Art, décor, family and photography- it's all part of me!
Oh, I love this time of year- I get to photograph lots of families in anticipation for Christmas, and the leaves are changing- it just makes everything so beautiful. I met the Blackburn family at Texas Tech for their photoshoot (they are big Tech fans). Though it rained and poured the next day, we had beautiful weather. These guys are super nice and I had such a great time with them. Here are some of my favorites!
I love, love, love getting to photograph this family- they are always so much fun and dressed so well. :) Jessica is 5 months pregnant with their second baby girl and Miss Chloie is super excited about meeting her new baby sister. We had some fun in downtown Lubbock for their shoot this year.
I brought some confetti to play with at the end!
I am so, so excited to be making this post because it means little Hannah Jaide is on her way! Nate and Laci are some of my favorite people and I just can't wait to see them as parents. I was so excited to get to document Laci's baby bump before Hannah makes her appearance (her due date is my birthday!). Here are some of my faves:
Michael and Breann were married just a few weeks ago at Moonwater Weddings in Amarillo. I love October weddings- the weather was crisp, but not too cold, and the sun was a goldeny-yellow. Michael and Breann were equally as wonderful to work with. Right before their first look I asked Michael how he was doing and his response was, "I'm good- I just hope Breann is doing okay." Breann, you picked a good one. :) These two are expecting a baby girl in December and I know she is already much-loved. Here are some of my favorite images from their big day!
Wedding Gown: David's Bridal
Men's Suits: Men's Wearhouse
Bridesmaids Dresses: David's Bridal
Venue: Moonwater Weddings
Caterer: Cattle Call
Hair: Milan Institute
Makeup: Jennifer Jowers- sister of the bride (also Matron of Honor)
Invitations: Designin' Minds
Programs: Michael + Breann made their own
They both picked their First Look as the favorite moment of the day.
She said: "I was getting a little nervous as time was getting closer and seeing him helped put me at ease."
He said: "Seeing Bre in her wedding dress for the first time. She looked so beautiful. "
There were a ton of little boys at this wedding who were all having so much fun running around and playing. This little guy's name is Knox!
I was so excited to photograph our friends Jeremiah and Hannah, and their new son Samuel. Since his Mommy is quite a talented photographer, there are many beautiful photos of him, but I was excited to have a turn! Hannah's style is so perfectly defined and I just love how she styled their clothing. For me, this shoot was a bit different- I was able to take a few more risks and experiment with a few new ideas that I knew these guys would be willing to let me try- and I'm so glad they did- here are some of my favorites:
Shawn came along with me for this photoshoot, and I love this image he got:
I can't believe my cousin Trey is a senior this year! He lives in Canyon, TX and so we went to downtown Amarillo for a bit to capture his curls before they are cut. :) Trey is a super-talented guy who is involved in everything from soccer to the school musical. Plus he loves Jesus- so that makes him extra cool!
Had to do a little animation...
The one on the left is his superman pose.
What a blessing it was to get to photograph this couple and their big day! I have know Jennifer pretty much all my life- the last time I'd seen her was my wedding almost 6 years ago! The venue, the Mansion at Judges' Hill, was so beautiful and the perfect setting for a New Orleans-inspired wedding like this. I have so many favorites- get ready!
Venue: Mansion at Judges' Hill
Bride's Gown: Annais
Groom's Suit: Jos. A Bank
Groomsmen: Jos. A Bank & others
Bridesmaids: David's Bridal
Floral & Event Design: Season Celebrations
Cake + Cookies: Hey Cupcake
Caterer: Mansion at Judges' Hill
DJ: Best DJs Texas
Hair: Lucie Marie
Makeup: Kristin Pistokache
Bride's Hairpiece: HOUSEofLOVELY
Jenn included her parent's wedding bands, Mother's engagement ring, and her Father's Aggie ring on her bouquet.
Jenn had her bridesmaids write a note on the bottom of her shoes- cool idea!
I loved that they included a crossword in their programs!
The walk down the aisle was cited as the favorite moment for both of them.
Jenn: "Walking down the aisle with my brother. I couldn't hold back my emotions, but once I got to Brian at the end, he put me at ease by cracking jokes & making me laugh."
Brian: "Seeing Jenn for the first time in her dress as she made her way down the stairs and down the aisle."
My Mom and family friends did such a great job creating a New Orleans feel to the reception- it was gorgeous!
Brian's favorite wedding purchase were these aviators they donned walking into the reception. Jenn's was the custom hairpiece from HOUSEofLOVELY (my sister!).
I have cute parents, huh?
There were several amazing dancers at this wedding- I felt like I was watching Dancing with the Stars!
Brian + Jennifer's advice to future brides + grooms?
Brian: "Don't stress the small things. Take a deep breath it will be over soon enough. Oh yeah, alcohol in the room."
Jenn: "Get everything planned out ahead of time, so you're not rushing around on the day of the wedding. That way, you can just relax & have a good time. Try to take it all in... it's over so quickly! Also, have a dollar dance at your reception -- it's an easy way to briefly say hi to your guests & thank them for coming. It's also an easy way to make a little bit of extra cash. :)"
They both also mentioned it would have been nice to purposely greet all their guests throughout the night so they could see and talk to everyone. :)
Thanks so much you guys- congrats!
This easygoing couple didn't have many requests for their shoot except that it was in a place without a lot of people. They love being outdoors and out-of-pocket (as do I), so we found the perfect spot to avoid the wind and soak up the sun. They'll be getting married in April, and though I don't get to shoot their wedding, I'm honored to have gotten to photograph this session for them.
I LOVE weddings in the fall. Crisp, clear skies, a cool tempurature, and the trees are covered in pretty shades of brown, yellow and green. This was my first time to shoot at The Legacy here in Lubbock- crazy because I've been around a while! There were so many places to shoot- and thankfully Kris and Jessica were up for it all. Here are some of my favorites from their day, along with their commentary looking back. But first, their awesome vendors:
Venue: The Legacy
Wedding Gown: Mori Lee
Bridesmaids: Various Designers including ModCloth, J. Crew and BCBG
Groomsmen: Jim's Tuxedos @ Gown Town
Florist: United Market Street
Cake: Slaton Bakery
Caterer: Honeychild
Special Music/DJ: Bo Garza
Hair: Karri Jackson @ Davidson Taylor
Makeup: Bobbi Brown
Photobooth: 4 Frames Photobooths
Garter: The Chica Boutique
Programs: HodgePodge Design
Jessica's friends and family helped create almost all the decor at the reception and ceremony including the centerpieces, bird seed bags, cake table decorations and cake back drop.
The Legacy is full of gorgeous artwork- I loved every little corner!
The brooches on Jessica's bouquet are her grandmothers'.
This is the part where I asked the ladies to stand in a 3-foot space- totally possible right?!? Haha, well they made it happen, and I am very grateful...
Delivering Jessica's note to Kris-
Jessica's thoughts on their First Look: "It was a very special to get to spend a few minutes together without anyone else around. I remember I got super nervous before going into do my first look, I was really anxious for him to see me! I loved seeing his first reaction up close and getting to hear his feelings about the way I looked and about the day in general. After the first look the nerves went away and the evening seemed more relaxed, not to mention you get to do a ton of cute pictures and get to your reception quicker!!"
Kris's Favorite Moment(s): "My most memorable moment of the day was the first look. As soon as I turned around, I got a little choked up seeing how beautiful Jessica was in her wedding dress. She looked amazing. Another part of the day was during the cake cutting. When everyone was surrounding us in the small area, it just seemed special to me that everyone took part in our BIG DAY."
I think he was pleased- love his face in the second image!
I love having a second shooter at every wedding. Here you can see Shanna's view:
And mine:
There were SO many beautiful details-
Hello adorable flower girls.
Jessica's advice to future brides: "For brides the moment I wish I would have taken in a little more, was walking down the aisle. It went by so quick and was so special to me that when I got to the end I wanted to do it again so I could really take that moment in!"
Jessica's Favorite Moment: "My favorite part of the day was saying our vows. That part has always meant the most to me and I unexpectedly got really emotional and wasn't sure I would be able to finish saying them! I knew it was going to be a special moment for me, but it was a completely different and amazing experience when you actually hear yourself say the wedding vows."
You know it will be a good party when this happens when the bride and groom enter:
K+J said their favorite wedding purchase was the 4 Frames Photobooth. It was hilarious to see what was going in and out of there.
Yes- this happened during the dollar dance- and I felt it needed to be blogged. :)
I bet these guys are still finding birdseed. :)
Thank you two so much for trusting me with your big day!