Lauren & Kyle's Wedding

Lauren and Kyle were married at Bethany Christian Church , with a reception following at Bell Tower on 34^th. 

I headed over to Lauren’s suite at the Omni for some getting-ready shots, then made my way over to the church.  The ceremony was gorgeous, everyone with their deep red roses (Special Arrangements did a wonderful job on the florals!).  The flowergirls carried pomander balls, and the ring bearer’s “pillow” was a sweet tiny box of miniature red roses, and the bridal bouquet featured sparkling crystals throughout.

Lauren’s “something blue” was a bead on the back of her necklace—a special request for Emily Wells who hand-made the bridal accessories.

The reception was impressive to say the least!  Bell Tower on 34^th was dressed to the nines in sumptuous red and black linens, red and white florals, and black brocade patterns repeated throughout the décor.  The couple’s custom monogram was projected on the wall, and placecards were not cards at all—but personalized votive candles.

Lauren’s cake was a  flawlessly simple stacked square motif with more of the roses and crystals, and Cakes by Gina knocked it out of the park with Kyle’s “foodie” groom’s cake!  Featuring spaghetti, pizza, macaroni & cheese, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, it was a feast for the eyes.  Kyle is a chef, but has quite the reputation for making really delicious “junk” food.  He allegedly won Lauren’s heart with his incredible macaroni & cheese : )

Kyle made his entrance with a beautiful new wife on his arm, and Incredible Hulk Hands on his arms as well!  Various people wore them throughout the night, but Kyle donned them once again for the last dance.

Guests danced, drank, and dined throughout the evening.  The Funky Monkey Photobooth was on hand for entertainment, and guests were treated to a delectable-delightful candy bar, as well as midnight snacks before the couple’s departure.

Lauren had some smaller cakes specially prepared for her parents, who were celebrating their wedding anniversary…  and Tom Hall (the videographer), also celebrating his wedding anniversary.  I thought it really sweet that they arranged for the presentation!

During the maid of honor and best man’s speech, the couple was presented with t-shirts.  Kyle’s was embroidered with “macaroni” and Lauren’s with “cheese”… because you guessed it, they go together like… macaroni and cheese.

Soooo adorable.

Upon their exit the couple was greeted with bright, colorful popping streamers!

Many thanks to Kelly Balfour of Eventology Weddings for the referral of this fantastic couple.  Kelly and Abby worked hard to make the details happen and the event run smoothly!

    

Christmas in July! (and maybe August)

Have you always wanted to send out gorgeous Christmas cards, on beautiful paper, custom-designed using a great professional picture?  Of course you have... but that kind of thing takes time, and the holidays are SO busy that you never seem to be able to get something like that together with all of the shopping, parties, extra mall traffic, and crazy schedules.

Believe me, I'm the same way... which got me thinking, hey, Hobby Lobby puts out the Christmas stuff in July.  Let's take care of the Holiday card hubbub during the summer-- kids are out of school, scheduling tends to be a little easier, and it won't be freezing outside!  As an added bonus, you can have your beautiful cards and envelopes ready to go before the turkey's carved on Thanksgiving.  Everyone will wonder HOW you do it, and you won't have to stress when it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I bought that cute zebra bench with you in mind.  I've got some beautiful card templates waiting patiently for families to fill their frames.  I've picked out a few spots around town that should be easily accessible, kid friendly, pet friendly, with ample parking.  I've even taken the guesswork out of "when" by offering some mini-sessions on certain dates!

You can always schedule a regular full portrait session and receive a discount on Holiday Cards when your order is placed before October... but with these "mini" sessions, the goal is to get one GREAT shot of the whole group.  If your family rocks it out and has several amazing shots, you can still order prints for yourself and as gifts.  

Mini-sessions will be offered on the following dates in the following areas:

Friendswood:  July 14 & 16 (Thursday and Saturday)

Cypress:  July 28 & 30 (Thursday & Saturday)

Galveston and Central Houston locations/dates may also be scheduled, so if those areas are more convenient for you, just let me know!

Sessions are $195 (due at the time of booking), will last 30 minutes, and include 50 custom-designed flat cards (cool shapes available!) with return-addressed envelopes.  We can also make postage stamps using your photos, and arrange to have them addressed and/or stamped for you.

Your shoot will take place at a pre-determined outdoor location and time, probably in the early morning or evening.  Lasting 30 minutes, our goal for the session is to get one great group shot for your holiday cards this year (like the cute family above! Couch included!).  More group shots and combinations can be shot if time allows.  I promise to do a blog about wardrobe choice before these session times roll around... because I KNOW you're all wondering what on earth to wear.

After your shoot, we'll schedule a convenient consultation time, where you'll choose the type of card, size, shape, and image you'd like to use.  You can also order prints at this time if you'd like.

Your consultation is scheduled separately a) because the shoot is taking place outside and b) because I understand that you might not want your whole family trying to be the boss of you when you're choosing the image and card design!  Once the holidays roll around and you realize you might need more than your original order, it's no problem to order more.

Time slots for each location are limited, so please contact us soon!  

Last but not least... I am 100% animal-friendly, so please don't hesitate to include your furry family members.  I promise to do a blog about wardrobe choice before these session times roll around.

Meghan & George's Wedding

I love Meghan & George.  I can’t put my finger on it, but they’re the kind of people you just kind of want to invite to your next party, because you know they’d fit right in and probably show up with the kind of beer you like (their wedding favors were custom koozies!).

Their wedding ceremony took place at Annunciation Catholic Church downtown—probably one if Houston’s most beautiful churches, nestled right next to Minute maid Park.  We had some time afterward to take pictures around Downtown and Hermann Park, which was really fun.  Once they were tired of being outdoors, we jumped in the car and headed to the reception.  With a little time to kill, we just drove around chatting like old friends.

Upon arrival to the Czech Heritage museum for the reception, Meghan and George were presented as husband and wife and the party got started!  There was beer, dancing, chicken fried chicken, and a good old red velvet armadillo cake (in a San Antonio Spurs jersey).  My hat is OFF to Cakes by Gina for the absolutely amazing work!

I don’t know the back story, but apparently Meghan has a thing for Selena.  The dancing really kicked up when the DJ put her on… highly entertaining.  It was clear that a good time was had by all in celebration of the union of these two!