…after the ceremony and after the reception…the best way to make your photographer jump for joy on your wedding day is to give him 3+ hours of time for portraits. Just sayin’.  You’ll see why at the bottom of this post!  But first, the wedding day… Thanks again to Aric and Casey for helping out!  (that’s Casey holding up Nicole’s dress!)

The team at Rosetree Floral Design Studio stepped up with an incredible bouquet.

Nicole and Steven decided to be a little different and have their wedding on the top level of a restaurant in downtown Houston called The Grove smack dab in the middle of Discovery Green park.  The top level is appropriately called the Treehouse and was a perfect setting for their unique wedding.

Steven was competing for the best dressed groom we’ve ever had.  What do y’all think?  I think his custom tailored suit and awesome boutonnière wins it…

Steven and Nicole are both designers and super talented.  So they had a lot of DIY items, including these clever guestbook cards.

Who made the cake?

The bar at the new Houston restaurant, Branch Water Tavern.  And by the way, the burger was SO GOOD.

After the early morning ceremony and lunch reception, Steven and Nicole gave me 3 hours for portraits.  The first place we started was this really interesting and eclectic furniture/furnishings/stuff store called Kuhl-Linscomb. What a dream.  Thanks so much to the staff for allowing us to basically roam free.

Do you remember them from their engagement session?  They love books.

…and taking over the world…

Thanks so much for having us guys!  You were both gracious and relaxed.  Stunning and dapper. But most important, deeply in love.  It was an honor to be part of your wedding.

Mary and Josh are two of the warmest and most welcoming people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The first time I met them was the day before their wedding at their rehearsal and within 30 seconds, I felt like family.Their wedding at the chic Hotel Zaza in Houston was such a thrill to photograph.  I brought in my friends Aric and Casey to second (and third) shoot this wedding with me and we just went on a detail overload.  If you’ve never been to a Hotel Zaza, you need to pay attention. These rooms are that eccentric and the artwork really is that suggestive.  Kind of perfect for Mary and Josh’s 12th year together, I think.  Anyway, we had a blast and couldn’t have asked for a more enjoyable crowd!  And props to Kelly Balfour from Eventology Weddings for keeping everything in line!  Thanks so much for having us guys!

Josh is a big watch collector so Mary Anna gave him a Rolex for a gift that nearly brought him to tears!

G – O – R – G – E – O – U – S

What better backdrop to a pool side wedding than downtown Houston?

Josh is caught trying to hold back tears. They’ve been dating since high school (12 years and running!)

Custom imprinted CHOPSTICKS at each place setting!!

Mary and Josh were brave enough to let me bring them around the hotel for some portraits after their ceremony.  It was like I was at DisneyWorld!

They were announced by 4 Chinese lions!

Best. Speech. Ever.  Wish you were there to hear Josh’s brother’s amazing speech. It seriously was a range of emotions for me and the guests; from happy to sad to gut busting hilarious.

Of course, since the hotel is so massive, we couldn’t stop the portraits!

Last but not least, they brought in this gigantic cupcake for this shot, inspired by…well, can you guess what movie?

Kim and Huy wanted to start their engagement session where they went on their first date.  So, we braved the smell and wandered around the Houston Zoo. The light was gorgeous and they looked dang good. That’s really all a photographer needs.

These next few images came from an idea that originated during the Great Storm of 2010. I envisioned a “field of balloons” in a snowy backdrop that a couple could stroll through, kind of like that after life scene from Gladiator.  It wasn’t until Kim asked me if I had any suggestions for their engagement session that I could finally try to pull this off months later.  I described to Kim exactly what I had envisioned and she executed it to perfection!  It also didn’t hurt that her and Huy looked incredible together.

24 white balloons: check. Brown box string: check. Save the date cards: check. Chopsticks: check. Mini clothespins: check. Hotness: double check.

Meet Kim. Part time consultant. Full time BA.

Yes, custom Save the Dates!

More to come.