I do Day After sessions all the time, but I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve done one BEFORE the wedding! Paige and Uy wanted to have a large canvas of themselves in their wedding attire to display at their reception, so we met at the Japanese Gardens in Fort Worth to get a few quick shots of them together. The Japanese Garden is one of my favorite places to shoot, everywhere you turn there’s a new and even more beautiful spot. Here are some of my favorites:
If there’s any family I’m obsessed with, it has to be the Boatwright family. You may remember Zach Boatwright from his wedding and Day After session in Paris and Venice, and Autumn Boatwright from her engagements and bridals (her wedding will be featured on Style Me Pretty soon!). Even some of the Boatwright cousins and in-laws have posed for me for some boudoir sessions, but it was Grant Boatwright who always evaded me. I unfortunately missed out on his awesome medieval-themed wedding a few years ago, but at long last I got him and his gorgeous wife Jashley in front of my camera! Grant is joining the Air Force soon, so before he shipped off to training he and Jashley asked me to take some portraits of them in their wedding gear at one of my favorite spots in the whole world, Turner Falls in Oklahoma. I’ve been visiting Turner Falls since I was a child and I have always wanted to take some portraits there – looks like I killed two birds with one stone!
Jashley and Grant have a wonderfully unique sense of style, and I love that they incorporated some Renaissance attire and props into their shoot, especially since there’s a great abandoned old castle at Turner Falls. Jashley added a corset to her dress, Grant wore medieval gear for part of the session, and they even used a sword that Jashley gave to Grant as a wedding gift. Love it! Thanks so much to Offbeat Bride for featuring this great session. Here are some of my favorites:
40 Comments
- wow...wow..these are incredible for real.
- Holy mother of all things fabulous... this is STUNNING! What a fun, gorgeous shoot! LOVE it!
- Wow...these are amazing.
- wow! Rediculously awesome Stacy! Great work :)
- Stacy, ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. Oh my goodness. They are lovely and you photographed them so perfectly.
- Stacy, these are GORGEOUS.
- These are just wonderful. So much passion and a perfect location for their session. Looks like a fun session to photograph and you did just perfect with it.
- I gasped at the first one with the view from the bluff. so so stunning all of these.
- Wow! Those really are a cut above most weddings. Perfectly perfect.
- LOVE the very first waterfall shot!!! Wow!
- So, so beautiful, Stacy! Love these.
- Wow. These are some of the hottest photos Ive ever seen in my life.
- Wow Stacy!! Each one of these pictures tells story in and out of itself. I was just scrolling and scrolling though the picture and I did not want the post to end :).. Beautiful work!!!
- Dang Stacy ... these images are incredible! I felt like I was watching a movie there for a second.
- HOTT. These are teh win!
- Holy wow!!!! So beautiful. My best friend (Chelsea McGowan) mentioned this shoot to another friend (Meagan Caldwell) and I just had to come check it out. Amazing shots!!! I now have another photography blog to stalk. Amazing, Amazing.
- de vraiment belles photos avec de très belles couleurs. j'ai beaucoup aimé ton style..
- im speechless you impress me more & more!!
- These are extremely gorgeous, Stacy! What an extraordinary couple! You rock!
- Thank you STACY! What an exhilarating and liberating experience it was! Your passion inspires me and everyone around you!
- Wow!!!! This photo shoot is amazing! Great work all around!!!!
- These are so beautiful Stacy! That first one is jaw-to-floor gorgeous!
- These are so cool and different. And the waterfall ones are just sexy!
- Love the hillside pics in b&w!!!
- WOW WOW WOW. Stacey these are... Well I have no words to describe how much I LOVE this!
- Some of your best work this year, Stacy! Your B&W post-processing continues to impress me; really well-done! Cheers, Eugene
- love everything about this session -- from the uniqueness, to the bride's hair, to the pictures in the waterfall, it's all so stunning! Love, love, love it!
- I LOVE your work and absolutely adore this set! Oh to be a fly on the wall during your shoot would be a dream for me! The bride slightly resembles the actress, Jenny Garth, no? Keep on inspiring!!
- wow! probably my favorite session on the blog ever!
- Wow. These are amazing!!!
- Are you frickin serious Stacey!! These are incredible it makes me want to swear :) You are such an inspiration... I love your eye and your willingness to be adventurous and saucey! :)
- You do such beautiful work!
- wow this whole session is absolutely stunning! Amazing!
- Wow! These are amazing. I'm pretty sure I said (outloud) to myself..."That should be a huge installation on a wall" and "I want one like that" at almost every images! Great job!
- Wowsers.. these are stunning.. love the waterfall shots!
- Whoa. Awesome. This takes it to a whole new level, Stacy.
- Stacy these are incredible!! I remember you talking about this session at the last poker night... I'm so amazed that Turner Falls can look this good. Seriously, blown away!! :)
- Oh my goodness gracious, I'm blown away by all of these! Stunning images!
- Stacy - Unbelievable images. WOW! What a fun opportunity!
- [...] happily ever after because I don’t actually know them. Minor detail really. Check out more here. And in the spirit of full disclosure, apparently Offbeat Bride has already featured them – [...]
I try really hard not to play favorites with my clients… I’m extremely, EXTREMELY lucky to have some amazing clients that are kind, friendly, understanding, appreciative, and generally awesome in every way. I’m proud of the fact that I’ve never yet had a bridezilla – knock on wood – and I’m blessed to really enjoy every wedding I shoot. That said… When a couple tells you they want to fly you out to Paris and Venice to do some portrait sessions, and they happen to talk your boyfriend into coming along and proposing while he’s there.. Well, that’s a pretty tough act to beat. Abby and Zach will always have a special place in my heart, and I truly loved getting to know them more during our travels throughout Europe. You can’t ask for two better friends than these guys, something I’m sure their bridesmaids and groomsmen would echo in a heartbeat! I’m also very thankful that they’re both completely gorgeous and photograph so well! Here are some highlights from their Paris and Venice Day After sessions.
We got started at the Tuileries, a garden near the Louvre, and eventually made our way through the Louve courtyard and to the Arc de Triomphe du Carroussel. It was absolutely freezing but Abby was a total trooper in her little strapless dress and high heels!
As the sun set and the temperatures plummeted we hopped on the Metro (followed by more than a few strange looks) and managed to snag a few quick shots at the Eiffel Tower before the snow and wind got the better of us.
We finished the session on a high note and headed back into the warmth of our hotel. After a few days of sightseeing and a very interesting overnight train ride, we rose at the break of dawn to get things started in St. Mark’s Square in Venice.
I love Abby’s accessories in these shots. She had actually picked them up the previous day at Murano, a tiny island off the coast of Venice famous for its glass (which they use to make incredible and very pricey stemware, jewelry, chandeliers, and statues).
We finished the photos off with a really neat tradition. If you ever travel to the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, you’ll see hundreds of padlocks along the river, with initials scribbled onto the sides. As legend goes, if you write your initials and your beloved’s initials onto a lock, attach the lock to a city fixture, then toss the key into the river, you’re destined to be together forever. Abby and Zach loved this romantic idea, so they incorporated it into their wedding by handing out locks to their guests as favors. They also brought along padlocks for every city they were going to visit. As we stopped by a bridge on the Grand Canal, they decided to attach their lock there and toss the key into the famous waterway!
A & Z, Jason and I will always love you guys for giving us such a great opportunity to be your honeymoon paparazzi and for being part of such a special event in our lives. I’m so happy to have you as clients, and we’re both thrilled to call you both friends! Congratulations on your fabulous wedding, we know you guys are a perfect pair!
42 Comments
- I think I've said wow to myself at least three times looking at this post! WOW! I love the European vibe, the perfect posing, the gorgeous couple... all of it is absolutely stunning.
- Impressive! Gotta love that Paris light.
- These photos are awesome!!!!
- Okay, Stacy...seriously..just breathtaking photos! I can't pick out just one favorite! Congrats on a fantastic job!
- The second image of the set is stunning!
- These are AMAZING! The groom looks like the Adam Levine from Maroon 5
- BEAUTIFUL!!! What a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! We love our "models," Abby and Zach!!!
- You are completely right, you are 1 lucky girl! Clients flying you to Paris, then the clients is willing to wear a wedding gown in the middle of winter, then your bf proposes to you in the most romantic place on earth, I think those are all in the list of a photographer's dream! :) Btw, you're photos rock, but you probably know that already.. :)
- Can't think of any girl that wouldn't want pictures in front of the eiffel tower like that. How perfect!
- AHHHH-MAZING!!!!
- [...] Pretty darned romantic. Lots more photos from this fantastic European-day-after-shoot on Stacy’s site {here}!! [...]
- Wonderful work Stacy!
- Stacy, Every image here is just absolutely stunning! What a dream to photograph not only a gorgeous wedding, but also bridals and day afters and everything in places like Venice and Paris, and THEN get proposed to! What a fantastic trip for you. Beautiful work...they must be thrilled with their images.
- GORGEOUS!!
- wow. not only are you SOOO lucky to have clients who'll fly you all over the place for shoots, they are going to have an impossible time picking out images to print huge for their home! So they're lucky too! They're all gorgeous! How do you think of new poses for a wedding, and two days of shooting the same couple?! lol Congrats on your engagement and all the best to the newlyweds!
- Wow is right. Wow. Wow. Wow. These are just unbelievable.
- These are breathtaking!
- Ok, this is just ridiculous and nothing short of epic. So many fantastical images!
- Stacy I have been a blog stalker for quite some time now, but I must tell you that these images are just insane !! Seriously, I am drooling over each and every one !!
- Gorgeous!! And I love Abby's purple hair flower. How fun to shoot in Paris and Venice! Love :)
- These images are fantastic! I'm sure the bride and groom are beyond excited by them! My favorite is the horizontal in front of the the Eiffel Tower.
- Stunning work! I love all of them, especially the B&W in front of the Arch De Triumph and the first shot in Venice at St. Marks at dawn. I'm going to these places in a few months and can't wait! :)
- Ah-Mazing! I need more clients like these...whisking me away to Europe, getting my boyfriend to propose! Haha. You can only dream! It makes my heart ache though...I wish I was in Italy again, it brings back some great memories of Venice and Florence...
- Love these shots and the vibrant purple. How romantic is that lock legend?!
- [...] more of Abby and Zach’s European honeymoon photos in Stacey’s blog post. Inspiration , Photography Wedding Ideas No Comments March 1st, 2010 About... Tara Andrews [...]
- These are ridiculously perfect, I couldn't pick a favorite if you forced me to. Fantastic!
- Amazing photos!!! Just shoot me an email next time you come to Paris! I'd love to meet you! :)
- These photos from the wedding and honeymoon are amazing! They are a beautiful couple and fortunate to have the European destination wedding I would love to have some day! Great photography skills with the different times of day. I have been to Venice and I loved how you were able to get pictures in the square without tons of tourists.
- To die for. I hope I get to do something like this soon. They are so beautiful. Love the Venice shots especially.
- These are SO incredible! What a dream come true!
- .......WOW. Stacy, you have totally outdone yourself with this series. It looks like you captured their emotions and the trip perfectly. And of course, stunning processing as always. Awesome job!
- AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME! Incredible job girl!
- I am in love with anything and everything PARIS. It is truly my favorite city in the history of this earth. So for me...these were pieces of art!! Just gorgeous.
- Such a stunning couple! You nailed everything...I am speechless!
- These images are stunning. There are so many lovely locations there and you captured them beautifully.
- Oh my goodness, how many stunning shots from one shoot! Amazing!
- amazing.
- I absolutely LOVE your work, I always look forward to your pictures on your website! These are absolutely amazing- The lighting, the details, the poses all so beautiful!
- Wow you can not ask for better clients than that...totally dreamy!
- [...] Europe to shoot a “Day After” session with the bride and groom. You can view the entire European Day After Session on her blog – here’s just a small snippet of this gorgeous [...]
- Hi Zach and Abby, your pictures are stunning!! My fiance loves Zach's wedding ring so I'm curious where it was purchased? He has been looking for a wedding ring forever now and still has not found anything he cares for. Your help is greatly appreciated!! :)
- [...] Abby & Zach’s European Day After Session, Stacy Reeves Day after sessions at the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower and Venice? YES, PLEASE! Even better was the Parisian proposal for the photographer. Now that’s what I call a fabulous client/session. [...]
This is one of the rare Day After sessions I have done on the actual Day After.. Most of the time, the bride and groom are so exhausted from the session that they simply want to enjoy their first day of marriage relaxing, or heading off to their honeymoon, and we end up doing the Day After session a few weeks later. However, Rebecca and Erik are no strangers to early mornings, so they decided to brave the morning after, and I’m so glad we did! Despite the threat of rain and what must have been 600% humidity, we managed to get some lovely images throughout Jefferson. Here are some of my favorites:
I wish I could take credit for the second shot but it was all Kirby’s idea.. I set up the first shot, and Kirby decided that he wanted to be a part of the fun, too!
10 Comments
- This might be my all time fav session of yours!!! They are beautiful! And they look like a super fun couple!
- Great work! I love the emotions captured!
- All of these are so amazing and beautiful, but my ABSOLUTE favorite has got to be the 3rd to last one (the B&W where they're leaning their heads on each other) ... that one is so beautiful!!
- beautiful couple. beautiful light. beautiful images,but then we dont expect any less from you because your amazing!
- I love the shot of Erik leaning on Rebecca in the middle of the road.. very nice
- These shots are amazing Stacy!! I love the black & white ones the most.
- Amazing as always!!
- LOVE the ones of them with the daisies.
- So romantic. I love your work Stacy. I am in love with the blue shoes- I need to go shopping.
- Wow! How can I pick a favourite? I really love the third one in from the bottom, and the image with the blue heels! So awesome!
I can’t say this enough – I LOVE DAY AFTER SESSIONS! They are easily my favorite thing to photograph. It is everything I love about bridal sessions, engagement sessions, and weddings all rolled up into one. I especially love it when a couple as much style and personality as Jenny and Casey. I could photograph these two all the live long day and never get sick of looking at their beautiful faces and how loving they are with each other. Posting this session actually makes me a little sad because I won’t have any excuse to put them back on the blog after this! Here are some of my favorites from their Day After session at the Old McKinney Cotton Mill.
There are so many benefits to doing a Day After session.. For starters, you don’t have to spend much/any time getting these photos on the wedding day, so you get to your reception faster and don’t have to leave your guests waiting for as long. You can also go to whatever location you want, and it gives me much more freedom to pose you because I don’t have to be so worried about getting dirt on the dress or the tux. We’re not rushed at all, so we can take time to try new and unique things and get a much more diverse collection of images for you to choose from. Even though the session is called a Day After session, I rarely do them on the actual day after the wedding. Jenny and Casey’s session was done a week after their wedding, and many couples choose to wait until after they return from their honeymoon and have had time to relax and unwind from the flurry of wedding activity. I’ve even had a few couples choose to do their Day After session during their honeymoon – this January I’ll be traveling with one of my couples to Paris and Venice to do their session! If you’re interested in getting gorgeous images of you and your spouse-to-be, let me know!
11 Comments
- WOW! LOVE this shoot! The location, the lighting, everything...just gorgeous! Perhaps one of my favorites of yours. And the empty warehouse...did you sneak in? What a fun place to take some photos!
- You use the locations so well Stacy...! Another great series, congratulations.
- I love your work!! These pics are so romantic and sweet. The feet shot is great and I love your use of the flare in the last shot!
- i LOVE this session, SO much!! it's romantic, beautiful....just perfect!
- I love the last pic Stacy, very serene and romantic. Kudos!
- Stacy, you say you don't use grey card to set your camera to the right white balance. How do you get it just right then? Is it experience and you just simply know what K you need for the particular light situation or you use AWB and fix it up in Photoshop later? Thanks :) P.s.: Your work is still a big motivation kick and thank you for that! :)
- I shoot in RAW so it would be pointless for me to set the white balance as it just resets to the default in Lightroom anyway. But even if I didn't, I would likely use AWB because the lighting during a wedding can change dramatically in a matter of seconds, and if I were busy always shooting my grey card and changing the WB, I would miss out on a lot of great moments.
- I LOVE this shoot! Especially the photo of them in the middle of the barn when Casey has his cowboy hat on and they're kissing... love!
- This is my favorite session ever - of anyone - EVER. :) Your skills are amazing, am totally digging your style. Ahhhh, the tones!!
- Oh my goodness...I am just in love with your work! You are a true artist =) The last one is my absolute fave--sooo romantic!!
- I can tell why Day After Sessions are your favorite! These are gorgeous images! You are a master at backlighting - inpirational!
Okay, so it’s sort of a Day Of Session.. Since Mark and Jaclyn’s wedding ended fairly early in the day, we went ahead and did part of their Day After session as soon as the reception ended. It happened to fall at the perfect time of day, just before sunset, where the light is the most beautiful. Since Kelly and I didn’t know the area at all, I had to rely on Mark’s amazing-photo-op-location-scouting abilities for our locations, and he certainly knew how to pick them!
Our first major stop was in a little town called Helen, where everything is German-inspired, from the food to the architecture.
Jaclyn is definitely not the type of girl who loves to be the center of attention.. Wandering around in the middle of a busy city square wearing a huge wedding dress was not exactly her cup of tea, but we are so proud of her for toughing it out. Hopefully the photos are worth all the unwanted attention!
After scarring poor Jackie for life, we managed to find a secluded park where we could get some more romantic shots. I love parks!
The next morning we headed to an old abandoned building that we had seen on the side of the road. I love old worn-out warehouses almost as much as I love solid color walls!
Then Kelly spotted an amazing parking lot filled with old vintage gasoline pumps.. What a cool find! We didn’t stay long for fear of someone getting tetanus, but we did get a couple of really awesome shots.
The goal of this shot was to capture the lovebirds surrounded by “tree monsters”… Don’t ask.
Finally we finished the day at a small airport tucked away in the forest. We nearly got run over by a couple of planes trying to take off. Whoops!
Jaclyn and Mark, I cannot thank you enough for allowing Kelly and I to photograph your awesome wedding. We fell in love with the both of you, and I just wish you guys were closer so we could hang out more! If you’re ever in Texas, you know who to call!
Kelly Niemann, thanks so much for taking so many amazing photos and being the perfect second shooter. You’re awesome! Go check her out!
13 Comments
- I love the last fifteen. They all are gorgeous, but the last fifteen are amazing!
- awesome awesome photos stacy (and kelly)! jaclyn's smile is so beautiful!
- Tree monsters... haha! Kudzu is pretty. :D And yes, I was totally stoked about gas pump find. Like nerdy - excited. Jackie and Mark, y'all are amazing! Stacy, thanks for being brave under the airplanes with me. ;) I had a ton of fun the whole weekend!
- these are hotttt!
- Beautiful photos and beautiful couple!!
- Fantastic set! Better and better with every post. Keep rockin it!
- I really love the shots at the old building. Such great textures and feeling.
- Stacy, these are fabulous! I'm especially in love with the Veronica Lake peekaboo eye shot, which really features her gorgeous coloring perfectly. What an adorable couple! They must be thrilled with these. :-)
- Stacy, Great work as always, I'm sure it was a lot of fun to shoot. Man, why can't I find an old gas pump graveyard in my neighborhood?
- MAN! Stacy! I just LOVED LOVED the images from this session! They so rocked!!! Cheerio -Melissa E Earle
- this is a awesome day after session! the old gas pumps are a cool backdrop. love the style.
- You are so lucky to shoot this beautiful couple and they are luckt to have you as a photographer! Amazing mix!
- wow. i've been stalking around on your site for hours. these are my favorites. amazing!!!!!!
Dear Nikole and Chris’ parents,
If seeing steamy, sexy, awesomely hot photos of your two little darlings makes you uncomfortable… You should probably stop reading right now! I tried to keep it G-rated, but.. well.. newlyweds will be newlyweds!
XOXO,
Stacy
Day After sessions are, hands down, my favorite thing in the entire world. No contest. One of main reasons I am a photographer is because I love making people feel beautiful and capturing that beauty in images, and I feel that everyone is at their most beautiful when they are dressed up all fancy-like with the person they love most in the world, which is exactly what happens in a Day After session. It also gives people a chance to be totally narcissistic and fill the walls of their home with amazing portraits of themselves, which I of course fully support.
As I mentioned before, I absolutely adore Nikole and Chris for many reasons, but I especially love them for taking some time out of their honeymoon to wander around Puerta Plata with me and roll around in the sand and water. Check out some of my favorites:
Nikole and Chris, thank you first of all for being so easy on the eyes, making my job ridiculously easy, and thank you for being so great to me and allowing me to have a blast with you both during your wedding and honeymoon. I’m just sad that you’re so far away now :( I guess I will just have to make the trek up north to come visit!
Random side note: I am seeing a lot of hits to this post via the NAPP forums, and a friend on those boards informed me that a lot of you all are discussing this post in regards to use of actions and plug-ins. I want you guys to know that virtually every image in this post, aside from the B&W/Sepia images, is pretty much SOOC, with minimal tweaking in Lightroom. In fact, only one action was used, and that is Totally Rad Action’s Old Skool, used on the last pair of images in this post. In the past I have been a big fan of actions, but these days I am leaning more towards the school of leaving images mostly as-is, and letting their beauty speak for itself. In the future, if you have comments or thoughts about my images, I would love to hear them in the comments section of this blog. Thanks! It’s always great to know that my work is inspiring discussion :)
10 Comments
- Wow so fun! I wish people around here would get into the idea of the day after, I REALLLY want to do one!!
- Stacy these are BEAUTIFUL!!
- These are some smokin' pics Stacy. I especially ADORE the b/w one of them on the beach, wow!
- sweet pics Stacy! You never cease to amaze!!!
- Beautiful! You tempt me to want to pull out my dress and trash it!
- Stacy, These are gorgeous!!! If I ever get married and can't shoot my own destination wedding-- you are so there!! Mariana
- Honestly, just fabulous. Fabulous.
- Ha! steamy session! absolutely gorgeous.
- As one with a modestly good eye for a good shot, there are a lot of very interesting and well composed photo's with attractive subjects in a great environment. Very nice job and a lovely wedding.
- [...] I came home to find the best gift ever, a pair of awesome Luxe Deluxe earrings from my new favorite bride ever, Mrs. Nikole Bordato! [...]
Kim - LOVEEEEE the bridge one. The detail of her veil on the rail make my heart go "pitter-patter"
Nessa K - That bridge, the location, the green, the beautiful couple... these are amazing. Killer job!
Ben Godkin - Beautiful session! Not every day you get to photograph a bride and groom in full attire before the wedding... great job!
Larissa - I second Kim. All the pictures are gorgeous as aways, but the bridge with the willow in the background is just perfect.
Asha Carlos - Love how the green pops out of each photo, my fav shot has to be the one with the couple on the bridge, so picturesque!
Weekly Fixations – August 13, 2010 « Mollie Tobias Photography Weddings and Portraits - [...] Wedding in a Japanese garden. [...]
Christine Miao - Love your work as usual! Such a dreamy set! Beautiful location! Keep on inspiring!
Kat - Breathtaking shots and so classy yet not boring! I love it all! Consider me a new fan, Kat ^_^
Sarah Rominger - Wow, what an awesome session! I loooove your unique ways of working with her veil :) Your post processing is quite marvelous (as always) as well!