AlexM Photography | Wedding Photographer for Tyler, Longview, Palestine, & East Texas » The Belgium House

Lauren & Blaine | Longview Wedding Photography

AlexM — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:06:52 +0000

I have no idea where to start talking about this AWESOME wedding. Why don’t we start with the…

Best. Bridesmaids. Ever.

Lauren & Blain were married at The Belgium House in Longview, TX. Fantastic place. Book them now. (903.660.0125)

Is it just me or does that custom AlexM Photography guest book look AMAZING!!!

Cakes by Edible Art. Tasty, delicious, and attractive. Book them now. (903.234.2114)

This is the cake topper that Lauren’s grandparents used. 57 years ago. Not bad.

Remember that time Lauren & Blaine had a First Look and birds chirped and magic happened?
My favorite two First Look moments.
1. Watching them hold hands in their own flirty way
2. Blaine complimenting and noticing all the details in her dress

One of the great things about The Belgium House is they also offer flowers. These were perfect. Like I said, call and book them. (903.660.0125)

I love this shot of Lauren creeping on her wedding guests while her sister creeps on her.

Remember those grandparents who have been married 57 years? They got to cut and eat some cake too.
DJ Daddy Co kept everyone dancing. While you are booking all your other vendors you should go ahead and call him too. (903.918.4555)
I love the groomsman showing modesty and respecting women….

kinda.

Lauren and a “few” of her Texas Tech Alpha Phi Sorority Sisters.
Thanks EVERYONE for a fantastic evening. You were too much fun.

Lauren | Bridal Photography Longview, TX

AlexM — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:00:32 +0000

Lauren was a totally DIVA at her bridal session. I really really love her dress. The funny thing is she didn’t even want to try it on but the lady at the shop talked her into it. Mad props to Lasting Bridal Couture in Addison, TX for picking out this killer gown. Also how about three cheers for Fox 111 Salon in Henderson for doing her hair & makeup. We romped all over The Belgium House in Longview for her session. OK, enough chit chat, here are the images.

I am not taking photos at a wedding this weekend.

AlexM — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:50:42 +0000

This feels a bit strange. This is my first weekend off since March 12th. That makes 21 weddings in the past 16 weeks. I’m not sure what I’ll do with my time off. (Maybe edit?)

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to take a quick peek back at my favorite image from each wedding. Here they are for your viewing pleasure.

Gini & Charlie | Wedding Photography Longview, TX

AlexM — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 15:00:37 +0000

Gini & Charlie are full of great expressions. They are some of the nicest people I have met and had such a great time hanging out with them on their wedding day at The Belgium House. Let’s go right to the First Look!

After a few moments alone Gini gave Charlie his wedding day gift.

Then Charlie gave Gini her gift. I think she liked it.

The Belgium House also offers you the option of having them do the flowers. These came out terrific.
Anytime Lori’s Eats & Sweets is catering I can’t wait to get tot he reception. DJ Daddy Co kept the dance floor moving the rest of the day.

Nikki & James | Wedding Photography Longview

AlexM — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:00:57 +0000

Nikki & James had a great day at The Belgium House in Longview. It had been a little while since I had shot there and it’s already great to go back. Jan and her staff do such a great job taking care of their brides. If you are getting married in the Longview area you should take a look at their place. On to the images!

James surprised Nikki with this wedding band during the ceremony. (She was happy.)

They exchanged gifts during their First Look.

Nikki got James a watch. (He was happy.)

One of the cool things they did was have a part of the ceremony that James’ daughter came up and the minister spoke to all three of them together.

I was totally hoping the Matron of Honor would get frazzled and read the welcome note side from the Fairfield Inn.
Thank you two for a great afternoon. Mug Machine magic coming your way later this week!

5 New Places To Get Married In East Texas

AlexM — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:00:15 +0000

It seems like every time I look up there is a new wedding venue in East Texas. (We already have The Villa di Felicita, Elmwood Gardens, The Belgium House, Castle on the Lake, Roseland Plantation, Hunt Villa, and The Legacy Venue.) I have not had a chance to shoot at all the new ones but still wanted to make you aware of them. Here are just a few of the newer places. Most are already open, some are opening soon. The good news for brides is you should be able to find a place to get married practically any day you want.

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

Gini & Charlie | Engagement Photography Tyler, TX

AlexM — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 01:44:34 +0000

After about 10 minutes with these two they quickly moved to the top of my “Weddings I Can’t Wait To Shoot Next Year” List. They were so fun and so laid back. They love to go out on the lake so that’s where we started the session. Here are a few of my favorites.

As we were driving along I became fascinated with Gini’s hair that was flying all over the place. I’m loving these two shots.

Charlie would “propose” to Gini every so often with a ring pop. One day he gave her this plastic ring without the sucker. She complained and then he gave her the wrapper with her ring inside it. Well played Charlie. Well played.

Like I said, I’m giddy as a school girl to get their wedding. It’s gonna be at The Belgium House in Longview & The Mug Machine will be wrecking havoc. Save the date folks.

2009 September Rewind

AlexM — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:58:26 +0000

Some of my favorites form this time last year. Enjoy.

5 Tips For A Tasty Wedding Cake

AlexM — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:00:55 +0000

Today’s tips are on choosing your wedding cake. Who better than the amazing ladies from Edible Art to help you with this choice. Check out their work.

1) Plan early- there is nothing more disappointing than to wait until March to plan your June wedding cake to find out the date is already booked.

2) Have ideas- research/look at pictures on the internet, magazines, do you like square, round cakes, flowers, no flowers, etc..

3) Make appointment with wedding cake designers- Have designer look at your picture ideas, listen to your ideas, sketch out your design so both of you have the same vision of your dream cake. Be sure to ask to taste the flavors of cake. Taste is as important as the design!

4) Once you have chosen your cake designer- pay a deposit asap and get you wedding date of the books. Brides are so disappointed when they wait 3 months and come back to find another bride booked her wedding date and now the designer cannot create her cake.

5) Confirm everything 30 days before your big day- Make sure the designer reviews your dream cake and both of you have the same vision.

(A note about Edible Art’s payment plan. We work with families on these large cake orders. We have “Cake Lay-a -way” available for wedding/large events. Once a deposit is made, we are all about working with our brides. Payments can be made in any amount at any time for the months leading up to the big event. Our only requirement is the cakes be paid in full 10 days before the wedding/event. If their choose to pay a deposit and wait until then to pay that is ok too. Ask your bakery about a payment plan to help you get your dream cake.)

Edible Art
504 West South Street
Longview, TX 75601-7052
(903) 234-2114
Give them a call today!

2009 May Rewind

AlexM — Fri, 14 May 2010 10:00:41 +0000

I started doing this last month and got a good little response so I think a tradition has been born. It’s time to jump back to May of 2009 and take a look at some of my favorite images from the month. It’s crazy for me to think that I shot these frames last year, some of them only feel like I took them 3 months ago.

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

7 Amazing Places To Get Married In East Texas

AlexM — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:39:32 +0000

If you are still considering a venue for your wedding then you are going to love today’s post. Here are some of my favorite venues in the area. They are all slightly unique. Some have things that others don’t and I’m pretty sure that if you take a look at each of these you’ll end up having a hard time deciding on just one. Anyway, here are a few photos with links to recent weddings as well as contact info for each of them. Happy Friday.

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.)

Wedding Photography | A look back at 2009

AlexM — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:00:00 +0000

OK, so even though we are halfway done with January, is it still ok for me to do a quick look back on 2009?

Great. Here we go.

Last year I shot 162,668 images. That’s insane. That’s 445 photos per day.
Now granted, some of those were of my family, but seriously, I don’t have THAT many kids.

A big shout out to all my 2009 brides.

You were amazing.

Thank you for trusting me with your day.

Thank you for giving me the freedom to document and capture your day through my lens.

Thank you for helping me feed those kids I mentioned.

Thank you for helping me push my work to where it is today.

Now…. as far are you 2010 brides go…. Erin, Jamie, Monica, Heather, Angela, Miranda, Christina (Come on… you know you wanna book. Jean, Kristen, Brynne, Ashley, Brandy, Amanda, Adrienne, Megan, Heather, Jennifer, Julia, Jamie, & Kiffany, I can’t wait to work with you more and know that once you’ve been married for 40 something years and have grandkids running all around you, you’ll have some super fun photos to show them of back when “grandma” was young and cool.

Happy New Year! AlexM

P.S. Don’t worry, Britni, I still have you booked for 2011.

Top 10 of 2009: The Winners

AlexM — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:55:00 +0000

OK, the results are in and the winners are listed below. Thanks so much for voting. There were over 7,000 votes cast! You guys are crazy!!! The engagement photo came down to the last minute and was decided by only 2 votes! (Because it was so close I’ll also be giving the second place winner in that category a print as well.)

I’ll be doing a few more contests like this throughout the year so who knows what goodies you’ll be able to win. Here are the winners!

Engagement Photo (Their full blog post.)

Bridal Photo (Her full blog post.)

Ring Photo (Their full blog post.)

Wedding Photo (Their full blog post.)

Two more things to look forward to this week.

1. I’ll be posting some images from Erin & Chris’ wedding tomorrow! (A whale may or may not be involved in her dress shot.)

2. Remember that new “toy” I mentioned that would be showing up at select 2010 weddings? Well, I’ll be dropping some hints as to what it is on Wednesday.

See you soon. Alex

Wedding Photography: The Top 10 of 2009

AlexM — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:00:00 +0000

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. 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.

Ring Photography: The Top 10 of 2009

AlexM — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:52:00 +0000

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.

Vendor Interview | The Belgium House Longview, TX

AlexM — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +0000

It’s been a few weeks, since I’ve done one of these, so real quick like let me explain…. I love working with vendors I love. So when it comes to your wedding planning process I thought I’d interview some of the best wedding vendors in the area to help you get to know them a bit and maybe expose you to some new ones you have not heard of. Also, I just added a new “Vendors” section to my website. Click the link up top for a complete list of people you have to consider working with when planning your wedding. So, now that you know the scoop, here are a few photos form The Belgium House, then it’s on to the interview.

How did you guys get started?
In 2000 my daughter Jennifer and her fiance Shane found a place similar to The Belgium House in Austin to use for their wedding. I fell in love with it and felt that Longview needed a place like that. After several years of design and research, we knew it would be something that our town and surrounding areas could benefit from.

How long have we been doing this?
The Belgium House has been in operation since December of 2007. I have been working with brides for fifteen years or more. Before I was a coordinator, I sewed for the public, which involved wedding dresses, and much more. I coordinated weddings for my church for a while, then opened The Belgium House. I have always loved being involved in the excitement felt by a precious bride.

What is your favorite part about your job?
There are so many things we love about our job. The look on the couple’s face when they first see the house is pretty amazing, We love seeing what girls and their mothers can come up with that is unique for there special day. We get to do all the decorating and creating for the wedding day, which is a delight, then finally on wedding day when the bride and her family see the results of all the ideas and designs brought together, making for a very happy time. As many weddings as I have witnessed, I still cry at that very special time in a couple’s life when they are pronounced man and wife.

What is the craziest thing that has ever happened at your venue?
Some of the questions asked in this interview needed a little thought before I answered, but this question was easy. Our craziest wedding was September 17, 2008, the same weekend we had the hurricane. The Belgium House lost electricity for eight days. I called the bride and gave her the news. I offered to reschedule, or even refund, but NO she was determined to get married. As always, it is the bride’s decision, so I said, “OK baby, come on!!!”. We planned for generators, worked with the caterers to prepare ahead, added more candled to the decoration, and expected an unusual event. One hour before the bride was to show up, our electricity came on. WOW were we excited, and the bride was ecstatic to say the least. We had a wonderful wedding and it was definitely one we will never forget.

What are some things brides should look for when looking for a venue?
1. A bride and groom need to choose a place that will fit their personality and the mood they are trying to set for their wedding day.
2. Consider the manual labor it will take to make that venue work for them.
3. Is the date available? For a spring wedding, venues will book as far as one year out.
4. Will the size accommodate the guests?

What is something unique to your venue that you are extra proud of?
We are proud of the fact that this facility is service oriented. We are family owned and operated, and we are all here during the event to make sure the bride and her guests are given special treatment. Both my daughters, my son, each of their spouses, along with my fiance and I, and now even my niece are here to serve. We feel it a privilege to be a part of a wedding day and we don’t take that responsibility lightly.

For more information, visit their website or give Jan a call.
Happy Planning!

The Belgium House
http://www.thebelgiumhouse.com/
Jan McClung
903. 660.0125

Wedding Photography Longview TX | Laura & Chad

AlexM — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Laura and Chad had a great wedding at The Belgium House in Longview. I love shooting there and will be posting a little interview I did with them later this week. Any of you brides looking for a wedding venue in that area really should give them a call.

I was really hoping this is how she would keep her hair for the wedding, but alas, the Blonde Salon in Kilgore had better plans. (903.948.7049)

Laura’s sister working on her speech for later in the evening.

I love me some wedding cupcake! The ladies over at Edible Art did an amazing job with both Laura and Chad’s cakes. The looked amazing and tasted even better.

The colors these two picked out just made everything pop in the photos.

First person to guess where this ring shot was taken wins the joy of being right.

Laura on her way to her First Look.

What could possible have Chad so excited and giddy with joy?…

Oh yeah, the sight of his bride coming towards him.

Her sister nailed the toast. A little tip for all you toasters out there. Practice. It pays off.

Congrats you guys!

Wedding Photography Longview TX | Laura & Chad (Sneak Peek)

AlexM — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Two quick images from Laura and Chad’s great wedding at The Belgium House in Longview.

How amazing is this cake from Edible Art? Seriously? A drum that you can eat? Awesome! If you are looking for a cake for a wedding or any other occasion you have to look into Edible Art. I interviewed them a few months back on the site, click here to read and find out more about them.

Here is one from their First Look.

Laura and Chad were pretty much smiling all day long. I had a great time and can’t wait to go through all their images.

Congrats you two.

Wedding Photography Longview TX | Hot Pink Brides!

AlexM — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:50:17 +0000

Hey, I just found out that one of my weddings is being featured on this great new website called Hot Pink Brides. They only feature cool photographers so the fact that I’m on there may be an exception. It probably has more to do with how great Amanda & Royce’s wedding at the Belgium House was and less about my photography. Anyway, click here and view their post and take a look around and I’ll bet you can find some ideas for your own wedding.

Wedding Photography The Belgium House | Amanda & Royce

AlexM — Sun, 03 May 2009 05:30:00 +0000

As I was working on this post I got an E-mail from Amanda who is on her honeymoon in Jamaica. It was neat to hear from her while editing the images, but kinda frustrating to hear from here because she is in Jamaica.

Anyway, on to the images….

From the get-go I knew it would be a great day. Amanda was all smiles as she got out of the car.

The first thing she did was offer me a cookie. (It’s bad luck to NOT eat a cookie a bride offers… right?)

This is a journal that Royce and Amanda have been writing in the past few months. They had phrases from it hung all over the place as decorations. Super cool stuff.

I really love this shot. Way back in 1991 Royce had a dream about seeing his wife walking down a set of spiral stair cases. He wrote about it in a journal at the time and they had that phrase hanging at the spiral stair cases at The Belgium House.

Royce is one of those guys that other guys just can’t stand. He’s good looking, funny, writes in journals, is super polite. Basically everyone likes him. I’m thinking of getting t-shirts made that say “I wish I was Royce”.

Did I mention Royce sings? Him and Amanda pretty much had everyone in tears.

How cool is this thing?!? Again, parts from the journal, mixed in with some stunning Alex M Photography.

These next few images are just some of the may many incredible details and decorations that Amanda did. If you can remember form her bridal session, she likes pink. I’m going to give you some space to get ready for the pink overload that follows.

Venue: The Belgium House
Flowers: The French Pea 903.939.3907
Cakes: Sweet Treats By Cynthia 903.705.2653
Dress: Brides & Bells Tyler, Texas | 903.581-8211

Wedding Photography The Belgium House | Amanda & Royce (Sneak Peak)

AlexM — Sun, 03 May 2009 05:00:00 +0000

For the record, if you check back to their engagement session post, I predicted this would be a uber-cool wedding.
These few will have to hold you over for now. I’m just warning you now, when come back on Wednesday, you’ll wanna be sitting down.

Bridal Photography The Belgium House | Amanda

AlexM — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:46:00 +0000

We had a blast shooting Amanda’s session. We started out at The Belgium House, they are getting married there in a few months, and then we headed into downtown Longview.

I think my favorite part was getting out of the car at our first stop. I was getting my gear out and I overheard Amanda telling her mom. “It’s OK mom, just trust him, they will be great.”

By the end of the session I think I had won her over because her mom was pointing out dirty grungy trucks for us to use in the shots.

Alex really really likes the next two shots.

Amanda’s color for her wedding is hot pink. She had a few pink accessories that she was planning on using, but while we where at the laundry place a cab pulled up.
A cab sent from heaven above. (I’m thinking they should book it as their get away car.)

Another shot I have a crush on, and it was not even a location I picked out.