Lauren & Lindsey

Lauren, 8 months, and her big sister Lindsey had me over to their home for some portraits not too long ago. It was "really" Lauren's 8-month portrait session, but we wanted to get a few of the girls together as well. Their mom does such a great job of dressing them in simple, not-too-fussy outfits that photograph beautifully.

Lauren is... expressive. She's one of those babies with a million different little looks, and she is mostly happy-happy-joy-joy when I'm around her. Lindsey is full of things to say, things to do, things to show you! Both girls have amazingly deep blue eyes and gorgeous rosy cheeks. Little cherubs, both of them.

I had to laugh as I was finishing up the session with Lauren and I saw Lindsey with her favorite well-loved stuffed bunny (whose name I believe is "Rabbie"), kind of pouting at not being the center of attention for the moment. I caught her, and got her giggling a little bit; and was able to catch a cute little candid moment of her with her head on the ottoman laughing.

I always look forward to working with this family, and look forward to watching the girls grow!

Jeanette & Alec

Jeanette and Alec, who reside in Chicago, were married in a ceremony at The Houstonian, with their reception following in one of the hotel's gorgeous wood-paneled ballrooms.

Jeanette was stunning in her fitted gown with delicately crafted silk roses adorning the skirt, and the white butterfly orchids in her bridal bouquet (and on the lapel of her groom) were almost too beautiful to be real! The couple shared heartfelt vows that they had written themselves, covering everything from football to Jeopardy!, slurpees to fine dining, and friendship to love. I'm not gonna lie, they made me cry a little.

Guests were entertained at the reception by The Lost Boys, an 80's cover band... these people were on the dance floor the ENTIRE night! The wedding cake was a multi-tiered creation with elegant stems of calla lillies placed in the center.

All in all, a lovely affair. Readers of the blog may recall Jeanette and Alec from an earlier post this spring, when we shot their engagement portraits in Chicago.

Grrrreat Vendors:
Florals: Wedding Flowers by Lisa
Cake: Susie's Cakes
Coordination: Stephanie with Eventology Weddings

Aidan, Lauren, Owen and Reagan

I just thought I'd take a moment to share some of the sweet babies I've worked with lately!

Sandy & Josh

Sandy & Josh were married at Butler's Courtyard , an interesting, cozy, romatic property in League City with lots of sweet Victorian details.

This was the most colorful-silly-fun-crafty wedding I have ever had the pleasure to shoot; also one of the more emotional. Sandy made all of her own decorations, right down to the beautiful paper flowers that adorned the ceremony and reception areas-- her bridesmaids even carried paper floral bouquets. Her petticoat was dyed a bold purple, and she wore sashes in varying shades of blue.

I was in color HEAVEN with this wedding... right down to the bride's shoes. Sandy's take on "ruby slippers" was the most darling pair of blue-green glittery heels you ever saw (admittedly, the only pair of blue-green glittery heels I have ever seen).

Pre-ceremony, the bride and groom wanted to hold hands for a quick picture of anticipation, where they were touching one another but couldn't see one another. The moment turned very emotional-- which set the tone for the ceremony.

As the reception began, guests found brightly colored paper florals and Cadbury Creme Eggs adorning their tables in the beautifully chandeliered ballroom. There was dancing, dancing, more dancing... a quick somewhat impromptu lip-synch routine to "Blaze of Glory"... and at some point the bride tossed the sparkling slippers for her comfy pair of black Chuck Taylor's that were waiting in the wings.

Shelley & Patrick

Shelley and Patrick were married at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church in the Champions Forest area, with a reception following in the Settlement House at Northwest Forest. The grounds at Northwest Forest are absolutely beautiful, and the staff (under direction of Victoria Hermann, the event coordinator) is so very easy to work with.

Shelley & Patrick's day was truly full of love, fun, family, and friends-- lots of crazy Cajun, Polish, and Irish folks getting together and dancing the afternoon away. Pete Armendariz provided the music and kept everyone on their feet (as usual); I'm not sure there was a time when Shelley wasn't on the dance floor and surrounded by guests having a fabulous time.

I should mention that Shelley is my "little" cousin-- little, because she's a couple of years younger than me, and has been one of my closest cousins growing up. We're all very happy to have Patrick as part of our family, and look forward to watching them grow together as a married couple. I included a couple of their engagement portraits just for fun : )

Thanks again to my wonderful assistant Karen, who did most of the shooting once the reception began, so that I was able to enjoy the afternoon's festivities as a guest. She captured so many fun, sweet, and loving moments.