How great is that.  It made me want to try extra extra hard to make them fancy photos at their wedding.  I think it worked.  They were married and Elmwood Gardens and it was cool.  Check it out.

Good looking food.

OK, enough details, let’s jump to their First Look and a few of the portraits that they rocked.

By the way, i’m sure you have noticed how all the flowers look amazing.  I WONDER WHO COULD HAVE DONE THEM?

On to the reception.  Big shout out to Music on Wheels and Tyler Uplights for making everything look and sound good.

Here are some photos of a guy digging for something, guys reaching for it, and girls trying to catch flowers.  Also, that guy who caught the something was pretty excited.

 Thanks for trusting me with your day.  You guys rock.

True story: This was Audrey’s “something blue”.

Her sister may have teared up as Audrey went off for her First Look.

Audrey likes horses.  Horses like flowers.

Check out all the beautiful people in beautiful clothes looking beautiful.
I think when both parents walk the bride down the aisle it’s kinda super cool.

Thank you two so so much for trusting me to capture your 1st day of marriage.  You are awesome.

So, I just finished a stretch of 9 shoots in 11 days.  Tons of shootings, tons of driving, tons of editing, tons of fun.

Locations included:
Brenner’s Steakhouse  (Houston)
Kiepersol Estates (Bullard)
Crescent Hotel (Dallas)
La Torretta Resort & Spa (Conroe)
The Arbor (Tyler)
Elmwood Gardens (Elmwood)
Tyler Public Library (Tyler)
Castle on the Lake (Jacksonville)
Capital Building (Austin)

Not to mention some crazy stuff in The Mug Machine.

Enjoy a smorgasbord of photos below.

(Voting lasts fro about 24 hours. The winner will receive a 16×20 image. Winners will be announced on Monday.)

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.

I figure you wanna see a few photos but then the main reason you are hear is to watch our home movie from the trip.

Before we get to the album though, how about a HUGE shout out to all the great vendors that made this day happen:

Cakes: Designs by D’Anne
Catering: Traditions
DJ/Uplighting: P3 Sound
Flowers: La Tee Da Flowers
Planner: Davi Ingram of Perfect Plans
Rentals: Red Hat Rentals
Venue: Elmwood Gardens
Videographer: JMH Pro

This awesome!

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

We were heading to location # 2 when I saw this “location.” (read: private property/trespassing)  I whipped a U-turn and Amy and her mom did the same.  The jumped out of the car and ran into the field.  I think it was worth it.

A few days ago I got this perfect E-mail from Lindsey.  She sent it to me about a week after her wedding when she saw her album sneak peek.  Take a look.

“You know, I have to admit, I was VERY nervous that I would not like ANY of the pictures of me.  I am SUPER self conscious, and pretty much hate every picture I see of myself.  However, I am not claiming that I now think I am a super model or anything, but, I do love how you captured the way I felt in each picture you took.  Thank you! ” – Lindsey

E-mails like this totally  make my job worth doing.  I love that I was able to make her feel that way, but even more I love that Lindsey “gets” it.  My photos are not designed to make you look like a Cosmo cover.  They are not retouched to the point that you confuse them with something form glamor shots.  They are a reflection of who you are right now.  Of course I try to capture and document you from flattering angles and in ways that make you look your best, but at the same time as a bride, you need to come at this expecting realistic results.

You are are who you are and that’s fantastic.

The most ironic part is this whole day is about someone committing to you and saying I choose you above all else. But even then in the midst of all this, for many girls the insecurity about how they look still make them feel “ugly” or “not perfect”.   Your groom is choosing YOU.  He is standing up in front of everyone, in an uncomfortable suit you have chosen no less, and declaring YOU as his most favorite girl in the planet.  Stop and think about that.

You have being chosen.

You have been declared a perfect fit.

You are his super model.

So I don’t think I have ever started a wedding post with a shot of the bride without her makeup on…. but Lindsey’s expression when she saw her bouquet was too good not to show.  La Tee Da Flowers ALWAYS gets this reaction from their brides.  I love being in the room when Barbra walks in each wedding.

Jonathan’s father recently passed away so Lindsey surprised him with these cufflinks at their First Look.

Jonathan is a DEA special agent so these seemed fitting.

Lots and lots of First Look chatting, laughing, & smiling.

TC Makeup came down from Dallas and did a terrific job.  (She also finished on time.  A HUGE plus when considering a makeup artist.)

Designs by D’Anne did they cakes.  She also just got a new website so get over there and take a look.

I love love love these fingerprint trees couples are having at their weddings.
All The Single Ladies….

Reason 385 you need to hire a PROFESSIONAL DJ for your wedding:  About 5 seconds before the last dance was about to start Lindsey turned to Casey of CMBDJs and said, “can we change our last song to something fun and fast?”  (They had chosen a slow song a few weeks ago during one of their consultations.)

He asked her if she had a favorite and she said “uh…..”
1/2 a second later Casey suggested a song and had the whole place jumpin’
Every photo you see below happened because Casey knew just what to do and was able to react and make it happen in about 10 seconds.
The lesson?  Book a real DJ.

What song did he play?  You’ll have to call him to find out. 903.724.3192

Part 1.

Part 2:  Last year I asked one of my brides who broke off her engagement if she would be willing to share what that process was like and everything that it involved.  She was kind and brave enough to say yes.  It is still one of the most viewed pages on my website and  was the top Google result for broken engagement for a while last year.  Regardless of how great your engagement  or relationship is you should take the time to read what Kristin had to share.  (Read her story here.)

First off, let me just say I’m a huge fan of kids.  (Danielle & I made 4)  However, sometimes kids and weddings don’t mix so well, so here are a few tips to help ease the process.

1.  They Are In Charge

As much as possible work with THEIR schedule.  If you are having younger kids (Ages 1-4) in your wedding, do your best to let the day before and day of your wedding be as “normal” as possible.  Don’t try and keep them up till 9:45 at the rehearsal dinner and expect them smiling for photos at 8:00AM.  Most of this will fall on the parents.  But, let the parents know that you are aware that the little people have their own time table and you are willing to work with them.

2. Don’t Dress Them Up Too Soon

Every little girl can’t wait to put her dress on and every little boy can’t wait to take his suit off.  That’s just the reality.  The problem is the minute you put her dress on is the minute everyone starts expecting her to “act” like a princess.  The girl is 2, she’s going to drool, sit, and spit up on the dress.  Wait till the last minute to put it on.  The same is true of the boys.  If grown men don’t enjoy a suit, tie, vest, and pointy shoes, why do we think a 4 year old boy will.

3.  Entertain Them

Have an iPod or little DVD player in the dressing room.  This will keep them sitting still and quite.  (Two things you’ll want.)  Stickers, and coloring books are also a hit.  It’s also a great Idea to have a surprise toy waiting for them in their seat near the front if you want them to stick around.

4.  Shoot Them First

Plan on getting them dressed and walking them out to be photographed.  The last thing you want is to have them dressed and 2 hours go by before they are in any photos.  (They will look drastically different than what you imagined.)  If a kid does not want to be photographed there is NOTHING anyone can do to change their mind.  The best approach is to let them sit a few out and maybe try again later in the day.

5. Practice Does NOT Make Perfect

More than likely they will do great at your rehearsal.  The problem is the wedding day is slightly different.  The rehearsal is smaller, more intimate, and they probably know 65% of the people there.  The wedding is a HUGE production with 1,000,000 eyeballs staring straight at them.  Walking down the aisle with everyone staring at you makes the bride nervous.  It has the same affect on lots of kids.  If possible have a parent or grandparent near the front so the kids have someone to walk towards.  I’ve even see the groom meet them half way down and escort them the rest of the way.

6. Chillax

There are 350 people at your wedding.  Most of them know and understand that kids act like…. kids.  If they cry and fuss and don’t want to go down the aisle; it’s OK, you can still get married.  (Our ring bearer spiked the pillow like a football when he got to the front.)  If they insist on looking like an airplane during formals; it’s OK, you can still get married.

Kids really are a blast at weddings and they do and say some of the funniest things.  Nothing makes a little girl feel quite as special as getting all dressed up and having her picture taken while people tell her she’s beautiful.  That is after all why you’re getting married right?

Since this is the last category I’m going to leave the voting open all weekend so get to work people.  check back Monday morning when the winners in each category are announced.  Each category winner will receive a 16×20 print of their winning image. So pick an image, vote, then get on your Twitter and your Facebook and make your friends come vote.

Here are the images.

Quick run down of the rules. You can vote on each category once. There will be a new category every day this week. Then the polls are closed and the winners will be announced Jan 17th. Each category winner will receive a 16×20 print of their winning image. So pick an image, vote, then get on your Twitter and your Facebook and make your friends come vote.

Here are the images.

Come back tomorrow for Top 10 Mug Machine goodness!

Quick run down of the rules. You can vote on each category once. There will be a new category every day this week. Then the polls are closed and the winners will be announced Jan 17th. Each category winner will receive a 16×20 print of their winning image. So pick an image, vote, then get on your Twitter and your Facebook and make your friends come vote.

Here are the images.

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

While shooting my past two engagement sessions both brides commented to me how they are tired and slightly overwhelmed by everything they have been reading on the wedding blogs the frequent.

One bride mentioned that she can’t wait for “a stamp to just be a stamp again.”  (Rather than something she has to pick out, plan colors for, order hundreds of, and stick on envelopes.)  The other said she can’t wait for her wedding to be over so she does not have to keep checking them.

I have never planned a big wedding and I’m sure these sites contain a wealth of knowledge.  There really are so many little things that go into a wedding that it’s nice to get advice from those who have been there before.  Having said that, let me give you one tip.

Stop reading wedding blogs.

Even this one.

Seriously.  Take a step back.  Just be engaged.  It’s supposed to be fun.

There is a season and time for everything.  There is a time to plan and a time to enjoy.  I know that planning can be enjoyable, but if you find yourself getting frustrated of overwhelmed by what you “should” be doing then maybe it’s time to take a little break.  Try this.  Take a week off.  For one whole week don’t visit a wedding related site for any reason.  If and only if the world continues to spin, feel free to check back in after 7 days.

Happy planning and I’ll see you tomorrow.