Yesterday, I was super psyched to get my sample album!

I think albums are an excellent way to remember your wedding day, in a format that tells the story of the day, and that you can easily share with family and friends.

Just from personal experience, we tried to share our wedding photos from the disc we had (since we didn’t have our album yet) and it wasn’t the most simple experience. We had to insert the disc, navigate to the photos, and since it was ALL the photos, there were several of the same thing…. And I’m pretty sure that our guests got bored seeing 15 photos of my wedding dress. Just sayin’.

An album makes a statement. It makes an impact. And it makes it EASY to share with your friends and family. If we had our album in hand that day, we could have just passed it around and it would have been an easy thing. I think that when you are looking into wedding photography, you should definitely consider an album. Because if (God forbid) your house catches fire or floods, what are you more likely to grab? Your wedding album or disc? Just some food for thought.

You can get your names imprinted on the side.

You can also get a metal cameo on the front. It’s a photo printed on a thin sheet of metal. Totally awesome.

I love the spreads and that they are panoramic, which means there’s no center gutter. If it were split, you’d see black in the center margin.

I love the thickness of the pages of a flushmount album. All the pages are printed on photographic paper which means your memories will not fade.

A little closeup of the metal cameo.

And the pages layflat. So when you open the album, there’s no bowing or creasing or anything funky like that.

If you have any questions about albums, leave them in the comments section below!

Happy Friday!

I usually listen to the Top 40 Station when I’m in the car, but sadly, the stations play what seems like the same 12 songs. Over. And over. And OVER. And then I end up hating the song. Why radio stations, WHY?!

But NPR is awesome. While some of their shows are totally over my head, I really enjoy the program called “A Way with Words.” And it got me to thinking. What are some of my favorite words?

Yeah, I have totally random thoughts in the car. Especially in traffic.

So I’m a girl from the San Francisco Bay Area in California, and one of the signature slang words is “Hella” meaning a lot of, or really, or super. For example, “Liz’s wedding shoes were hella awesome and sparkly.” And it is particular to Northern California. Even confirmed on Wikipedia. Other forms of the word are “hecka” which I used when I was younger so as not to get in trouble for saying “hell”. I don’t find myself saying it too much now in Texas, because I’m guessing I might get stared at.

I really like the phrase “Hot Mess”. I use it all the time. I don’t even really know where this phrase originates, but I feel like it’s an all encompassing term for things that are just a disaster. For example, “After I shoot a session in the summertime, I look like a total hot mess.” And I’ll save you from seeing me looking a hot mess.

Dude. I say “dude” a lot. I remember once when I called my mom dude. She looked at me and said, “I am not a dude.” It was funny at the time. And if you know my mom, she now says “dude” a lot too.

I also enjoy the cross-pollination of words. Such as “ginormous” which is a combination of “giant” and “enormous”. For example, “I have this ginormous purse and can never find anything in it. It’s a bottomless pit.” Another favorite is “fantabulous” a combo of “fantastic” and “fabulous.” My sister says I say and write fabulous far too much. And while looking up the origin of these words, I discovered there’s a fancy term for them: portemanteaus.

From the radio program, I learned that another phrase for “white noise” is “acoustic perfume”. And I learned the word “fomite”. Thanks to the wonderful thing called the Interwebs, you can listen to the episode here.

NPR is awesome. And educational. I feel way smarter after listening.

And if I were in the car more often at the right time on Saturdays, I’d tune into This American Life, hosted by the amazing Ira Glass. Luckily episodes are available on iTunes, which I subscribe to the weekly podcast. Episodes are great for plane rides, long car trips, and if I had an iPod jack in my car, I’d listen while I drive. For sure. Oh and I just discovered they have an iPhone app. AWESOME!

What are some of your favorite words or phrases?

What I loved about Liz and Ryan’s wedding day was that they made it so personal, and reflected both of their families, their heritage, and celebrated their future together. Ryan’s family is Irish, and details were accented with the Claddagh ring. To represent Liz’s Chinese side of the family, favors were little steamers with candy.

So happy. So in love.

The father-daughter and mother-son dances are always a touching moment filled with heartfelt emotion. Love these next few.

The mother-son dance song was “Momma” from Boyz II Men, which was the same song Cent chose for the dance with his mom at our wedding. The song just brought back all kinds of warm, fuzzy memories.

Mr. Klotz gives amazing toasts. This bring my second wedding with the Klotz family, Mr. Klotz gave a heartfelt speech and even shared a note that Ryan wrote to Mrs. Klotz. Melt my heart. For real.

Ryan’s dad quite the character. He shared a couple of Irish traditions including this bell with the Claddagh ring, which is to be rung whenever the couple gets in a disagreement, and is to remind the couple of their wedding vows. Love that!

And this, as Mr. Gardiner asked the guests to complete his sentence, “The couple was so poor that they didn’t have a pot to  _________.” So Liz and Ryan were given said pot.

Before the bouquet toss, Liz changed into a red Chinese dress. Gorgeous!

Can I just say that the babies at this wedding were beyond adorable?!

Half way through the reception, Ryan and his brothers and sister changed into Irish kilts. And had a blast!

One last one for the night. Thanks again to my rockin’ second shooter Rosaura Sandoval for helping me get this shot.

To see the entire day unfold, click here for Liz and Ryan’s Wedding Day Slideshow.

Today, I came home in a funk. The kind where everything feels like its gone awry and is in a downward spiral. Way dramatic.

I went into the bedroom and just lay on the bed. Deep in thought. Deep in my funk.

Cent came into check on me and in his way, consoled me. He tried his best to pull me, lull me, cajole me if you will, out of my funk. Out of my bad mood. Out from under of my own dark clouds.

Reluctantly, I got up. And while still in my bad mood, I asked if he would make dinner.

Honestly, I have the best husband ever. Not just because he made me dinner. But because he cares for me, and takes care of me, even when I’m not the most fun to be around.

Although I may not always show my appreciation 100%, I love him 220% x infinity + 1. (I don’t do math, so please don’t judge this equation). He’s so thoughtful and patient. In my sea of irrationality, he brings logic and calm. In my bouts of feeling low, he raises me up. And even though he didn’t eat anything, he still made me dinner. That’s love.

Because as he says, he’s “an avid reader of my blog”, this is for him. Cent, thank you for loving me and taking care of me, even when I make it terribly difficult. I love you! A lot. A lot.

And because posts are always better with photos, here’s one from the topper on our Groom’s Cake.

How does your spouse, fiance, or significant other show you love?

So as most of my wacky plans start, it was just an idea. An idea that had been brewing for a while. I just wasn’t sure how to execute it.

I love France. If there’s one thing that you should know about me, it’s that I love France, deeply. When I was about four years old, my dad’s job was transferred to France, to a little town about 6 hours south of Paris by car, called St. Just-St. Rambert. It was the eighties and big opportunities like this still came around. So we moved out there. My parents, me, and my mom’s cat Ziggy. I attended French pre-school, and learned to speak in French in a very organic way (almost like a real French kid…almost). I learned to read and write in French before English. My sister was born there, and technically, she could try and apply for citizenship, but there are a lot of hoops. You know, to jump through. And even though, I only have vague memories of my time there as a small child, it will always hold a special place in my memories and my heart.

Then in college, I studied abroad there. It seemed like a natural thing since I knew how to speak French and there was a program in Lyon, the big city closest to the little town we lived in. So I did. And it was an amazing experience. If you ever have the chance to travel abroad, or live there for an extended period of time, I highly recommend it. In a nutshell, France is super special to me.

I had heard about this new online wedding magazine called Nonpareil that was in its second or third issue and I decided to contact them about submitting a photo shoot. And I learned that they did things a little differently from the typical magazine. They came up with the themes for the future issues of the magazine and then put out a call for contributors (wedding pros – planners, photographers, stationers, etc.) to submit ideas for the upcoming issues.

So for this issue, the editors called for working within main color and pairing it only with neutrals – black, white, or browns/tans. And it brought me back to this idea of creating a French inspired shoot of some sort. Plus, the name of the magazine means “none like it”, it was a perfect fit. So I thought of lavender, and the lavender fields of Provence in the south of France. And I knew I had a good idea brewing. But it needed a twist. I didn’t want it to be cliché, so I thought about pairing it with the South. Southern treats, because shoot, we all know how much I love dessert. And the concept was born: The South of France Meets the South.

This has been under wraps since July, but since the magazine published the latest issue earlier this week, I’m excited to share!

The ever-amazing Erin of Red Sole Events styled all the floral arrangements. I just gave her some guidance as to what I was looking for and she rocked it out.

To add some French flair while keeping some Southern whimsy, I made a bunting banner and wrote “happy marriage” in French.

My favorite calligrapher in Dallas, Nicole of the Left Handed Calligrapher created all the gorgeous stationery and did all the calligraphy of course. I sent her my original inspiration board that I submitted to Nonpareil. She took it and ran with it.

Part of the contribution requirements for Nonpareil is providing Do-It-Yourself projects as well as professional printables. Nicole graciously shared the menu card and place cards, which you can download from Nonpareil here. I also styled these favor boxes which is totally easy. A box from Michaels, ribbon, and twine. And voila, pretty box!

Nicole is so awesome. At the last minute, I asked her if she could do chair signs, but instead of “Bride” and “Groom”, have them say “Monsieur” and “Madame” and play on the French theme. She totally didn’t have to, but she did. Thank you Nicole!!

Reasons you should hire Erin for your wedding floral design? She designed this gorgeous arrangement. In. A. Birdcage. I loved it!! I trust her 110% to do a fabulous job. Because she has. And she does.

All of the Southern treats were made my Enjolik of Low Country Quisine. I love her desserts, although she really does specialize in the main entrees, the savory stuff, if you will. But when I knew that I would be needing Southern goodies, I thought of her immediately. Because she makes THE BEST Red Velvet cake in Dallas. For. Real. And hopefully you know I have an unhealthy obsession with that cake.

And her mini caramel cheesecakes. Delicious! And less guilt-inducing. You know, because they are mini. Of course, that probably doesn’t matter if you eat four…just sayin’.

She also brought her Key Lime Cake, which is also quite yummy. I’m not a huge lime person, but I do enjoy this cake. A lot.

So to tie in the French flair again, I made another bunting banner that reads “Congratulations” in French.

Oh and the cupcakes, those are Enjolik’s Strawberry Lemonade cupcakes. SO YUMMY. I can attest to all of the treats, because as soon as the shoot was over, we all dug in. Me, especially.

Seriously, I can’t get over the beauty of Nicole‘s work. It’s just impeccable. Always.

And I don’t know if you noticed, but we had three looks for our table, thanks to Erin. She brought her ideas, and executed LIKE A BOSS.

And I can’t forget to thank my sister for her contribution to this shoot. So on a whim, I decided that we needed some French macarons for the shoot. The weekend before the shoot, I went back to California for some portrait sessions, and I asked my sister if we could make these. She’s waaaay better in the kitchen than I, and wasn’t afraid to tackle making these. Once we were done, I carefully transported them back to Dallas from California. So thanks Steph!

Thanks to Jessica Goldfarb and Lucy Williams of The Gallery Events for additional styling assistance and creating additional inspirations boards for each part of the shoot.

Thanks to Chris Ryan of The Ryan Manor for letting us borrow his outdoor space to shoot in a pinch. I got 36 mosquito bites (my fault for shooting around dusk) but it was well worth it.

Thanks to Big D Party Rentals for saving the shoot! Apparently, you should order specialty linens well in advance (and I wanted lavender and purples!), but Pete and Jamie hooked me up and tracked down the right pieces. And they were able to wedge 4 Chivari chairs into my little Volvo. I understand why planners drive SUVs!

Catering: Enjolik Oree-Bailey, Low Country Quisine

Calligraphy: Nicole Black, The Left Handed Calligrapher

Floral and Table Styling: Erin Daniels Holme, Red Sole Events

There, I said it.

And client meetings, are kind of like interviews. Except, I’m not just getting interviewed, I’m also interviewing my potential client.

I mean, I thought I left the corporate world to be able to avoid interviews at all costs. You know the questions.

“What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? How do you overcome obstacles? Why do you want this position?”

And while the questions during a client meeting are on a different spectrum than a serious, three-piece suit conversation, it still has its own flavor of nerve-racking. Seriously.

So I try to approach my client meetings differently. Make it less interview-y. You know, because the thought of an “INTERVIEW” causes palpitations and my skin threatens to break out in hives. And NO ONE wants that.

To me, client meetings are simply conversations. In fact, I’d even just call it a get together, let’s drop the pretense of unnecessary formality. Because you know what? I’m not that fancy. Trust me. If I could rock yoga pants as my regular attire, I totally would. And eat Chipotle. More than once a week.

I hope that by the time I meet with a client, they’ve had the chance to check out my website and read my blog. I hope that they’ve had the opportunity to learn that I have an unhealthy obsession with red velvet cake, chandelier earrings, and my husband whose name is Centurion. Yes, that’s his real, legit name. I hope that they might have seen that I’m a California native, a Texas transplant, and a wannabe world traveler. I hope that they want to meet me. Yes, I hope they think I take pretty pictures too, but I really would like it if they were looking to connect with me. The cupcake-obsessed, running-challenged, turquoise-blue loving, ME.

I want a get together with my client to be an easy conversation between friends. I want it to be fun. I want to share stories, laughter, details about the wedding, and all the things that you wouldn’t associate with an interview. A scary job interview. Because you know what? Job interviews scare me.

Like the photo may suggest, client meetings should me much like a piece of cake. Simple, fun, and different.

Happy Thursday!

While I’ve never seen “Mommie Dearest” in its entirety, there’s a famous quote where Joan Crawford flips out and yells “No wire hangers!!!” and proceeds to take out some serious aggression with said wire hanger.

Well, this is totally different.

If there’s one little piece of advice that I could give to brides, bridesmaids, or mothers of the bride, it would be to remember to bring a pretty hanger.

“What? A hanger? What’s the big deal?”

A hanger can make all the difference for photos of your dress. I’ve seen many brides who overlook this detail and only have a cheap plastic hanger (like the kind from department stores) or the dry cleaner-grade wire hanger (you know, with the paper) that came with their dress.

I was exploring Etsy (fabulous resource by the way!) and found a couple of cute (and yes, wire) options.

Photos from LilaFrances

Photo from FutureMrsRedford

And if you’re not into the wire hanger look, there are also wood hangers and padded ones.

Photo from KimGrantInk

Photo from ThePrettyPearl

I know that since this is a minor detail, it may not be a priority. But while you have some down time from wedding planning, check out Etsy, and you might just find the perfect hanger for your wedding day.

Happy Wednesday!

Paintballing. Emails. Heart surgery. Chance.

If I only had four words to sum up Liz and Ryan’s love story, those would be it.

Liz and Ryan met paintballing with friends. And that’s how it started out, as friends. Then Ryan was deployed to Iraq, and thanks to email, the two were able to exchange friendly notes. But that was it, really. They were just friends.

However, an unforeseen medical emergency brought them together. Ryan was airlifted to a hospital in Washington, D.C. for heart surgery, and in a bold move, Liz had asked Ryan if he wanted her to come visit him while he recovered. Thinking that he’d brush it off, she didn’t think much of her gesture. But Ryan said yes. Next thing she knew, Liz was DC-bound from New York City (where she was working and attending law school), to be by Ryan’s side. And as Liz recounted, they’ve been together ever since.

Liz and Ryan’s wedding is extra special to me because Liz was one of my bridesmaids and has always been like a big sister to me since we met in college.

Liz and Ryan – Thank you for having me as a part of your big day. Being able to document your wedding was such an honor. Liz, I’m so glad that you found Ryan. I still remember the time that you told me that you had met someone. And although I didn’t get to meet Ryan until your wedding day, I can see already that you’ve found your match. May you have a beautiful marriage. Hugs and Love, Catie.

This is Part 1 of Liz and Ryan’s fun wedding. We started off the day at the Hilton Garden Inn in Cupertino.

Her shoes? So fun!

And Liz’s Maggie Sottero dress? I LOVED it! I believe it’s the Fiori from this season.

Liz and Ryan opted for a First Look, which I loved! Not only did they get to see each other and get to spend some quality time with each other before the ceremony, it also allowed for a smooth flow for the rest of the wedding day. Photos didn’t have to be rushed, and then before the reception, they were able to hang out with the bridal party.

Want to know why I work with a second shooter? To catch both of their reactions. Thanks to my second shooter Rosaura Sandoval for shooting with me.

Also, Rosaura held traffic so that we could get this shot. In the middle of the street. Thankfully, Liz and Ryan didn’t think I was crazy when I proposed the idea.

Liz, you are fierce. You can recite sports stats, litigate (yes, Liz is a lawyer!), and look absolutely stunning.

To transport the wedding party and immediate family, they rented a trolley. Love it!

And their rings? Gorgeous. Ryan’s family is Irish, and his ring reflects his strong heritage. And Liz is not much of a diamond kind of girl, so she opted for a pretty emerald engagement ring.

Ryan’s cousin flew out from New Jersey to play trumpet for their ceremony. Thanks to Rosie for capturing these!

And this blog post wouldn’t be complete without a photo of Liz’s niece, Kira. The very first wedding I shot was Kira’s mom and dad (he’s the fellow in the background).

Stay tuned for part 2!

Maybe it was because I wasn’t allowed wear them at school.

Or because went to college in San Diego.

Or because I don’t like wearing “real” shoes.

Whatever the catalyst may be, I love flip flops.

My earliest memory of wearing flip flops was when I was three years old. I think my mom still worked the night shift back then (she’s a maternity nurse) and my dad took me to see The Great Mouse Detective. I could be wrong, but I think there’s a photo of me wearing a tank top, shorts, sunglasses, and the classic rainbow strap flip flops from the 80′s. (Anyone remember those?) And while I barely remember all the details, I think I remember more because my mom recounts the story that “she couldn’t believe my dad let me out of the house like that”, I have some vague recollections of those flip flops.

One time in high school I dared to wear flip flops to school. I went to a Catholic high school with a pretty stringent dress code, and shoes could not be backless. Flip flops out. Well, this one time, I decided that I would risk it. I made sure that my jeans or pants covered my heels, and dodged the Assistant Principals if I saw them in the hallways. I only tried that a few times. It was too exhausting to avoid getting detention.

And then I got to college. In San Diego. Also known as the capital of flip flops, to me anyway. Anywhere I looked on campus, there was at least one person sporting the shoe. I quickly learned the most comfortable and stylish brands, and my favorites to this day are Reefs and Rainbows. I developed a flip flop tan on my feet, as they were the one body part that saw the sun most frequently, traipsing around campus. And of course, if I was headed to the beach, flip flops are the way to go.

Now, I wear them all the time, except when it’s cold. While I love flip flops, I don’t love the toe sock look. That’s just me. And especially now, in the height of summer, and super hot weather, it’s just unpleasant to wear socks.

These are my Rainbows, and I think they must be about 4 years old now. And basically, they last forever. Well, until you literally wear them out.

Do you love flip flops? What brand is your favorite?

Happy Thursday!

Sometimes, I just need to photograph for myself. To get creative on my own time. To explore new ideas sans the pressure of a wedding day. Practicing what can work for engagement sessions, Beloved sessions, and the wedding day. And having fun, of course!

This past weekend while I was in California for Liz and Ryan’s wedding, I got together with a friend who’s majorly into style and collaborated. I love collaboration of this sort. It was me, her, and a friend who used to model. Perfect! Paired with a nice day in San Francisco with warm, buttery light, and it was a fun, casual, and super stylish portrait session.

Meet Kate.

We used to work together at the same company. While I toiled on Statistics books, she at least got something a little more interesting with Health and Nutrition books. Relatively speaking, of course. She now works elsewhere and writes a style-filled blog called Undeniable Style. Oh and she’s a quilter, too. She’s made some of the most amazing quilts that make the domestic section of my heart aflutter.

So this is just a teaser while I catch up on editing from this weekend’s wedding and Kate’s shoot.

Kate told me she wasn’t a model.

I told her my clients aren’t models either.

With a little help from her friend, Dara, I think we brought the model out in Kate. What do you think?

Happy Tuesday!

Much more of this shoot and Liz and Ryan’s wedding coming up!