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!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.. Photographers throw the best weddings!! When Mark Elkins, my friend through an online photography community, began his search for a destination wedding photographer, I knew I had to be the one to shoot his wedding. He and his then-fianceé Jaclyn are super sexy, their wedding was going to be an intimate affair in a tiny town outside of Atlanta (one of my favorite cities!), the wanted to do a Day After session (and you KNOW how I love those), and of course, that unbeatable photo-factor. Working with photographers is such a joy because they totally “get” me and understand what I am going for when I do something unusual. I also had the pleasure of bringing along friend and fellow photographer Kelly Niemann to shoot with me, and we had an absolute blast cavorting all over Georgia!

Jaclyn and Mark’s wedding was a very unique one, for many reasons. First and foremost, instead of throwing a huge bash, they stuck to their small-town roots and had their wedding at Mark’s parents’ home, with just their family and closest friends in attendance. Here are a few details from the day:

I absolutely LOVED Jaclyn’s dress.. I am a sucker for ruffles :)

Don’t you just love her hair? Stunning!

Writing his vows before the ceremony.. Slacker ;) Just kidding!

My favorite.. The rings!

Coming down the stairs for the ceremony

Some quick formals after the ceremony. Jaclyn and Mark’s Best Man and Maid of Honor are also married – Cool, huh?

Their reception was a very short one. They shared a sweet first dance..

Ate some cake…

And hung out with all their friends!

I love little details like this one of Mark fiddling with his new ring. I think it’s the tiny moments like this that really tell the story of the day.

Check back soon for images from their awesome, awesome, AWESOME Day After Session. Big thanks to my second shooter Kelly for taking several of these gorgeous images!

Never have I put my clients’ lives in danger more than I did during this session. Despite facing peril at every turn, Stacy and John handled it like complete pros! And that is only one of the reasons I think these two are the bee’s knees. Stacy doesn’t know this, but I have admired her from afar for quite awhile now. She is super stylish, uniquely beautiful, and one of the sweetest, kindest girls you’ll ever meet. I have been so lucky to have some of the coolest brides ever, and Stacy is certainly one of the coolest of the cool. Although I don’t know John quite as well, I know that if Stacy loves him, he must be equally as incredible, because no one but a total stud could win her heart!

The risk-taking begins in Soho, where yours truly wandered around Canal St. for a good half an hour because she didn’t take the time to write down the hotel address before she left. Whoops! I meandered aimlessly, clutching my camera bag to my chest, darting inside McDonalds every time I saw a sketchy character, but luckily Stacy and John found me, and we snuck into the Soho Grand Hotel for a few very-against-the-rules photos.

Then, I decided that breaking into an old courtyard surrounded by locked fences and big semi trucks was a good idea. It only took us about 1 minute to get kicked out, but I got my shot!

Next we decided to brave the streets of Soho again, stopping wherever we felt inspired (and that was quite often!). There may or may not have been some pigeon corralling involved…. I plead the 5th.

My favorite way to risk my client’s lives is to make them play in traffic!

Next it was off to the much more safe and peaceful Central Park…

Did I say safe? Well, I’m sure laying on the side of a bridge with a 30-foot drop is relatively safe….

Stacy and John, thank you so much for putting your lives on the line for me and allowing me to hang out with you in the Big Apple! You guys are troopers, not to mention super hot models, and I can’t wait for April!

Does it count as a destination portrait session if the couple lives there, but I don’t?

Although Andy and Natalie are Texans, born and bred, they currently live up in the Big Apple. I cannot wait to photograph their Dallas wedding late next year, but in the meantime, it was great to be able to meet them in their neck of the woods for a fun “destination” engagement session. Although I never met these guys before our first consultation, it feels as though I have known them my entire life. They both have this way of making virtual strangers feel like best friends, and I consider myself extremely lucky to be their wedding photographer. It doesn’t hurt that they are both unfairly good-looking, as well. Oh, and little miss Natalie is a brand new NY Jets Flight Crew member! If you live up in New York, stop by a Jets game and give the gorgeous blonde dancer an extra loud cheer for me!

Here are a few images from their New York City session:

We started off in the good old NYC staple, Central Park.  I am a huge fan of shooting engagement sessions in parks.  The backgrounds are always beautiful, the light is always great, and the simplicity of it allows me to focus on the couple, rather than the location.  And, of course, Central Park is THE park of parks, so I could shoot there all day and be perfectly happy.  :)

Next we headed to the Lower East Side to take a stroll around Andy and Natalie’s former neighborhood.  I learned quite a few interesting things on Avenue C that day (Aware, Beware, Caution, Danger – haha!).  It was great to be able to shoot around the places that Andy and Natalie spent their free time.  Now, even when they move back to Dallas (*fingers crossed*), they can remember the time they spent up in NYC.







Finally, we ended up in Times Square, one of my favorite places in the world. 
This is probably one of my favorite photos ever :)
Andy and Natalie – Come back to Texas!  It’s just not the same since you went away ;)  June is oh so far away.. Hopefully you guys will come visit before then!  Natalie, if the Jets ever play the Cowboys, I am TOTALLY there.

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 :)

How do I love Nikole and Chris… Let me count the ways!

First of all, they are Canadian, and I am more than slightly obsessed with all things Canadian. It started when I was younger and took a few trips up north with my mom. All I can remember is that the country was beautiful, the people were nice, the weather was good, and I had a blast. Fast forward to about two years ago, when I moved into my former condo and had what seemed like 600 TV channels, including one that focused solely on Canadian TV shows. I fell in love with the Canadian accent and sense of humor, and I have been a canuck-lover ever since. I only wish I could go visit again (hint, hint Canadian brides!!).

Furthermore, Nikole is a photography enthusiast, and you know what I always say – photographers throw the BEST weddings. Chris and Nikole’s wedding was no disappointment there. Everything from the wedding party attire to the decor to the location was super photogenic, and I was in heaven capturing all the cool details.

It also didn’t hurt that Nikole and Chris’ wedding also served as a much-needed vacation for Jason and I. Every year I pick one destination wedding and make that my vacation for the year, and I stay for an extra 4-6 days to relax and have fun. I am extremely lucky to have a boyfriend who is also a talented photographer in his own right, so he can serve as my second shooter as well as my traveling companion.

This was the first time I have ever shown up to shoot a wedding without ever having met the bride and groom in person beforehand, so I was a little unsure of what to expect, but luckily I had no reason to fear. Nikole and Chris are warm, friendly people who went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable and having as much fun as they were. It was very clear that their top priority on their wedding day was to make sure everyone had a great time, and that’s definitely what happened!

I am in love with ALL of the photos I took that day, but here are a few that I think really tell the story:

The current Mrs. Bordato and the soon-to-be-other Mrs. Bordato getting primped and prepped at the spa… I don’t think Chris’ mom was super happy with how her hair was progressing.

Nikole added these cool brooches to each of the bridesmaid’s bouquets. I thought that was a really cool gift to her girls, not to mention a fantastic decor detail.

Nikole’s classic J. Crew gown – light and airy, perfect for an island wedding!

Why do I get all the beautiful brides??

The ladies arriving at the ceremony in style!

The reaction every girl wants to see as she’s walking down the aisle!

Mr. and Mrs. Bordato!

Canadians can JUMP!

And pose like rockstars…

And laugh like they mean it!

The reception was held in a cool hut just off the ocean, right next to a flamingo habitat.

The single greatest entrance I have ever seen

Holy cow! I have to stop posting photos or I will go all day! Don’t worry though, I have a lot more great stuff from their wedding week to show you.. Including a fun family portrait session and the most smokingest hot Day After session you have EVER seen.

Am I the worst blogger ever? YES. I am so sorry this is so delayed.. I had a huge event going on this past weekend, and it required a lot more of my time than I expected it to, so my blog unfortunately went neglected for a few days.. Major apologies to all of you who checked the blog expecting to see posts that didn’t show up. I am a bad, bad blogger :(

That said, here is the long awaited second half to Darbi & Neil’s awesome Nebraska destination wedding!

A few details from the ceremony location…

And everyone’s favorite.. The ring!

After the ceremony, we headed to a “Little Mexico” area near Bellvue for some fun wedding party shots

Then it was off to the Livestock Exchange Building for the wedding reception!

A few of my favorite reception details. Have I mentioned that photographers throw the best weddings?

A few photos from the first dance…

Darbi and her dad, one of the coolest, funniest, most outrageous dads I have ever met!

My favorite part of this wedding was the toasts at the wedding reception. The toasts ranged from emotional to funny to earmuff-worthy, courtesy of Darbi and Neil’s very entertaining families and wedding party. I loved the toasts so much I had to do a collage of the images Lara and I took.

After the normal garter and bouquet toss, Darbi and Neil added a special twist.. They had the girl who caught the bouquet (Wendy) put on the garter, and had the guy who caught the garter pull it off…. with his teeth! Note Wendy’s boyfriend standing in the background, keeping a close eye on the situation ;)

Finally it was time to DANCE!

Neil’s groomsman and fellow bandmate Mike Quinn (who also performed Darbi’s song at the ceremony) sang a song for Darbi and Neil that he wrote himself.

Darbi with her two loves.. Neil and, of course, her Canon 5D.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, so finally the lovebirds had to say their goodbyes and head off to JAMAICA!

One last photo of Darbi and Neil outside the Livestock Exchange Building in Omaha

Darbi and Neil, thanks again for letting me be a part of your wedding day and flying me all the way to Nebraska to be there. I’m so glad you got to come visit me in Dallas this past weekend! Hopefully I will see you again soon in October! ;)