Nerdy Houston Wedding Photographer

Best Products to help you plan your wedding

January 26, 2021

It’s been nearly 10 years since I planned my own wedding, but I’m always hearing some of the newest interesting ideas from my couples. Some of the below things you may already be using.

Blogs & Wedding Websites — If you’re reading this, I’m positive you are familiar with The Knot (who recently ate Wedding Wire) and maybe even Zola (which is new to the Houston area). But have you perused any wedding blogs? There’s a wedding blog out there for everyone. I’ve seen Tattooed brides, Offbeat bride for the unique wedding and everything in between. Are you into Disney movies? Try the Disney wedding blog. The point is, figure out what your wedding style is and do a quick google search to find some blogs.

Pinterest — Create a pinterest board (or 10). You can make boards and share them with your mom and best friend. Get them to help you fill the boards with ideas. If you want to keep things private, you can make the boards private.

Instagram — Stalk your favorite wedding vendors for ideas. See who your venue follows, what your favorite florist is up to. Use Instagram to help you build a wedding community and develop fantastic ideas for your wedding.

Excel Spreadsheets — I’ve been an Excel girl for a very long time. I find myself using it for so many random things. A spread sheet is the perfect place to start your wedding guest list. Start with a column with names and who’s side, then as you go along, you can add more information to the rows (like address, allergies, marital status…). I made a spreadsheet for our wedding, then ended up sending the list to my brother who got married less than a year later.

Wedding Planning book — I’ve never used a wedding planning book, but I’ve seen a plethora of them. Some are just the simple planning guide book (with step by step instructions) you get at the book store, others are far more extravagant. My favorite tool is the 3-ring binder, with plenty of dividers.

Are you using anything to help you plan your wedding that I didn’t mention? What are you using?

David & Katie’s New Years Country Wedding

January 19, 2021

As the weather turned from warm to frigid on New Years eve, David & Katy were preparing to tie the knot in their family’s property in Cat Springs, TX.

With tents tied down, space heaters blasting warm air and friends and family gathered around the twinkle-light alter they were ready for forever. Katie’s two daughters (and maids of honor) walked her down the aisle.

What really tugged at my heart strings during this blended wedding was the vows. Not only the vows to each other, but David and Katie made vows to each other’s children too. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house by the end of the ceremony.

After everyone warmed up and ate dinner, the family had a display of fireworks before the dancing commenced. David & Katie ended their night to sparklers and ringing in the new year as husband and wife.

James & Logan’s adventurous engagement portraits at Pedernales Falls

December 29, 2020

It was a crisp, windy Saturday when I met James & Logan for their engagement portraits at the Pedernales Falls state park in Johnson City. I was thankful for the sun, since it had been overcast and rainy all week in Houston.

As we traversed the rocky terrain to get the perfect shots, I learned so much about the couple. They enjoy traveling, hiking and a multitude of other exciting, adventitious things. The couple has been to almost all of the top places on my bucket list (jealous).

We chatted about school, life, SCUBA diving and rock climbing. I had so much fun taking their engagement photos, that I forgot I was working.

Jeff & Kim’s Peach Orchard Wedding Photography

December 15, 2020

Capturing wedding photography at The Peach Orchard in the Woodlands, TX was magical. This brand new wedding venue is built on an acre of peach orchard property owned by a sweet family who had their own wedding there almost 40 years ago.

Jeff & Kim’s Sweater Weather themed wedding photography at the Peach Orchard wedding venue was magical. The color pallet was a combination of cool winter colors with hints of the warm to come this spring.

I loved the pale blue coupled with the warm peach colors and gold undertones. It was a perfect pallet for a venue titled the Peach Orchard, and Kari of Notably Yours Events pulled everything together so seamlessly.

The best part of the entire event was the appearance of Kevin, the sheep. He was so tame and enjoyed all the attention he got from Jeff & Kim. He enjoyed eating grass out back behind the venue as well as walking the property with Jeff & Kim.

The flowers were just stunning, made by the extremely talented Mariela of Casa De Flores (Who was also featured in the HBO series, Full Bloom). I absolutely love how vivid her work is and how she always manages to incorporate something interesting and unique to her bouquets.

Macrame was an art that I thought was dying, but it seems to be making a resurgence in millennial’s and weddings. I was blown away by the macrame arch that Megan of Loving This Macrame made. It was charming and fun to play with.

Vendors

Hair – KV Beauty
Makeup – Makeup by Rubi
Flowers – @casadefloresdesign
Photographer – Kelly Urban Photography
Wedding Planner – Notably Yours
Venue – The Peach Orchard
Linens & Furniture – Eat Drink and be Married
Cake – Bavarian Cakery
Invitations – Jo’s Paper Kitchen
Small Treats – Alchemy Bake Lab
Bridal Gown – Southern Bell Bridal Consignment
Bridesmaid Gown – Bella Bridesmaids
Tuxedo – Al’s Formals Wear
Kevin the Sheep – Marsha’s Zoo
Macrame – Loving this Lovin This Macrame
Hot Chocolate Bar – April’s event services

Austin & Alyssa | Lyceum of Galveston Wedding Photography

November 24, 2020

Austin & Alyssa’s fall wedding at the Lyceum of Galveston was absolutely stunning and I’m grateful they chose me to be their wedding photographer.

The day started of with a beautiful cloudless sky and a pleasant 70° weather, though it felt like a Lubbock wind blew through.

Bands of golden light pored through the stained glass windows that surrounded the wedding as the music started. Alyssa’s dramatic veil trailed past her train as her skirt whispered as she made her way down the isle.

Austin & Alyssa’s love glowed bright and I was so excited to capture some of that magic. After the ceremony, we headed outside to take portraits in front of the historic church. I was obsessed with the yellow doors (which complemented the purple tones of the wedding).

Across the street from the church was a bizarre of some sort with ton’s of well wishers announcing how gorgeous the bride was and cheering the couple on as they embraced in the street.

The rest of the evening was filled with singing, dancing and cheese balls.

I’m so grateful to have had the honor to photograph this stunning wedding. Cheers to a lifetime of love and joy for the happy couple!

Vendors

Venue – The Lyceum of Galveston

Wedding Planner – In Your Corner Planning

Flowers – Art & Design

Cake – Cakes by Julia

Dress – Oleg Cassini

Suit – Men’s Wearhouse

Why you Should Consider Hiring a Wedding Planner

November 17, 2020

As a wedding photographer, I’ve been to so many unique weddings. Some planned and organized by the bride and groom, some organized by a family member and some planned and organized by a wedding planner.

I enjoy working weddings with wedding planners. When there isn’t one, I find myself picking up minor wedding coordination roles, like developing schedules and letting couples know when they should do certain things. It’s nice to pass that on to a professional planner.

Wedding planners are so much more than schedulers and time keepers, though. I had the chance to sit down with Kari at Notably Yours Weddings & Events last week to talk with her about what goes into her job.

What is the most important thing you do for couples?

I feel that it is so important to offer the couples, and parents, a piece of mind for their special day. The amount of stress that they all are able to remove during the wedding process and on the wedding, day is incredible and help them have more fun as it becomes more memorable.

I think this would have to range from fanning the couples in the July heat; gathering cold waters (but with disposable straws for the bride to not mess up her lip stick), to helping her change heels while walking the property for photos; making sure they eat / remain hydrated for the day, and serving them their dinner meal first as I make sure my client take their time to eat. These small tasks add up, but they are also so worth it to take care of our couples, as we should.

Is there something you do that couples don’t realize you do?

This would be to take care of each of the “behind the scenes” tasks, that truly reflect the entire wedding day itself. The ability to bring together many vendors for each individual wedding and ensure that each person completes their job for the couple and in the most efficient way. We provide a piece of mind, that we are there to fully ensure and fulfill the couples’ true vision. I have had a caterer arrive with the incorrect meal selections; a baker bringing the incorrect stand, and dinner napkins having the incorrect fold after all details were confirmed; and we always fix the details before the bride could ever know something was wrong.

What is something you wish couples knew about wedding coordinators?

We aren’t always so serious and we love to have fun too!! There is a difference form a wedding coordinator to a wedding planner. As a wedding planner, we are very involved within the planning process. We are

experienced and continue our education to assist them better with classes / courses, throughout the year.

What is the most frequently asked question you get?

How many weddings do we plan a year? Answer: beginning = 15-20, average = 25-30 common =32-36

What is your favorite part of your job?

This is a hard one!! I love design, so the planning and décor meetings I feel like I can live for! However, from the start to finish, this would have to be, when we have begun the processional and everyone is down the aisle and I go to get the bride, then the fathers always have one final moment with their daughters. We then fix her veil, flowers, and train, and watch her go towards her soon to be husband. It is such a special moment!!

Why is it important for couples to hire a wedding coordinator?

There are so many factors and details that are over looked and reflect on the vision, schedule, and the flow of the wedding day. We focus on the design, logistics, and communication throughout the planning process. Our number one rule is, “There should never be any assuming”. Some common factors are that, the ceremony begins late, or someone didn’t finish hair and makeup because they were setting up, or the tables have the incorrect linen sizes and much more. We are here to help and ensure that no small or large detail is over looked.

How early should couples book you?

The best time frame for any wedding service, is to book no less than six months. If you are having a full planning wedding planner, then you should seek about booking he / she nine months to one year from the wedding.

What was your favorite (to date) wedding to worked on?

This is hard! I would say our Plunkett wedding in June of 2020 at The Carriage House or The Amundsen Wedding in February of 2020 at Big Sky Barn. The amount of love that poured from both families was truly amazing! The kindness and efforts shown from all sides did not go unnoticed. We have such amazing vendors, food, desserts, and the design was so beautiful!

Is there anything else you would want couples to know?

To pay for a wedding planner will truly make all efforts so much simpler, and in the beginning, not the last three months. We are here to help and to offer wedding education along the way to help understand the logistics and the reasons of why we do things.
We are here to have fun as well; we love our jobs and we love to help!
Communication is key!
Be different! It is ok to have more or “different” things are your wedding, they are about the TWO OF YOU.

How to Prepare for a Rainy Wedding Day

November 10, 2020

Rain, rain go away. Come again another day…

I’ve talked before about rain on your wedding day (good luck), but I’ve never covered how to prepare for a rainy wedding day.

As a native Houstonian, I’m well aware of the fickle nature of our weather. As you plan your wedding, you should have a rain contingency plan. Are you planing on getting married outside? Are you getting married during the rainy season, or hurricane season? If it rains, will you relocate to an indoor ceremony?

What do you need to prepare for a rainy wedding?

Ask your venue what their bad weather contingency is.
Bring plenty of towels
Make sure you have plenty of umbrellas for your wedding party (for fun, unique outdoor photos). You can find the clear umbrellas on Amazon or in stores like Target.
Bring an upbeat attitude. You can’t control the rain. Imagine, if the sun comes out and you get a rainbow as a backdrop?

“We’re calling this, Controlling what you can when things feel Out of Control.” ~ Olaf,

Happy (Belated) Anniversary to us!

November 2, 2020

Halloween is a special day for us. Saturday marked Andy and my 9th year of marriage. Like all couples, we have been through ups and downs, new jobs, losses and gains.

We created an amazing human who looks like his father, dresses like his Opa, and acts like his mother 😳. Tristan is really turning into an amazing little man and I can’t wait to see what his future brings.

Though we were unable to celebrate our anniversary together this year because of Andy’s job, we were still able to reminisce?

Nine years ago Danny Elfman’s The Wedding Song played in my parents backyard as I prepared to walk down the aisle with my fairy wings bobbing behind, and my Dad’s furry werewolf feet stomping next to me. At the alter stood Andy, wearing identical werewolf feet.

We were married in front of friends, family, Waldo, Batman, Robin-hood, a knight and so many more. There are so many memories I hold dear from that night.

I love that to this day, friends and family tell us how much fun they had at our wedding. Maybe we will throw a big Halloween party for our 10-year anniversary?

Posing for any lighting

October 27, 2020

Today, I wanted to share one of my favorite posing tips with yall! How to pose in any lighting and get the best lighting.

I’ve heard other photographers praise overcast days. “It’s the perfect lighting!” and I used to be one of those photographers, until I learned the secret. Are you ready for it?

Let’s break it down into types of lighting.

Morning/Afternoon (not noon) full-partial sun.

When the sun’s out, it’s important that you think like Peter Pan. You need to be conscious of where your shadow is, and always keep an eye out for it. Line your toes up with your shadow. This will mean that your face won’t have any of the harsh shadows it would if you were facing the other way.

This trick also works for taking pictures under spotty shade (like an oak tree). If you weren’t facing your shadow in spotty shade, you would have polka dot of shadow and light on your face.

Overcast days

You would think, that posing during an overcast day is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy… but it’s actually a little harder. Overcast lighting is opposite of full/partial lighting. You want to find the sun (hidden in the clouds) and face it directly. This will give your features just a little more depth and contrast.

Lastly, posing during high noon

Don’t do it. Just don’t. But I guess, if you’re forced to take pictures at the worst time of day, try to find some shade and face your shadow. The problem with high noon, is it’s harder to hide from harsh light because it’s directly above you instead of off to one side or the other.

CJ & Heather’s Rustic White Oaks on the Bayou Wedding

October 13, 2020

10/10/2020 was a popular day to have a wedding. There’s something so special about the alteration of the date, which is why CJ & Heather chose Saturday to get married.

The day was perfect. The sun was shining and there were only a few clouds in the sky the whole day.

Heather donned a gorgeous wedding gown with a laced bodice and flowing skirt garnished with her sequin encrusted boots. In fact, most of the wedding party opted for boots instead of formal shoes.

A slight breeze stirred the air as members of the wedding party made the trip down the aisle. The grooms men stopped to hug or clap CJ on the back before taking their places. As Heather stepped onto the walkway, CJ couldn’t hold his emotions any longer. There were very few dry eyes from the wedding guests after that.

After a beautiful ceremony full of laughter and tears, Heather and CJ walked the aisle as husband and wife and waltzed into an amazing night filled with dancing and great friends.