downtown

The H Family - South Congress Austinite Portraits

This blog post represents a lot of firsts. Not only is it the first family shoot to be featured since I switched website hosts, but it is my first post that features my new home - Austin, TX. I could not imagine a better location or a more adorable family for all of these firsts! Click to enlarge images - enjoy this brief look at their shoot!

I met Ashley & Jessica and their kids at Roadhouse Relics to to make use of the famous "Greetings from Austin" mural. The mural was just restored a couple weeks ago - it was crumbling and cracking and underwent a $10,000 restoration to bring it back to pristine condition. The amount of textures and cool backdrops that surround Roadhouse Relics in a one-block radius is amazing - we spent some time canvassing the area before heading to our next location.

We soon headed to South Congress to capture Austin as its best. SoCo was my first introduction to Austin's quirks and has a special place in my heart as being unique to the area. Also, if you haven't noticed yet - check out Jessica' artful outfitting! She did an AMAZING job of coordinating her family's outfits and I just loved the innovative and bold color combo!

Michael & Lynn - Urban Outdoor Wedding & Ice Cream Social

Michael & Lynn are made for each other. Their retro, downtown, outdoor, sundae social wedding was adorable - just like the two of them! Here's a snapshot of their day. Click the photos to enlarge them.

Lynn got ready at her parents house - her aunt did a great job on her hair and make-up! Her dress was beautiful - lots of intricate details!

Michael & Lynn were married downtown Flint - the heart of the city they live in, work in, and love. Although rain threatened to pour all day, we only had to endure a slight sprinkle. They were married by a friend of theirs in Riverbank park - an outdoor auditorium next to the Flint river.

During the ceremony, Lynn & Michael signed their marriage license, which I thought was pretty cool. They also shed happy tears, which their adorable ring bearer (Lynn's cousin) couldn't understand. He was so distraught at seeing Lynn cry that she took a moment to console him. He was a bit happier after that! Lynn & Michael had the benefit of hiring a second shooter - two vantage points of a very important kiss!

After the wedding, we went to take bridal party portraits around Flint. It started to rain a bit, but it tapered off and we took the opportunity to take some reflective puddle portraits.

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Michael & Lynn held their reception in the Alfred P. Sloan Museum. They had an ice cream sundae bar: giant jars of maraschino cherries, bowls of whipped cream and all of the toppings you could ever want! Each guest had their share of Coke in the classic glass bottle (complete with adorable paper straw!). Instead of dancing, guests engaged in heated Pictionary battles, waged war in Risk and faced stiff competition in Uno! The maid of honor and best man gave wonderful speeches (who knew Michael had to face a bear while camping?!).

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After the reception was over, we walked outside and realized we had some gorgeous light! It was pretty easy to convince Michel & Lynn to take a couple more portraits. We were even able to take the awesome homemade banner that graced the head table and turn it into a prop!

Michael & Lynn - Urban Campus Engagement at the University of Michigan-Flint

I met Lynn four years ago - she was two of my classes as a college freshman on University of Michigan-Flint's campus. It has been awesome to get to know her - Lynn is a passionate, caring, kind individual and I cannot be happier that she has found someone to spend her life with. She and Michael fell in love in and with the city of Flint. Not only did they choose to take their engagement photos downtown, but they are also getting married by Flint's Grand Fountain along the Flint river. 

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