Here are just a few of my favorites.

The Adolphus Hotel

Floral Design: Lilium Floral Design

Hilton San Diego

1899 Farmhouse

Design: Coco Fleur Events

Shoppes at Brownstone

Concept: After Yes & Catie Ronquillo; Floral Design: Bows and Arrows

White Rock Lake

Floral Design: Kate Foley Designs; Cakes: Sugar Bee Sweets; Stationery: Southern Fried Paper

Grapevine, Texas

Floral Design: Red Sole Events; Stationery: Southern Fried Paper; Concept: Couture Events by Lottie; Rentals: Rent My Dust

Ritz-Carlton Dallas

Floral Design: Branching Out Events

The Room on Main

Concept: November Lily; Floral Design: Haute Floral; Cake: Frosted Art

Centennial Park, Irving

Concept: Ebony Peoples Events & Design & Catie Ronquillo; Stationery: Doodle Dog Creative; Floral Design: Bows & Arrows; Cake: Sugar Bee Sweets

Byron Nelson Room at Four Seasons Las Colinas

Floral Design: Lilium Floral Design

Fort Worth City Club

Floral Design: Lilium Floral Design

Hickory Street Annex

Concept: After Yes & Catie Ronquillo; Stationery: Palm Papers; Floral Design: Kate Foley Designs; Cakes: Sugar Bee Sweets; Rentals: Rent My Dust

Celestial Park, Addison

Stationery & Project Design: Palm Papers

Here are just a few of my favorites from 2011.

Charlene & Ron will celebrate their first anniversary on Sunday!

Love, love, love Nikki and Blake. They are expecting their first child in the Spring!

Ashley & Jeremy modeling in Vegas…

My dear friend Karyn, who had an adorable baby boy several weeks after this session.

Talk about perfect light in Bartonville.

Sophie & Jarrod and our adventures in Dallas.

Looking forward to  Samantha and Jon‘s big day in April!

Loved photographing Hilary in my own neighborhood in little downtown Irving.

A few months ago, I saw that Lauren, editor of Every Last Detail, was looking for submissions for her Style Dictionary. It’s a great resource for brides to see certain styles, so that when they are working with their teams of vendors, they can accurately articulate the type of feeling and vibe they want for their wedding day. Well, I dreamed up the idea of juxtaposing a backyard wedding with some glam. I enlisted the help of Ebony Peoples, whose aesthetic is definitely glam, along with a wonderful team of vendors to bring this concept together. We came up with a perfect balance of glam, while still maintaining a casual ambiance.

After photographing this styled shoot, I think that I can no longer scheduled outdoor photo shoots in the summer. This is from the middle of July, and even around 6pm, it was still super hot, sweaty, and all around miserable. However, in spite of the sweltering heat, we had a great shoot! Many thanks to the talents of Ebony Peoples Events & Design, Doodle Dog Creative, Bows & Arrows, Sugar Bee Sweets, and our awesome models and real-life couple, Adrienne & Brandon.

The shoot was photographed at Centennial Park in Irving, which is a delightful location for an engagement session, bridal session, or a beloved session.

Thanks again to all the vendors who participated in this shoot!

Ebony Peoples Events & Design
Doodle Dog Creative
Bows & Arrows
Sugar Bee Sweets

Happy Wednesday!

There’s nothing quite like an Indian wedding.

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of second shooting an Indian wedding reception at the Hilton Garden Inn in Lewisville alongside my friend Vanessa. This was my very first experience with a South Asian wedding and it was delightful. I loved all the colors of all the different saris guests wore, along with the intricate beading work, and beautiful jewelry.

The lovely couple, Poonam and Chinmay, married in their native India, but live and work in Dallas, so they had a large Dallas wedding reception and invited all their local friends and family to celebrate.

Cousins and nieces of the couple performed dances while Poonam and Chinmay watched.

Everyone got down on the dance floor!

Guests danced the Dandiya Raas, a traditional Indian dance with sticks.

I think the little ones wanted to get in on the action too.

It was a super fun experience photographing an Indian wedding reception. I would love to shoot more South Asian weddings in the future, for sure!

Many thanks to Vanessa for having me along!

I met Chelsea of Southern Fried Paper at a wedding networking event a several months ago. In fact, we kind of met at the end of the evening, the music was loud, I was exhausted, and we had to yell into each others ears to hear each other. Great first impression, right? Well, shortly thereafter, I met up with her and browsed her invitation portfolio. And the idea came. I pitched it to Chelsea and about three seconds later we found ourselves in planning mode. And the travel shoot was born.

We also recruited the fabulous talents of Kate of Kate Foley Designs, Heidi of Sugar Bee Sweets, Kay Castro an amazing makeup artist, and Vivien & Jon Jordan, our adorable, real-life married couple/models.

On the day of the shoot, thunderstorms were looming (in fact, we could see them across the lake, coming towards us), tornado watches in effect, and oh yeah, it HAILED. Marble-sized chunks of hail. And it rained on our shoot. TWICE.

The inspiration shoot was featured on Style Me Pretty Texas earlier this week, and I’m so pleased with how everything came together.

Be sure to check out the feature on Style Me Pretty Texas!

Sources & Vendors:
Dress: Urban Outfitters
Concept: Catie Ronquillo & Southern Fried Paper
Stationery: Southern Fried Paper
Flowers: Kate Foley Designs
Cakes: Sugar Bee Sweets
Makeup Artist: Kay Castro
Plate Chargers: World Market
Table Cloth: Target
Location: White Rock Lake

Happy Friday!

Oh and there were cows! I know, I’m totally showing you that I’m so not from Texas. But as we scheduled the day after session, Nikki warned me that her parents had recently purchased some cattle and to beware of cow patties. As a California native, and total city girl, I had never received an email quite like that. No worries, the cows were on the other side of the house.

Nikki and Blake got back into their wedding day attire and we roamed around for some casual photos.

Not gonna lie, I was totally excited to see a BARN! And there was the most lovely golden light! That light is why I recommend shooting at the hours around sunset.

Nikki also wanted to take a photo or two in her parents’ claw foot tub. I may have squealed in excitement. Nikki and Blake are SO my kind of couple! And I don’t squeal often.

Nikki and Blake, thank you for being awesome. I probably can’t say it enough, but seriously, you two are just the best! Congratulations again and I wish you a long and lovely marriage!

Happy Monday!

Spanish inspiration.

Warm, rich colors like Sangria and Truffle.

When Ladna of November Lily first approached me about this shoot and told me her ideas about it, I was all in.

I’m so excited to finally share this shoot in its entirety! This shoot was a part of the latest issue of Nonpareil Magazine. It was also recently featured on Wedding Nouveau – an amazing site, especially if you’re looking for ethnic wedding inspiration or interracial and interfaith wedding ideas.

If you’re a Dallas wedding vendor, you may recognize our lovely model, Elizabeth of After Yes Weddings. She is one of my favorite wedding coordinators in Dallas. She’s super organized and loves to-do lists, great qualities for a wedding planner! And if you’re wondering, no, that’s not her husband – we had to rent a groom!

Nicole of The Left Handed Calligrapher did an outstanding job (as usual) creating unique calligraphy pieces, ranging from plexiglas to jewels. Here, she used a red onion to create a place card.
Ladna of November Lily, brought in the candelabras and adorned the table with hydrangeas and roses, complemented with grapes, red onions, and red potatoes.
We shot at the Las Colinas Canals in Irving, Texas, which is a popular location for bridal session photos and wedding day photography. It is a unique location in the Dallas area that looks like a piece of Italy, with a quaint canal and a clock tower reminiscent of an Venetian plaza and waterway.
The dress is an Oscar de la Renta. Flown in from New York. Yes, you read that correctly! I almost didn’t believe it when Ladna told me that the dress was from Oscar de la Renta in NEW YORK! I absolutely loved all the ruffles.

Stay tuned for some fun off-camera flash photos after the sun set!

Happy Tuesday!

Many thanks to the following vendors for their time & talent!
November Lily
The Left Handed Calligrapher
Faces by Brianna
Cebolla Fine Flowers
Oscar de la Renta

The bathtub holding the drinks? I may have squealed. A little.

Nikki and Blake, y’all are so awesome. Yes. I use “y’all” now.

Nikki told me she had gone down to Canton and found these old shutters — love how she repurposed them to display the escort cards.

I love mason jars! Especially the blue ones.

And to make things even better, there were TWO bathtubs holding drinks. Genius.

When Nikki told me they had a specially made cake topper of Superman and Lois Lane, I knew she was destined to be my client. Totally my kind of bride!

Blake is all about Superman, so it was only natural that the groom’s cake be of Superman’s emblem.

Nikki and Blake, I hope y’all have an amazing honeymoon and are enjoying every minute! Thank you for being such amazing clients, seriously. Cheers to the beginning of your journey together and many many happy years ahead, together.

Many thanks to my friend and fellow photographer, Amy, for second shooting with me.

Vendor Team:
Venue: 1899 Farmhouse
Catering: Spotlight Catering DFW
Floral: Coco Fleur Events
Cake: Dallas Affaires
DJ: Tiny Tunes Entertainment
Photobooth: VIP Booths

It was a beautiful Spring day, with the sun shining brightly and a light breeze, making it a gorgeous day in Texas. Surrounded by their family and friends, Nikki and Blake created a wedding at the 1899 Farmhouse in Princeton (northeast of Dallas) that truly reflected their relationship. From the infusion of Superman details to the rosary that was wrapped around Nikki’s bouquet, to awesome shoes, to the handmade centerpieces,  this wedding was true to their fun personalities. They married under a gorgeous arbor, as they promised their lives to each other, their faces beaming with love. It’s clear to me that they are a perfect match.

Nikki and Blake…I can’t begin to thank you for simply being you. Your wedding was perfect and I loved every minute of it! There were times when I wanted to reach out and squeeze you for making me fall more in love with what I do. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your love story…it’s an honor I cherish.

I loved Nikki’s choice of shoes! My kind of bride!

I don’t typically photograph the groom’s shoes, but these were truly awesome! Blake, you’ve got some great style!

I was psyched that Nikki and Blake opted for a First Look. I set Blake up on the amazing wrap around porch of the 1899 Farmhouse.

After the First Look we wandered around the property for some bridal portraits.

From fierce to fun in 2.5 seconds.

Nikki and Blake, y’all just made my job SO FUN!

Lisa of Coco Fleur Events did a FANTASTIC job with the ceremony site. In fact, she and her team built the arbor that Nikki and Blake stood under as they took their vows.

And because their wedding had SO many awesome details, I’ll be blogging a second post! Here’s a sneak peek of their reception…

Stay tuned for Part II of Nikki & Blake’s amazing 1899 Farmhouse Wedding!

Venue: 1899 Farmhouse
Floral Design: Coco Fleur Events
Catering: Spotlight Catering
DJ: Tiny Tunes Entertainment
Photobooth: VIP Booths

So not to leave blog readers hanging….here are two photos from the shoot. A gorgeous bouquet of red roses, orchids, and peonies (I think…I’m no floral expert) from Cebolla Fine Flowers. And then a gorgeous Plexiglas menu hand-lettered by Nicole Black of The Left Handed Calligrapher.

Check out this shoot in the current issue of Nonpareil Magazine.

Flowers: Cebollla Fine Flowers
Calligraphy: The Left Handed Calligrapher

Happy Thursday!