On your wedding day, I think it’s important to hire vendors who can work well with each other and collectively do what they can to make your special day perfect.  What I liked about working with Joe was very quickly we developed a trust that lead us to keep an eye out for each other.  If I were setting up the couple for a shot, before finishing, I’d ask if he wanted to shoot it and if he were shooting the dress, he’d ask if I wanted to come along as well.  And if you look at his videos, he and I interpret the same scene with entirely different approaches.

Though he lives in Austin, he’s a guy I try to meet up with for happy hour and a chat whenever we’re in the same town (which is rare since we’re both citizens of the world!).  Watch any of his incredible videos and I promise you, you’ll probably shed a tear or two.

Also, here’s a short interview and some photos I took of him last time I was in Austin.

What can a client expect when working with you on their wedding day?
My couples can expect to have a fun time! We love to get to know our couples before the wedding so that they can feel comfortable the day of shooting. We are there to document everything as it happens and also use the “couples session time” to do some fun and unique shots that will really give their film a fun and romantic twist. They can expect to have amazing service and discrete shooting that will capture everything throughout the day, from the big moments to the small loving glances.

Describe yourself in 5 words.
Passionate, Outgoing, Funny, Detailed, Tech

What is your goal for each wedding?
Our goal for each wedding is to create a personalized film that the couple will love. Every wedding is different and has a different story, our goal is to find that story and capture it in the most beautiful way.

What are some of your hobbies/likes/dislikes?
Hobbies – Bike riding, photography, hiking.
Like – My wife Tina, cats, bikes, cameras, technology, beaches, animals, scuba diving, water.
Dislike – cold places, hot places (I like perfect temperatures, which never exist), country music,  bad drivers, mean people.

How long have you been in business and making films?
We have been in business for 10 years, we started in 2000 filming weddings and it’s been an amazing ride!

What is your proudest video to date?
It’s hard to for me to even pick a favorite, each one has it’s highlights that I love!  Not only are the personalities of the couple, the venue and location different but they are also so different between the Trailers, Highlights, Short Films and Feature films. But some of my favorite films are – Kim & Adam’s Seadream wedding, Amy & Chris’s Bar Mansion Wedding, Kristin & Justin Dallas wedding trailer, April + Adam’s Xcaret Wedding Highlights Film, Patty + Danny’s Highlights Film – Key West, FL The list can just go on!

Here’s the wedding we worked together off the coast of St. Thomas! Get some tissues ready!

Kim + Adam – St. John, Virgin Islands Wedding Film from Joe Simon Films on Vimeo.

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?

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?