We've moved!

That's right! we're moving blogs! Check out all of our new stuff at the following location:

http://www.hookedphotoblog.com


I wanted a hip and fresh new look, and I think we got it. Also, we'll have larger images, too! There's a few more formatting issues that I need to work out, but it's mostly there.

Jennifer and Devin's Wedding

We made our first trip of the year to the Vista at Seward Hill and we were able to dodge all of the rain we have been getting lately. The bride and groom were also able to catch a beautiful sunset on the back patio of Mr. Larry Seward, the owner.

This wedding was a lot of fun and also unique and fit the laid-back and casual style of the bride and groom. All of the groomsmen got to wear lite-blue Tommy Bahama-style shirts (yea, that's right - no tuxedo's - which is GREAT for an outside wedding in Austin in June because of the heat!), while all of the bridesmaids wore beautiful and simple lite-yellow sun dresses.

We had a fun time with the bride and groom, though it seemed that everything went SO fast. I also got to try out my new awesome camera from Canon, called the Mark III. It's a camera mainly designed for sports-shooters, but it will allow me to take images in much darker evvironments without flash and without fear of lots of noise/grain in my images at higher ISO's.

Something that is new at the Vista that I have never seen before is that they have built a little secluded area for the bride and groom to relax right after the ceremony. I think it's a very nice touch for the bride and groom to just sit and relax after the ceremony and unwind from all of the emotional build-up of the ceremony.

Anthony from Complete Music has the best DJ voice that I have heard in a while, and did a great job of keeping the party going. He made everything perfect for the bride and groom, and he really pays attention to detail, including the placement of the champagne flutes were placed on the cake table.

Melissa and Chris's Wedding

We made our first trip of the year to Vintage Villas and we had a blast! We will be there again later on this year and the next. This wedding was special to me because I had known the bride for some time, even before she met her hubby.

On a personal note as a photographer, you have sometimes the situation where a friend gets married, and they want you as their photographer. You want to be their photographer, too, and you really hope that you do a great job for them. There's always a risk of 'what if you do not do what they want', so some photographers will not photograph their friend's weddings. I chose to take the risk anyway, and I am so glad that I did.

Ok, enough about me and let's talk about the couple.

Of course I did not need to establish a relationship with the bride, but I never met Chris before their engagement session. He's really an easy-going and carefree guy, so it was fun getting to know him. This couple both live up north of Dallas so I was only able to see them a couple of times, but we still were able to make a great friendship.

The wedding day was beautiful and almost without a cloud in the sky. We had a romantic background of a dark blue sky and a dark blue Lake Travis. It was my first 'noon-time' wedding in quite a while, too. I usually get hired to photograph afternoon or night-time weddings, so this was fun and exciting, except for the heat! It was hot! It did not affect the bride nor the groom, so that really helped things along.

This ceremony was unique in that Melissa chose to make many parts of the wedding simple and intimate. It definitely made things simple for planning and coordinating. She didn't need any flowers except for her bouquet because Vintage Villas is COMPLETELY covered with them. She also chose to not have any wedding party members. Her dress was very simple and elegant, and of course, it flattered her figure well. Chris even wore a nice tan suit to compliment the light colors of their theme of the decorations of the ceremony and reception. I think I remember him saying that she picked it out for him, and you will see below that she has great taste!

After the 10:45am ceremony, they escaped away inside from the heat to a yummy brunch catered by Vintage Villas. They had a relaxing time of just visiting with the friends, eating some brunch and cake, and just enjoying their afternoon. The cakes were yummy-yummy and Better Batter Bakery did an awesome job with them.

They departed the reception with bubbles, and just walked a few steps away to their 'romantic hideaway' in their nearby Hotel suite. It was hot and a good time for a nap!

Jennifer and Devin's Engagement

We made our first trip to Mount Bonnell for an engagement session with this soon-to-be married couple. The session went pretty quick because we did not have much sun because it was pretty overcast. Needless to say, we still were able to capture some fun moments.

It was also the first time that I got to meet Devin. Jennifer was the only one to make it over for the consultation, and we already photographed her Bridal session. Even though we just met, he warmed up really quick to the camera.

I was upset to see that there is this new monstrosity of a building that is now located on the backend of the mountain, and it really takes away the view of the city skyline from the hill. Oh well.

We will see this fun couple again at the Vista on Seward Hill in June.

Carlie and Martin's Wedding

Well, I am now afraid to admit that my streak of ZERO wedding ceremonies with no rain is now over. BOO HOO! I really felt sorry for the couple, because they purposefully purchased the Terrace Club to take advantage of the breath-taking sunset for their ceremony.

Emily at the Terrace Club really did a great job of making the last-minute change to move the ceremony inside, and the bride and groom did not let this last-minute move get them down to much and hamper their day.

It was challenging for me, too, because I had to prepare to do take group portraits for either an inside OR an outside background. Since we had to move inside because of the rain, I had to work around a lot of obstacles, such as seating, folks walking in, people getting the ceremony/reception room ready, etc. In the end, we captured some amazing images.

The ceremony was was special to the couple and Martin even started to tear a bit when Carlie walked down the aisle. Her dress was beautiful, elegant and it flattered her figure well.

The most unique event about this wedding, besides the rain, was the most unique groom's cake that I have ever seen. It wasn't really a cake, but instead a bunch of candy decorated as a cake. Martin apparently has a sweet tooth, and Carlie decided to make a cake as a surprise for him for their wedding.