wedding details

 My sister got married last weekend! The ceremony was beautiful, the reception was a blast, and my sister was amazingly gorgeous. She asked me to take some pictures of her invitation, bouquets [from Etsy], and centerpieces for her. I seriously want to steal the light from my deck back home. And this antique wooden bench- perfect backdrop for the rustic/chic details. [I'm also proud to say these photos are 100% sooc, no editing at. ALL. big step for me!]

c+c wedding favorites

came home sick from work today and feeling very blah... but looking through c+c's wedding photos put a smile on my face. I love to see the love in these pictures. and while there's room for improvement, I'm damn proud of what I've done. sharing a few favorites as I FINALLY got the drive mailed off the the happy couple this week. feels good to have completed the job, now I'm ready for the next thing.

some exciting news...

a friend of mine asked me to be her wedding photographer!

actually, she asked if myself or my good friend would be interested in taking some wedding portraits and shots of the ceremony. I consulted my friend and we decided that this was a job best for two. neither of us have any professional wedding experience and this is a great opportunity to get some. two cameras means neither of us has the pressure of sole responsibility, and also twice the shots for the bride. to be honest I'm glad I'm not doing it alone, and there is no one else I'd rather shoot with. we've always talked about someday having a photography business together... who knows where this could lead?

so on top of everything going on like crazy in my life right now [work, 1/2 marathon, upcoming travel, blog catch-up, bake sale, the laundry pile] I'm trying to soak myself in inspiration and gather as much information as possible before the big day. I know I'll do fine with organizing a shot list and contract. the actual shooting I'm fairly confident about, and well I'm excited to try out all these ideas. editing promptly? not always my strong suit but I can prioritize.

truly, I think my biggest worry is what to wear. I've read a lot of stuff that says women photographers should ditch the dress and go with black pants. but when you're also a guest seeing old friends and wanting to look good [and also appropriate?]  I'll need to find the right balance between dressy enough for a church wedding, and enough dress to cover everything while I'm rolling around and climbing and getting that perfect shot. all while looking stunning.

perhaps this calls for a celebratory shopping trip? hmm...

the wedding, part 3: the ceremony

so, I started blogging about the wedding a few weeks after it happened, and never quite got around to finishing my little series of posts. it's going to take me a while to get through this, but at least now I have pictures I can share : ) you can check out more from my amazing photographer here!

we arrived at the venue only a few minutes late. the girls and I ran in to find the coordinator and photographer, then went to get changed into the dress. we finalized a few last details and popped a bottle of champagne. meanwhile, the boys set up outside for a few photos.

Luke and I decided to see each other before the ceremony, to get in more picture time, so our photog arranged things so he could shoot us seeing each other for the "first time". This is one of my absolute favorite photos from the entire wedding. every time I see it my heart melts. it was just a perfect capture of a perfect moment. we were both so happy, so sure about what we were about to do. just perfect.

we got in some family shots, some wedding party shots, a few glasses of champagne, pinned on the boutonnieres and I was ready to go. literally. I had built in some extra time since I figured we would be running behind schedule. but I think some guests missed the start of the ceremony since we started exactly on time. we hit 5 minutes til and I just felt this adrenaline rush, I called everyone together, said "let's DO this!" and we did.

the ceremony was a bit of a blur. I spent the majority of the time either trying not to laugh or trying not to cry. our sisters read beautifully and the music was lovely. however I think the part everyone will remember for the next 50 years: when the group of teenagers hiking through the woods across the river decided to yell out "don't do it!"

part of me wanted to yell back, but I decided not to be that bride. I bit my tongue and tried not to collapse into a fit of giggles. was I concerned my groom would take their advice and run off? not in the slightest. I knew before I glanced at him, but if anyone else had seen the look in his eyes they could have no doubt- he wasn't going anywhere.

the one part I was nervous about was saying the vows. public speaking is SO not my thing. I get all shaky and sweaty and too quiet for anyone to hear. Luke, however, is a teacher. he does public speaking all day long [being a teacher], with poise and grace and a natural authority that makes me sound like even more of a bumbling idiot. but when it came to reciting the vows? I was calm and sure and everyone could hear me loud and clear. poor Luke was so choked up with emotion he could hardly get the words out. I guess there's a first time for everything.

one kiss later, and we were man and wife!

[part 1] [part 2]  part 4 coming soon.

the wedding, part 2

The Big Day: I woke up at 9am, after getting a solid 7 hours of sleep. I felt calm, and ready. my sister and cousin went down to get me coffee and breakfast, while I checked emails. I found this waiting for me:

Breathe in the day. How are you feeling? Take note that the way you feel right now is because of a thought you're thinking either consciously or unconsciously. Know that you can create your day any way you see fit. Begin by setting your intention for the day and then CHOOSE to wrap your thoughts around that intention. Your body is the SHIP and you are the captain. Where are you heading today?

I bring only the BEST thoughts to this day!
I am in charge of how I feel.
Love surrounds me!

I decided then and there, no matter what happened, I was going to have an awesome day. I was going to wrap myself in all the love. nothing bad would touch me. I wasn't going to stress, because I had done so much planning in advance that things would be fine. and if something didn't go according to plan, that was fine too. no stress, no worry, no tears. I would only be unbelievably happy.

and it worked...

I drank my coffee in peace as the girls flitted in and out of the room and the shower, getting ready to head to lunch. my sister found Amber and Danielle and baby Lilly in the lobby and brought them up to say hi. we had a chance to catch up and then I hopped in the shower. a few more visitors stopped by and then we headed over to Whole Foods.

what to eat for lunch was a great debate. I wanted something hearty enough that I wouldn't be starving later, but light enough that it wouldn't upset my stomach. I settled on pizza. yeah, that's right, pizza. (I can hear brides across the world gasping in horror). but that was what sounded good and my stomach was happy with me for it. as we were eating the discussion turned to hairstyles, since we were headed to the salon next. I really didn't have much of a plan there. we decided I should find something to put in my hair, jeweled bobby pins or clips. 10 minutes before we needed to leave, Katie J and Catherine and I took off on a mad dash through the mall. we stopped at 3 stores with no luck, but it wasn't a big deal.

we arrived at the salon 5 minutes early. I told them we were here and went to peruse hair accessories... and found the perfect pair of pins. we all sat down and flipped through some style books. there were supposed to be 4 stylists, but apparently they only had 3. they started almost 20 minutes late but my hair didn't take too long. I gave her some general direction and let her do her thing and it turned out great! sadly one of the other stylists was new, and therefore slow and not the best. she had to re-do half of cousin's hair again which delayed us.

while I waited for the other girls to finish, I wandered around the store and found some great lip stain- the last piece I needed. I went to check out and the girl ringing me up asked if we were in a wedding. I said "yep, my wedding!" she almost fell over. apparently I was the most calm bride she had ever seen. "normally girls are in here freaking out because they have to get across town and someone forgot their shoes or they don't like their hair... dang girl!" we were behind schedule (it was nearing 3pm- we were supposed to leave for photos at 3:30) but I wasn't frantic or stressed. I decided to take the girls who were finished and head back to the hotel so we could start getting ready.

I had the room pretty much to myself for a good 20 minutes to wash my face and do my makeup. a nice peaceful break to reflect and prepare. I ate a granola bar and drank a diet coke and 2 glasses of water. we were still behind schedule, but I had anticipated that. it felt like the bridesmaids were freaking out more than I was (no offense ladies) but eventually everyone got back to the hotel, dressed, and was ready to roll. I grabbed my sister and Katie J since she had my dress and hopped in the car.

we saw the groomsmen pull out just ahead of us. the time was 4pm and we had 30 minutes to get to the venue. but of course there was traffic. I decided not to sweat it and popped in Michael Jackson's greatest hits and we rocked out the whole drive over. The Way You make Me Feel... Beat It... Bad... Thriller... singing and dancing the whole way. well, as best as you can dance while driving a car.

at one point in the drive I realized how crazy it was that I was calm enough to be driving myself to my own wedding. wasn't I supposed to be in hysterics? hyperventilating in the backseat while my bridesmaids fanned me and applied water and booze as necessary? but... what did I have to be stressing out about? I was about to marry Luke. the stressful wedding things had been about guest lists and seating charts. about finding a song that wouldn't give away that we didn't how to dance. and those were all taken care of. the wedding was the easy part. why would it be hard to marry the love of my life? no regrets, no doubts. only trust, and confidence, and love.

my sister saw me tearing up at this thought and asked if I was ok. I said I was more than ok, I was awesome! and I was also going to make them cry... and I shared. that I wasn't worried or stress because I knew what I was about to do, I knew that nothing in my life had ever been so right. I was excited, not nervous. and I was already having a damn good time.

the wedding, part 1

I really really really want to write this all out so I can remember it. bear with me because it's going to be a long series of posts with a lot of irrelevant information. and no photos. sorry!

so the last time I blogged... I was shaky. I was flaky. I spilled salad dressing on myself twice in one meal. I took a wrong turn driving to work. I bumped into walls, I blanked out mid-sentence, I could not concentrate on anything for longer than 5 minutes. my family's arrival seemed to coincide with everything kicking into panic mode. lucky for me, crunch time is when I prevail. a hundred small tasks were left to be done, and I was trying to play hostess and cater to everyone's needs, and make sure everything went somewhat close if not according to plan. I was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. but I was holding it together. (what's that saying about the duck- calm on the surface but paddling furiously underneath?)

Wednesday morning we received a heads up that someone was planning to have a date crash the reception. the heads up did not come from the date, or the person trying to sneak them in, but a third party. I think that's what bugged me most about it. and crashing a wedding without asking or even informing the bride, after all the planning and money that had gone into the event, is just incredibly... rude. 2 days before the wedding, things were supposed to be set and we were planning to have the extra meal sent to our table. but we did have an extra meal (due to the painful ordeal the previous week) and our venue was gracious enough to let us add a person to that date's table. while the situation was still slightly infuriating, this was easier than putting up a fight and causing major drama.

later that day we picked up the dress and started making cake pops. I was using them for placecards. I had printed out the nametags a few days before, so we just had to bake the cakes and make the pops. most people thought I was insane for making my own placecards out of cake pops. and maybe I was. but rolling, sticking, and dipping was my zen moment. and they turned out adorable. Luke had left and I was stressing from a long day of little sleep, but making the cake pops really calmed me down. that, and having a glass of wine with my Katies as we painted our toes. as a side note: it seems like everyone in my life named Katie is a rock, a stronghold, and an anchor for my sanity. they all took turns keeping me grounded during the week and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Thursday: the day before. we woke up early to run last minute errands. the girls helped me with packing while I got ready. we rushed to the airport to get my last Katie. (or rather, we rocked out to Gaga while stuck in traffic trying to get to the airport. when we arrived to the hotel, I suddenly felt much better. maybe because everything was done. I was there. all I had to do was show up to certain places at certain times, looking pretty and smiling for the camera. all the months of work and planning and preparation were over. It was like a wave of calm, welcome and refreshing.

we milled around the hotel, getting ready to leave for the rehearsal. I happened to glance out a window, and saw the most vicious storm rolling in. in a few minutes, the big black clouds had turned into a torrential downpour. I had a conference with Luke and we decided to check if we could do the rehearsal on the patio... if not I was telling everyone to just hang out in the hotel lobby. they cleared us to use the patio, and on the drive over the sky cleared up. we were able to have the rehearsal outside at the ceremony site. it was just a little soggy.

the rehearsal dinner was next. it was kindof a hike from where we were at, and one car even got lost, but I think the heaping platters of delightful italian made up for it. Luke gave a great speech, and I managed to improvise something decent. our gifts- stamped silver initial necklaces for the girls, engraved cigar cases for the boys- went over well.

we came back to the hotel and schmoozed with the family that had arrived, and spent some time with our friends. (in retrospect this was a great idea. while I'm sure I could have used some extra sleep, spending time with family and friends the night before made me feel less pressured to speak with everyone at the actual wedding. that way I could focus on the people who I hadn't seen the night before, and of course having a good time!) my family was of course drinking and having fun, the Austin way. I found out later that security was actually called on them 3 times that night, typical. I stopped by to chat with my Mom and her best friend who had flown in. and then I made it down to where my college friends were hanging out. I will say this: drinking games are infinitely more fun when you are getting married. "I'm the bride, you have to do what I say... and I say drink, so DRINK!"  after the last of our friends arrived for the night, and I declared that I was going to get a good night's rest for the first time in a month. I said good night to my groom and tucked in with my girls...