Lilli’s first bridal session date got rained out and we thought it might rain today, but it held out and away we went. Her wedding is going to be at Elmwood Gardens, but 1 day is not enough to really explore everything there is to see so we did the bridal session there as well. :)

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.

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

One thing that a lot of “cool” wedding photographers do is post stuff on their blog that other wedding photographers are interested in. I really like to keep my site “bride-centric” but I do have a post that might benefit both bride and fellow photographers.

A question that I get asked form time to time is “Do you back up your images?” Of course the answer is yes, but I thought it would be nice to share with you you just how obsessive I am about keeping your images safe and backed up.

Before we get rolling though, let me offer this quick disclaimer: No photographer can guarantee that nothing will happen to your images, memory cards go bad, camera’s break, things get stolen. What we can do is take as many steps as possible to protect and safeguard your images to give you the best shot at never losing them. OK, on to the steps…

Step 1: Take and amazing image. Sometimes this step takes me a few tries. ;)

Step 2A: Put memory card in super secure waterproof, crush proof case in my pocket. This thing is crazy tough. It’s the best protection you can get in a memory card holder. (Amazon Link)

Step 2B: Copy cards to notebook computer at wedding. My couples that do a First Look at their wedding also get a slideshow of their wedding images set up during the reception so I already have them backed up to my notebook at this point! Here is a great shot of Kim at the Villa di Felicita in Tyler ignoring her 200 plus guests while she looks at some of her wedding photos. (WHOOP!)

Step 3: Copy images to my computer in my office.

Step 4: Copy images to multiple DVD.  I take these to my safety deposit box at the bank. I’ll be honest, I totally felt like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible while I snuck this photo inside the vault.

Step 5: Copy images to back up hard drive in my house.

Step 6: Sleep. I don’t sleep until I have backed up your images and they are in 3 places.
(A photo of me with my eyes closed and drool coming out the side of my mouth seemed inappropriate to blog)

Step 7: Edit images

Step 8: Copy edited images to DVD & take them to the bank. (I was too scared to try and take more photos inside the bank vault.)

Step 9: Upload final wedding images to a computer in California.
(That’s right, way far away from here, that way if Palestine gets nuked, you’ll feel safe knowing I have backed up your images in another state.)

Step 10: Delete original images from memory card.
I don’t delete the images form the card until I am completely finished editing your wedding. That way I am as “safe” as possible when it comes to backing up.

I’m sure this may seem like overkill to some, but if you are a bride then I hope this gives you some peace of mind and if you are a photographer I can’t encourage you enough to make multiple copies and back up your images.

I had a great time shooting Laura’s Bridal photography at The Legacy Venue in Jacksonville, TX. It was my first time there and it’s always fun to go to a new place and find little places to shoot. Here are a few of my favorites form the session.

This couch is the the bridal room! It’s soft and comfy and if you are stressed the day of your wedding you could easily take a little nap before the ceremony. :)

Had to give her shoes some blog love.

This tractor was parked off to the side and Laura was super eager to hop on it and get some shots.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this sassy look she gave. I’m pretty sure Neil sees it quite a bit.

I had such a great time shooting Kaylie’s bridal session just outside of Waco. She knew she wanted them on her grandparent’s farm, but she also knew it is somewhat hot these days so when she suggested and 8:30AM start time I was giddy with excitement. I will trade sleep for cold any day of the week.

This is when she discovered her dress is great for spinning in.



I just loved these old pipes. I’m sure that her Grandmother has probably been trying to get them off the land for years, but now that I have affirmed their value by photographing them, her Grandfather can proudly keep them for another 25 years easy. :)

You may remember her crazy fiance Matt. He wishes that he played for the Cowboys so he got one of those custom jersey’s made. This is the best it’s ever looked.

Corn!

I LOVE this shot. I snapped it as she was heading back to the car once we were done. I love how she just grabbed her dress and walked through the field like she’s done this every day of her life.