Beaumont Texas Wedding Photographer - BellaFotografica » nederland engagement session

Rachel and Cody are Getting Married!

Allen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:56:48 +0000

Rachel and Cody will be tying the knot this coming summer and today I get to share a few of my favorite images from their recent engagement session!

If you’ve been reading these pages for a while, you know how much I prefer to photograph couples in their own environment, places that mean something to them as a couple. Getting in line with the hundred other couples in front of the waterfall at the local park just isn’t me – these mean *so* much more when we can take a part of their lives together and entwine them into their photos. So you know I was happy to hear we would be spending most of our time in and around Rachel and Cody’s new home in Nederland! Their first home together as a couple will mean so much to them over the years coming…

The “sign” of a great start!

ahhh… some of my favorite engagement photos, ever Simple, but definitely them and the start of their lives together

We spent time around Nederland itself as well, all within a mile or so of their home:

… before heading back to their home, getting more comfortable, starting a fire and easing into the evening…

The Spring is going to fly by, we’ll be seeing this cute couple again very soon!

Meagan and Ryder are Getting Married!

Allen — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:09:40 +0000

Combine perfect weather, perfect light, and a little Captain America and you get a few more of our favorite engagement photos from our time with Meagan and Ryder:

It really was difficult to get them to let go of each other once in a while (which really is perfect for engagement photos ).

The above is one of my favorites from the whole day, from the color and foreground framing to the expression and the semi-hidden clutching going on

We had a lot of fun shooting around Beaumont, from there we headed over to Raos Bakery – a place Meagan and Ryder like to hang out in. I *love* when we get to photograph in places that mean something to them as a couple, it just means *so* much more to them in the future when they look back and ‘remember when’ . We began with hot chocolate, two bar stools and a window:

… then moved to the patio area. This one seemed so New Orlean’s-like, lit by the overhead light and framed by window panes

Awwwww! I’m not sure if we’re allowed back at Rao’s, but that was a lot of fun!

Nederland Engagements | Lindsey and Trent

Allen — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:12:27 +0000

Lindsey and Trent are getting married!

And so we kick off our time with BellaFotografica’s wedding couples from 2011 – yes, we’re in the middle of wedding season for 2010 still but most couples book us a year or more in advance and we’re always itching to get started

We began this hot and windy afternoon on Boston Avenue in Nederland – both Trent and Lindsey are from this great town and we felt it important to get some photos in and around their heritage:

Handsome couple! Lindsey is a nursing major at Lamar Port Arthur and Trent is a business major at Lamar Beaumont (careers close to my heart), both with bright futures ahead of them as a family.

Did I mention it was hot?!?

We cooled off a bit by heading over to Never Enough Chocolate (like them on Facebook!) – a chocolate emporium recently opened on Boston Ave. where Trent and Lindsey shared a shake “Lady and the Tramp” style

I had to get one too (did I mention it was hot? – that’s my story and I’m stickin to it). After cooling off a bit, Lindsey and Trent changed clothing and we headed out to where they first met:

They met while working the Pleasure Island Golf Course years ago – it has since suffered the ravages of Hurricane Ike and hasn’t re-opened yet, but we snuck onto the back nine and with the sun setting behind them on the fairway, got some beautiful photos:

They make me look good
From there we headed over by the water and with perfect light from a setting sun and rising moon, we were able to get some of my favorite photos of the day:

Fun evening, I’m looking forward to our time together between now and February

Nederland Engagements | Celina and Matt

Allen — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:20:32 +0000

Whenever I meet with a couple for a wedding consultation, one of my main goals is to get to know them – find out how they met, how he (or she ) proposed, things like that. As we move into discussing planning their engagement sessions I stress how important it is to use locations that mean something to them as a couple, like where they met, where they went on their first date, where they like to hang out. Ten or thirty years from now they can point to the photos in their engagement album (you do plan to get an engagement album, don’t you? ) and say “that’s where your mother and I went on our first date, and that’s where she proposed to me” Something that’s personal and unique to them.

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to put some of that in motion. Celina and Matt went to the Nederland Heritage Festival on their first date. Matt won her various great and grand prizes and introduced Celina to fried Oreo’s – Celina’s current drug of choice. To say she is addicted to them is just a small understatement In discussing today’s trip to the the Heritage Festival, we decided that since we had already photographed her actual engagement session, I could do something a little different and just be a fly on the wall while they re-lived the magic that was Celina and Matt’s first date I tracked them from a distance, walking through the crowds, oblivious to me:

The setting reminded me of an older John Grisham movie where the camera tracked the main characters through the crowds of New Orleans. Here Celina and Matt re-play their water pistol game:

… except this time Matt was gracious enough to let her win

More game time…

Each time, Matt was extra generous, letting Celina win each round. Then it was time, mecca was calling and we had to heed the call. On the way to the fried Oreo stand we passed a behind the scenes look at what really reminded me of the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy in New York City. During the festival you walk down the street sampling from the different vendors many wonderful foods and flavors, from mozzareppa’s to gelatos you’ve never had before. If you get a chance to go to NYC soon, make it during the festival.

And now…

the moment we’ve been waiting for…

Matt is practicing his cake feeding skills:

Celina gives him the thumbs up and the sun sets in the background:

Stay tuned for their upcoming Nederland wedding in June

Stacey and Jeremy – Engaged

Allen — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:27:15 +0000

I just got in from Stacey and Jeremy’s engagement session down in Nederland and Port Neches, Texas. Great couple, they worked at Sandersons back in the day when my wife and I went there on our first date – I am sure they waited on us when we were there…

Anyways, enough about me! Here’s a sneak peek taken at Sandersons… more to come

I’m really looking forward to your wedding day, have a great week!

Gwen and Don’s Engagement

Allen — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 03:52:20 +0000

Gwen and Don were so awesome to work with – a great couple from Nederland, TX getting married this July! Gwen had a quick bright smile and Don was just laid back and fun to be around.

We photographed their engagement all over Beaumont, looking for new places we hadn’t been before.

See what I mean? Both had great smiles that just lit up the scene. At one point Don brought out his guitar and serenaded Gwen in the park. He plays very well:

Here Gwen is professing her true love to Don; I love how the sun is peaking through the trees:

“I can’t help, lovin’ that man of mine…”

And a final intimate moment:

I’m really looking forward to your bridal session Gwen, it’s gonna be fun!

Johnna and Adam’s Engagement

Allen — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:34:16 +0000

This past weekend marked the beginning of our time with Johnna and Adam – a great couple from Nederland, TX getting married next summer! The sky was a bit overcast, but that only made for a huge softbox and we had fun getting some great relaxed engagement portraits of the lovebirds

We began with a few images around Johnna’s home, then headed to Boston Ave. and surrounding alleyways for the next couple of hours. Adam worked around there for quite a while so we took some photos of his old stomping grounds.

Some of you may remember Adam as the go-to guy at Setzer Hardware, part of Nederland’s heritage for many years.

Here I think Adam is telling secrets, at least Johnna is sticking to that story.

Headed for a bright future…

I had a a great evening with you guys Johnna, lots more to see in your gallery.

Johnna and Adam’s Engagement – Sneak Peek

Allen — Mon, 18 May 2009 03:30:54 +0000

Whew! This is a busy and fun time of year!

This evening I met with Johnna and her beau Adam for their engagement session – great people, I’m *really* looking forward to their wedding next June and the fun and relaxed sessions we’ll have between now and then We shot their images in and around their home, downtown Nederland and the beautiful prayer garden at their church.

Lots more to come, I wanted to post a quick one from Johnna’s backyard…

… did I mention they were a cute couple?

More coming soon!

Jeanne and David’s Engagement

Allen — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:34:50 +0000

In a few months we’ll be working with Jeane and David on their May wedding day. It’s going to be a beautiful outdoor ceremony at the Brown Center in Orange filled with their own twists on tradition. I’m not going to tell you where they’re going on their honeymoon, they’ll have to do that, but suffice it to say I’m jealous.

This past week I met Jeanne and Dave in the coffee shop where they went on their first date:

After sipping hot mochas for a while we moved on to downtown Nederland…

Then from there to Port Neches Park, where David proposed to Jeanne this past summer:

They were so comfortable together, we had a great time

Again, in the 2 hours we were together, there were wayyy too many great engagement photos to post in one post, here’s a few more, the rest will be in the clients’ area shortly.