i can’t tell you how excited i am for lisa and rory’s wedding.  i love love love this couple and everything they stand for.  the wedding is just around the corner so you know what that means… bridal session time!  check out lisa, her amazing flowers by la tee da, and her dress all below. :)

well done la tee da.  well done.

whoop.

oh you know… just the flowers rory used when he proposed a few months ago.  no big deal. :)

Amy and Casey were married last August.  They had a gorgeous wedding and I loved shooting every little detail of it.  There was so so much eye candy at their wedding it was almost hard for me to pick what to shoot. :)  Like most couples they had a great/tough 1st year.  Amy was kind and honest enough to share with you all what that has been like.  Enjoy a few images from her big day then listen to a bit of their story from their first year of marriage.

What do you miss most about the single life?
-probably not having to worry about anyone but myself and what i need to do.

What have you liked most about your first year being married?
-spending time with my new family (husband and two step sons) and im currently pregnant with my first!!! Soooo exciting!

Any advice for couples blending a family?
-well i have two new stepsons that live with us and its hard at times but it definitely is fun and you learn a lot about each other.

What’s been the hardest part about being married?
-the hardest part has been adjusting to automatically living with not only your husband but his two children right away. we have all had to learn to share with each other and not be selfish.

What surprised you the most? (Either good or bad.)
-taking on an extended family has surpassed my expectations of how easy it woud be…..it definately takes village!!!

What have you fought about most and why?
-probably saving money and putting it to the best use possible for our growning family.

What was the biggest thing you were nervous about? How has it turned out?
-raising stepkids probably the most. but i have realized i am doing whats right for them and taking care of them like a great mom does…..its been a learning experience for all of us. A GOOD ONE!

Do you have any advice for couples about to take the plunge?
-life is a journey with ups and downs…..so live it everyday and enjoy each others company!!!

Thank you Amy for being so open about your marriage.  What about the rest of you out there?
What tips or advice do you have for anyone blending a family in that first year?

Deveri & Stephen make me mad because they live in New York.  I wish they lived closer so we could hang out more. A few weeks before their wedding I sent them a little something and got back this super nice thank you note.  The whole note was super nice, but the quote from Stephen on the back made me smile.

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.

One of my favorite things to hear from a bride is “La Tee Da is doing out flowers.”  This assures me there will be many many MANY pretty things to photograph on the wedding day.  :)  Barbara and her team are not only super talented but also some of the sweetest people I know.  When I asked her if she would be willing to guest post she said yes and I I LOVE all the knowledge bombs she wrote up.  Get ready to be schooled in the world of pedals and all things floral.  But before we get to it…  How about enjoying some of her amazing work!

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.

Darcee messaged me from her honeymoon to tell me she had been checking my site non-stop for photos.  (Sorry Thomas)  I hope these will keep you happy till you come home. :)

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.