This lovely bridal session is one of my very favorites to date!! I drove to Houston a few weeks back to document Alli in all her stunning bridal bliss, and it was totally worth every minute on the highway with a 16 month toddler!! Allison and I were, you guessed it, KKG's together back in our college days and I just adore her. She got hitched in Vegas last night and I can't wait to hear about all the glitzy details!! Viva baby!
You guys, this girl is such a beauty inside and out. I've had the pleasure of knowing her since college and just love her down to earth nature and hysterical personality. Taylor, you are a stunning bride my dear. All the best to you and Caul!
I love this light, I love this KKG sista, and I love, love. Enough said, enjoy!!
Venue: Merket Alumni Center- Lubbock, Texas
Florist: Southern Elegance Designs
Second Shooter: Brittany Jones, of Brit Jones Photography (HUGH THANKS TO YOU MY LOVE!)
Make Up: Alex Scharton of Play Haus Productions
Band: The Wonderfuls
Bakery: Simply Decadent
Invitations: Note"able"- Midland, Texas
I'm beyond thrilled to welcome sweet Vanessa to the office of HAD&P!! She is such a breath of fresh air and a complete joy to have around. She makes me want to be better in a multitude of ways and has already been such a wonderful influence.
In life we have our own selfish goals, business plans, & personal milestones that we stress about continuously. When is it right to have a baby? When can I buy that new lens I've been wanting? Do we need day care or should I cut back at work? When can I update my blog & website? Should I hire someone...an intern, a studio manager, an assistant?!....and How in this world do you find the right person?! I've spent countless hours praying and brainstorming over the future of HAD&P and what steps to take and when. I've been discussing the options with my husband and self proclaimed "business manager" and have continuously asked the Lord to open the door to opportunities that would help enhance the future of my life as a photographer and business owner. It is amazing how God arrives when you need Him most. He so intricately crafts the perfect plan and reveals it in His time. I've been truly amazed at what He has revealed involving my life as a photographer. He has given me the most incredible tools to explore this God-given talent of creativity and entrepreneurship. I've been so fulfilled being able to provide for my family in such a fun and meaningful way. I've been in awe as He's unveiled subtle parts to my plan throughout the past three years and this is just another chapter in it all.
Ryan and I had finally reached the decision to start looking for a part time employee to help me around the office, however I didn't know how to begin the hunt. I was torn about posting it to social media, as I really wanted someone very specific to help meet the growing needs of HAD&P. Before I could even stress over finding the right person, Vanessa sent me an email through my blog inquiry form interested in a position with HAD&P. It was as if she had read my mind and used words that depicted exactly what I wanted and needed in an office manager. I was shocked at how quickly this all came to be, and was skeptical to hire the first person that had reached out. I had hopes that this was no coincidence and turns out, it wasn't... it was truly God's handy work!! My first impression of Vanessa was too good to be true. We've been together a month already, and I've been in awe of her sweet natured personality. She is fun, ambitious, easy to teach, and has already taught me a few tricks of the trade!! She is honestly one of a kind and I'm so excited for our future as we continue to grow this amazing business together! Welcome sweet friend, you are such a blessing!
Ashton and Matt got married on a gorgeous July afternoon. These two are a stunning couple and I loved getting to see Ashton, a former KKG sister of mine, so incredibly happy. The reception was at Joe T's, here in Fort Worth, and was one of the most laid-back and joyous weddings I've been a part of. The margaritas were flowing and I even got to take part in the festivities a bit! Every time I've gone to Joe T's I leave thinking how beautiful it would be for a photography backdrop, and I'm so thankful Ashton made it a reality! Ashton & Matt, all the best to your very bright future. Enjoy.
Vince & Kara are family friends of ours from Lubbock. Kara and I have grown up together since we were in kindergarten, so it's a complete honor to be part of this season in her life. Nothing makes me more joyful than seeing an old friend find such happiness. These two plan to tie the knot in Maui this December and I'm over the moon to be their wedding photographer. A Hawaiian destination wedding has always been on my bucket list, and photographing these two friends just sweetens the deal!!
This sweet couple makes me so happy. Craig and my husband Ryan went to medical school together back in Lubbock and were fast friends. Between their love for sports, orthopedics, and all things masculine I could never really get a word in edgewise. Craig lived with us for a short time while he was here in Fort Worth for a rotation last fall and would talk about his sweet Taylor frequently. I was so thrilled when our subject matter shifted from ESPN to his love for this girl!! When I got the news that they were engaged to be married I was so excited!! You guys are seriously adorable. Can't wait for many more memories to come!!
There are some who start as clients and quickly become friends, like sweet Whitney. I just adore this girl and we seriously joke around that it was friend love at first site. Thanks to Hickory Street Annex for the amazing backdrop and to Whitney & Stephen for making it all happen!! I cannot wait for their lovely day in Dallas next May!!
This incredible wedding was such a breath of fresh air. Emily and I were KKGs together back in college and have known each other for quite some time. When she asked me to be a part of her lovely La Cantera wedding weekend, I couldn't resist!! Ever since I got her adorable invitation in the mail (great work White Sparrow Design), I was hooked on this wedding scheme. I'm a sucker for black and white stripes, and the hints of yellow & gold sealed the deal. It was a recipe for success! Emily & Russ are as thoughtful as they come. They made us feel like we were part of the wedding and constantly shared their appreciation. I'm so incredibly blessed to have clients and friends with such substance. You guys are very loved and it was a complete honor to share this day with you. All the best!!
Thanks to the fun and fabulous Carmen Evans for traveling as my second shooter.
Kat and Paul are hands down one of the funniest and most candid couples I've worked with!! Their personalities are so dynamic and fit one another just perfectly. I knew when I worked with them for their engagement session that their wedding day would not disappoint!! These two intricately choreographed the most hysterical first dance, which actually showcased some pretty awesome technical skill!! Their wedding day was such a joy and was flawlessly coordinated by the fabulous DFW Events, Inc. Stems of Dallas provided the lovely florals, and the adoooorable Amanda Marie of Amanda Marie Portraits accompanied me as a phenomenal second shooter. Kat & Paul, thank you for trusting us with your day, it was such a joy.
I was so excited to photograph Kristi and all her bridal glory a few weeks back. She is a previous model and major fashionista. This girl's closet is insane and she rocks everything she wears regardless of label. Kristi is as sweet as she is beautiful, and gives bridal couture a whole new meaning. She married my cousin Chad this past weekend and we couldn't be happier to have her in the family. If you haven't seen their engagements, check them out here. They are the real life Ken and Barbie!!
This is bridal bliss. I'll let the images do the talking. It's been hard to keep these a secret. So happy I can share them with you all today now that Allison & Matt have tied the knot! Happy Friday!
Allison & Matt are celebrating their newlywed bliss and I am so happy to share this sneak peek of their wedding day. Allison is as sweet and ladylike as she looks and I just loved how organized and prepared she was for her wedding. Her vision of soft pinks and greens paired with vintage silver serving pieces came to life beautifully at her timeless wedding reception. Be sure to check out the adorable wedding favors displayed on vintage cake stands, which the bride collects!! Too sweet I tell ya!! Enjoy!
A big thanks to this cute lady for second shooting!!
I'm so excited to share that HAD&P and Lindsey Zamora have been featured on Ruffled today!! Go over and check it out to see this amazing shoot styled and creatively directed by the ultimate creative genius, Lindsey Zamora. Lindsey and I worked hard to create a shoot that encompassed raw Texas landscape infused with hints of native influence. The shoot exhibits classic refined elements paired with an edgy and southwestern concept, appropriately on trend. We had a blast working together on every detail of the creative design and became fast friends on our weekend getaway to our family ranch in Post, Texas where we photographed the setup. Lindsey's amazing husband Robert Zamora provided the intricate wood work you see throughout the shoot. This dynamic couple designed the cake stand and table topper out of wood to be modularly placed underneath the fine china, creating the most perfect juxtaposition. I'm so thankful to all of our fantastic vendors who collaborated with us on this shoot. Kelly Marble of College Flowers out of Lubbock Texas supplied us with the most beautiful blend of soft unique florals with touches of succulents and dusty miller. One of our favorite surprises was the unexpected and oversized agave leaf he used as the center piece of the table scape. Lauren Essl of Blue Eye Brown Eye supplied us with the most unique calligraphy and vintage stamps. Her wonderful penmanship is an art form we were thankful to incorporate as it gave the shoot an underlying elegance paired with the graphic letterpress designs by Bella Figura. My sweet friend Traci Robinette and her husband Clay volunteered to be our models and did a fantastic job despite the unseasonable chilly weather! Traci's mom Marla Felton from Lubbock designed the beautiful wedding cake and is one talented lady with baked goods!! Thanks to Suite 206 for lending us the ahhhhh-mazing lucite ghost chairs and Gloss Luxury Rentals for the copper cake table. We love love love this shoot and hope you do to!!
Sarah & Carter tied the knot this past February in OKC. You may recall it was a beautiful wedding and one heck of a party!! In lieu of bridal portraits beforehand, Sarah & Carter decided on a very clever "second look" post wedding option. I think this is a brilliant idea for traditional brides who oppose the "first look" idea and opt not to see your groom before the wedding on your big day. This option allows for the traditional wedding approach, yet enables you to document your newlywed bliss in your bridal attire without the stress of the wedding day. Carter played along (as every good groom should), dressing up alongside Sarah for a post wedding second look. I just love these two new friends and I'm obsessed with this idea.
Being published in print is something that fulfills every photographer to no end. We spend countless hours behind the camera and computer composing subjects & tweaking images until we are blue in the face. We wear many hats so it feels great when that hard work and diligence is recognized and duly noted. I was ecstatic when The Knot Texas contacted me saying they stumbled across my blog and wanted to feature Lane & Alan's wedding in their Fall/Winter edition. The magazine should hit shelves soon, so make sure and grab a copy to support all the wonderful vendors who collaborated on this lovely wedding.
Vendor Credits
Photography: Heather Ann Design & Photography & Amy-Rose King Photography (2nd shooter)
Videography: Billy Alonzo
Day-Of-Consultant: Luciana Cavazos/College Flowers
Stationary: Miss Social Butterfly
Flowers: College Flowers
Cake: Cakes by Marla Felton
Where has the time gone? How is this sweet baby of mine already one year old?! I can successfully say that the past year of our lives has been the most fun-filled, action-packed & meaningful 12 months ever. This precious baby boy has taken our world and shaken it up to mean so much more. I've never felt so fulfilled and happy as I am being a mom to this amazing little man. Rhett, being your mommy is the most challenging and exciting job I've had yet. You are the happiest kid I know and I'm convinced, the most energetic human on the planet. You say mama, dada, ball, bye bye, & oooohhhhhh a lot; you love baths (especially with your cousin when you can have splash attacks). You are in the 99th percentile for height; the 95th percentile for weight; and your head is still a tater tot at the 93rd percentile. You are 25.11 lbs and I'm really ready for you to walk because I can barely carry you. I'm convinced you know how, because we have plenty of video proof, but I think you like tricking us so we carry you everywhere. The doctor thinks you'll be drafted by the Cowboys, but your dad is hoping for the Broncos; regardless, we can't hope for either until you start walking. You are a mover and a shaker and changing your diaper is like wrestling a small alligator. You've fallen off the bed once (my bad) and bumped that rather large (but very cute) noggin of yours a number of times. You love to "answer the phone" and sing "la la la". You enjoy food like your mama and when it's something really tasty you love to dance in approval. You look like your dad, my dad, and your great G-Dad (which is a fantastic combo) and I'm very grateful for your sweet personality. Your daddy and I are beyond proud of you and not a day goes by where we don't thank our lucky stars you're all OURS! We celebrated your first birthday party in style. When your name is Rhett Rowland, you have to have a "Railroad" themed birthday party! We had a blast celebrating the first year of your life with our closest friends, family, sweet neighbors, new friends & old. You had about 50 people to sing you happy birthday and then you got to dig into a smash cake all to yourself. We are beyond thankful to both of our families for helping us prepare for this big day. You are very loved sweet boy.
You are my world sweet boy! Love you.
Understated elegance is what comes to mind when I think of the new Mrs. Ryan Baumgardner. She is a class act and a dear KKG sister of mine. My heart always melts when sweet friends from my past ask me to photograph their weddings. There is no greater compliment than knowing they trust me to capture the love and emotion of the most special day of their life. Elizabeth and Ryan are truly a perfect match and accent one another in such a wonderful way. I've loved getting to watch these two navigate their wedding bliss as I've had the pleasure of documenting their engagement, bridals, and now this lovely east Texas wedding. Godspeed you two.
Thanks to my sweet friends Brittany Jones for second shooting!! You are too much fun to work with and I appreciate your hard work more than you know!!
Words cannot describe the kind heart of this precious bride. Elizabeth and I were Kappas together in college and I was beyond thrilled to share in her joyous wedding day this past weekend in East Texas. I've been holding these beautiful images until today and now am proud to present the new Mrs. Ryan Baumgardner. You are a class act Elizabeth. Thanks for thinking of me to be part of your wonderful wedding. Sneak peek to come very soon!
When my cousin Chad and his beautiful fiancé Kristi asked me to take their engagement photos, my heart skipped a beat!! Kristi is the face of Xen Tan and an experienced model, so you can imagine how flattered I was when she chose me as her engagement photographer!! These two are obviously stunning at first glance, but the best part about them is how much fun they are!! We seriously laughed our way through the entire session and I left feeling so happy at what a perfect match they are. They are the essence of a beautiful couple to their core and the shoot was so effortless and natural. I'm beyond grateful that they trusted me to document such a fun moment in their lives. All the best in your beautiful future together; you guys are truly wonderful.
