Wedding

Marshall & Katie - Whovian Library Wedding

I am generally a punctual person, but the first time I met Marshall & Katie, I was an hour and a half late. I arrived at the coffee shop that served as our meeting place after trying to navigate icy highway roads with hundreds of Texas drivers that aren't used to wintery conditions. Turns out, I was late for a meeting with two people who would quickly become some of my favorite clients.

After being incredibly chill about my tardiness, we talked about their upcoming wedding and I realized that I was talking to two of the most genuine people I've ever met. Marshall & Katie are unashamedly, unabashedly in love - with each other, with their passions, and with Doctor Who. I thought I couldn't be more excited to photograph their Whovian wedding, but totally geeked when I heard it was being held in the San Antonio library! Check out some of the photos from their day - click to enlarge.

Katie got ready in The Menger Hotel, a famous hotel across the street from the Alamo in San Antonio. The hotel is gorgeous, and Katie provided Lindsay - my second shooter - and I with many facts and stories about the hotel and surrounding city. Fun fact about her dress - it has POCKETS. Perfect for fitting a flask into.

After Katie was ready, we decided to head to the library to do a first look and get some photos before the ceremony. Katie decided to drive over to the library with Lindsay and I - little did we know we'd be stuck in the parking garage for an hour! Unbeknownst to us, there was a parade and art festival going on nearby, making travel nearly impossible. Katie, one of the chillest brides I've ever met, passed the time by catching up on the latest Doctor Who episodes (what else?!). When we finally made it to the library, it was time to start the ceremony.

After the ceremony, we took family and bridal party photos and then headed upstairs to take some photographs in the library stacks. The central San Antonio library features a large sculpture by one of my favorite glass artists, Dale Chihuly.

After some portraits, we rejoined the party. I loved all of the Doctor Who details - the tiny figurines that guests were able to take home (customized with Marshall & Katie's favorite Dr. Who quotes!), River Song and the 11th Doctor on the wedding cheesecake, the Tardis blue bridesmaid dresses - all of it! I especially loved the jar full of notes and well-wishes for the newlyweds.

There were heartfelt toasts, dancing, and general merriment. One of the guests brought a Silence mask - so of course we had to have some fun with that! We ended the night with a few more portraits around the library.

,

Tyler & Sasha - Outdoor, Lace and Gold Garden Wedding

,

I met Sasha just a few weeks after I moved to Austin when I started working at Anthropologie for the holidays. I met Tyler just a few weeks after that when they got engaged. It was pretty clear from the moment I saw them together that they were meant to be, but their wedding, held at the Umaluf Sculpture Garden in Austin, was the frosting on top of the already perfect cake! Here's a just a quick look at their day. Click to enlarge.

My second shooter, Lindsay, and I met up with Sasha at a rental house where she was getting ready, just down the road from the sculpture garden. Her bridesmaids joined us at Umlauf to finish getting ready. Check out the adorable bridesmaid gifts Sasha crafted!

Meanwhile, as Sasha was getting ready, Lindsay went to find Tyler to capture some pre-wedding portraits. His groomsmen kept him company until we were ready to for Tyler & Sasha's first look!

After their first look, we joined the rest of the bridal party for some quick portraits before the ceremony began. We also took some time for portraits of just the two of them bathed in that terrific golden hour light!

There was a special moment when Tyler gave Sasha a card he had written before the wedding. Neither of them could stop smiling!

The ceremony began at sunset, with Sasha's uncle as the officiant. Their vows were sweet and personal, and Tyler surprised Sasha with her ring! Their excitement was infectious as they high-fived their way down the aisle.

The reception was also held at the sculpture garden. Bristol Lane not only created Sasha's bouquet, but also all of the gorgeous centerpieces! The desserts - including mini pies, cookies, and cake - came from Sugar Mama's Bakeshop.

Tyler & Sasha took to the floor for their first dance, followed by Sasha and her papa. After dancing and dinner, they cut the cake and and then Tyler and his mom shared a dance.

After the official dances were done, the DJ opened the dance floor up to everyone - and Sasha & Tyler's friends and family took advantage of it! Some other guests took advantage of the lawn games, including giant Jenga, that Sasha's papa made.

I knew Sasha & Tyler were in sync, but when they busted out the exact same dance moves from across the dance floor when Jason DeRulo's Trumpets came on, I realized they were made for each other.

They night came to and end, and Tyler & Sasha exited among a flutter of glow sticks to head to their honeymoon in Disneyland!

,

Shane & Jen - Laid-Back, Outdoor/Courthouse Wedding

,

I first met Shane & Jen in person at their home in Houston, TX, right before we took their engagement photos. After speaking to them on the phone and via Skype, it was wonderful to meet them in person and see how perfect they are for each other. Like chips and queso or good beer and friends, each of them are lovely apart from each other, but even better when combined! Below are the highlights of the day; click to enlarge.

I travelled to Blanco, TX to photograph their morning ceremony at the Blanco County Courthouse. Shane & Jen got ready together at their hotel, before we headed to the courthouse to take family photos. Jen made her veil by hand, which was a lovely touch.

Morgan Wedding-052.jpg

After the portraits were finished, everyone headed down to the park across the street for the ceremony. Guests picked up a copy of "a brief guide to today's marital events," custom printed sunglasses and choose which team to root for - Oklahoma or Texas. Shane & Jen's ceremony was unique and personal - one aspect I really liked was they they placed the rings on their own fingers, symbolizing that they each chose to make the commitment on their own.

After the ceremony, we went to a different part of the park with a giant tree to take some portraits. Afterwards, Shane & Jen went to get some coffee at a local shop nearby, and to take a few minutes to themselves before heading to the courthouse for the brunch reception.

The brunch reception was full of Shane & Jennifer's friends and family and it was clear that everyone there loved them both to pieces! The reception was full of personal touches, from the succulents on every table to the hand-illustrated cake toppers that Shane created. There were heartfelt, funny toasts, a photo booth, and lots of laughter.

After the reception, I headed back to Austin. In the evening, I headed to the Gatsby on 6th Street for the after party and more good times with good food and good friends. Part of the night was comprised of taking photos of every single person that put on Shane's hat! The night ended with a sing-along, toasts, and a special congratulations video from Shane's favorite band.

,

Dan & Leslie - Vietnamese Tea Ceremony Wedding

,

One of my favorite things about being a wedding photographer is being exposed to new traditions - Dan & Leslie’s north Austin Vietnamese wedding ceremony is a perfect examples of just that! Dan & Leslie live in Washington D.C., where they held an American wedding ceremony, but travelled to Austin to celebrate with Dan’s side of the family. Check out Leslie’s two wedding dresses, tea ceremonies, and lots of love below - click to enlarge images.

As per Vietnamese tradition, Dan and his family arrived at the rental home where Leslie and her parents where staying. They brought gifts, wrapped in red, to share and asked Leslie’s parents for their permission for the marriage to take place (of course they said yes!).

After the tea ceremony, Leslie and her parents opened the gifts that were brought over, including wine, fruit and a roast pig.

We headed to a pavilion area nearby and to take some portraits.

The whole group then headed over to Dan’s grandmother’s house where Leslie and her parents were welcomed into the family. Leslie had changed into her red dress that Dan’s mother made (Leslie’s mom made the white dress - what a cool way to involved both moms!). Leslie & Dan presented tea to all that were present and received advice and red envelopes in return.

After the tea ceremonies were complete, Dan & Leslie and I headed to the park across the street to take some more portraits. I really enjoyed seeing how Dan & Leslie interacted with each other - they seemed to be perfectly in sync.

Brad & Kayla - Purple & Silver Catholic Wedding

Brad & Kayla have been dating since high school, so it made sense that their wedding theme was At Last! Throughout their big day, it was evident that Brad & Kayla are meant to be together, like mac & cheese, peanut butter & jelly and butter & toast. They shared the sweetest looks and the most joyful laughs. I am sure they are going to have a long and happy life together!

After arriving at the St. Michael Church, I photographed Kayla getting ready. We had some time afterwards to capture some bridal portraits while my second shooter, Alex, took some time to capture some portraits of Brad.

Brad & Kayla's ceremony was beautiful. I particularly liked the Father's message. He even asked everyone if they knew any other languages. He was very excited when Alex said he knew German and expertly worked that into his message.

BirchmeierWed-0170.jpg

After the ceremony, we took some portraits around the gorgeous church and then hopped on the bus to head to the reception. We made some stops along the way. First stop was to visit Brad's other two loves - Dolla, Brad & Kayla's beloved puppy (you may remember her from their engagement shoot - she's such a sweetheart!) and his sports car. Our second stop was along a stretch of dirt road to take some portraits in the countryside. Finally, we stopped at Brad & Kayla's favorite bar to dance a bit and play some pool.

BirchmeierWed-0278.jpg
BirchmeierWed-0402.jpg

Kayla & Brad did an excellent job of decorating their reception hall - it was beautiful! All of the little details were what really made it magical. The bridal party danced their way into the hall to cheers and applause.  They got the night started off right with touching and funny toasts. Brad & Kayla's amazingly talented aunt handmade their cake - it was as delicious as it looked! After the traditional dances (first dance, father & daughter, mother & son) and the bouquet toss, Brad surprised Kayla with a dancing lip-syncing performance as he retrieved her garter! Brad makes an amazing crooner. The night ended with a consistently full dance floor, lots of laughter and even a little bit of air guitar.

BirchmeierWed-0534.jpg
BirchmeierWed-0562.jpg
BirchmeierWed-0640.jpg