how crystal greeted robin for their first look.

my most favorite part about first looks are that it gives couples a chance to be themselves.  to be alone and really experience their wedding day and the emotions they have.  some couples cry, some laugh.  some do both.  :)

a little shoe change before the reception.

i’ll leave you with a peek at this image from the mug machine.  best. photo. ever?

Parts are parts? 

Do you remember the commercial where the disgruntled, messy chickens were flying down the road in an old beat up car? They wanted to become Foster Farm chickens…you know…the excellent chickens. Those goofy birds finally got it – you can fluff them up all you want but they are still messy, skinny ole birds!!

Flowers are not just flowers! They have so many variables to them, so many grades. I remember when guys would come into the flower shop asking for a dozen long stem roses. Little did they know, a long stem rose is really only a second grade rose. Roses come in many lengths and with each come different head sizes. The longer the rose stem, the bigger, fuller and prettier a rose head can be. For example, a rose can be purchased in 40, 50, 60, 70 and even 80 centimeters. The “long stem” rose is about a 50 cm rose so you can see there are usually three sizes that are bigger and fuller. The other grading system is medium, long, fancy and extra fancy. So, you can see the “long stem” rose isn’t really such a big deal!! I usually explain this to my brides by making another comparison – take for example jeans. You can buy a pair from Walmart for say $15.00 and you can buy  a pair of Miss Me for $100.00 (yes, I know there are a lot that are even more expensive) Now, they are both jeans….both have two legs, both are denim, both have pockets, both have a zipper, both can be worn to the movies but you sure wouldn’t say they are the same!! Well, the same can be said for flowers ….just because someone says…I can make a bridal bouquet of all red roses for $100.00 doesn’t mean there is going to be any comparison to a spectacular high grade rose. On the surface it’s easy to be fooled but get the two in front of you and I assure you, you’ll pick the better one! The problem lies in a bride and her mom picking out that one of a kind bouquet not knowing the right questions to ask. You see, a florist never says, “Well, it will be made with 36 Ecuadorian, 70 to 80 cm all white roses. The variety will be Polar Star.” They just say, “It will be an all white rose bouquet.”  Then they can show up with whatever they want much to your chagrin! Now, you might say “I don’t even want roses” well, ALL flowers are selected and graded. There are florist grade and supermarket grade. There are always variables to each and every flower.

That leads me on another topic….colors are not just colors! Red is not just red, there is red to the orange side and red to the blue side! For example, tomatoes and blood red – you can imagine there are lots of shades of red in between. White can be to the yellow side or green, purple can be to the pink or blue sides! All the colors are not the  same….all the varieties are not the same…all the qualities are not the same….Parts are not parts in chickens or flowers!

Fake flowers are just that….FAKE!

To many times a bride gets her hopes up on a particular flower that maybe she saw in a local craft shop. She’ll come in with a few plastic or silk flowers and think we can provide her with them in real flowers only to be disappointed. In the days of Google images, it’s so easy to see if the flowers you prefer come in the colors you want. Check it out…it’s a great tool!

Magazines and blogs are giving brides unrealistic visions of color! To many times the editor or blogger is enhancing the color to “make it prettier” or more with today’s trend. Some (of course not AlexM…lol) photographers are “color correcting” and this changes the color as well as the expectation of the bride.

Brides….did you know that the groom has responsibility in paying for some of the flowers? Grooms and/or their parents are responsible to pay for the brides bouquet, the portrait bouquet, all the men’s boutonnieres and the mother’s and grandmother’s corsages or posy’s. Ask the florist to separate  the flower totals and make two copies of the contract so one can be presented to the groom. It will take you out of the equation and give credence to asking them to pay for their part.

When consulting with a florist, make sure you find one that has pictures of their own work and will guide you through the decision making process. I do my best to make sure to capture each and every brides vision of their day as each is as unique and special as every bride. So much of the time I see a bride come in for her last meeting with me and she’s exhausted and “just can’t wait for it to be over with!” Remember to ask for help, hire the very best professionals, let go of a few of the decisions and take time to relax and enjoy the best day of your life!

Wishing you a happily ever after!
Barbara | La Tee Da

Didn’t I tell you she was awesome?
Still wanna see more?  Take a look at all the “La Tee Da Weddings” I’ve photographed the past few years.

It has been TOO long since I shot at Castle on the Lake.  It felt so great to be back.  (Britian and her staff do such a great job of making weddings super easy for everyone involved and it was great to see them all again.  You brides out there looking for a place near Jacksonville totally need to look at this place.)

I also snagged this shot of Darcee when she first saw her bouquet.

Seriously.  How great are all the florals La Tee Da Flowers pulled off for this wedding?!?!

Let them eat cake!!! (Really tasty / good looking cakes from Designs By D’Anne.)

This is what we in the business refer to as a “wardrobe malfunction”.

Thank you two for an amazing day.  You were the best.

This awesome!

Happy Anniversaries to Bethany & Nathaniel, Jennifer & Jeb, Courtney & Jonathan, and Julia & Robert!!

Arabella Manor (Gilmer, TX)
http://arabellamanorevents.com/
903.746.5461

Bella Sera Ranch (Palestine, TX)
http://www.bellaseraranch.com/
903.723.0900

Centaur Arabian Farms (Flint, TX)
http://www.centaurarabianfarms.com/
903.561.6926

Kiepersol Estates Bushman’s (Bullard, TX)
http://www.kiepersol.com/bushmans/index.html
903.894.7505

Stone Oak Ranch (Athens, TX)
http://www.stoneoakranch.com/main/
903.530.7947

One of the coolest things about Castle is their HUGE bridal suite.  This thing just blows away every other location.  If you have ever been a bridesmaid you know just how crowded these “prep” rooms can get.  Not the case with castle.  I shot a wedding with 10 bridesmaids getting ready in this room and there was still plenty of room for moms, aunts, and grandparents to come in and visit.  It’s awesome.

They have a couple of options for your ceremony.  One is a big a big tree.

The second is a cool rock wall they just built.

Finally, here is a video that Vanessa McKellar just shot.  Brittan is the bride you’ll see.  (La Tee Da Flowers did the flowers.)She’s also the owner and runs this place day in and day out.  She is super nice and will totally become your BFF as she helps you put together your wedding day.  Give her a call and get this placed booked! 903.721.3593.

Castle on the Lake
http://www.jacksonvillecastle.com/
903.721.3593.

This is part of a new ceremony area that the are putting in.  It should be done in the next few weeks, but I didn’t want to wait to start shooting there.

Sometimes brides get hot in East Texas outside in August.

Thank you two for a great night.  I’ll have an album design heading your way soon.

My tip to you… If you are using sparklers, don’t skimp on them.  Get the longer ones.  The short ones burn out way to quick.  Sometimes before you even get to them.  Also, make sure your guest wait to light them till you are standing there ready to exit.  If not, you’ll end up running though a thick cloud of smoke.

Happy 1 year to Lindsey & Justin, Mindy & Dustin, and Davi & Jonathan.

Past couples, this is your chance to leave a nice comment about me and how much fun I was to work with.

Villa di Felicita | (903) 597-0002 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)

Castle on the Lake | 903-721-3593 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)

The Legacy Venue | 903.571.9644 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)
The Belgium House | (903) 660-0125 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)
Elmwood Gardens | (903) 724-5619 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)
Roseland Plantation | (903) 849-5553 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)

Hunt Villa | (903) 597-0002 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)

100% natural lens flare. Yummy!

Everyone loves Mario Kart.

Check out the rock!  I can’t wait to get some ring shots of this thing on the wedding day!

The boys are at the age where wedgies are “fun”  Blake is happy to oblige.

Yep, that’s an official regulation size wrestling mat in the living room.

How about those eyes?

Keep an eye out for the wedding at Castle on the Lake in about a month!

From December 28 – December 31 I’ll be posting my favorite 10 images in 4 categories. Engagements, Brides, Rings, & Weddings. I’ll be closing the voting on January 4th so keep everyone in your office/school/home coming back and voting till then. This is the last set of entries.

I LOVE capturing images of a bride and groom alone on their wedding day. Most of these came from their First Look. Take a look, vote, then have a Happy New Year!

Also, once you have voted, go ahead and become a Fan on Facebook to keep up with other contests throughout the year.

Well, it’s that time of year again. Just like last year, you guys will get to vote on the best images of the year. The winners in each category will receive a large 16×20 print of their winning image! You can vote once a day so come back each day and make sure you tell your friends to come vote if you ant to win.

From December 28 – December 31 I’ll be posting my favorite 10 images in 4 categories. Engagements, Brides, Rings, & Weddings. I’ll be closing the voting on January 4th so keep everyone in your office/school/home coming back and voting till then.

Photographing a couples wedding rings is one of my favorite parts of the wedding day.  I LOVE incorporating something that’s special to them in the shots and because I have so much fun shooting them, it’s hard to only have 10…. so…. how about 15?!  Vote Away!

Also, once you have voted, go ahead and become a Fan on Facebook to keep up with other contests throughout the year.

She snuck her fiancee’s guitar away for the session.  

Of course we had to work the fish face in.