Those of you that remember the original A-Team series from the 80′s or caught the recent film adaptation may recall the infamous saying frequently offered by leader John “Hannibal” Smith, “I love it when a plan comes together.” I know you are likely thinking, “What could this possibly have to do with a wedding save-the-date?”.  Sick with me and I promise we ‘ll get there.

Our May 2012 bride (and now good friend) Lauren had seen this super cool, contemporary idea for a “pop-up” save-the-date card on a wedding blog.  She fell in love with it wanted to use it as inspiration for her and Cory’s card. Having both attended Penn State, we all decided that while on the East Coast for Brittany + Jimmy’s upstate New York wedding, we would spend some time in State College so that we could capture fun images near the legendary Nittany Lion statue and surrounding campus. Well that was merely the start of it all.

I got a call from Lauren on a day when her creativity was in overdrive. She asked if we could capture an image in which their wedding day was written out with the light from sparklers. Um, yeah…of course there is…what a cool idea.

Fast forward a few months. Lauren and Cory did a great job writing numbers backwards with fire (not any easy task).  We worked a little multiple exposure merging magic.  The images were ready and it was time to create the actual save-the-date.

Early in the planning stages, Lauren enlisted the artistry and talent of Nikki from Doodle Dog. She was to be tasked with making this concept a reality (again, not an easy task). As I understand it, there were a few iterations before the save-the-date was just right. I never saw those efforts but I can say without a doubt that the final product was original, striking and oh so very “Lauren + Cory”.

Ok, here it comes…wait for it…”I love it when a plan comes together.”

When we started discussing where to capture Jenni and Topher’s engagement photos we came up against one challenge…they had so many great ideas. Since they live in the uptown area of Dallas, they spend much of their time in the city and therefore love the gritty urban feel of that area; however, they also spend a great time running at White Rock Lake and love that natural landscape. Oh, what to do?

The answer is simple…capture engagement photos in downtown Dallas AND White Rock Lake!

How often does a chance meeting at the local watering whole end in happily ever after?  I know what you’re thinking…not all that often.  Crystal and Josh’s story, however, began with just such a chance meeting at the Texas Roadhouse in the small Texas town of Tyler and is headed straight for happily ever after.

It was just a year after meeting Crystal that Josh cleverly led her on an elaborate scavenger hunt all the way from Addison to Tyler ending with his asking for her hand in marriage.  We can’t wait to capture all the special moments on their wedding day!

I was flattered to learn that my brother-in-law subscribes to our blog and particularly enjoys reading our engagement posts and hearing all about how our couples first met.  Camerine and Matt’s story should be no exception.

It was shortly after each of them ended a fairly long relationship that Matt’s friends invited him out for the evening.  He was inclined to say no but having just seen the Jim Carey blockbuster “Yes Man” he decided he should go.  It was that night that he met Camerine.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Although Camerine and Matt’s wedding ceremony and reception will take place in McKinney, TX at TPC Craig Ranch, Camerine asked during our first consultation if we would travel to Punk Carter Ranch in Celina to capture her engagement images.  We quickly agreed.  She had been working at the ranch for many years and had grown to love it.  I can certainly see why: it is rustic, beautiful and, for us, an awesome venue to photograph a couple in love.

Hilary was kind enough to support the Dallas Chapter of NACE’s charity efforts by purchasing a portrait session we donated to their silent auction. We spent an hour at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens with Hilary and Eddie and had such a great time capturing their love.

In Dallas, for most, fall means one thing, the return to comfortable temperatures. As a wedding photographer, fall means something else: a return to wedding season. Weekends become filled with fall inspired weddings and weekdays become packed with engagement and bridal sessions for our spring brides.

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is a favorite location of many of our couples; Jackie and Tanner are no exception. It is hard to beat over 60 acres of perfectly manicured gardens and seasonal décor.

We were introduced to Bonnie and Jeremy this summer by Rachel of Rachel Events fame. You may recall our Save-The-Date post from August 31. We are now so pleased to share their engagement session collage.

Bridal are a very popular southern tradition that is well embraced in Dallas. These are a great opportunity for us to get to know our brides better as well as capture creative and dramatic images. Part of our role as photographers is helping the bride select her location. In Meredith’s case we were torn between contemporary and traditional venues, and after much deliberation we decided there was not need to choose: both were perfect. The grounds at the Hilton Anatole provided a timeless backdrop; whereas, the rooftop at Edison’s Dallas offered the painted Dallas skyline at sunset.

The first question Emily and I ask a couple during their initial wedding photography consultation is, “Please tell us where and how you met”. As you can imagine, the list of places and ways that our couples begin their romantic journey is rather extensive. Collage sweethearts, the friend of a friend introduction and now on-line dating sites are some of the staples. Meredith and Cory’s start is somewhat unique in that they met when she joined the gym where he was a personal trainer. Their relationship remained entirely professional for the duration of her training but they could not deny that there was a definite spark between. Now, their life is a constant battle between her passion for chocolate and love of baking and his dedication to the gym and understanding that broccoli is good for you.

I always wondered if couples really meet at the gym. Now, thanks to Meredith and Cory, I am certain they not only meet there…they meet, court, fall in love and get married.

One thing that you can most certainly count on is that the Dallas summer is going to be H-O-T! Bonnie and Jeremy were referred to us by Rachel Phillips of Rachel Events and with there December wedding fast approaching the save-the-date cards needed to be sent out in short order. They wanted a fun image to include but really wanted to wait to capture their engagement images until the heat of summer had passed to allow for outdoor scenery. Emily and I suggested we meet for a “Save-The-Date Mini Session” that would allow is to create a clever image for their card. We brought a white foam core board, some Crayola Markers and a Magni-Doodle and recommended they let their creative juices flow. The creative process so fun and the end result was just wonderful!

As Bonnie and Jeremy started their project it was great to see how they collaborated quickly to make their save the date sign.

As Jeremy focused on the task at hand, his tongue was hanging half way out.  When I brought it to his attention both he and Bonnie laughed