BEST OF 2018

BEST OF 2018

TEXAS + DESTINATION INTIMATE WEDDING

AND ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER

This year as a wedding photographer was wild. It brought on highs and lows, and an unexpected twist I never imagined. After almost 10 years of owning a business, I finally realized the kinds of clients and weddings that mesh best with my personality and my interests (more on that in a bit). It took me nearly ten years of doing business to realize that just because I’m a wedding photographer, doesn’t mean that all engaged couples are up for grabs, and that every wedding photographer out there is my competition. My style attracts a certain type of couple, and detracts other types of couples. And that’s a good thing!

The couples that have been attracted to my work are creative in some way. This year I’ve worked with architects (two now, actually), artists, graphic designers, teachers, psychologists, photographers, lawyers, and fellow wedding industry creative professionals. That led me to start thinking about the character traits that my clients have. They’re educated, discerning, and hard-working. Most of all, they’re KIND. They’re smart with their investments, and expect a high quality product and service. They would prefer an intimate guest list or elopement. They don’t want a frivolous wedding filled with too many details, logistics, or stressful situations. Any element that plays a part of their wedding day has so much value and meaning to them.

These things have helped me to decide how I market, and to whom I market. Since 2018 was the year of deciphering all of the things, I feel like 2019 is going to be a great year of connecting with some wonderful clients, capturing some meaningful memories, and bettering my business to the best of my ability. I can’t wait to show you all what I have in store for this year’s couples. Thank you for your love and support throughout the years! Cheers to a new year!

WEDDING DETAILS INSPIRED BY THE ROYAL WEDDING

THREE WAYS TO BE INSPIRED BY THE ROYAL WEDDING

Who else watched the royal wedding of Price Harry & Meghan Markle in the wee hours of the morning this past Saturday, May 19? You can bet your knickers that my mom, my sister, my daughter, and I were up and at 'em at 3am eating scones & finger sandwiches watching it live. We did the same thing for Prince William & Kate Middleton's royal wedding back in 2011. I think the idea of having royalty run a country is so interesting compared to a presidency. That, and the fact that I'm obviously eyeballs deep in the wedding industry, means that I can't not watch royal weddings when we're lucky enough to have one. 

Everything about this royal wedding was so spectacular. The massive flower arch installations were magnificent, the simplicity of both gowns that Meghan wore, and the no-makeup, makeup and simple bridal updo were some of my favorite parts. As a film photographer who loves minimalism, classic-inspired fashion, and natural makeup looks, I was all about Meghan Markle's bridal style at the wedding. If you're a future bride or groom who enjoyed the simple yet elegant style of this weekend's royal wedding, I've created a few tips on how you can plan your big day to incorporate some of the same elements.

VENUE CHOICE

This one is so important to capture that royal wedding feel. Did you notice that there were hardly any floral installations in St George's Chapel? There were small bits of greenery here and there, but the beauty of the venue served as the focal point. Choosing a grand, visually appealing, and (in my opinion) historic-looking venue for your wedding would greatly aid in helping to achieve that royal wedding feel. A great choice in the Houston area is Chateau Cocomar, but some around the country that would also serve as grand wedding venues are The Swan House in Atlanta, Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, and the New York Public Library in New York. 

SIMPLE, CLASSIC STYLE

We all know that Kate Middleton & Meghan Markle's gowns were simple yet stunning. Both Price William & Price Harry got married in their military uniforms, but changed into very classic tuxedos for their wedding reception. So the key to channelling your inner royalty is a classic style of wedding wardrobe. Some of my favorite classic-inspired wedding gown designers are Watters, Carol Hannah, and Carolina Herrera. One of my favorite Houston bridal boutiques that offers many different beautiful bridal gowns is Lovely Bride on Dunlavy Street. 

GETAWAY CAR

In this case, there were two awesome cars involved. The car that dropped Meghan off was a vintage Rolls-Royce Phantom IV. Did you see that thing? What a beauty. The James Bond-esque getaway car was a silver blue Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero car. According to fortune.com, the car was originally manufactured in 1968, but has since been converted to electric. It even had a custom license plate to reflect their wedding date. Now that was a sexy car. Two businesses in the Houston area that have vintage rental cars for things like wedding getaways, is Lonestar Classic Motors and Jordan Limousines, whose tagline is "We treat you like royalty!" SO there you have it. Even more of a chance that you'll feel like you're having your own royal wedding!

WHITE BOUQUETS WITH GREENERY

The last three major royal wedding bouquets had one thing in common: their organic color palette. All white blooms with some greenery. You could either have a bouquet composed of many sprigs of one type of white bloom, or a variety of white blooms with some greenery. I'm all for this neutral, classic color palette! Some of my favorite Texas florists are The Petaler, Clementine, Maxit Flower Design, and Sprout Flowers.

Whatever you end up doing to make sure you're treated like royalty on your wedding day, you want to make sure you have the right photographer for you to have it all documented well. Otherwise, what's the point of all of your meticulous planning? If you find that you enjoy film photography, I'd love to talk to you about your wedding day photography. You can shoot me an email and let me know how you plan on work in some royal wedding touches into your own special day. Have a great week!