Sunday, August 11, 2013

Lauren & Jonathan...a JP Wedding and Backyard Party..Simply Amazing.

I've been to lavish weddings, that probably cost more than my car...and they were beautiful.  Most recently, we photographed an adorable wedding at the Rockwall courthouse.  A best man, a maid of honor, and some family...hugs, kisses and laughter filled the little courtroom.  As the ceremony proceeded, the maid of honor cried, Grandpa cried, Mom cried, and the bride and groom cried a little...even the JP was wiping away tears.  It was the most honest, loving exchange I've seen in some time.  Honestly, I thought they were going to come in, and ask us to keep it down, we were laughing so much, and carrying on.
The reception was the next day, in a beautiful backyard setting, under towering oaks.  Plenty of food, drink and dancing, to be had by all.  We took some pictures of the newlyweds, in a field behind the house.  It was bright green, with cattle grazing, in the distance, and towering cumulus clouds to the south.  Despite my profession, as a wedding photographer, this, to me, was ideal...a cheap, sweet JP wedding, and a great party, afterwards.  If there is any money left to be spent on these two, let it be spent helping them start their new life together.
My hat is off to this family, for a well-planned celebration of a beautiful union, and making us feel very much a part of it all.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Pendleton - Powell Wedding Saturday 8/3/13

Although we do quite a few country club weddings, they're not always my favorite...this one, however, was pretty cute.  Done up in country chic, this wedding added lots of charm to an otherwise drab backdrop, and turned the Oakmont Country Club into the Burlap Barn.  These folks did a bang up job, with decorations and the theming of the event, and the staff stayed in step, so that it all went off without a hitch.

It was a little warm for an outdoor wedding, but there was a nice breeze, and the oak tree it was under provided some much needed shade, as well as ambience.  Kimberly looked amazing in her highly detailed, strapless wedding gown, as did her bridesmaids, in strapless, champagne dresses, and cowboy boots.  Bradley and the guys went jacketless, for a cooler, more casual feel, in champagne slacks and vests, with cowboy boots.

With Mason Jars swinging gently from the oak tree, occasionally finding morsels of golden sunlight to share, the wedding proceeded against a backdrop of ducks in a pond...cattails dancing playfully in the wind, and elegant harp tunes, as the soundtrack...we might as well have been on a rural farm, in the hill country.  The flower girls, the ring bearer, and the little man who carried the "Here Comes The Bride" sign, were all adorable, and soon lost interest in the event, carrying on with their own carefree agendas.




Once the kissing, crying, and camera flashes were done, we proceeded to more lively activities, as the reception kicked into full western swing.  Food and drink were the object of the hour, as the wedding party was introduced, and tears and laughter filled the room, as the toasts were heard, and the food was served.  The DJ, although a little talkative, at times, got the tunes spinning, and the first dance...done to Garth Brooks' "To Make You Feel My Love".  Kimberly's dad wasn't be outdone, as they danced to
"Isn't She Lovely", by Stevie Wonder.  What is it about the bond between a father and his little girl, that allows them to always look so good during their wedding dance...like they'd rehearsed for weeks?


The wedding cakes were quite good...simply decorated, but very pretty...and no fondant...you know, that play dough crap they put on most wedding cakes, these days.  The wedding cake was white cake with buttercream icing...YUM...and the groom's cake was red velvet, with chocolate icing...DOUBLE YUM!!!  No fights broke out during the bouquet toss, or the garter toss...that's always a plus.  The DJ managed to fill the floor with champagne-brazened girls, who didn't care if their guys joined them, or not, and it seemed a good time was had by all.

Finally, a shout out to Oakmont Country Club.  It was our first wedding at this venue, and though it seemed a bit smaller than other country clubs, they were very accommodating.  Last, but not least...major kudos to Andrea Yanez, the event coordinator...she stayed on top of things, with out being obtrusive, or bossy, and was just very pleasant to work with, in general.