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.

Many of you will recognize Kim and Josh from my little promo video that Vaness McKellar did for me. If you have not seen it before, grab some popcorn and take a minute to watch it. You’ll see just how much fun the two of them are.

(Mini Rant 1: Vanessa was there filming the wedding since her and her husband are so great to work with and I believe EVERY couple should have their wedding filmed we are offering a little deal for future brides. Stay tuned to the blog for details coming soon.)

Anyway, I had such a great time at Kim & Josh’s wedding. I was there for a little over 10 hours and loved being able to capture the day form beginning to end. Rather than me blab on and on, Let’s get to the images.

The Villa was as always… a perfect place to have a wedding.

In true Aggie fashion, they brought this and basically tailgated before the wedding. It was pretty awesome.

Kim was a perfect bride in the sense that she let others help her and pamper her, but still took time to make sure everyone else was having a good day.

So I brought this chair in from outside for the flower girl to sit on and someone shouted “Frog!” We had yet to see Josh, so could this be a Magical Disney Moment?

Those of you who know Josh and his fondness for the color burnt orange will appreciate this photo. ;)

About 2 weeks ago Kim called me and said. “OK, Josh and I have decided to see each other before the ceremony. I thought I’d tell you so you could be excited.” :) I was giddy.

(Mini Rant 2: Unless you go a wedding weekend after weekend there really is no way of describing how hectic and “un-romantic” SOME of them can be. There are literally hundreds of people around, all of them are wanting to talk to both the bride and groom, there is a timeline that we have to stay on or guests start to bolt for the doors, and every now and then people are running late from the get go. Every time couple choose to see each other before hand I love it. Not because it makes my job easier, or because I’m ready to get the pictures over with, but because I know that you will have some time alone. Time to reflect on the day, time to enjoy each other’s company, and time to whisper nice things in each other’s ears. If it really is a day about just the two of you, then having some moments like these guarantees that it turns out that way. Oh by the way, we’ll also get TONS of super great shots of the two of you.)

Kim had been “fine” all day, but the second she stepped into that chapel, she started tearing up.

One of my favorites form the day.

Kim’s family is not normal. Josh is.

Kim not being a big cake fan, decided to have Josh feed her chips and salsa.

Casey Brown, the best DJ in the area, was there making sure everyone had a good time.

The Vendors
DJ: CMB DJs
Flowers: Michele’s Flowers by Ela
Venue: Villa di Felicita
Videography : Vanessa McKellar Productions

We ran all over Tyler for Kim’s session and got some of my favorite images to date. here are just a few of them.

We started at the Villa De Felicita where her wedding will be.  

We stopped by the Goodman Museum. They had lots of old stuff and basicaly everything looks amazingly cool in a photograph, especially Kim.  

Next up was The Cascades where they have a great golf course and super cool wine cellar.  

If you remember from their engagement session Kim and Josh are both HUGE Aggie fans so of course she had to get her 12th man on.
(This girl throws a wicked spiral. She almost hit my camera a few times.)  

The Heisman Pose, with a bit of laughing mixed in.  

Just because you are getting married in “East Texas” does not mean you are limited to 1 of the 4,283 tiny Baptist churches in the area. There are some AMAZING venus around and they offer a lot of advantages when planning your wedding. They have a staff that takes care of little details, they typically have 1-2 sometimes 3 weddings per week so they know the ins and outs of a wedding day, and many of these places provide an on-site coordinator that help your day run smooth and let your mom/aunt/sister just enjoy the day rather than plan and worry up to the last minute. I can NOT recommend these places enough and if you are looking for a beautiful venue for your day these are just 2 of the ones nearby.

If you have ever been to the Villa di Felicita then you know there really is nothing like it in the area. It’s an amazing large venue that is hard to describe but impossible to forget. Finally, here is a bit of wedding photography from the last time i shot there.  

How did you guys get started, How long have you been doing this?
We were wanting to start a family business and realized that Tyler needed a Venue that was specifically built for Weddings.  We have always enjoyed helping friends and family with weddings and thought we should start a business so that we could help others with their weddings!  We opened in April of 06 and have enjoyed it so much!

What is your favorite part about your job?
I love seeing when people are so in love and are so ready to spend the rest of their lives together!  It is so rewarding at the end of a day when you know that you have helped two people celebrate one of the most important days in their lives!!  oh, and I also like when there is left over Wedding Cake!!!

What is the craziest thing that has ever happened at your venue? (This of course does not mean that you were responsible for the crazy.)
Here are just a few that we remember well!  A bride almost passed out before walking down the isle, my security guard had to take down a groomsmen for fighting, a bridesmaid was left stranded out on the curb at the end of the night (everyone left her),  had a groomsmen punch a hole in the groom’s room wall!  all kinds of fun and crazy stuff can happen at a wedding!

What are some things brides should look for when looking for a venue?
How accommodating is it to your needs?  is there enough room, do you like the layout, do you like the decor?  It helps when the venue includes a lot of stuff that you don’t have to worry about getting yourself.  Do they have a coordinator to help you with the details? Do they provide the food? The more you don’t have to do yourself, the easier it will be for you to plan your perfect day!

What is something unique to your venue that you are extra proud of?
The beauty of our facility and the beautiful view outside is something that we feel is what we are most proud of.  Our outside area is surrounded by 50 private acres with manicured gardens and a long walkway that leads to a beautiful setting for your ceremony.  I also think that our reception room is unique for many reasons, but mostly for the star-lit ceiling with hundreds of fiber-optic twinkling lights.

Anything else you wanna say?
I would also like to say that we have a wonderful staff that works hard at making sure every detail is met for your special day.  We are here to see that no detail is overlooked and we do all we can to make it as special as it should be!

Website: http://www.villadifelicita.com/
Phone: (903) 597-0002

Many of you may remember Lauren & Brent’s wedding.  (That’s them up at the top of my site.)  Anyway, Brent Facebooked me today to let me know that their wedding was featured on a super cool wedding website.  It is an honor anytime someone takes notice of your work, but when it’s such a fun site like Rock n Roll Bride that makes it even more fun.

Be sure and poke around the site.  You’ll get tons of great ideas for your wedding and have a blast seeing what others are up to in the wonderful world of cool weddings.