These two are kinda sorta perfect for each other.  And fortunately for me, they were perfect for how I love to shoot!  They are stylish, edgy, love to eat, and so incredibly into each other.  They were comfortable being intimate and opening up their relationship to me and my camera.  I don’t think I can thank them enough for the privilege and can’t wait for their wedding!

Jon has been a friend since high school.  We share a lot of similarities too actually.  He plays drums, plays basketball, and has a twin brother.  Just kidding, I don’t have a twin brother.  But, we used to chat a lot about drums and he’d beat me in basketball all the time.  Funny story. Once, after being beat by him in basketball, we were leaving to go home and he rear ended me at a stop sign.  I was driving a 4runner at the time, so the damage was minimal, but his car’s front hood was crushed.  Needless to say, we took one car for the session, hahaha.

Jon and Gloria have both moved to Austin and are starting to call it home, so it was only appropriate that we shoot in their hometown.  They took me out to the Austin Greenbelt…in July.  A place commonly used for swimming and cooling off became the setting for their hot, bug-infested engagement session.  The first thing we did when we arrived was put on a layer of bug spray…and despite the greasy limbs, I’m glad we did.

So here’s something sweet about them that you don’t see too often anymore; I found out they’re saving their first kiss for the altar!  So I can’t wait until their wedding day because I know how incredible that moment will be.  Congrats guys!  Looking forward to celebrating with you!

Jon did pretty good on the engagement ring, don’t you think?

Sometimes I wish I could just deliver one image from each wedding.  It’d make getting images to clients a LOT faster, don’t you think?  :)  Just kidding!  I love giving my clients a ton of images to love!  But, sometimes, while I’m getting caught up and neglecting my blog, I feel the need to refresh it with some updated content in the form of previews.  So here are a couple!

This first one is from Jerri Ann and Anthony’s wedding at the Crow Collection of Asian Art Museum in the Dallas arts district.  They shared a private kiss right after their ceremony and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time!

Following is Ann and Daniel’s wedding preview from Lakeway Resort and Spa in Austin.  During the day, Ann mentioned (probably jokingly) that she and Daniel were thinking about jumping into the pool after the reception so I excitedly yelled at her, “DO IT!”  So after very little persuasion and all their friends watching, they did it. Worth it?  I’d say so. (yes, I was in the water with them as well!)

Here’s one from Gloria and Jon’s engagement session in Austin.  They took me out to the greenbelt which was awesome despite the bugs and incredible Texas heat.

This last preview is from an engagement session I shot in Dallas for Sapna and Sangheev.  They’ve both got a fun and edgy personal style so shooting them was just so fun!

In exactly two weeks, I’ll be on a plane headed towards Hanoi, Vietnam to photograph the grand opening party for Gucci Hanoi.  I found this out last Friday morning, so for the last 5 days, I’ve been frantically putting together a staff and finding the best flights (as well as shooting a wedding + hanging out with out of town friends).  Amidst all the Kayak.com refreshing, texts, emails, and eating, I can’t help but stop and think just how fortunate I am.  And not just in the, “Look at me and all the cool things I get to do!” but more like, “Wow. I am so incredibly blessed and grateful.”  I saw this quote on my twitter feed the other day and it’s calming, “Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.”

Three years ago when I started, I would’ve never thought Table4 would grow into what it is today.  Obviously, it took a lot of hard work, long long days, incredible clients, and a bit of luck.  But to get HERE?  To photograph weddings all over the world and be paid for it?  That’s an overwhelmingly humbling feeling.   So you may be wondering how I got this job exactly.  Back in April, I photographed Mary Anna and Josh’s wedding at the Houston Hotel Zaza.  Josh’s uncle is a fashion retailer in Vietnam, who helped open Vietnam’s first Gucci store in Saigon and is helping open the 2nd store in Hanoi.  Josh’s brother, Jonathan, who gave one of the best best man speeches I’ve ever heard, is also working for his uncle in Hanoi.  So, really, it’s because of Mary Anna and Josh that I’m going to Vietnam on such short notice.

So, I’ll be going to Hanoi to photograph the grand opening party for Gucci in two weeks. (I can’t believe those words are coming out of my fingers right now!)  And I’ll be staying an extra few days to eat, eat, eat.  But since I’ll have most of my gear there, I’d love to shoot as well!  I know this is a long shot, but if anyone (or anyone you know) is getting married in Hanoi around September 11, 2010 and haven’t found a photographer, I want to be their photographer!  Or if you have a wedding dress and a good looking groom, let’s shoot a portrait session!  And the best part? No travel fees!  Send me an email if you’re interested.

Now….what am I going to wear?

I have to say this has been one of the most difficult blog posts for me to write.  There’s so much to say and so little room for which to say it.  When Celine asked me to photograph her wedding in France back in December of 2008, I almost went crazy from excitement.  We instantly kicked things off with emails regarding football, food, and wedding plans.  6 months later, we meet over coffee in Houston to talk face to face and figure out if we were a good fit for each other.  After that, I knew she and  Justin had an unrehearsed kind of love and believed hopelessly in the romance of their relationship.

I recall Celine describing her wedding to me, all the events, the close family and friends, the French chateau nestled in the wine country of Bordeaux; one word kept coming up: Romance. Not only did she want the wedding to be romantic, but the entire week to be as well.  She dreamed of a week where people from both sides of their lives became friends and congregated to celebrate their wedding with them.  That by the time their wedding ceremony took place, they had not just their approval, but the united support from their families and friends.  They extended that invitation to me and welcomed me into their intimate circle of friends and family, inviting me to join them for an entire week of festivities and a celebration of romance.

So, I’m going start backwards with this post.  At the end of these images is a link to a slideshow summarizing the entire week. (There’s some French music to accompany the images, so if you’re at work, I’d suggest turning off your speakers.) Between you and me, I’d like to post 200 images from their wedding, but I think most people would not appreciate that.  So, it pains me to just show 20 right now, but hopefully the slideshow will help you see the complete story.

Celine and Justin planned a week long of activities starting with a welcome party on Sunday, a winery tour on Monday, a tour of the famous St. Emilion on Tuesday, and a river boat rehearsal dinner on Wednesday, all before their wedding at Chateau Lagorce on Thursday.  We also spent a day in Paris on Friday before they left for their honeymoon.

Celine and Justin, I don’t know how else to say this. Thank you.  Thank you for welcoming me and befriending me. Thank you for getting to know me, sharing your lives with me, and laughing at my jokes. Thank you for taking such good care of me and for being so comfortable with me to share your intimate relationship with me and my camera.  I have no idea how I am so lucky to call you friends.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank my close friends Aric and Casey for coming on this trip and capturing this wedding with me. The trip wouldn’t have been the same without you guys and I’m so thankful I was able to enjoy my first time in Europe with good friends.