Nerdy Houston Wedding Photographer

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.

Vendors

Venue: White Oaks on the Bayou

Photographer: Kelly Urban Photography

Hair & Makeup: SMK Beauty

Cake: Dolly’s Sweet Sensations

Dress: Davids Bridal

How to spot “The One” and I don’t mean your fiancé…

October 6, 2020

Finding the perfect wedding photographer is one of the most important parts of your wedding planning process.

Why is your wedding photographer so important?

Your wedding photographer is going to be one of the only vendors who is present throughout your entire wedding. They’ll be there while you’re getting ready. They’ll be there as you walk down the aisle. They’ll be there as you bid your friends and family farewell and hop into your get-away vehicle.

It’s important to find someone who not only takes breathtaking photos, but someone who can blend in with your wedding guests. You don’t want to hire someone who’s rude to your guests, or who shows up looking like a slob. I’ve read so many horror stories about wedding photographers acting improper at weddings.

So how do you spot “The one”?

First, we need to determine your photo style. Is your style dark and moody, light and airy or somewhere in between? Make a list of several photographers who’s style matches yours.

Second: Read their biography. Mark out anyone who doesn’t feel right to you. Note, you may only mark one photographer out or none at this point.

Third: Contact the photographers on your list. How long does it take them to respond? Is response time important to you? Mark off anyone on your list that doesn’t respond in a timely manor or responds in a way that rubs you the wrong way. Use your instincts here, they’re usually right.

Fourth: Schedule meetings (either virtual, by phone or in person) with the photographers who really stand out to you.

Lastly, after talking with the photographers you were interested in, think about your wedding. Was there a photographer who you feel would best fit in with your family? Is there someone who made you laugh or smile during your meeting? Can you envision one person in particular capturing your wedding memories?

You’ve found “The one”!

Questions to ask a Wedding Photographer – part 1

September 29, 2020

I’m starting a new series: Questions to ask a wedding photographer.

You have standard initial questions like:

Are you available for my wedding?
What are your packages?

Today, I’m going to focus on the question, “Have you photographed at my venue before?”

Why is it important to ask a wedding photographer if they’ve shot at your venue? There are many benefits to having a wedding photographer who is familiar with your venue.

They know how the dynamics of a wedding works there.
They know who to contact at the venue.
They’ve already scouted the best locations to take wedding portraits.
They’re familiar with the lighting situation.
They’re familiar with the rain contingency plan.

That being said, don’t count out a wedding photographer just because they haven’t shot a wedding at your venue. Everyone has to start somewhere, and what’s most important to you may not be whether they’ve been there, but maybe their style or personality.

Personally, If I’ve booked a wedding at a venue I haven’t been to yet, I like to go out there a month before to check out the venue. I’ll take a quick tour, take some photos of the venue and talk with the staff. I’ll also stalk the venue’s Instagram page and make mental notes.

Kelly Urban Photography is a wedding photographer located in Houston Texas. She specializes in fun and unique outdoor weddings. Some of her favorite places to take wedding photography is out in the country, under a canopy of trees or with her toes in the sand at the beach.

The Decadent Dukessa

September 22, 2020

As I prepare to head out to the Dukessa wedding venue today to take wedding photos, I wanted to take some time to share a little bit of information about this unique and decadent wedding venue.

(Update: I will not be heading to the Dukessa today because of the weather. Stay safe and dry all my Houstonians.)

Located a mile from the Galleria, the Dukessa is a full-service event venue with an in-house, award winning culinary team. The Dukessa offers flexible floor plans and innovative systems stunning and indoor and outdoor options for your unique, memorable wedding.

I stopped by the wedding venue Saturday afternoon and had the pleasure of meeting several amazing members of the Dukessa team. They were polite and helpful. It was obvious how much they loved their jobs. After taking a quick tour, I can tell you with out a doubt, that the garden was my FAVORITE part of the whole venue. I can imagine intimate cocktail hours spent there, or even a small wedding ceremony held between the limestone and bright Bougainvilleas.

Black-Thumb Gardening

September 15, 2020

I don’t like talking about myself… so that means I am going to force myself to do it at least once a month.

Here’s a not so little known fact about me that doesn’t involve wedding photography.

I like to garden, but I’m not good about keeping things alive (unless they’re on a sprinkler system). I also tend to jump the gun, and buy something I would like to grow, but don’t do any sort of research about when and where to plant it.

Here recently, I’ve really dug deep (pun intended) into growing produce. I have a small vegetable garden on the side of the house with 4 raised beds and a brand new trellis/arch.

I watch a lot of YouTube videos on growing the specific plants (after I’ve planted them) to try to save them or help them produce more or larger fruit.

Some of the easiest things I’ve grown are:

Cucumbers – comes back every year (because I leave at least one over grown, yellow cucumber at it’s base to restart the next season’s plants)
Basil – very prolific (comes back every year on it’s own)
Chives – I have had this chive plant for 3 or 4 years now. It lasts through the winter and even tolerated being moved with out batting an eye.
Okra (new this year) – each plant (we have 3) produces 1-3 okra every 2-3 days. Some of the okra plants have new offshoots from the main stock that are also producing fruit now. Also, the flower is very pretty.

My favorite things growing in the garden, currently are:

Cucumbers – I am making so many jars of pickles.
Black-eyed peas – Yum! I love beans. I pick about 3 pea pods every day. Next year I will try to plant more plants, because it takes me about a month to have enough peas for a meal for 3.
Chives – I love having fresh chives almost any time I want it.

I’m most excited for this winter’s crop. Last year I barely put an effort into the winter garden. I had a few radishes and a few beets. this year, I have several things that I have already started to grow. I have a few little seedlings coming up under the summer plants.

Most importantly is the amount of garlic I’m hoping to grow this winter/spring. I already have 5 garlic plants growing in a pot (by my kitchen sink… because I jumped the gun in growing them and it’s too soon for them to go outside).

Do you have a garden you are proud of? What are you growing?

Perfect Places around Houston for a Micro-Wedding

September 8, 2020

Are you planing on having a small, micro-wedding in Houston somewhere? Not sure where to have it exactly? Maybe I can help?

As a wedding photographer in the Houston area, I have been to a lot of wedding venues and have even more venues and non-venue locations tagged. So, let’s start with what type of micro-wedding you’re looking for.

Indoors:

For indoor locations, you can look into renting out spaces in funky downtown bars and restaurants.

Rainbow Lodge
The Gin at Hidalgo Falls
Station 3
Ashton Gardens
The Gallery
Your favorite Bar/Restaurant
A Theater (either movie, or live)

Outdoors:

For outdoor locations, you can look into parks, camp sites, rooftop’s and more. There are so many amazing outdoor locations for a micro-wedding.

Be yourself. Choose a micro-wedding location that fits with you and your partner’s personalty. If you like to camp, maybe look up campgrounds, state parks and local parks for your venue. If you love the beach… well there’s one if you just head south on 45.

Whatever you decide to do for your micro-wedding. I know it will be amazing and your wedding will be perfect!

Kelly Urban Photography is a wedding photographer located in Houston Texas. She specializes in fun and unique outdoor weddings. Some of her favorite places to take wedding photos is out in the country, under a canopy of trees or with her toes in the sand at the beach.

Why you Should Consider Hiring a Wedding Planner

What is the most important thing you do for couples?

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

What is something you wish couples knew about wedding coordinators?