Rebecca + Scott {San Antonio Wedding Photography}

It has been an AMAZING and busy weekend! I had the pleasure of photographing Scott and Rebecca's wedding at the newly renovated Tapatio Springs Resort and let me tell you, it was absolutely STUNNING.

Trust me, there will be many, many more photos to show off but for now, presenting Mr & Mrs Dunn

Melody, from San Antonio Wedding and Event Consultants was amazing, taking such care with every single detail.

Breathless is the only way I can describe the flowers. The geniuses over at Ambience Floral and Event Design created some of the most beautiful works of floral art that I have ever seen... Anyways, as you could probably imagine I haven't even had a chance to see all of the photos from the day but as I started to look through them, this one jumped out at me and I just had to share!

Kamaile + Jorge {Redlands, California Wedding Photography}

Geez... it has been forever since I have blogged.... not because there hasn't been anything to blog about but because I have been so very busy that I couldn't rationalize spending the time on blogging while I had so many people waiting so very patiently for their photos and albums. I tried to resist but I simply couldn't when it came to this bride. I practically have known her family my whole life, I went to school with her older sister and my mother went to school with her mother! When Laurie Ann (mother of the bride) contacted me to photograph her daughters wedding there was no turning it down.
There were so many beautiful details in this wedding and a special bond that the family had with each and every one of their vendors. One of my favorite things of the wedding had to be Kamaile's hips. Yes, her hips. There were these beautiful pleated fan(?) embellishments that adorned her dress, one resting on the hip but the real reason had to be the way she moved her hips, in the hawaiian wedding dance she performed for her husband and the dancing thereafter... I think I kinda developed a bit of a girl crush on her.
I absolutely loved that Kamaile's grandmother adorned the newlyweds with Maile Leis. In Hawaii, the placing of a lei over the head and around the shoulders of a person exemplifies the bestowing of honor and respect and the Maile Lei in particular is most often reserved for memorable occasions. It is known to many as the “lei of royalty,” given to signify respect and honor. Does Kamaile and Maile sound similar? This is another reason this particular lei was chosen, Kamaile was named after the Kamaile leaf.
One more favorite moment before I show off a small preview for this very special bride and groom. Jorge's mom... the woman can dance! I absolutely LOVE it when moms and dads dance the night away and truly enjoy themselves and when she danced with her son, she had the time of her life!
Okay on to the photos!

Simplicity {San Antonio Wedding Photographer}

We have done this pose many times before, and a majority of the time the photo always turns out beautiful.But for some reason this image really speaks to me....the lighting, the flowing water, the passion between the two of them, the way her dress is falling...I could go on. I think the main thing for me is how passionate they are with each other, and how deeply in love they are at this exact moment. We truly captured a special moment between the two of them, when that happens it always makes for a beautiful image! Thanks Mary and Robert for letting us be a part of your special day!

What is a Fine Art File {San Antonio Wedding Photography}

This seems to be a very typical question that we have from most couples... What is a "Fine Art Image"? Its very simple really, we take out any distractions in the image, and enhance the colors to what they should be if the sun wasn't blowing the color out. I believe that it is truly necessary to color adjust and touch up each photo. Sometimes it becomes a bit tedious when you have over 600 images from one wedding, but in my opinion well worth it. Our couples are able to print at any size and the image will not be distorted at all. Check out a cool before and after!

Before:

After:

Intuition {San Antonio Wedding Photographer}

Glenda was nervous about that walk down the aisle. Right before she left the room that she was waiting in she asked me "Should I smile while I walk down the aisle? What looks best? I don't really know what to do." My response was simple. "Look at Justin. You will know what exactly to do."
As she walked down the long aisle of San Fernando Cathedral you could visibly see the exact moment she locked eyes with her groom. She was completely overcome with emotion expressed through tears. It was one of the sweetest walks down the aisle that I've ever seen.

Ian & Melanie's Wedding at Fischer Hall {San Antonio Wedding Photographer}

Melanie & Ian's Wedding Album... Check it out!

Sneak Peak of Michelle & Ian's Wedding {San Antonio Wedding Photography}

Here is a sneak peak of Michelle and Ian's wedding! This couple was all about their photography! That was their number two priority the whole day (with the number one getting married of course!) and we don't se this as often as we would like to. Michelle and Ian were married on September 10th 2011 (9-10-11) at 12:13pm. I loved how punctual this couple was!
They let us come back to their hotel with them to get some photos of them together on their wedding day, it was so refreshing to work with this couple. They are so in love, so committed to each other. Loved working with them! Check out some of their photos!

A Stolen Moment {San Antonio Wedding Photography}

Okay so the truth, I love photographing weddings (in fact it is all I would like to do if I could) but sometimes it can be a little repetitive. You know, the father walks his daughter down the aisle, they get married, go to the reception. Cake gets cut, first dance, speeches, dancing, garter and bouquet toss, grand exit. That's it in a nutshell. But wait, why is it then, that I enjoy weddings so much? It is because of moments like this:



It isn't that these are technically great photos. If one were to critique them they'd say that maybe they weren't composed correctly, maybe the lighting is off, or they're not tack sharp. I don't care. There is just something that's so magical about this series of images.

If you were there you'd see a room full of over 200 Aggies singing their A&M War Hymn, with every verse the volume and intensity in the room increasing.

If you were there you'd see that at the peak or their hymn everyone was running around and grabbing random people's arms, frolicking in a circle, then moving on to the next person.

If you were there you'd see the moment Jake grabs Mallory's arm and realizes it is her. Instantaneously they were totally and completely lost in each other.
It was straight out of a romance novel, the way their eyes met and right then, despite all of the chaos around them, they were the only two people that existed in the world. In one breath they shared a quiet moment, a little kiss.

Yep, right there.

Those are the moments that break the repetition. Those are the moments that take my breath away.

That is the reason I will always love photographing weddings.

Oh and by the way, those that think I'm exaggerating about the whole "200 Aggies" thing, here is your proof:

Something.... {San Antonio Wedding Photography}

It's a tradition for every bride; finding something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Deriving from an English rhyme, you can help the bride to be, choose a modern or traditional touch to the customary ritual. It doesn't have to be a dreaded mission, but one that can bring meaning and inspiration for everyone involved.
Jenny's mom gave this little box of mementos to carry with her on her wedding day. Each item had a symbolic purpose for being there. I love this whole idea, I think it keeps things very traditional. Not only is she able to carry things with her on her wedding day that are heirlooms to her family, it was also very sweet and thoughtful of her mother to put the meaning of each item on a list for her to keep. Jenny put all the items in a coin bag and carried it with her in her dress pocket ( love pockets) on her wedding day.

Something old: A charm from her Nana
Something new: Earrings from her sister
Something borrowed: Lace from her great grandmothers dress
Something blue: A handkerchief that had her grandma's initial embroidered on it (which also happened to be Jenny's initial too!)

There were a bunch of other things in there including the necklace that Jenny wore which were presents from her parents. While a child Jenny had admired a similar collection that her mother had framed in a shadow frame from her own wedding day.
Anyways, when I saw this I immediately fell in love with the concept. Enjoy!

If the shoe fits.....

There is so much thought that gets put into choosing the right dress, the shoes should compliment the dress, as well as being a good, comfortable fit. The selection of bridal shoes available today is completely different to when your parents got married.
Seemingly every fabric, shape, size and style has been thought of, in the form of a wedding shoe. Traditional and modern. Maybe the bride and groom are having a beach wedding? They even have bridal flip flops! Maybe you can't find the right color? Wedding shoes can be dyed, to match pretty much everything! Or you can just simply go with the traditional white/off white.

The choice a bride makes can have a huge impact on her enjoyment on the day. Many hours will be spent in these shoes, so keep this in mind when choosing your shoes, always to try them on, and walk around. Could you manage to do that all day? When it comes to heel height, always best to stick to what you know. If you want to go for a little more heel than usual, keep it realistic and get some practice in, before the big day. Stilettos are generally used for half the night, then your shoes are either off or you put flats on, but be realistic do you really want to be dancing in a 4-6 inch heel all night? I personally would recommend nothing more than 2-3 inch on the heel .

Women today want to be comfortable or showy. There is not a whole lot of room for in between in the area of shoes. Some brides want the 'bling' of their wedding day theme to be carried over to the shoes they are wearing, whereas other women want a flat shoe that is more akin to a sandal, and has little to do with being formal! Be creative, think outside the box! oh and by the way my favorite pair of wedding shoes listed below are the ones with the little skirt on the back, almost as if the shoes had a dress of its own :)

Pinterest {San Antonio Wedding Photography}

So I have found a new obsession (and have shared it with many of my brides) Pinterest.

Pinterest

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pinterest is an vision board-styled social photo sharing website where users can create and manage theme-based image collections.

If you haven't heard about it, well be prepared to be addicted. Pinterest is amazing (in my opinion) app where you can find the most aw-inspiring ideas for your wedding. If I was Oprah, it would be on my favorite list.

Speaking of lists, you need to check out my receptions board. Who knew that baby's breath can make a gorgeous arrangement. Seriously.

Pinterest is a relatively new website/app and can be a little buggy (doesn't always function as it should) but it is well worth your time and patience.

Check it out- no seriously, right now.

Showin' some love for the Veil {San Antonio Wedding Photography}

Whether to wear a veil or or not shouldn't be a question! In my humble opinion, every bride should have one!
First off, the veil has symbolic reasons behind it (ehum, you don't have to be ummm... well you know... pure.. to wear one), for example, wedding veils were once donned as protection from evil spirits or used to prevent the bride and groom from seeing each other until the deal was sealed in an arranged marriage.
My interest in veils, well has to be for the A-M-A-Z-I-N-G photos!
Times obviously have changed, but the wedding veil still remains popular and almost is an accessory to add to their dress or even be used to make some pretty creative images; rather than something to ward off evil spirits :} That being said, you do not have to wear a veil on your wedding day, just as you do not have to toss your bouquet, wear a garter, or smear cake on each other's faces.

If you do choose to wear a wedding veil, I would recommend blusher-style veil down the aisle, which is then lifted by your father before he leaves your side (I love), followed by either a cathedral veil, finger tip length veil, or elbow length veil underneath the blusher. I personally like that cathedral veil. It not only look stunning as you are walking down the aisle,it also adds a little something extra to your dress. Something to keep in mind, if you do choose a cathedral veil, you do not have to wear it the whole time. You can take it off after the ceremony and have a elbow length veil, or something simple like a broach to wear during the reception.