Brittany Cook {Arkansas Bride - The Barn at Twin Oaks Ranch}

Hey everyone!

Last night Kathryn and I were honored to shoot the wedding of Brittany and Tyler Cook! We have been looking forward to this wedding now for sometime and it was everything we imagined it would be... plus more! They were married at The Barn at Twin Oaks Ranch on a rainy, muddy, dreary day but The Barn said it best when they said "Without rain there will never be a rainbow!" and we totally agree! The rain didn't stop us! The mud didn't stop us! And moving their ceremony inside sure didn't stop us! Sometimes wedding ceremonies INSIDE The Barn are beyond description and it was a good little switch-up!

You'll have to hold your britches to see these wedding photos, but for now we have Brittany's Bridals to show you! We met up with her at The Barn at Twin Oaks Ranch the day after it snowed... so there was still a little bit of snow on the ground, and again it was a little damp and a lot muddy! We made it work though! We can make anything work!

I'm not going to lie, when I showed up at The Barn I was hoping Brittany would be wearing a fit-and-flare, slim line, easy to maneuver kind of wedding dress. As my luck would have it, she was in the total opposite, which turned out to be beyond description. When you see this dress you'll know what I'm talking about. Princess cut x10! It was FAB-U-LOUS, but keeping it clean for the wedding day was no easy task!

I enjoyed spending time with Brittany, her mom and one of her close friends during her Bridal session! Here's a few of my favorite images from her shoot!

 Here's proof that a snow-y barn is the best kind of barn. 

And every bride needs an outfit change for the reception! Hello to this fluffy-goodness of a cocktail reception dress!

Congrats again to the happy happy couple! Have fun honeymooning! 

Happy Friday! 

The Dress Shot {A Look Into Your Wedding Day}

Hey Everyone!

It's monday... again. Seem's like they never go away!

Today I get to blog about one of my most FAVORITE parts of weddings! THE DRESS! I mean, hello... that's what the whole day is about right? You looking absolutely drop-dead gorgeous x10 in your wedding dress!

We always like to get a show of the dress without you in it, and it's always a 'big reveal' for us on a wedding day! Kathryn and I like to try to guess what style of dress our brides will choose and 95% of the time we are right... except the dress always ALWAYS far exceeds our expectations!

Getting the PERFECT shot of that perfect dress is always one of my favorite parts of a wedding day. Usually the bride will be finishing up hair and make-up and Kathryn will stay with her! I however, will come sneak the dress away for a shot and it's always a fun little surprise for the bride to see what we did with her gown! Considering the brides personality, the venue, rustic or glam, country or city, we always try to execute something perfect that we know the bride will love!

Here are a few of our favorites over the years!

Happy Monday!

Wedding Contract {Paparazzi Wedding Guests}

Hey everyone!

Today we have a blog that's a little more 'special' in that it takes a really CLOSE look at a few things on our Wedding Contract! Yes, we have a contract, as should all professional photographers. If you book a photographer without signing a contract, you might want to double-check their credibility! Really!

There are a few things on our contract that are just fun to talk about, and I feel like talking today (as usual). Im not going to cover every specific item, but just a few that maybe you didn't think would be on our contract!

So, lets talk about those Paparazzi Wedding Guests! You've just got to love 'em, right!? I think it's every photographers nightmare when Great Aunt Sally-Sue and all of her thirteen child show up with their point-and-shoot cameras, and all of THEIR children come with iPhones, iPads and other electronics wanting to take pictures too! We DO understand that everyone wants to take pictures! We get it! We really do! However, in the spirit of cheerful cooperation the Bride and Groom agree in our contract to give us (the professionals) precedence over the guests in order to take the photographs required for the wedding services agreed upon!

We have politely asked, many times, for a family member to step to the side so we can get a shot. It has never been an issue, and we do not foresee it becoming one! We will never be rude. We are having just as much fun taking pictures as Great Aunt Sally-Sue and her thirteen children, but we are doing it with a much more professional eye, much better equipment and a consideration of the bride and grooms specific needs!

However, there's always one at every wedding... the family friend who brings an iPad. Kathryn and I can spot these kinds of people from a mile away!

The sweet lady in the picture below was so adamant about her iPad pictures. I quietly walked up and just asked her to please remain in her seat until the ceremony was over and she was totally cool with that! If she wasn't in the dead middle of the middle isle it wouldn't have been that huge of a deal! Sometimes we can shoot around guests and still get the creative interpretation we need!

See? If this was your wedding, wouldn't you appreciate your pictures free of paparazzi!? (Gorgeous wedding at The Barn at Twin Oaks Ranch, by the way! They never fail us, that Barn!)

And the 'isle leaners' are always unpredictable too! 

Well, this blog ended up being a little bit longer than I expected, so I think we will just stop here. You probably never thought that 'Paparazzi Wedding Guests' would be on our contract, but its very important that we feel okay with asking your tests to politely move to the side so that you can have the best wedding day photos possible! It's our job and you paying us big bucks for professional images so we take it very very seriously! 

"Paparazzi Wedding Guests: In all likelihood, all your guests will have camera and all your guests will want to photograph the CLIENTS. In the spirit of cheerful cooperation the CLIENTS agree to give the PHOTOGRAPHERS precedence over the guests in order to take the photographs required for the wedding service described above. We cannot be held liable for a lack of wedding photos if guests taking their own photos of the CLIENTS continually interrupt the PHOTOGRAPHER'S work."

There it is! All wrapped up in a nut shell! 

Happy Wednesday!

Beasley Wedding: Natchez, Mississippi {Maegan | Michael}

Hey Everyone!

This is a little bit more than our usual sneak peek because I just can't wait any longer to share some of the incredible details from Maegan and Michaels wedding! For those of you who are still catching up,  we travel to and shot The Beasley wedding in Natchez Mississippi last weekend. We were so excited when Maegan contacted us because we LOVE to travel and we knew Natchez was automatically the most perfect location for weddings.

Natchez is a notionally known town of Historic Antebellum Mansions. Some of the most well preserved and architecturally stunning historic homes in America are in Natchez, and we got to shoot at one! How cool, right? We shot at the Dunleith Mansion and it did not disappoint!

Here are just a few small details of Maegan and Michael's wedding day, and believe me there are SO many more images to come!

Brace your self, and take a deep breath. This is everything.

Dunleith is just as gorgeous on the inside as the outside. It was hard to just take it all in! 

And it's not officially a wedding day without a kiss together under the veil with killer backlight. Im totally swooning right now, you'll just have to excuse me. 

There was the most adorable little greenhouse on the Mansions property! It was a must because we are thinking greenhouse pictures are the next big thing! Bring it on! 

There was a Magnolia Tree in the back courtyard that has been estimated to be over 250 years old. I mean, wow. The Magnolia's branches (below) were so big and old they had no choice but to be laying on the ground. It was breath taking. 

This place was lit up light the Fourth of July at night. You would probably see it for miles. I can't decide if I liked it better in the evening or in daylight! Either way, its beyond everything we could have imagined it to be and we are so grateful to have shot The Beasly's day!

...and yes. The sunset really was pink and purple. In all honesty and not even lying I almost fell over when I saw it! It was the icing on the wedding cake. (Ignore how corny that 'icing' comment was.) 

Happy Saturday everyone!