Sweet Southern Magnolias & Classic Wedding Inspiration | New Orleans Wedding Photographer

Recently, the ladies from Something Borrowed Blooms and I teamed up for another refreshing styled shoot to ring in a few of their new pieces and the start of Spring. This time, to debut several of their FAAAAAABULOUS new floral collections. From picturesque aesthetics to the wonderful team we had working to pull the vision together, we had a blast from start to finish. If you’re not familiar with Something Borrowed Blooms, they’re a floral rental company specializing in the rental of S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G premium silk flowers for weddings and events.  They are based right here in LA, but ship to anywhere in the United States! (Think “Rent the Runway” does for dress rentals, but with flowers.) While I do absolutely ALWAYS love a fresh bouquet, if you’re a bride with champagne taste, but looking for where you can save a bit, they are absolutely worth looking into. Owners and designers Laken and Lauren have an eye for creating unique and fresh pieces that flow with both ever-changing style and timeless elegance.

I truly loved the simplicity of Cameron's dress from MaeMe, the completely TIMELESS look of her hair and makeup, and the sweet Southern classic feel of the magnolias in the newly debuted Shelbie Collection by Something Borrowed Blooms. Stay tuned, the ladies at SBB have BIG things planned. I cannot wait to see what their talent and eye for elegant florals brings next! Bride’s Gown: Maeme Bridal Boutique | Florals: Something Borrowed Blooms | Hair: Jennifer Landry | Makeup: Sarah Jarreau | Photography: Kali Norton | Bridesmaid Dress: Maeme Bridal Boutique | Flower Girl Dress: Maeme Bridal Boutique

Soft Florals & Natural Hues Wedding Inspiration | Gulf Coast Wedding Photographer

Recently, I had the opportunity to put together a group of F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S vendors to construct a shoot that showcased a classic, clean, and timeless vision for the modern bride. Over the years, I've learned that I tend to gravitate to a "less is more" style, as it exudes such class and timeless appeal. For this shoot, I knew I wanted to incorporate very soft fabrics and florals, with natural and simplistic elements for the table settings. I could not be more overjoyed with how my vision came to light with this fabulous team. The shoot took place at Pinzone's Italian Village in the most breathtaking nook of charming downtown Fairhope. If you're ever in the Fairhope area, Pinzone's is a great aesthetic for a quiet dinner date out. If you're getting married in the Fairhope area, it's an even better place for a rehearsal dinner.

Many thanks to Laken and Lauren of Something Borrowed Blooms for their fabulous Olivia Collection of florals. If you haven't heard of them, I absolutely urge you to check the concept behind their floral business out. They have started a floral rental company (yes, you read that right) in which they rent out S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G premium silk floral collections for weddings. If you're a bride with champagne taste, but looking for where you can save a bit, they are absolutely worth checking into. The paper goods for the shoot were designed by the immensely talented Kristian & Kortney Cleveland. Kristian & Kortney are a mother-daughter team at Impression Paperie who specialize in premium custom paper goods. I've had the pleasure of photographing several weddings which incorporated their work, and let me tell you, these ladies go above and beyond to cater to the vision of their brides.

Makeup for the shoot was done by Caroline Carpenter. Caroline is passionate about makeup and incredibly talented with a brush in hand. I cannot wait to see where the industry takes this girl.

Bella Bridesmaid of Mobile provided the breathtaking dresses. If you friend me on social media, pretend you don't notice when you see me sporting the gown Elizabeth is wearing for the next formal affair I attend. I'm pretty sure I've been dreaming of the chocolate-charcoal off-the-shoulder dress since this shoot.

Seaside Romance: Editorial | The Cottages on Charleston Harbor

During my recent travels, I had the utmost pleasure of photographing this seaside editorial on Charleston's charming harbor. Soft hues, mixed textures, and the most romantic florals--I couldn't have been more enamored with the detail. And I'd just love to talk about this TO-DIE Carol Hannah gown, but I'm pretty sure it speaks volumes all on its own.

I may have gotten carried away photographing the natural details along the beach while shooting, but gah, I just couldn't resist. All of the natural elements that pieced so perfectly with the planned elements of this shoot just had my little heart jumping for joy.

Location: The Cottages on Charleston Harbor | Bride’s Gown: Carol Hannah | Groom’s Attire: Louis Purple | Florals: Gathering Events | Hair & Makeup: Wedding Hair by Charlotte

Jasmine Star Workshop: Chicago

Can I just shout to the rooftops how appreciative I am to be able to do what I love and make a living doing it? Admittedly, there are many days when I'm incredibly overwhelmed with the sheer idea of being my own boss--the idea that my success (or failure) lies soley in my hustle. Because let's be honest, as with many things in life, it's so easy to both catch and lose that hustle. It's even easier to get down on yourself. (By the way, if you are currently down on yourself, I encourage you to read one of my past posts on that topic, here.)

Nonetheless, with that rollercoaster of emotional ups and downs and wondering if my hustle will ever be fast enough, driven enough, creative enough, I'm ever grateful to have worked for several opportunities for travel this summer. My travels aren't over, but thus far, taking some time to adventure to new places and learn from others has truly been a breath of fresh air. (If you need some inspiration on the importance of taking breaks, I have a post for that too, here.)

A couple of weeks ago, I had the absolute pleasure of attending a wedding photography workshop in Chicago put on by one of the key people in the creative professional industry who truly inspired my own personal decision to change my course of studies from English several years ago, and graduate with a B.A. in Liberal Arts to pursue a career in fine art wedding and portrait photography. Jasmine Star is a wedding photographer based in California who has mastered her art and her business through her sheer hustle and online voice. In college, I spent countless hours in between classes, at night, and during study breaks reading every inch of her blog, daydreaming about my own business and how I hoped to someday have the hustle that she possesed. I watched every online video and course she posted, I bought the magazine she published--I wanted that drive. Well, my friends, so much sweat tears and tears go into that hustle, I can assure you and I'm so far from where my dreams lie, but a tiny bit of me felt so at peace having met a woman who had such an impact on my career decisions. And how? All through her voice, love for writing, and dedicated blogging. Her true passion for wanting to help those willing to hustle, succeed.

 

Not only did I have some extra time in Chicago to experience a little adventure, but I walked away from the workshop reinvigorated in how to approach my art and be of even better service to my dazzling clients. Our workshop took place at Robyn Rachel's drool-worthy warehouse/loft-esque studio in Downtown Chicago, where we spent the day learning, networking, and having the most casual business chats over delicious food. During the workshop, we had the opportunity to watch Jasmine shoot, and even got a little time to take away some of the knowledge she yielded us through our own lens.

Our shooting portion of the workshop took place at a super swanky Chicago venue, Salvage One. Also, drool-worthy. If anyone wants to have a wedding full of retro mismatched chairs and a mid-century feel, let me tell you how game I am...

The rest of the Chicago creative team that made our day ever-fabulous were:

Hair: Nicci Loiacono Makeup: Megan Hauser Accessories: Left Bank Jewelry Dress: Valentino from Belle Vie Bridal Tuxedo: Formally Modern Tuxedo Flowers: A Stem Above

During the shoot, I also snapped a few of Jasmine instructing and JD being super awesome at everything else. Literally. I'm pretty sure he's the other half of her brain--which I can only imagine, as Preston already fills in the gaps where my brain turns to mush on wedding days. Husband-wife teams for the win!

 Jasmine, thank you for the countless moments of inspiration throughout my career, and for your confident, steadfast drive that lifts up this industry. Oh, and the "Gheushh."  (; I mean, how do we even spell that?

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: Victoria Austin Designs

I know I said that I was hermiting playing catch-up this week and might not be gracing you with my normal two posts, but I just couldn't leave you high and dry! Plus, I'm so so very excited to announce a new component of the "FOR BRIDES" section of the blog that will now include periodical recommendations from yours truly to beautiful, stylish, and quality vendors in the wedding and event planning industry. I'm going to break this down knitty gritty style, because I know that some of you might even be asking, "Wait, what's a vendor?" And if that's you (no judgin' here), I'll explain that too.

Let's start with the basics. When planning a wedding or soiree of any kind for guests, unless you are the bees knees (which you maybe are), you'll probably need to hire a few professionals who specialize in pretty things to make your headaches a little less and your vision come to life. For these various needs, brides and hosts often hire vendors. Vendors for a wedding, for example, are those people you've hired to help make the day come to life--this includes reception venues, florists, wedding coordinators, photographers (heyy!), paper goods design, etc. Get the picture?

When it comes to hiring vendors, especially for brides, the task can be quite overwhelming. There are so many fabulous creative professionals out there, but if you don't work in the industry, it can often feel like going to Home Depot for supplies to build a shelving unit when you have not a clue about carpentry. I should be so kind to recommend that you can ALWAYS ask your already decided on professionals for advice in this area. Not only am I just tickled pink when a bride asks for and trusts my advice about vendors, but also, I often know her style from our meetings and am able to point her in the direction of quality vendors in the industry that fit both her and my styles. You see where I'm going here?

Now, with that being said and without further ado, I'm so very happy to introduce my first recommended vendor. I had a little girls night with her recently and just instantly fell in love with her class, drive, and vision to give her clients only the most beautiful things. Why? Because beautiful things make us girls feel pretty, and we ALL deserve a little pretty in life. This girl is a mover and a shaker with a heart on fire for  all elements breathtakingly simple and elegant. Originally a California girl, she now resides in the South with her husband and sweet pup, I introduce to you Mrs. Victoria Austin of Victoria Austin Designs. Below are some of my favorites of her paper goods design work, but PLEASE hop right on over to her website and check out more of her breathtaking art. If you're looking for some classy invitations, menus, calligraphy addressed envelopes, or anything that resonates the sound of clean and classy, I highly recommend inquiring with her.

I should note that Victoria actually does more than just fabulous design of paper goods. In fact, she and a colleague collaborated to design this whole shoot as a part of another business that's currently in the works for them--one I am also SO very excited to introduce to you in the future.

I should also note that these photographs were not taken by me, but by another fabulous photographer, Jennifer Pharr as well as a couple shown by Callie Pitts of Nancy Ray Photography. 

Victoria,  her right hand gal Mary Kendall, and I have a few things up our sleeve in store for the future. So sit tight and you will undoubtedly see more of her work gracing this blog--hopefully even by some of my brides too! Happy, happy Thursday my pretties.

 

My Thoughts on Pinterest (For Brides)

Pinterest has become quite the topic of conversation over the past couple of years. From home decor, to meal planning, to throwing a fabulous party, the term "I got it from Pinterest" is a pretty common one. One of the main contenders on that list of "Pinspiration" topics is wedding planning. Now, before I go any further with this, I should note that I think the creators of Pinterest have executed a genius idea in the world of web browsing, and in fact, I do use it sometimes with outfit planning direction for sessions. However, there are certain elements that make Pinterest far less than a Godsend. Pinterest, unfortunately, sometimes creates expectations among brides that often have far more elements that come into play than just recreating a pretty picture. Not to mention that whole stealing someone else's idea thing...

In this post, I will outline some key points that photographers and other creative professionals in the wedding industry probably want you to know about WHY those pages of Pinterest photos you want recreated probably aren't helping you get the best final product from YOUR day.

PHOTOJOURNALISTIC OR "LIFESTYLE" PHOTOGRAPHY

These are terms you may have heard to describe photography in recent years. These coined terms describe natural, realistic, emotion-driven photography. New clients come to me and SO OFTEN the first thing they say is, "I want you because your images look so natural, not posed." Those images you see where a couple looks so natural, laughing or sharing a sweet little kiss? That's "lifestyle" esque photography. Yes, I'm probably directing them to some degree or another, but I'm not controlling their every "pose." I'm letting their movements and interaction with one another flow naturally based on the cues I'm giving them and their own individual personalities. We see our best work in candid moments of raw emotion.

What's my point? When us creative-brained people are focused on making sure we get the requested photos from your 5 page printed out Pinterest board, we MISS those candid ones. We're human, and if we have a creative-driven brain, it likely works in it's own particular routine of execution. Maybe you haven't thought of it this way, but we are artists. We WANT to create AUTHENTIC, FINE ART for you. So let us. (:

Here's a suggestion (since I know better than to think you'll give up Pinterest cold turkey)...Use Pinterest for a springboard of wedding inspiration if you wish, but make those ideas your own. Think of the bigger picture of your day, then change those small ideas to fit into an overall vision that is all your own. You do the planning, you lay out all of the pretties, then leave the authentic documentation of your beautiful work to us. If you've planned it ahead of time, there's no reason we can't come in and document your vision that has come to life with the creative eye you hired us for.

ELEMENTS OF NATURE AND THE FACTORS/PACE OF A WEDDING DAY

What you've probably never put much thought to when looking at wedding photos on Pinterest, or heck, even a tutorial of how to make paper bows, is that what you're seeing is the final product of that person's work, whatever it may be. For a photographer, it was probably a photo chosen among many more (not ever seen) taken from that session or wedding. It was very likely taken with his or her curated end goal for the collection of work in mind.

Additionally, there's a pretty whopping chance that that photo you saw on Pinterest was NOT a completely planned out moment--that moment that you're asking to be replicated. Doesn't that seem cheap to you? Don't you want your own, AUTHENTIC feelings portrayed in your photos?

Let me explain. You see, when I take a photograph, there are several different elements of creativity and structure going through my head at any given time (ie. lighting, focal points, location, time of day, angles, etc). These are in addition to choosing between posing, candid moments, and the end product I have in mind to cohesively piece together the entire collection. In fact, each location and the way I direct clients and have them interact is a unique combination to them. It's a mixture of my vision based on the elements (outfits, wedding details, venues) they've given me AND their own particular personalities. My goal is to make the photographs natural and representative of what is uniquely them. If I'm replicating someone else's idea, how can I organically portray my own clients?

MOST "D.I.Y." WEDDING PINSPIRATION YOU SEE IS NOT ACTUALLY D.I.Y.

The truth is, most highly pinned pins are photographs taken by photographers working with reputable vendors in the industry on the wedding. While I'm not saying that everyone needs or can afford a wedding planner, I am, unfortunately, bursting your bubble. These photos are more than likely taken by photographers working with Grade A wedding planners, florists, etc and are very intricately planned out.

And THAT is if the photograph you're seeing isn't actually a product of a "styled shoot." For those of you who don't know, a styled shoot is when many fabulous vendors come together to put their creativity to life. It's basically what us creatives would do if we had full reign all of the time. Styled shoots are BEAUTIFUL my friends, and they are a GREAT GREAT GREAT way to find wedding inspiration and direction, but keep in mind, there was a fabulous team put together to create all of those perfect elements you see.

Nonetheless, if they are DIY projects, it's not just throwing some twine on some mason jars and calling it a day. It's planning out tablescapes on your own, it's taking lighting into consideration, it's thinking about how that beautifully designed cake you ordered will look in front of a generic white curtain backdrop you've settled with from the reception hall because you "don't want to make any more decisions."

Why am I blabbing on about this? Because if you want something like what you're seeing, YOU need to put the planning and work in beforehand to make it happen--or hire people who will. You can even ask me for a little direction to see what your options are for making your vision happen. I want the absolute best for you, and for me. It's not impossible, it's VERY possible. It just requires preparation and communication. I'm a photographer, not a magician. I can't pull bunnies out of hats if you don't provide hats and bunnies. ( :

Kady and Brandon's wedding in this post, for example, WAS actually all executed by meticulous planning by her. Kady followed wedding blogs and asked the questions from professionals and/or did the research to achieve the picture perfect wedding she wanted. She hired someone the day of to simply keep things in order and and make sure her vision was executed smoothly. But most of all, she planned ahead of time, keeping in mind the final aesthetic and how the choices she made would look in photographs.

Am I saying everyone needs to go to these lengths? No. But I am saying that if you're envisioning photographs like you pin, then yes, you do.

TIMELINE PLANNING

Wedding days move quickly. They are filled with excitement, tons of people, and usually a bride who wants to relax (and should). This means she is not dishing out orders. And since the mother hen of the vision is NOT giving out orders on the day of, timeline planning for the day is essential.

In fact, if any of my current brides are reading this, they're probably laughing knowing I'd put this in here. I'm NEUROTIC about timeline planning in advance, y'all. I wine and dine them and we meticulously discuss and account for every minute of the day when we plan months ahead of time. Every photographer does not do this, but I do. Why? Because even if it's time marked off for simply WAITING or doing nothing, communication is clear and everyone knows what and when they are responsible for something. It sounds stringent, but I promise, it actually has quite the opposite effect when it comes to the execution of a more laid back, emotion filled day.

Why am I talking about timelines on a Pinterest themed post? Because those photographs you see pinned likely came as a product of time set aside for creative photographs. A timeline where the bride and groom did a first look, had a cocktail hour where they slipped away for styled photographs, or just simply slipped away. It's true. It's a less common practice in the South it seems, but in many other places, the married couple actually designates a "cocktail hour" of sorts for guests while they sneak off with the photographer for professional photos. You can read even more extensively about my thoughts on that time topic in a whole separate post I wrote, here.

The VAST, GEESH EVER-SO-VAST majority of photos you're probably drooling over on Pinterest are coming from the cushioned time block the photographer has to be creative pre-ceremony, during the first look, or during that cocktail hour. So, once again, if you don't give me bunnies and hats, I can't do the magic. And TRUST ME, I wanna work alllllllll of that magic for you.

Much like a marriage, we are a team. Communication, collaboration, and trust are absolute key. I can give you BETTER than what you see on Pinterest, because it will be authentic to you. But we must work on a basis of trust, communication, and collaboration.

THE FINAL WORD WE CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS WANT YOU TO KNOW...

We photographers, wedding planners, videographers, florists, venues, etc--have seen these styles of photographs and we may, very well, even know the artist(s) in the wedding industry who helped create it. We want nothing more for your final, beautiful outcome AND for our own careers, to achieve these same types of final products.We study blogs, we travel around the country to workshops, we study styles, we study the composition of others' great work. We admire it and we grow from it, but as respectable artists and creators, we do not copy it. We've probably already seen it and used it as a learning tool to make our own work more authentic, but never (or at least I hope never) to copy someone else's.

SO, when you're thinking about using Pinterest, I challenge you to instead approach it with a mindset of authenticity. I challenge you to, instead of copying, brainstorm an overall vision that you have for your day--feelings, style, and atmosphere that represents you. Ask the professionals you've hired for their personal and professional advice of how and where you may be able to reference to achieve it, then make it your own. I can't speak for other professionals, but I can tell you that I would gladly spend a little extra time than I'm paid for with a bride or client asking for my advice, because I know it means we are working together to create something authentic. And because your own is SO much better than any replica.