Time for the next installment in our “When It Comes to Wedding Photography” series; do your research.

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We recently started an e-mail campaign titled “When it Comes to Wedding Photography” in an effort to share some of our best advise with engaged couples looking high and low for reliable information as they plan their special day.  Here is the first installment in that campaign.

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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.”

On September 11, 2005, five fire fighters gathered in the city of Denver, CO to honor to the 343 FDNY fire fighters that gave their life four years earlier.  By climbing 110 flights of stairs, the number of floors in each of the lost Twin Towers, they paid tribute to the heroic efforts of those that paid the ultimate sacrifice on that fateful day.  The number of fire fighters that climbed grew from the initial 5 to a band of 12, to a group of hundreds and was ultimately held to 343 climbers.  Eventually, this tradition found its way into numerous cities around the nation.  The motto for this valiant effort is presented on their website, collateral and posters.  “We promised to never forget so we climb because they climbed.”

This year, on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, the memorial stair climb was scheduled in more cities than ever; Dallas included.  343 fire fighters from throughout the Metroplex gathered at the Renaissance Towers dressed in full bunker gear and equipment.  Each of them carried a badge with an image and name of one of the 343 we lost and climbed 110 flights of stairs beginning at the exact moment the rescue efforts began ten years earlier.

Our good friend Clayton is a member of the Frisco Fire Department.  He promised to never forget so he climbed because they climbed.

You can view the slideshow of all the images HERE or by clicking on the image below!

On the eve of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, my wife Emily and I found ourselves reflecting on the decade since our country experienced one of, if not the worst terror attacks in our history. We discussed some personal details of that fateful morning: where we were, who we were with, our inescapable denial and fear. Although these feelings remain present in some ways, I would like for this entry to focus on the strength of our citizens. In the past 10 years, we have managed to rally as a nation to overcome countless obstacles, defend our nation both at home and abroad and come to the aid of the countless people who lost those they love on that tragic day and every day since. Many say that the war on terrorism is a conflict that can never be won. I respectfully disagree. The war on terrorism may be a persistent battle; however, each day that we press on as a nation, is a day that we win.

Last night, a group of wedding and event industry professionals, associates and friends all descended on Cowboys Stadium for what promised to be an amazing event.  The DFW NACE chapter, in conjunction with Cowboys Stadium, Bring It On, Legends Catering and a host of immensely talented sponsors, too many to mention here, coordinated what had to be one of the best events of the year.

The evening began with a casual reception in the Dr Pepper Starbar complete with a variety of delicious snacks, refreshing frosty beverages and tons of networking!  From there, the guests were escorted through the stadium to the AT&T Star Club where dinner and cocktails awaited them.  After a brief presentation by the hosts, the eager group, clearly consisting largely of Cowboys fans, were lead onto the field through the Miller Lite Club.  The only phrase that may do justice to what we witnessed once on the field would be that it was like watching kids in a candy store!

Kudos to DFW NACE, Cowboys Stadium, Legends Catering and all those that worked tirelessly to ensure that each guest was able to act like a kid again.

You can view the slide show of selected images by selecting the play button on the video below.  If you would like to order any images captured at the event click on the shopping cart link to be directed to the event gallery.  Please not that all proceeds from the print sales will benefit the charity of choice for this month’s meeting-Emily’s Smile Boxes!

To see each other before the ceremony or NOT to see each other before the ceremony, that is the question.  Tradition dictates that it is bad luck for the bride and groom to see one another before the ceremony and many couples agree. Some couples; however, would rather defy tradition.  Maybe they may want to spend the morning of their wedding day together. They may have a late ceremony and want to ensure that they have ample time and natural light for gorgeous photography. Whatever the reason, this is a question with no right or wrong answer.  Tradition is, well, tradition, but a “First Look” can ensure a couple has the opportunity to have their (wedding) cake and eat it to, pun intended.

This First Look sequence was captured at Amy and David’s beautiful Firewheel Gold Course wedding in late May.

David was asked to keep his eyes closed until Amy could make her way across the bridge behind him.

Amy swore she was not going to cry.  Ha, she cried immediately.

David was told that he could open his eyes, his bride-to-be was right behind him but that he was not allowed to turn around.

Few things build anticipation like this moment!

Few moments are as amazing as a First Look!

McKinney is charming and picturesque in that way that makes you feel as though you may have stepped back through the years to simpler times.  It is warm and welcoming and was the perfect place for Kaylee and Matt to get married.

You may recall from my recent entry about Kaylee’s Bridal Session that I described her as being one of our “Most Organized, Proactive, Pleasure to Work With Brides.”  All the qualities clearly carried through to all aspects of her wedding planning because with the help of Wendy Kidd from Each & Every Detail, Kaylee and Matt’s intimate ceremony at First United Methodist Church and elegant reception at the Cotton Mill in McKinney were simply fabulous!

You can view the entire wedding slideshow below:

There is so much more to being a professional photographer than just capturing the image.  Admittedly, as with any career, I enjoy some aspects of the job more than others.  I am never happier than when I have a camera in my hand, however, album design and delivery has to be a close second.  If photographing a wedding offers us the ability to see the story of a couples most amazing day play out right in front of us, then the design and creation of their wedding album is our opportunity to retell that story through our images.

Every album we design begins with the couple selecting the images they would like to see included in the design based on the size and shape of the album they love.  Melissa and Michael chose a 20 page 8×10 horizontal flush mount album.  Once the design was completed and approved,  we met to finalize the cover treatments for their album and the one that we were making for her parents.

I often like to share with couples that I consider these photographic albums very similar to luxury automobiles, they are beautiful, expensive and can be customized expertly for each bride and groom.  That is where the similarities end though, since your album will last you a lifetime and will tell the story of your wedding day for many years to come.

For their parent album cover material, Michael and Melissa selected a taupe Japanese book cloth with their names imprinted on the spine in a modern font.

On the cover, they selected a contemporary image of them just after the wedding to be inset in the lower right corner.

For their wedding album cover material, Michael and Melissa selected a Roma Gray Leather with their new last name imprinted on the spine in a modern font.

On the cover, they selected a candid image of them walking away from the camera to be inset in the lower right corner.

Here are the digital layouts of the final album design.

Thank you to Leather Craftsmen for their partnership in hand crafting these beautiful photographic albums.

After the initial wedding consultation, a couple’s engagement session is typically the first opportunity we have to get them on the other side of our cameras.  I have come to learn that most people are generally not very comfortable having their photo captured and tend to be fairly nervous about a “formal” photo session.

In an effort to get this fact behind us, Emily and begin every engagement session by chatting casually and reassuring the couple.  We find that dramatically acting out some poses in the scenes that we think will be inspirational promotes fun and laughter.  Before we know it the bride and groom are in a world of their own making moments happen and we click away.

Despite the warm weather, Elly and Chris truly were able to find that comfortable spot where those magical moments happen during their engagement session at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.