Storybook bridal session at Gardens At Cranesbury View

March 17, 2018 • Leave a Comment

Katie Padron-Lopez wore a bridal gown fit for a princess at her wedding this week. We shot her bridal portraits at the enchanting Gardens at Cranesbury View in December 2017.

Beauty in the GardenKatie's bridal portrait at Gardens at Cranesbury View in New Braunfels, Texas

Winter Bridal PortraitSan Antonio bride Katie Padron at Gardens at Cranesbury View in December 2017. Making an entranceKatie's off-the-shoulder lace gown was straight out of a fairytale for this princess bride.

Stunning BrideThe detail in Katie's dress could be enjoyed from every angle.

Into the lightKatie was a gorgeous beauty in her wedding gown.

Let's talk about how to look amazing in your bridal portraits! Leave a comment below and tell me how you wish to be photographed!

How to look amazing in your bridal portraits

March 02, 2018 • 8 Comments

Your wedding is just a few months away, and it's time to prepare for your bridal session! What's a bridal session? It's a photoshoot we do prior to the wedding day with the goal of having a featured portrait for your wedding reception. It's a Texas thing for sure! The wedding day can be very hectic and sometimes there isn't enough time to slow down and create a really beautiful portrait of the bride, so scheduling a photoshoot prior to the wedding day can ensure you get to preserve your bridal moment without the stress.

How to look amazing in your bridal portraitTess Osborn, a San Antonio Bride at the McNay Art Museum

Bridal Session Preparation

After you have found your dress, be sure to order it and have all alterations and fittings complete at least six weeks prior to the wedding. This way you can schedule your bridal session at least a month prior to the wedding. Some brides find that after wearing their dress during the hour-long session, they find details they would like to tweak before the wedding day.

Bridal PerfectionYour dress may inspire the bridal shoot location.

The bridal session becomes a dress rehearsal, allowing you to perfect your wedding day look. Also, your wedding gown may inspire the location for your bridal portraits. If you're wearing an elegant ball gown you may opt for an indoor ballroom location, or if you're wearing a long train, you may want an outdoor open area to allow you to feature that elegant lace. You may be a cowgirl boot wearing bride that belongs on a Texas ranch location. You'll know when you've got the dress!

Ballroom BrideElegant bride, Angelica Melendez at Southwest School of Art.

Work with a Hair and Makeup Pro!

I don't require that my brides hire a hair and makeup artist, but the photoshoot goes so much more smoothly when they do! Local hair and makeup pros have the expertise to create a bridal look that will last in the Texas heat. A majority of our bridal shoots happen in the spring, and even then it can be humid and hot, so it's important to have photo-ready makeup that will withstand an hour-long photoshoot. Here are some of our recommended makeup pros!

Work with a makeup pro!Makeup artist Rebekah Navarette created a flawless wedding day look that lasted all night for Marissa's outdoor Texas Wedding.

Rebekah Navarette featured above!

Bren Betico at Indulgences Hair Salon

Mistique Makeup

Madame Makeup & Hair

Vanity Eiland

Avoid a wardrobe malfunction!

The wedding date and the bridal shoot can sneak up on you during your whirlwind engagement. Make sure to try on your dress, including undergarments and accessories to make sure all necessary adjustments are made with enough time for your seamstress. Try on your bridal shoes and your veil. Practice bustling and unbustling your dress and time it! It's very helpful to know how much time it takes to achieve your wedding day look not only for your portrait session but also for the wedding day. Wedding dress tip: if you have several buttons going down the back of your dress, bring a crochet hook to help with grabbing those fasteners. Works great for the bustle buttons, too!

Bride Getting ReadyBe sure to try on your dress prior to the wedding day to avoid a bridal wardrobe malfunction!

Take care of yourself

Throughout your engagement be sure to take care of yourself. Wedding planning can be stressful, but be sure to take time for exercise, eating healthy nutritious foods, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of sleep. You want your portraits to feature your glowing face, gorgeous skin, and healthy smile. Also, I would advise against a night out at the bar the day before your bridal shoot. Do have that fun night a little more in advance, but then give yourself a day at the spa instead. Treat yourself!

Glowing BrideShow your best glowy features in your bridal portraits by taking care of yourself throughout your engagement.

Don't forget the details

For the complete bridal look be sure to bring all the accessories you plan to wear on your wedding day to the bridal portrait shoot. Bring your wedding ceremony shoes, but also bring a pair of easy slip-on shoes to walk around in as we move from location to location. Make sure to bring your hair accessories, and the jewelry you plan to wear. We want to capture all those gorgeous details! Also, bring a bouquet. Even if it's not the exact bouquet you will have on the wedding day, it's important to have an accessory for posing with your hands. Many florists offer a smaller version of your wedding bouquet just for the bridal photoshoot. HEB blooms can also create an all-white bouquet that will not distract from the bride.

Bridal DetailsDon't forget your accessories! Bring everything you intend to wear on your wedding day to your bridal shoot. Bridal BouquetFresh Fall bouquet by HEB Blooms.

Don't forget the bouquet!An all white bouquet is perfect for your bridal photos!

Good light and Posing

This last tip is my main responsibility! Throughout the photoshoot I am finding the best light, putting you in it and positioning you to show your best self! This is my jam, and my brides know it when I start cheering and jumping up and down during a photoshoot. They know I'm getting gorgeous images, and it's all because my bride came prepared for the photoshoot of her life!

Elegant BrideBeautiful portraits are all about great lighting and posing. Trust me to put you in the best light and provide expert direction for the best bridal poses.

Beautiful BrideHappy bride at Southwest School of Art in San Antonio, Texas.

I hope these tips will help you to prepare for your bridal photoshoot. To see some of our favorite portrait locations, follow me on Pinterest!

See more of our bridal portraits on YouTube!

Party for the ages at Rancho La Pergola Wedding

February 28, 2018 • 8 Comments

This fall we headed to Harlingen, Texas for the wedding of AB and Marissa Betancourt. The couple was beautiful, the wedding party lively, and the venue was a Texas bride's dream. Blush tones and gold accents complimented the two story ranch estate, setting the scene for an elegant, yet fun celebration for this young accomplished couple. View the wedding film featuring Rancho La Pergola and DJ Wero, filmed and photographed by Aria Productions.

Every child has a story

January 25, 2018 • Leave a Comment

We are now almost three weeks post-baby-number-2, and getting back into the routine of life. This morning I dropped off my 5 year old at his Pre-K class, a walk through the halls I do all the time. On today's walk I noticed a poster that read, "Every child has a story". This resonated with me, because I get to see the beginning of so many children's stories.

The Engagement of Lance and CourtniSpring engagement session at Roszell Gardens in San Antonio, Texas.

I get to meet young couples every day, and I ask about their love story. How did you meet? How did you know this was the one? What made you take the leap to say the first, "I love you", "Will you marry me?", "Will you spend the rest of your life with me?". And as I get to know these young couples, I fall in love with their love stories.

Classic Bridal PortraitMrs. Tess Osborne photographed in her bridal gown at The McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas.

Married at Marquardt RanchErica and JP Llanes share a celebratory kiss after their Texas Wedding at The Marquardt Ranch.

Groom PortraitThe debonaire Edgar Toribio in a groom portrait at Eilan, San Antonio, Texas.

I get to document that story from the engagement, to the wedding, to the maternity portraits, to the baby portraits. It's an amazing thing to be a witness to the beginning of so many children's stories. Later when they are old enough to ponder such things they will look for these photographs that tell the story of how they came to be. They will understand their place in this world, and will have a clearer picture of where they came from.

Newborn Lifestyle SessionDocumenting the first days of Baby Mayes

I'm so blessed and grateful to do this valuable work in documenting the story of these children. If you are reading this blog, I hope you'll remember that these photographs are not only for you, but for your children. Get portraits done often, be in the photos with your children, and print your photos to ensure they are discovered by your children.

What's your love story and how do you want to be photographed? Leave me a comment below and let's get the conversation started on creating your love story in photographs!

San Antonio Wedding at The Sheraton Gunter Hotel with Mr. & Mrs. Toribio

January 20, 2018 • 13 Comments

College sweethearts Edgar Toribio and Lisette Cruz were married on December 29th at St. Brigid's Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas. The couple met at Our Lady of the Lake University in religions studies class. After they took their vows in a traditional Catholic Mass ceremony we headed over in a white vintage Rolls Royce to the sight of their meeting for classic wedding day portraits. Though it was a cold day in December, we rocked out some gorgeous and romantic portraits before joining their dearest family and friends at the Sheraton Gunter hotel for their reception. Classic black and white wedding decor with romantic glass pillar candles set the scene for this elegant couple. They were a joy to work with and I wish them many blessings for a happy marriage. Cheers!

DJ: Four 40 Entertainment

Floral: Freesia Designs

Ceremony: St. Brigid's Catholic Church

Reception: Sheraton Gunter Hotel, San Antonio