I was really excited when Brad and Sheila decided on a two part engagement session! Their first would be a more traditional set at Hermann Park with their two dogs, Nala and Simba, and the second would be an on-location set at the tailgating parking lot of Reliant Stadium before the Texans – Titans game on Sunday, September 30th. I’ve never done an engagement set like that, so I was excited to try something completely new.

We arrived at the stadium bright and early at 8am. There were already a pretty good gathering of trucks in the parking lot, and smoke from grills was already floating into the morning sky. We set up shop with Brad and Sheila’s friends at their tailgate spot, then set out to get a few photos around the grounds. It was great shooting so early, especially because of the cooler weather and smaller crowds! We walked halfway around the stadium, stopping and shooting whenever we saw a good opportunity. We got some great shots in Carruth Plaza, especially one with “Cookie”, a statue depicting a man sounding the dinner bell for everyone. It’s pretty common to see a beer can placed in Cookie’s hand at the end of tailgating, so we staged one shot like that, which I thought was pretty funny.

After the shoot, we headed back to the tents and hung around with Brad and Sheila for a while, eating omelets, drinking bloody mary’s and watching the crowd roll into the stadium. A nap was definitely needed after we got back home due to the abundance of snacks and day drinking, haha. Of course, the Texans went on to beat the Titans 38-14 – a good luck charm for Brad and Sheila!

Congrats again to you both, and I cant wait for November 3rd!

Family and friends, you can view the full gallery, as well as purchase prins, from the link below!

http://civitello.smugmug.com/Weddings/Patterson/