Thursday, June 30, 2011

Lindsey and Mark - Downtown First United Methodist Church and Hyatt

Easy going and low stress is how to describe this wedding and couple! We started out at the First United Methodist church on a very steamy Texas summer day! After getting most of the pictures taken inside for the comfort of the bride and her bridesmaids, we ran across the street to the capitol for a few very quick pictures. This church does not allow flash photography and photographers must be behind the back pew or in the balcony. Well, no problem and to tell you the truth it provides some great angles and different views. The chapel and stained glass is beautiful and the candles added the extra bonus. Pastor Ruth preformed a touching ceremony. Then off the Hyatt for fun, food and an incredible view. The reception continued with sweet toasts, cake, eager singles for the bouquet and garter toss plus lots of dancing. Joel with Greenbelt DJ kept the crowd on the dance floor and did the group love to dance! Plus a bit of fun in our live photo booth. What a great event! Lindsey and Mark are honeymooning in beautiful (and cool) Colorado.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

10 Ways To Ensure You Have Fun At Your Wedding Reception

As photographers, we see it all. Recently, we have photographed some really fun weddings. It got me thinking, what was different? So, I decided to write a blog on obervations. Here are some simple things you can do to have fun at your wedding reception.

1. Get a good night's sleep the night before. With the excitement it is hard to do, but don't complicate things by staying up to late after your rehearsal dinner.

2. Limit alcohol consumption before the wedding. A champagne toast before the ceremony is nice; drinking the bottle will just put you to sleep! Be sure to eat something, too.

3. Wear or bring comfortable shoes. The bride and bridal party often wear wonderfully beautiful shoes that they can only tolerate for an hour or so. So remember, bringing a second pair of shoes that make your feet happy is a necissity!
 
4. Plan an exit strategy. Ask responsible friends and family members to help you by assigning them end-of-the-night duties, such as removing decorations, taking gifts to a pre-determined destination and settling up with the hall. Don't worry about the clean up.

5. Where you "are"; "is" where your guests will be. (I am not sure my English teacher would like that sentence structure - smile) If you are sitting, so will your guests. If you are dancing, so will your guests. Stay together as a couple.

6. Relax. Don't sweat the small stuff. I think that I mention this in every blog that I write. Keep your sense of humor on your wedding day.

7. Trust your DJ. A good DJ knows how to handle a reluctant crowd and build momentum with the music.

8. Weddings can have themes and that is fun. Backyard BBQ, Oscar night, oldies music, allow your reception to take on its own identity. Want pie instead of cake? Go for it.

9. Laugh in the FREE - J. Mark Photography Photo booth. We bring the props, you bring the guests. It is a blast!
 
 
 
10. Dance. Above all, have a great time at your party. Eat, socialize and meet
your spouse on the dance floor. Your fun mood is contagious, and guests will follow your lead.
 

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Krystal and Mathieu at Chateau on the Creek

What a lovely day and wedding at Chateau on the Creek. Krystal and Mathieu had a rough start with their wedding planning and had to almost start over when they got word that their first wedding venue closed. But this was lemonade out of lemons because Chateau on the Creek is a beautiful venue, with great staff and spectacular wedding coordination. Owner, Kathy (Cakes by Kathy), is also a talented wedding cake designer and provided a beautiful cake and fun grooms cake. Nestecha, owner of Justin Blooms and Roses provided the always gorgeous flowers! Krystal and Mathieu are so in love and it was great to watch their tender moments. The family danced the night away. It was a wonderful evening– enjoy!