, in Hot Springs, Arkansas when they were married.

Jayce and Brian want their business to make a difference for the couples they serve, but they also want to make a difference in the environment. To that end, they have committed to using clean energy and environmentally friendly products. Further, they donate a portion of proceeds from each shoot to clean water charities. 

Weddings are their specialty, but Jayce and Brian also take portraits, family photos, and senior pictures when they are in Texarkana. You can find them online at jaycekeil.com and on Instagram @jaycekeil.