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.

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.

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?

But wait, you say.  Where can one find such plumy hair goodness?  I’m sure you already have this site bookmarked but if not may I introduce you to Etsy.
(Get ready to lose 2 hours of your day.)  Here are just a few of the fancy hair clip dealy-boppers they offer.  Have fun ladies.

Or when Avril Lavigne was singing Complicated & Eminem was cool because he had that song Lose Yourself?

You remember when iPods looked like this and were HUGE!

You remember when Alex & Danielle got married at 10:00 AM on June 22, 2002?

I do.

You are booking me based on trust that I will deliver something unique.

When Lauren booked me, this shot of Drew was on the front of my site.

When Lilli booked me, this shot of Lauren was on the front of my site.

When Angela booked me, this shot of Lilli was on the front of my site.

When Nakitha booked me, this shot of Angela was on the front of my site.

(Nakitha’s getting married in October 2010 so you’ll have to wait to see her photo.)

Each of these shots is different.  These brides didn’t book because they wanted the exact photo they saw on my website.
They booked because they trusted me to capture a shot that had never happened at their wedding.

Booking a wedding photographer is more about trust than a package price or actual photography.

You are booking me believing that I will show up 1 year from our meeting date and capture something never captured before.

You are booking me because you believe I understand what your day means to you.

You are booking me knowing that I’ll see something on your day that no one else can see or document.

You are booking me because I promise to give the memories you have yet to make a photo that matches.

It’s a trust and promise that I am honored to have.

To all my past and future brides, thanks for trusting me.

I also shot a little video of them talking about their engagement session. Enjoy.

See you guys at Elmwood Gardens in August!

Free Boat Ride for 3!

Flippy Floppies.

At this point of the session Rusty started pretending he was James Bond and started referring to Heather as “Moneypenny”.
Disclaimer:  T-Pain was also on the boat, but his publicist would not allow us to show him in any of the photos.

Come back in July to see their Elmwood Gardens wedding!

Here are a few shots from the wedding as well as him in action.

On to the interview!

How did you get started, how long have you been doing this?
I have been involved in wedding video since 1992.  Ever since high school days.

What is your favorite part about your job?
I like making the newlyweds feel like movie stars.  I love capturing those special moments during the wedding and knowing right then, “This is gonna look amazing on video!”

What are some things brides should look for when looking for a videographer?
Brides should look for creativity and quality. Look through a videographer’s previous work for style and attention to detail.

Why should brides book a videographer?  Aren’t you just going to get the same shots the photographer gets?
Some of the coolest videos I still have are of my grandparents during Christmas.  I can see them move AND hear them talk.  True.  A good videographer works closely with the photographer, but to have the “moving memories” as well?  That’s truly priceless.

What is something unique to your service that you are extra proud of?
I’m so proud to use new and fresh ideas for wedding video.  It makes “working” way more fun.

Jeff Heimer
JMH Pro

http://jmhpro.com

903.312.8289
jeffheimer@gmail.com

On to the wedding.



The cakes were done by Designs by D’Anne. They looked great and tasted better!

I really enjoyed the back of the brides’ cake.

These two had one of my favorite First Looks. I think they just stood in silence for about 15-30 seconds before saying anything. Cameron was totally into the moment and soaked it all in.

I typically like to get couples alone for their First Look, but this ladybug snuck along for the ride.

Cheryl McKay did a great job on Lilli’s make up. (903.509.6556)



I loved Lilli’s wedding colors. Amazing!

A few guests had arrived early so the bridesmaids made a “wall” as they moved Lilli back to her room.

Sherman with CMB Music Productions was there keeping everyone on the dance floor. This shot of Cameron and his father both dancing with their wives is one of my favorites.

Fun fact about Cameron. He actually went to school with a super talented videographer based out of Tyler. (Jeff Heimer of JMH Pro) Since they were friends I tried to work him into a few of the shots. I always encourage couples to get their wedding filmed and Jeff is definitely worth the phone call if you are looking for a videographer.

One final cool thing these two had at their wedding were Sky Lanterns.





A quick note about the Sky Lanterns… Conditions have to be just right to be able to release them. (wind, burn bans, location, etc.) Be sure and check with your venue to see if it will work out.

Finally, a big thank you to Hollie Wells of Chic Weddings for putting this whole day together.

Hello, we are Lilli’s eyes and we are A-to-the-MAZING!

Lilli also brought what most brides bring to their bridal session. Her favorite gnome.


Her fiance’ Cameron played hockey in college so she decided to wear the jersey and have some fun with it.
(It still kinda smelled like locker room so I’m amazed she put it on.)

Thank you Lilli & friends for a great day, and a special thanks to Hollie Wells, Lilli’s great planner, for helping get the session days worked out.

(The other two were Hot Pink Brides & Rock n Roll Bride.)

Anyway, this times comes courtesy of Bride’s Cafe. A great little website with tons of tips for all you brides out there. They post new stuff daily so be sure and bookmark them and get ready to have your brain filled with ideas.

The images they are featuring are Davi & Jonathan’s wedding at Elmwood Gardens, and the best part is they also have the movie trailer Vanessa McKellar did for them, so after you watch the Bride’s Cafe post, hop over to Vanessa’s website to see more movie magic.

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Warning 2: Davi is an English teacher so I’m going to type this out and not spell check or proof read it jsut to make her mad and show everyone just how horrible I am at spelling and such

I absolutely LOVE spedning the day from beginiing to end with my brides. This is one of my favorite shots fromt he day.

Her and her mom getting ready for the day.



The guys were rockin’ the Chuck Taylors

Davi was absolutely giddy on her way to the First Look.

I love giving couples these quite moments alone together. It’s my favorite part of the day.

A bit of fun at teh formals.

Reason #284 why Jonathan makes a great groom. When the ring bearers are freaking out and don’t want to be still for the photos, he jsut squats next to them and makes it look cool.

Jonathan’s mom did an amazing job on their wedding cake.

I am crazy about theses next two shots. It’s just them being sweet to each other. Nothing posed or force. Just two people who are crazy about each other .



Casey Brown of CMB Music Productions was there and he brought his laser lights. It really helped set the mood for the dancing and made the photos that much cooler. (You brides who are booking him for your wedding, be sure and pay the little bit extra it cost for those. They are totally worth it!)

Anytime a 100 dollar bill makes an appearace, you know it was a good Dollar Dance.



There were 3, count em, 3 former Alex M. brides at this wedding! Canon has not cut his hair since his wedding, Kerri the trampoline bride was there, and it’s great to know Tonya still likes to dance with her dad.

Once it was pitch black outside we snuck out for a few more shots and I’m glad we did.

Venue: Elmwood Gardens
Videographer: Vanessa McKellar
DJ: CMB Music Productions
Flowers: Dagley’s Flowers (903) 729-8665
Hair Stylist: Amanda @ T&G Hair (903) 729-0318

Davi is getting married out at Elmwood Gardens but wanted a few shots at a church looking all fancy and bride-ly. I think she pulled it off.  

This next shot may be one of my favorite bridal session moments of all time. She is super close to her Great Aunt, but she will not be able to come to the wedding so Davi asked if we could stop by her home and do a few shots of the two of them together and let her see her in the dress. Apparently Davi did not get the memo that brides are supposed to be into themselves and their day and everyone else is supposed to revolve around them. I’m not quite sure why she is thinking of others but I went along with it.  

She will be wearing these on the wedding day. Ingram will be her new last name. (They are also doubling as her “something blue”.)  

Both her fiance’ and her dad served in the armed forces so a tank was a natural fit.  

Also, for all of you looking at this picture and freaking out about things getting dirty, don’t worry.  We kept the tank clean.