Picture This - Lisa's Photography Blog

Brian and Amanda - Wedding Album

Just wanted to show off Brian's and Amanda's weddding album. I love the picture they selected for the cover--one of my very favorite weddings photos ever. You can click here to view the rest of the album (just click on "Book Preview").

CD Case

Just wanted to share Amanda's and Richard's beautiful CD case. These custom cases are included when you purchase all of the images from your session on a CD. These aren't only for weddings. They're a beautiful keepsake and make a great display on a bookshelf. 

Amanda and Richard--Married!

I was so excited about my last wedding of the year. Amanda and Richard have been nothing but awesome and fun since the first time I met them, so it was wonderful to watch as all of their plans came to life. They were married at The First Christian Church in Richmond. It's a beautiful church, with lots of stained glass and arches in the sanctuary.

First up, a few details. Note the fishing poles on the right. Richard is quite the fisherman, so the ring bearers carried these down the aisle.

Amanda is an events planner for Berea College, so she did a great job planning all the details, including the buckets carried by the flower girls.

I love when bride's use really meaningful things on their wedding day. This ring belonged to Amanda's grandmother.

Geri, my assistant and right hand on a wedding day, got this ring shot while I was photographing the guys.

I'm not sure if it was nerves, but Richard had a little trouble buttoning his vest. :-)

Richard with the guys.

Richard's grandmother was so super sweet. There's no doubt how much she loves her grandson.

When we started doing the pictures of Richard by himself, he said he thought it would be cool for him to sit in one of the church pews. He was exactly right. Loved this shot!

I always love when the bride's mother helps with the dress.

I'm not sure why, but I absolutely love this photo. You can't tell but the room was pretty small where everyone was getting ready, so it was a little hectic. I loved when Amanda was looking in the mirror and love that her mom was in the photo too.

I loved while I was getting these shots...

Geri was getting these next two.

Okay, so I know I say this every time I blog a wedding, but I so love doing close up shots of the bride. Out of all the shots from the entire day, these are almost always my favorite.

One of my favorites.

And did I mention how much I loved Amanda's blue sash on her dress?! I love when the bride includes color on her wedding dress.

This was another favorite shot of the day. I love how happy she looks in this one. 

And I heart this one in black and white too.

This was one of my favorite shots from the day that Geri got as Amanda and her dad came upstairs.

Geri got this one just as they were about to walk down the aisle.

Love Richard's expression when he sees Amanda walking down the aisle.

This was another favorite of mine taken just after Amanda's dad gave her away.

Okay, I have a lot of favorites from this wedding. Here's another one. I can't remember what was said, but it was obviously funny.

You may kiss the bride!

Amanda and Richard left the church and then returned to dismiss their family and friends row by row.

Geri got this close up while I was getting the shot above.

Richard wanted to be king for a day, and I do believe he was!

There were lots of details at the reception too, like these suckers on the kids table.

Amanda and Richard gave everyone handmade Christmas ornaments.

I always love the father/daughter dance. Amanda and her dad danced to "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman, and they were quite the dancers.

Geri took this one as Amanda's dad let her go and she made her way to Richard on the dance floor. 

Richard dancing with his mom.

Amanda's dad gave a beautiful toast, and also mentioned having grandchildren. Check out the couple's reaction below. So funny!

The dance floor stayed full, and I just loved this picture of Amanda's parents dancing. Her mom didn't stop smiling all day.

Richard's parents enjoyed the dance floor too.

This was one of Geri's last shots of the night. Even though the dance floor was crowded, it was like they were the only two in the room. 

View more photos in the slideshow!

Church: First Christian Church (Richmond, Kentucky)

Reception Venue: The Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant (Berea, Kentucky)

Hair & Make-Up: Julie Eades and Vanessa Burnell at Salon 116 (Richmond, Kentucky)

Florist: Whitney from The Added Touch (Richmond, Kentucky)

DJ: 242 Productions - Ben Wilcox (Berea, Kentucky)

Wedding Dress: David's Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses: JC Penney (blue sashes were made and added later)

Bridal Processional: The mothers and bridal party walked in to Canon in D. Amanda and her dad walked in to Butterfly Waltz (composed by Brian Crain). Amanda said her dad used to call her his "little butterfly."

Unity Candle: A Page is Turned by Bebo Norman

Recessional: Bittersweet Symphony Instrumental by Aranbee Pop Symphony Orchestra

Introductions: The bridal party was introduced to Battle Without Honor or Humanity from the Kill Bill Soundtrack. Amanda and Richard were introduced to 20th Century Fox Fanfare (Richard wore his crown to show he was king for the day).

Cake Cutting: Sweet Pea by Amos Lee

First Dance: Smile by Uncle Kracker

Father/Daughter Dance: Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman

Mother/Son Dance: First Lady in My Life by Paul Todd

What was the most memorable moment of your day?

Amanda:  I don’t think I can pick just one. The whole day was a dream come true for me. I put so    much time and effort into planning our day and making it special and personal for us, so when I think back on the day, the whole thing was perfect and memorable. I tried to take a few moments out and just look at everything and everyone and take it all in. One of those times was during the reception, when the DJ played the first song to get everybody to dance, Party Rock by LMFAO. I looked at everybody on the dance floor and it was so crowded, so many people were up dancing with us and laughing and smiling and having fun. That was all I had hoped for….I wanted people to leave our ceremony and reception and at least say they had fun. Our dance floor was never empty and it seemed people were having a great time. 

There were also moments with Richard - when I first saw him. I was walking down the aisle and seeing all these faces watching my dad and I, and then I just focused on my love, my best friend!  He looked so handsome and his smile was perfect and his eyes were shining and he looked so happy. 

Mine and Richards first dance was a favorite moment, along with my dance with my dad. My sister dedicated the song Wind Beneath my Wings to me at one point (which is a song she and I have always called our song) and the personal moment she and I shared when we were dancing was a moment I’ll never forget. And seeing my mom’s beautiful, smiling face throughout the night still flashes in my memory about the day.

The limo ride from the church to the reception was perfect and I’m so glad we had that time with our bridal party and just for me and Richard to have some down time – sitting next to each other and able to hold hands and share a few special thoughts and moments. But all in all, I married my best friend, the love of my life. The end of the night when we finally had quiet and private time and we just laughed and talked about the night and all the beautiful people in our lives and how absolutely perfect and epic our day was – that moment was also one I’ll never forget. I can’t pick one moment. The whole day was more than I could have ever dreamed it would be and I couldn’t be happier.

Richard: Since Amanda named nearly everything that happened in the wedding I’m having trouble trying to think of something that she didn’t mention. I would have to say the moment that sticks out in my head the most is the moment that the music started for Amanda to walk in to, and and I knew she was getting ready to enter. My nervousness level shot through the roof, and I began to get anxious. Then the moment that the doors slowly opened it was as if time stood still. It was just me and Amanda in a room by ourselves standing there locked into each other’s’ gaze. Seeing how beautiful she looked, I lost my thought process. I didn’t even know where I was or what I was doing. It was as if I was observing an angel ascending from the heavens. From then on I don’t think I stopped looking at her till the ceremony was over. 

Do you have any advice for future brides and grooms?

Amanda:  Just to take time throughout the day to step back and look at all there is in front of you.  Take time to take it all in and see how all the work and planning came together to make your day special for you and your partner. During the ceremony, I looked out into the church, and it was filled with everyone we know and love. They were there for us!  And that was one of the coolest things – for all those people to be in one place and because they care for us!  And above all to remember the reason for the day is the love between you and your spouse and to keep that in the forefront of everything.  

Richard: Never stop trying. What I mean by that is that you should still try just as hard to impress, surprise, love, and romanticize each other just like when you were courting each other. Never let the love and passion even have a chance to die.

Were there any funny moments from your wedding day?

Amanda: Probably just the end of the night when I looked around the room and saw all the water beads that I had used in the centerpieces literally everywhere in the main dining room of Boone Tavern.  People were throwing them all night and playing in them. They were literally everywhere and some anonymous suspects also decided to take them out to the parking lot and put them on people’s cars and windshields. At one point, one of my bridesmaids even decided it would be funny to dump a glass full of them down the front of my dress! Actually, I didn't find this too funny.

Richard: Amanda and I found a candy garter similar to the necklaces and bracelets you had when you were a kid. We thought it might be funny to use it, and when I removed it from her leg and bit into it,  my front tooth got chipped. So the rest of the night I was missing half of my front tooth while talking to people. No one asked what happened, even though they probably wanted to. 

If you could change anything, would you?

Amanda:  No!!  Not at all.  Everything was perfect in my opinion. I wish it had lasted longer but that would be the only thing I would want to be different.

Richard: I wouldn’t change a thing, but maybe not bite into the candy garter so hard.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Amanda: We went to the Florida Keys and stayed at the Hilton Resort and Spa in Key Largo. Richard was able to spend quite a bit of time fishing while I relaxed by the pool or on the balcony of the room.  We ate lots of great seafood, went shopping and spent a day exploring from Key Largo on down to Key West.  

 

 

Amanda and Richard--Sneak Peek

December was also busy for me because Amanda and Richard got married. You may remember them from their awesome engagement session (the one with the snake!). I'm still busy working on their pictures but for now here's just a little sneak peek.

Emily and Johnathan--Married!

Emily and Johnathan were married at St. John's Catholic Church in Georgetown on an absolutely picture perfect day. I was even more thankful for the awesome weather because it was nearly 100 degrees the next Saturday! St. John's is such a beautiful church. You know how much I love doors and doorways, so I was thrilled with the red front doors on the church.

Here's some of Johnathan looking super sharp.

I was thrilled my friend, Geri, could be my second shooter for the day. I love this one she got of Johnathan's daughters putting on Emily's veil.

Emily was so pretty. Check out our awesome shoes!

Love this one of Emily right before she's going to walk down the aisle with her dad.

I love with a church has a second level. Geri got some great shots from up above.

Love, love this one and love it more in black and white.

Such a sweet dance with Johnathan and his daughter.

The couple had a dollar dance where anyone who wants to dance with either the bride or groom has to pay a dollar. As you can tell, it was really successful!

How great to end the evening with a little sunflare! Love it!

Thanks Emily and Johnathan for having me photograph your beautiful day!

My Old Kentucky Home Wedding

Samantha and Jimmy were married at My Old Kentucky Home State Park on July 9. I have to admit that I'd been looking forward to their wedding for a long time and was excited to photograph a wedding in such a beautiful location. We also got super lucky with the weather too. It poured rain the day before, but their big day was filled with a clear blue sky and a temp in the 80s.

Just look how gorgeous the day was.

 

 

Geri photographed Jimmy getting ready while I went to the cottage where Samantha was getting ready.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hailee and Jeff--Married!

Hailee and Jeff booked me for their wedding last year, so needless to say I'd been looking forward to their big day for a long time. The morning of their wedding I awoke to the sound of rain. Not just a few raindrops, but pretty much a torrential downpour. That's not what a photographer wants to hear on the morning of a wedding, and I knew it wasn't what Hailee wanted to hear either. 

By the time Geri and I got to the church the rain had pretty much stopped. I was surprised to see how much the church was decorated on the outside because I knew how hard it had rained that morning. As it turns out, their families had decorated it in the pouring down rain. Now that's love!

You can see the raindrops on the ribbon.

 

 

Geri got this shot of Hailee while I was working with the groom. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hailee truly was a gorgeous bride. Who cares about rain when you're this beautiful?

 

 

I have to admit I was a little obsessed with her bouquet, but they were some of the most beautiful roses I'd ever seen.

 

 

This is my new favorite bridal portrait. Love it!

 

Hailee with her wedding coordinator, Nathan. I'm very big on having a wedding coordinator or at least someone in charge of keeping everyone on time and on track for the day. Nathan is one of the best I've worked with in a long time. He was awesome!

 

 

 

 

This was one of the cutest things I have ever seen at a wedding. Poor little guy was worn out from all the activity leading up to the ceremony, so he used the ring pillow to take a nap during the ceremony. One of the minister's joked at the end that it wasn't the first time someone had fallen asleep when he was speaking.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was another cute moment from the day. This little guy was quite the dancer.

 

Congrats Hailee and Jeff and thanks for a great day!



 

 

Heather and Juan - Married!

Heather and Juan were married on a perfect June day. I was also lucky that my friend Geri could come along and be my second shooter.

I must admit that I'm obsessed with the bride's shoes. And if I can put the rings on the shoes, we'll that's even better. Sometimes there's not enough time to get a lot of detail shots, but luckily that day I had time to get a few.

Heather and Juan didn't want to see each other before the wedding, but Heather had seen a picture that she hoped to recreate. So we put Juan in a room and kept Heather in the hallway outside so they could hold hands. Geri got the picture on the left and I got the one on the right.

 

I loved this one in black and white.

 

Their church had this great entrance with amazing window light and this cool piece of tin. I loved it!

 

 

This little guy would not smile. No matter what Geri or I tried, he wouldn't even give us a tiny one. But really, do you need to smile when you're this cute? This is one of my favorite shots of a child EVER!

 

Heather wiped a few tears away after seeing the church decorated for the first time.

 

 

I know I've said it before, but close up shots of the bride are my favorite shots of the day. I love their hair and make-up and their veil. So pretty.

 

 

I love that while I'm working on getting the close up shots, Geri is getting the full-length ones.

 

 Geri also got this totally adorable shot before the wedding party entered the church. She was definitely one of the cutest flower girls ever.

 

 

To honor Juan's heritage, they incorporated the wedding lasso into the ceremony. I found out later that the lasso has been used for years in Hispanic cultures to signify tying the knot. It was a beautiful part of the ceremony. 

 

Just married!

 

 

One of my favorite shots from the day. I loved it as they left church while everyone was blowing bubbles. Look how happy!

 

A few reception details.

 

 

We left the reception for a while to get some gorgeous outdoor pictures. The evening light could not have been more pefect.

 

 

I thought this was another great example of Geri and I working together. I got the shot on the left while she got the one on the right.

 

This was another favorite shot of mine from the day. I love how Heather is holding up her dress, and I love the stone fence and beautiful trees in the background.

 

 
 Thank you Heather and Juan for having me photograph your wedding! What a beautiful day!

The Royal Wedding

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about the royal wedding tomorrow. I remember when I was six years old and my mom awoke me super early that July morning to watch the wedding of Charles and Diana. Since that moment, I've always been interested in the royal family.

I'm so excited to see Kate's dress. I doubt that it will be anything like what Diana wore, but I'm sure she'll be absolutely stunning. The other thing I'm excited about are the photos. I cannot even imagine being the photographer for this wedding. The official photographer is Hugo Burnand, and he's no stranger to the royal family. I read where a few were surprised they didn't choose Mario Testino, since he did their engagement portraits, one of which will appear on the wedding program.

It's now less than 24 hours to the big day! The countdown is on....

Stamps

I told you I'd be talking about other topics related to photography...sort of. I was on the postal service's website last week and came across the wedding stamps. I love them! Since postage stamps are expensive, it's good that they're at least pretty.

 
I thought that was great until I realized they also offer custom postage and have other designs for invitations.

    

 
While those don't use a real picture, it's nice to have some variety. There's also a page that features flowers, which would look great on invitations too.