Shooting a photographer’s wedding is something that I’ve had on my to-do list since I started with wedding photography. To me, it is the ultimate compliment to have another photographer trust you with documenting their wedding day, and I was thrilled when Roberto and Lori contacted me about covering theirs. While talking with them about their plans, it became apparent that our ideas and styles matched up perfectly – I loved every sample photo they showed me, their decor was beautiful, and they were willing to take extra time to make sure that we got some great shots. As a photographer, Roberto knows what will photograph well, and Lori knows which props will enhance an image so that it can look its absolute best. Lori’s bridal set came out beautifully, just as expected, so as we got closer to the wedding, I was very confident that this would be a wedding set to remember. And I was right.

We arrived at Oakwind Bed & Breakfast that afternoon, with ominous clouds rolling overhead. The ceremony area outside of the bed and breakfast was already set up, so we all crossed our fingers, hoping that the clouds would pass by quickly. Sure enough, within 30 minutes, the sun began to peek out and the clouds were chased off, leaving a soft blue sky – a perfect backdrop for a wedding.

Inside the B&B, everyone was hustling around setting up all the props,  cakes and outside decor. Oakwind has an amazing southern charm that photographs so  well, making it one of my favorite places in Houston to shoot. The details are always so perfect, and they have a great setup for a wedding. I met up with Lori upstairs, who was calmly getting her things ready with her family and friends. Diffused sunlight poured into the rooms, bathing everything in a soft glow – no need for any flash here! Her nieces and nephews sat patiently on the floor, fiddling with their dress clothes and singing songs with other family members. Her dress hung from a doorway in the room, long and slender with a lace veil made from the veil worn by her mother on her wedding day. Her mom helped her into her dress in the warm window light, making for some beautiful, very personal photos.

Lori had arranged for a first look with her dad, which we set up in the upstairs room she was getting ready in. I love first looks because of the raw emotion that are captured in them – it’s not something you could ever stage, and why would you want to? It was a wonderful thing watching Lori and her dad share a few quiet moments together before he walked her down the aisle.

From there, it was time to head to the other end of the B&B and visit Roberto and his groomsmen, who were already sharply dressed and ready to go. Starting to get just a liiiiiiittle nervous, Roberto constantly checked the handsome pocket watch that Lori had given him as a wedding day gift, proudly showing it when people noticed. We decided to take some formals of Roberto in the sitting room right at the front of the B&B. With large chairs and a bookshelf filled with leather bound books, I felt that it gave off an appropriately “manly” feel. Roberto knew just what to do, as if reading my mind for the set up of the shot, and we got some good stuff in a very short amount of time! We headed outside for some photos with his groomsmen, who were all more than happy to cheese it up for the camera. After their photos, they began to practice their secret Thriller dance which would be brought out later that night – my second photographer Robert of Dabert Photography was lucky enough to catch their session!

With the ceremony fast approaching, we headed outside to set up. Shortly after, the ceremony began, going along just as scheduled with beautiful weather as though there had never been a hint of rain at all. They exchanged their vows under blue skies with all their family and friends present, even including the funny personal touch of Roberto using a small step stool to kiss Lori at the end of the ceremony, making light of their difference in height. They walked down the aisle as a married couple to the reception – let the party begin!

Their spread at the reception was as beautiful as it was tasty – a myriad of cakes, cookies and other sweets laid out on the table, sparkling in the light like jewelry. Kids helped themselves to the treats, sneaking off before their parents noticed. The first dances were great, under the large tree adorned with little round lights to set a perfect mood. The evening moved along smoothly, and before I knew it, it was time for us to go. This wedding was the complete photographer’s dream – crafted by another photographer with the final result in mind from the very beginning. Everything turned out so beautifully, I couldn’t be happier with the final product. I am grateful to have been chosen by a fellow photographer, and I hope that you enjoy the photos of their beautiful wedding day.

Congrats, you two!

Vendor Information:

Venue and Catering: Oakwind Bed and Breakfast

Wedding Cake: Norma’s Cakes & Cookies 

Groom’s cake and pastries: Chukulati

Peruvian pastries: Myriam Vargas

Desserts: Pati Burgos

Bouquets and Boutonnières: The English Florist

Ceromony & Reception Flowers: Houston Flower Girls

Hair and Makeup (Bride only): Bri Trevino

Wedding Dress: Veronique Vales

Music: Ryan Cole – Composer/Pianist Ceremony Processional & Recessional

Andrew Bateman – Classical Guitar

Ben Siard – DJ

Decor: All done by the couple!

I’ve been waiting since early January to post up Beth’s bridals, and since her and Krys have tied the knot at Ashelynn Manor on the 16th, I finally can!

We started this set out at Sam Houston Park right underneath the Houston skyline in the late afternoon. After their amazing engagement set in College Station, I had my work cut out for me! The park was virtually empty, so we had our choice of where to shoot. I really like the old houses and other structures that have been moved onto the property, giving it a small town feel in stark contrast to the skyscrapers towering overhead, just blocks away. Beth’s sister Laura and her husband Jes came along to help out on dress/hair watch and to help wrangle Beth’s pup Lexie for a couple of shots. It was invaluable having them there, as a sister always has a sharp eye to keep the bride looking her best.

Lexie was on her best behavior for the entire set, and was easily bribed with little snack to sit nice and still for some great shots. My favorite is the very first one below, where Lexie was trying her absolute hardest to be a good dog for a little snack held above by Beth. We shot at the small church on the grounds of Sam Houston Park as well as a few of the small cottages there before electing to pack up and head over to the arboretum to finish up the set.

We arrived at the arboretum and waded right into the tall trees, grass, looking for nice places to start. We found a great spot not too far in where a small leaning tree arced over the walkway, making a natural frame for Beth as she stood on the well-worn pathway. The pure white dress was an awesome contrast to the green, overgrown surroundings. We got a few shots with Lexie, making do with Goldfish as treats, since her preferred treats had all been eaten. She didn’t quite prefer the goldfish, but was happy to participate nonetheless. We went further into the park as the light started to fade, and came along a dock alongside some marsh that looked perfect in the soft light. We snapped the last photos of the set there, then hoofed it back as quickly as possible towards the front of the arboretum so that we didn’t have to have an impromptu sleepover in nature.

Beth was awesome the whole time, always willing to try whatever came to my head at a moment’s notice, and made the set a lot of fun. Their wedding at Ashelynn Manor was incredible, and I can’t wait until the set is ready so that I can share that with y’all as well! For now though, enjoy the photos from Beth’s bridals!

Now that Lori and Roberto have tied the knot, I can finally post up the images from her amazing bridal session! After getting to know Lori a bit, it seems like we have very similar tastes in photography, which I was very happy to learn, seeing as how her now husband is a photographer. She wanted a natural, rustic bridal set with just a hint of vintage flair tossed in for fun. She set out on the hunt for a cool chair that we could bring to the set, along with some old, weathered luggage that would fit the surroundings well.

With the props secured, we met on location on the day of the shoot with her mom and two family friends in tow to assist with shooting.  Joseph, a friend who I’d met on a local forum came along with me to grab some behind the scenes images as well as to assist with lighting and other things. The first thing you noticed about Lori in her wedding dress was the beautiful, long, flowing veil. The lace in the veil has become a family heirloom, passed down from her mom who wore it on her wedding day, and it looked amazing in the warm sunlight of the late evening as we began shooting. Lori gives herself a rough time, saying she’s used to being on the other side of the camera (which I can totally understand!), but she fell into an awesome rhythm nearly immediately, and it seemed as though every shot was coming out just the way I’d envisioned them. We even had a little wind come in to help send the veil fluttering off behind her for a few shots (and when the wind quit, Joseph was more than willing to take its place, holding the veil up then dropping it while simultaneously dashing out of the frame).

After a few “warm up” shots, we got all the props out of the car and found a suitable place to set them up. I found a small hollow among the trees, where some of the trunks made a little semicircle in the grass. I thought this would be the perfect spot, and we set everything up, sitting Lori comfortably in the chair in the middle with her feet propped up on the suitcases. While we were shooting, we had a small audience of picnickers behind us enjoying the production.I love the look of the final images, and will definitely be recommending cool props like this for bridal sets in the future!

With sunset approaching, we made our way out to the fields to get some shots in the soft, golden light. Lori was a trooper, hiking right out into the field behind me while I tried my best to stomp down a path with my boots. We were rewarded with an awesome sunset and some great shots to wrap the set up with. From there we packed everything up so I could run home and begin to edit the photos for her wedding day which was quickly approaching. We were able to get a framed print for her reception on the day of the wedding and it complemented the beautiful decor that they set up at Oakwind Bed and Breakfast perfectly. The wedding was a photographer’s dream, and I can’t wait until the photos are ready to share. In the meantime though, enjoy the bridal set!

Congratulations again to Roberto and Lori!