The wedding planning and decor, handled expertly by Michelle Randall from Meshell’s Wedding Bells, came off perfectly for this fun fun couple (the wedding rings are shot on the handle of the handy margarita machine)

All too soon Amy is lined up and ready to see her man:

We begin with a chorus line from the bridesmaids with the groomsmen providing the doo-wops:

Spats on the guys’ shoes are soooo debonair:

With this ring, I thee wed:

Yay!

Now it was time for toasts, dancing and bubbles!

Yay!! Again!

A few more of my favorites below, thank you for the great day!

You may remember Amy and Jim (and their horse Slade) from their engagement session in Port Arthur and her gorgeous bridal portraits in Galveston – quite the handsome couple and finally married . We began the day getting ready at the Elegante:

Grace Mathis working her magic:

I think there was a “short sexy hair” and “big sexy hair” tussle going on to see who was the sexiest…

Meanwhile, Marius has met up with Jimmy and getting the guys’ day underway. Here Slade comes to welcome the new visitor in:

Putty, do not ingest.

I’m not sure Slade understands the Man’s Best Friend title is only temporary…

Lots and lots of pretty red wedding shoes

The girls, almost through with their makeup and hair, begin sharing memories and toasts:

All too soon the blur of the day picks up the pace – Amy slips into her dress and garter and it’s time!

One spin in the dress and we’re off to the ceremony!

More coming soon!

Actually… despite the whirlwind of activity surrounding their home, I love this moment of Bonnie sitting quietly, Grace Mathis working her magic and the flowergirl wanting to be in the middle of it all:

Bonnie’s ace hairstylist and friend from Austin continued the magic-working as she neared the starting line for an amazing day

St Jude’s is ready! Beautiful day for a wedding!

… and so is Oscar – seen here getting his GQ on under the watchful eyes of Marius:

The florals, provided by Bevil’s Florist are gorgeous!

The bride has arrived! Everyone is lining up! The string quartet and trumpet are playing!

It’s time!

I love it when our couples embrace their traditions as well as try new things on their wedding day.

Dueling details… I think the bridesmaids won

Yes!

Handsome couple!

Stay tuned as we make our way to the beautiful tented wedding reception planned by the Schwartz/ Woodward Team, Houston’s finest wedding planners!

I am working away on some beautiful wedding albums during my break, I’ll post a few of them as they come in. Meanwhile, I just want to say that we are no longer taking new inquiries for 2011 weddings, we’re full! If we’ve already begun discussions, you’re under the wire, and if your wedding is in 2012, I’d love to hear from you soon, we’ve begun meeting with brides recently for 2012 and it should be a great year!

I would like to post the pages from an album Tamara ordered for Whimsical Creations by Tamara. She’ll be displaying it at the upcoming Southeast Texas Wedding Preview – if your wedding is coming up soon and you are looking for some “Wow!” factor, check out her work, it’s just that awesome:

If you’re one of BellaFotografica’s wedding couples, please get in touch with Tamara soon, as you can see from the above images, she makes our work look even better

It was fun, but HOT! LOTS of beautiful weddings tho, for sure.. stay tuned for their albums as I post’em

Did you know the Southeast Texas Wedding Preview will be here in just a few weeks? I have 2 free passes available to the first bride to comment in the space below this post

Unfortunately I won’t be attending myself, I’ll be in New York City attending a weeklong photography seminar with several world-renowned photographers, truly some of the best in the world at what they do. I’m looking forward to learning a lot, eating too much in Little Italy, walking more than I need to, and continuing my “at night” series. One lucky Beaumont bride will be bringing along her bridesmaids for a once-in-a-lifetime bridal session in and around the best places in Manhattan, be looking for her photos in October.

Before we say goodbye to Summer 2010, here’s a few photos of the kids enjoying the Splash Park in Port Neches Labor day weekend:

Time to put the swimsuits away and look forward to pumpkin and turkey

Up next are Erin and Mike’s engagement session here in Beaumont and Ashleigh and Tyne’s wedding in Port Arthur!

Erin and Mike’s wedding at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica is coming up in November and we got together this past week to get some nice portraits of them. They met many moons ago as Freshmen in Kelly High School, love bloomed their Junior years and here we are, planning a beautiful Fall wedding

Don’t they make a cute couple?

We spent a little time around downtown Beaumont, dodging rain, then headed over to the river where the weather turned beautiful.

From there we headed over to their alma mater – me taking photos of them in their old habitat, them telling me the stories of “we used to eat lunch there”, “we used to do this there” and “we used to do that over there”. It was cool, I had never been on Kelly’s campus, and it was fun to see the look in their eyes as they walked around.

By the end of our time together, Erin and Mike we cheering on their Bulldogs to another state championship!

Good times! That was a fun evening

Many more are in their gallery, thank you for taking the time to visit, feel free to leave a comment if you enjoyed them as much as I did

I love spiral staircases

We did slip outside toward the end for a few pretty images:

A sneak peek from the wedding coming up!

We love to photograph a couple’s engagement photos in locations that mean something to them as a couple, whether it’s where they met, where they like to hang out or where the proposal took place. We went back and forth between the LSU campus, the family ranch near Port Arthur and a few other places… After searching high and low for the proper place to document their happily engaged days we settled on the Kemah Boardwalk, the place of many a hot date

With the heat index easily over 100, we spent a lot of time in the shade, peeking our heads out occasionally for some nice “walking the boardwalk” photos

Finally, we took a break and cooled off a bit in the Aquarium Restaurant, sipping beverages while Sam and Blake made small talk with the bartender and googly eyes at each other

Our heels cooled, we headed outdoors in time to watch a few of the sailboats glide in to harbor for the day, well at least I did…

With the sun setting, temps dropped nearly into the 90′s and we rode a few rides like the ferris wheel and carousel for the breeze

20 minutes in the cool zone and we were new people The day was hot, but we really had a lot of fun Stay tuned for Sam’s bridal photos and their wedding coming up quickly!

– Allen | Contact Me!

We began earlier at the hair salon – Mona is checking out her guest sign-in book while getting prettier for the upcoming festivities:





From there it was on to Brentwood… amazing things happen when she puts on her red high heels.





Standing radiant for a few portraits, Mona is ready





A few moments later, Mona and Michael see each other for the first time that day. Escorted up the stairs by her son, I love the reaction by both Michael and Mona as they see each other. You can’t really tell here, but her steps speed up as she draws closer














Seeing each other before the ceremony (a “first look” or “first glimpse”) allowed them to have some private time together before the blur of the wedding ceremony and reception begin. A lot of the nerves of the day are eased, some great portraits are possible since they’re both fresh and it helps to make the ceremony more memorable as well. It’s pretty popular on both coasts, Canada and Europe, not as much here.

Mona’s beautiful bouquet; she was all about the red, even inviting all ladies attending to wear a red dress





The ceremony has begun! Mona and her brother walking up the aisle, the place was packed – not much room to walk (for any of us ).





Mona looks on as her brother gives her away:





This is the reaction you’ll get when you call the groom “James”, check out Michael’s eyebrow:






Michael places the ring on Mona’s finger:





Annddd… It’s all over but the kissing:





The floor is cleared as Mona and Michael begin their first dance:





A few of the many details planned for the day:





You can’t see them from here, but on the cake tables Mona and Michael have this same portrait from each of their parent’s wedding day:





Hours of dancing at the reception and enjoying everyone’s company later, the red high heels return:





A few more are below, thank you Mona and Michael for allowing me to be a part of your day

There are a few of our beautiful brides that we are still finalizing arrangements for weddings this year and we may take one more if your wedding is in July, but for now we’re looking forward to 2011. In order to deliver our best customer service, for 2011 we’re only accepting one wedding per month, and as of this week February is taken. If you like what you see here and want only the best, please use the above link to contact us soon.

What’s a photographer’s blog post without something gorgeous to look at! Here’s a sneak peek at a recent “Day After” session we did with Stacey and Jeremy in Galveston, more coming soon!

Note: If you are viewing this on our Facebook page, the images are much nicer on the actual blog post. Our second-photographer this weekend is the excellent Marius.

The day began early at Glamour Hair Salon, where Kyra and all her bridesmaids, sisters and mother were spending a few hours of girl time getting pretty for the day’s festivities. The “pink-polka dotted gang” were festooned in matching custom made house shoes, monogrammed robes, jammies and bags – you knew who was in the gang tho more by their laughter:








Tools of the trade:





A little mother-daughter time in the makeup chairs:





When the makeup brushes were set down and hairspray cleared the air, we had a plethora of divas





By then we were starving, so the ladies strolled across the parkinglot to Madison’s for a quick “eat to bite”:





mmmm… chipolte burgers…





A little eating and a lot of giggling later, it was to the limousine to finish getting ready:





Whew! It’s been a great morning/afternoon!

Meanwhile, back at the church… Ian is beginning to wonder… “If I leave now, will I have time to get a chipotle burger and get back in time?”

Kyra dresses quickly and is here thinking about the rest of the day ahead:





Ian skips the burger and hangs with his men:





Kyra assists the others getting ready:





Dad is dealing with the stress the best way he knows how:






The ladies are finally ready, a few quick portraits and it’s off to the church!








Father of the bride and daughter in Rolls, headed to church:





Last minute bridesmaids’ dresses adjustments:





Kyra stepping out of the car, ready for the moment to arrive:





A few more below from the getting ready portion of the day, the wedding ceremony and reception is coming!

Just a note that I am completely booked through June and have a few spots left over for July-December of this year. Contact me with your wedding date and we’ll match our calendars

The good news for today is that we have a winner in our Wedding Photo of the Year! Make that winner(s) After hundreds of votes here and on my 2 Facebook pages, Devin and April’s images ended in a virtual tie:

11. April and Michael being showered with rose petals after they leave their wedding ceremony:



12. Here you get a sneak peek at the beautiful bride in Devin and Michael’s wedding and reception at the Holiday Inn Plaza:



They will both be receiving either a 16×20 mounted print or two 12×18 mounted prints of their choice – congratulations to the winners!

Stacey and Jeremy’s image of their outdoor wedding garnered second place and a 12×18 mounted print of their choice:
6. Stacey’s wedding could have used an ark:



Kyra and Ian’s wedding will be posted in the next few days and Ashley’s wedding will be here very soon, I can’t wait!

A historic plantation style home, soon to be a bed-and-breakfast, the Beau Rêve was the perfect setting for Devin’s bridal portraits:





We loved the majestic feel of the home, very “Gone With the Wind”… and Devin’s dress and netted veil were just perfect for her and the setting





This is the one she chose for her bridal portrait, one we photographed while she was resting from the heat outside:





Relaxed portraits are the best! I love the vintage feel of this “in the moment” portrait as Devin is about to step out onto one of the upstairs balconies:





As we finished up upstairs, we moved outdoors again to the grounds – some under the gazebo and some in front of the home:








A few more we loved are below. Her beautiful wedding photos are coming soon!

We began the day early with Jena and her girls at Onstage Hair Salon in Beaumont – wahoo! Lots of great natural window light for pretty pictures





Yes, she is living in Boston now, but that’s some big Texas hair if I’ve ever seen it! A few more of the pretty bridesmaids and mothers of the bride and groom:





Hair and makeup done, we move on to the church to continue preparations. Brandan and his groomsmen are ready:





A few details:





Rings!





… and Brandan hits a striking pose for posterity:





Jena getting dressed with a little help from her friends:





Jena and her dad are just about to walk down the aisle:





Do you think Brandan got the feeling people were watching him?





I *told* you it was a beautiful ceremony!





Woot!





Afterwards, we snuck outside for some romantic portraits. It was hot but the sun provided a gorgeous backdrop for the newly married couple:





On to the reception at the Elegante! Here Jena gets a hug from her dad following their father/ daughter dance:





Cutting some very tasty cake





Then the party started! Dancing by everyone young and old is one of the best parts of the wedding reception – it’s just fun to see everyone getting in to the celebration. Here a conga line breaks out and eventually pulls everyone into it:





When the party finally died down, Jena and Brandan had one last dance together, thanked family and friends, and escaped through an avalanche of bio-degradable confetti – good thing these were their friends and family!:





Awww! One last portrait of the newlyweds before they leave on their honeymoon in their limo:





Great day with a great, fun couple. There were just too many awesome moments to post them all above, here are some more of my favorites from the day:

Here one of Hailee’s bridal portraits provides a beautiful backdrop for a rose bouquet:





I think Hailee is a bit excited to get this show on the road… she throws a glance at a waiting David as her dad walks her down the aisle:








The moment of truth:





I love the smiles on the faces of those surrounding them

As they head off to a honeymoon in New York City/cruise to Bermuda (did I mention I am jealous?) we wish them the best that life offers; as one of my uncles used to say: “May all your troubles be little ones”.

We begin with a peek at the wedding bands and the bouquet Mandi would be carrying down the aisle:





Mandi’s bridesmaids lend a helping hand getting everything just right:





Another view of the beautiful detail in her wedding dress.





Meanwhile Bill helps with getting things straight over on the men’s side, no nerves on display here:





Mandi stepped over into some gorgeous window light for a few moments:





… and Bill contemplates the step he’s about to take – “forever” can’t get here fast enough





As the ceremony begins, Mandi steals a quick glance at her husband-to-be:





… and the emotions begin to spill over as Bill recites his vows. Mandi’s expressions were real and she is a gorgeous person inside and out. Bill embraced the moment and showered his new bride with affection, vows of eternal love, and devotion.





Afterwards, they take a moment in the back to reflect on the occasion:





Then they were off to a life of happily ever after













Cake!





At the reception, Bill and Mandi danced and sang to each other like no-one else was there… great end to a perfect day.





There were so many great images, no way I can put them all in here – stay tuned a few more days as I add them to the wedding gallery. Marius second-shot with me that day, great work.

Everything about the wedding was topnotch – the couple was laid back and gorgeous and the bridal party was just so much fun to be around. Everything came together beautifully:

The wedding ceremony is about to begin:








The dad is walking the bride down the aisle, here she gets her first good eye contact with the groom.

Communion being served. There’s so much reverence and meaning in this part of the ceremony:

A stolen glance as the ceremony is about to conclude:

Excited bridesmaids looking on to Dominique and Christian:

I now pronounce you husband and wife:

Good luck Dominique and Christian, and thank you for letting me be a part of your special day.