The Proposal

Jameson contacted me a couple of days before he planned to propose marriage to his girlfriend Nassrine... he wanted to capture the moment of surprise.

I was totally up for this, even though I had a crazy stressful week with my mom having major surgery and whatnot-- his timing was fantastic, since he planned to propose in Hermann Park on a tree-lined path at around the time I would be leaving MD Anderson to go back home that day. I figured hey, why not? I LOVE love, proposals are always exciting, and this is an excellent opportunity to capture something for a couple whose lives are about to change! This is the part I always get to hear about from my couples, but never get to see.

We ironed out the details, sent undercover texts to one another to coordinate, and then as the moment grew nearer, even I started getting a little nervous. There was no one else along the path (good thing, since I had never met the couple before and just had a few of pictures to recognize them from) so I was left to the task of not looking too obvious with my professional camera and giant zoom lens. It's not the most inconspicuous piece of equipment ever, so I decided to play the eccentric and be REALLY interested in one particular tree... which worked because Nassrine suspected nothing.

As they passed by me on the trail, tension rose, and I turned around just waiting for the moment when he'd turn toward her... waiting... waiting... shazam! It happened and I could tell she was completely taken aback. I'm not gonna lie, I cried a little. They were both so very happy, and she alternated between kissing/hugging him and looking at the ring on her hand.

After giving them enough time for commentary and having their "moment", I walked up, congratulated them, and explained that Jameson had hired me to capture the proposal. I didn't get the entire story, but I'm pretty sure that prior to the engagement Jameson had flown to San Diego to ask for Nassrine's hand in marriage-- where he was welcomed with open arms and a steak dinner. He'd been in communication with her family and asking them all to keep it a secret until he could propose. I can only imagine all the crazy happy phone-calling that happened later that day! I even got a jubilant hug goodbye from her.

I'm so glad I got the chance to do this... it's really fun to be around when the happiness begins, and see the turning point for a couple on the road toward something as wonderful as a great marriage. It made me kind of sappy and weepy on the way home (of course that could have been lack of sleep from having spent the night in a hospital chair), recalling my own proposal and thinking of how it must have been for my husband Jack to have been preparing in secrecy to ask me to be his wife. It still kind of gives me chills to think about someone preparing something so special all just for me!

I'll end the rambling Russian Novel now, and share the pictures with you : ) Congratulations Jameson and Nassrine!

Susan's Bridal Portraits

We shot Susan's bridals at her reception venue, The Parador, on a day when quite frankly the weather could have been a lot better! It was kind of misty-drizzly all day, with a couple of breaks from the actual rain (but not many). On the proverbial bright side, this meant we had beautifully diffused soft light coming in the windows : ) Susan was stunning in her gown! She's got such a beautiful smile with happy eyes. The classic understated glamour of her look was just absolutely perfect!

I can't wait to share Susan & Buddy's wedding images with you-- they'll be done this week. For now, take a gander at her beautiful bridals (and take a look back at their engagement pics too if you'd like)...

Did you get engaged this weekend? I did!

Well, 6 years ago this weekend, I did : )

I'm a little nostalgic when it comes to Valentine's Day, especially since it marks the anniversary of the day my husband proposed to me. I could have loved Christmas or New Year's Eve or even President's Day just as much... don't get me wrong... but he picked a day all about love, hearts, candy, cute froofy pink things, and sweetness. It really couldn't have been more perfect if I'd planned it out myself!

Well, except I wouldn't have planned for him to leave for Japan the following day... but that did give me plenty of guilt-free wedding magazine browsing times with my mom, aunts, and sister. So much fun!

So to all of you who have recently gotten engaged, CONGRATULATIONS! In honor of the crazy fabulous romantic spirit, I'd like to offer each of you a $500 album or print credit when you schedule a consultation any time in the month of February or March. You don't have to book with me right away-- I realize that it takes time to get your date set, your venues chosen, etc. Just schedule a consultation between now and March 31, and whenever you decide to book, we'll add that $500 credit to your contract (this offer is for those booking a full wedding-- not valid for portrait sessions).

In the mean time...

Enjoy scouring the bridal magazines, showing off that shiny new ring, trying on gowns, asking your bridesmaids, picking your colors, dreaming up an incredible honeymoon, and just being engaged!

Here's a pic of me and my sweet Jack on our Valentine's date the day he proposed (he'd proposed earlier at home). Aww, look how cute we were : )

Baby Vincent, 4 weeks old

A long time ago (okay, a few years back) Laura and I began our business relationship. I wasn't able to shoot her wedding, but did shoot her gorgeous bridal portraits. I got to see her again last year when her close friend Marci got married (I was available to shoot this time), and then again when she came in for infant portraits of her precious 4 week old son, Vincent. We enjoyed talking about mutual friends, since Laura works at Texas Children's Hospital. I spent a great deal of time there during my college internship and during the beginning of my post-college career... it's definitely a small world.

Mommy and Daddy were both absolutely beaming, and Vincent was pretty chilled out for us the entire session! He refused to sleep, but did lots of wide-eyed-wondering-- which photographs beautifully. Holy cow, this is one cute littleguy. Some of my favorite shots from the session are Mommy and Daddy holding/talking to Vincent... there's nothing like the joy in a parent's face when they're looking into their newborn's eyes. It's love, simple as that. I also love that you can see V's little toes and tummy in those images. Nothing like a baby! Nothing in the world.

Enjoy the little miracle : ) Leave a comment for Mom and Dad if you'd like!

The Kelly Moore Bag! It's for cameras, ladies!

It's like any other really cute purse- but it's padded and large enough to fit your camera body and some other fabulous photog junk : ) It also comes in grrrreat colors. I'm a fan of the pink, of course, but there are some other not-so-fuschia options. There are purple and gray. And black. Okay, the purple's pretty doggone cute too.

Check out The Savvy Photographer's blog for details (and more pics... the one below is just a teaser from Savvy's blog) on the Kelly Moore bag giveaway!

Even if you don't win, you can get details on a $50 discount. WInning is great, but $50 off is a great consolation prize! You can also visit the Kelly Moore site directly.

Leah & Camron, Part 3: The Couple

At last, it's Leah and Camron themselves (read on through the next two blog entries for more details about their fantastic January wedding in Dallas)!

Not only did we have the stunning Cathedral Guadalupe to work with for couples-portraits, we also had an absolutely divine 20-foot blonde painted on a wall in Deep Ellum, across the street from where the reception venue was located. The venue (Hickory Street Annex) itself lent some great spots too.

The security guys working the parking lot were even nice enough to fulfill Leah's request that she be handcuffed to her groom for a few pictures : )

Leah & Camron, Part 2: The Details

Leah's bridal portraits gave us a glimpse of what her vision for the wedding might be... the warehousey Hickory Street Annex provided a cool, vintage-modern space for the reception that followed the antique-cathedral ceremony. It flowed beautifully!

The cathedral was grand and airy with its soaring ceilings and exposed beams. The lofty space at Hickory Street was filled with cool blues and grays, accented with icy beads, silver branches, and winter white florals. Leah's cake was accented with sashes and brooches, just as the ladies' bouquets (and the bride's gown) were.

The exquisite Tiffany pearls were a wedding gift from her husband-to-be.

Reportedly, Leah kind of wanted a hot pink theme for the wedding, but Cam wasn't 100% down with that. As many great lovers do, they found a way to compromise-- a nice blue palette for the wedding, but Leah still managed to throw in a fuschia flair in footwear! Her heels were a gorgeous pink, as were the argyle diamonds in Cam's socks.

In lieu of favors, the couple made donations on behalf of their guests to two separate organizations, benefiting Pancreatic Cancer and Alzheimer's.