The first is L’Amour de Paris, a blog resource for couples visiting Paris, France and the surrounding area. Through this blog we’ll provide hotel and restaurant recommendations, travel tips, information on must-see attractions and events, and helpful resources for couples planning proposals, elopements, weddings, and honeymoons in the City of Love. We’ll also be offering portrait and wedding photography services in Paris for those who want to capture their time in Paris through photos.

The second is Blushd Beauty & Boudoir, a portrait studio that is committed to providing beautiful portraits of women of all ages, colors, shapes, and sizes. Making women feel beautiful through photography has long been a passion of mine, and for years I have wanted to expand my boudoir business to a broader audience. Blushd is my way of opening my doors to all women who want the chance to feel like a supermodel, whether that’s in sexy lingerie in a hotel room, a beautiful ballgown in the streets of Paris, or a simple and classic beauty portrait.

Check out our new sites by clicking on the previews below. You can also LIKE us on Facebook here: L’Amour de Paris and Blushd Beauty & Boudoir

For those located in Dallas, don’t worry, we are not closing shop!  We will be returning regularly to photograph weddings and sessions in the DFW area, and we are continuing to book at our normal prices (no extra travel fees required!).

If you have any questions about these changes, or you’d like to know more about our new services, please contact us for more information!

We are moving to Paris, France!

 
Living abroad has been a lifelong dream for both my husband and I. We’ve always longed to expose ourselves to other lifestyles, cultures, languages, and environments in more meaningful ways than just one or two week vacations. The world is a big and wonderful place, and for us personally, life is too short to spend it all in one place. We’re so excited about the opportunity to immerse ourselves in an environment completely different from what we’re used to, and even more excited about embarking on our first big adventure together as husband and wife.

So what does this mean for Stacy Reeves Photography?

All 2013 inquiries and clients were notified of our plans several months ago, before we opened up any dates for 2013. I can assure you that no brides or grooms for 2013 weddings had this news sprung on them after a contract was signed. We have been working with our clients to ensure that this transition will have the most minimal effect possible on their wedding photography experience.

For those of you in the US who are interested in our services, I am continuing to book weddings in the US and will be returning to Dallas many times in 2013 for weddings, portraits, and boudoir and beauty sessions. Pricing will continue as normal – weddings and portraits in the DFW area will not incur any additional travel fees (nor will weddings booked in Paris), but weddings in other locations will be billed accordingly for travel costs. For portraits, I will be scheduling weeks scattered throughout the year where I will be back in Dallas. If you are interested in portraits next year and would like to be notified when availability opens up, please contact us using the contact form on this website. We will also continue to book portraits through December 7th of this year.

Speaking of Jena, many of you know her as my second shooter and a regular fixture at all of our weddings, but in the wake of this news, we have now brought her on as Studio Manager to handle all client relations. She will be here to meet for consults, answer emails and voicemails, schedule appointments, and generally be of assistance to all current and future Stacy Reeves Photography clients. I will also be regularly available via Skype for consults with potential clients.

I will also be opening up a new on-location portrait studio in the Paris, France area. My focus will largely be on American couples visiting Paris to get engaged or celebrate birthdays, weddings, honeymoons, babymoons, anniversaries, or any other special events. I will also be offering French-inspired beauty and boudoir sessions, as well. If you are traveling to the Paris area next year and would like to schedule portraits, please contact us for more information!

You will see many changes to our website in the coming weeks. We will be unveiling our new boudoir and beauty portrait website as well as our new Paris portrait website. We will also be making some changes to our wedding website and opening up our first ever Facebook business page, which will feature regular photo updates as well as special pricing and scheduling offers. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email us and ask!

Also remember that you should schedule your session two months before you need the photos, and our holiday deadlines are in early November, so if you’re wanting to deliver some sexy photos to your husband for Christmas, you need to get your session scheduled ASAP!!

Click on over to Racy Steeves Boudoir Photography to see our newest session!

I can never thank Erin and Tyler enough for introducing me to the beautiful wonderland that is Ireland. Traveling throughout Ireland is like walking into a postcard. Everywhere you turn is a new breathtaking vista – rolling hills thick with lush green grass, packs of sheep wandering alongside winding gravel roads, craggy mountains stretching up to the clouds, and rainbows everywhere you turn! As if the stunning natural landscape wasn’t enough, the people of Ireland are by far the nicest on planet Earth (high praise, coming from a Texan!). Everywhere we went, the locals embraced us with open arms and big smiles. I’ll never forget walking into an ancient looking pub in the middle of a tiny Irish town, hoping only for a drink and a warm meal, and instead being seized upon by a group of locals who had clearly known each other for decades, but they took us in as if we were old friends, and we drank and sang and danced into the wee hours of the morning. From the bustling city of Dublin to the little villages dotting the Ring of Kerry, every place and person we encountered was a charm. I understand now why Erin and Tyler were so anxious to return there to say their vows, and I am counting the days until I get to return there myself!

True to their mission of focusing only on the things that mattered most to them, Erin put a whole new meaning to the term “last minute.” When I shot their engagement session a mere week before we were to leave for Ireland, I asked Erin about her wedding dress, at which point she just shrugged, gave me her genuine and infectious smile, and said “I don’t have one yet.” You could have picked my jaw off the floor! Being a very planning-oriented person, my mind immediately raced with all of the options she had left – perhaps a sample sale, or Craigslist, or maybe she could borrow one from a friend – but Erin was unphased.  She gave another shrug and a smile, and told me that she trusted God would make it happen for her. Sure enough, Erin found a gorgeous lace wedding dress online, had the owner overnight it to her (and crossed her fingers that it would fit), and with only a handful of hours left before she had to board the plane, she picked up her dress from the mail and we set off across the globe. When we arrived in Dublin, Erin called up a local florist and asked them to put together a bouquet with whatever they had lying around, and she grabbed a small cake-for-two from a local baker.  Everything came together and Erin and Tyler got exactly what they had been hoping for – a beautiful, meaningful beginning to their marriage. Here are some of my favorites from their day:

Follow the link below to see more!

One of my favorite moments of the day was right before the ceremony.. The Irish rain began to fall (as it seems to do every 90 minutes, followed immediately by blue skies and sunshine, only to repeat the cycle again and again), and the pastor and videographer and I suggested that they wait out the rain for an hour or so.  Neither Erin or Tyler were having any part of it – they were ready to be married, rain or shine!

Erin and Tyler were married in an ancient 6th century  stone circle nestled away in the Wicklow Mountains called “The Caher,” which was a stopping point for pilgrims to pray on their way to St. Kevin’s monastery.

After their ceremony, we headed back to Dublin to the famous Temple Bar, where Erin and Tyler first met.  They were both visiting Dublin with their friends on separate Spring Break trips, and after Tyler’s friend unsuccessfully attempted to hit on Erin, he introduced her to fellow Texan Tyler, and the rest was history!  It’s so ironic that two Dallasites had to travel halfway across the globe to find each other and fall in love, but I think it instilled in them a sense of destiny – that they were just meant to be man and wife!  For their “reception” they shared a pint of Guinness and a slice of wedding cake, and they asked the musician playing at the pub to sing “Galway Girl” for their first dance.

After a round of Guinness for everyone, we ventured out into the streets of Dublin, Ha’penny Bride, the campus of Trinity University, and St. Stephen’s Green for some “Day After” style portraits.

Thank you Erin and Tyler for allowing me to be a part of your very very special wedding.  It means to much to me that you took me along to witness and document your ceremony, and I can never repay you for introducing me to Ireland!!  Let’s go back and do a vow renewal very soon! ;)

One of my favorite things about I Heart Faces is that they really cater to women at every end of the photography spectrum, from bloggers who just want to improve the images they post on their blogs, moms with cameras who just want to get better shots of their kids, or women who are seriously considering photography as a career.   Regardless of where you are in your journey with photography, IHF is committed to helping and encouraging you along the way.   It’s a wonderful resource and I am so proud to be a part of it!

If you register before June 1, the cost is only $375 which includes a full day of classes, lunch, and a tour of the famous Southfork Ranch (the original home of the Dallas TV series).  After June 1 the price jumps up to $475, so register now and reserve your spot!

For more information or to register, visit the website here!  Hope to see you there!

I’m fairly used to getting emails from girls who are planning their wedding before they actually have a ring in hand (let’s be honest, I was planning my wedding before I even had a boyfriend, so I can’t begrudge a girl who wants to get a head start on her planning!). However, getting an email from a groom-to-be before the proposal is definitely something that doesn’t happen on a regular basis, so when Doug contacted me months before he was planning to pop the question, my curiosity was piqued. He and his then-girlfriend were both photographers in the New Orleans area, so naturally photography was one of the most important vendors to them, so much so that Doug was prepared to drop a deposit in front of me before he had even dropped to one knee in from of CheyAnne! A few months later, a very excited (and newly engaged) CheyAnne inquired with me, ready to book her photographer, not even knowing that her sweet fiance had already beaten her to the punch. As New Orleans is hands-down my favorite city in the United States, I was thrilled at the chance to go there not once, not twice, but three separate times to capture their engagements, bridals, and wedding, and I felt that as I got the know the city of NOLA better and better, I also got to know CheyAnne and Doug better and better. I learned about the struggles they faced together, how important their families are to them, how active they are in the New Orleans community, how passionate they are about their photography business and their clients, their love of New Orleans Saints and LSU football, and how long CheyAnne has been patiently waiting for this day to come! When CheyAnne and Doug finally danced down the aisle, surrounded by friends, family, and curious tourists peering through the gates of Jackson Square, I truly felt like I was sharing the day with them, rather than just documenting it, and it made the experience that much more special. Here are some of my favorite images from their day:

Follow the link below to see more!

Most girls have a second pair of shoes – usually flats – to give their feet a rest at the reception, but CheyAnne rocked two pairs of sky-high heels for over ten hours!

One of my favorite wedding traditions: CheyAnne wrote her maiden name on a slip of paper that she presented to her father before the ceremony – the last time she would write her unmarried name as a single woman!

I love that CheyAnne’s bridesmaids were practicing their Thriller dance moves in the bridal suite!

LOVE this – CheyAnne rode in a bicycle-pulled pedicab on the way to her First Look!

For the wedding day present, CheyAnne presented Doug with a huge bag full of socks – just in case he got “cold feet”!

Being photographers themselves, Doug and CheyAnne knew the importance and value of doing a First Look.  They understand how much it can improve the flow of a wedding day, ease stress on the bride and groom, allow for more (and better) photos, and enable them to get to their guests immediately after the ceremony, so it was a given that they would see each other beforehand.  I think their photos are truly a testament to the benefit of a First Look – none of the images below would have been taken had they opted to go the traditional route and see each other at the ceremony (and as you’ll see shortly, the moment when CheyAnne walked down to aisle to Doug was no less special or emotional because of the First Look!).  If this doesn’t convince someone that a First Look is a great choice, I don’t know what will!

This image that Jason captured during the First Look makes me emotional every time I see it.  This is what every bride wants to see on her wedding day – a man so in love and so happy to see you that it brings him to tears!

In true Southern fashion, CheyAnne had customized handkerchiefs made for her parents and Doug.  This one she presented to him just before the ceremony:

See what I mean about the walk down the aisle still being special?  A lot of my brides and grooms worry that doing a First Look will take away from that moment, but I can tell you from personal experience (and these photos are evidence) that NOTHING can possibly take away from the sheer joy and happiness of knowing that you’re about to marry your best friend.

What kind of photographers would Doug and CheyAnne be if they didn’t get a self portrait during their ceremony?  With full professional gear, of course!!

Definitely my favorite detail of the night – Doug’s grooms cake was an exact replica of his Mardi Gras float – the Krewe of Tucks’ very own Funky Tucks!!

For their wedding registry, Doug and CheyAnne worked with a wine connoisseur friend to create a customized list of fine wines they wanted to add to their collection (and fill up the gorgeous wine cabinet they have in their home).  At the wedding, the bottles were presented to them with special labels featuring notes from the gift-givers.  What a brilliant (and delicious) idea for a registry!

Showing off those Thriller dance moves they worked so hard on!

For months, Doug and CheyAnne secretly rehearsed ACDC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” and surprised their wedding guests with an incredible live performance.  Their skills paid off – the place went completely wild!!

Can you tell these two are related?

What an amazing way to end the night – with an EPIC Second Line that marched throughout the French Quarter for nearly an hour!

Just looking through this wedding makes me long for New Orleans again!  Thank you so much Doug and CheyAnne for letting me be a part of this amazing journey, and for inviting Jason and I into your lives as friends.  We are forever grateful to know you!!

Next up, a rainy Irish elopement in the most unlikely of meeting places for a sweet Dallas couple!

This week I’m starting off closer to home with a detail-rich wedding down in Marfa, Texas. Although it is in my home state, Marfa is much further away than many out of state weddings I’ve shot, and the culture is so drastically different that it feels like entering a new country. If you’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Marfa, the best way I can explain it is that it’s a hipster’s paradise. The town revolves around art, music, and culture and very much embraces its different-ness.  Everywhere you turn there’s a new art gallery or installation, musical performance, food truck, unique and innovative boutique, farmer’s market (quite an interesting variety considering it’s surrounded by desert and canyon), or trendy restaurant, as well as being the home of the famous Marfa Lights. You’d never expect to find an artistic haven nestled in such an isolated area, but if you’re willing to make the trek, it’s well worth it (especially for the Grilled Cheese Emporium).

Considering the Marfa culture, it’s no surprise that musician and artists Sissy & David decided it was the perfect place to say “I Do.” I had the privilege of photographing Sissy’s sister Rebecca’s wedding a few years prior, and I had been dying to check Marfa out for myself for years, so I was super excited to travel down the the Big Bend region with their family and friends and photograph their wedding at the Thunderbird Hotel and Capri Lounge. Sissy and David really put their style and vision to work in every aspect of their wedding, and the details were some of the most personalized and unique I’ve ever seen.  Here are a few of my favorites from their day:

Follow the link below to see more:

I love that they chose to do a First Look before their ceremony.. It was such a precious and emotional moment, and it allowed us to finish all their photos before the ceremony so that they could go straight to their reception afterwards!

Sissy made the flowers for her hair by hand out of paper, so that they wouldn’t wilt and would look beautiful all day long!  You can see just a hint of blue in the center of the bottom flower, which served as her “something blue.”

Speaking of paper flowers, Sissy also made these paper flower garlands for the ceremony, as well.  They looked so beautiful blowing in the East Texas breeze!

For their guest book, Sissy added a hand-drawn sketch to the first page of a journal, then left the rest blank for guests to leave notes or well-wishes.

I love this wedding poster that Sissy and David designed.  What a fun and creative touch to display in their home!

I had a little too much fun with their rings.. The creativity in the air in Marfa just inspired me!

Even the bartenders in Marfa are fashionable!

One of my favorite elements of their wedding were the envelopes pictured above, entitled “OPEN in case of conversational emergency.”  Inside was a card with some thought (and conversation) provoking questions that got everyone talking and laughing with the people seated around them.

How AMAZING is this cake table?  I’m in love with the rose-and-crystal garlands hanging above it and the sweet lace tablecloth.

I felt like the venue only got more and more beautiful as the night went on!

You can see even more photos from this wedding by picking up the most recent issue of The Knot magazine!

Stay tuned next week as we continue the travel series with an Irish elopement in an ancient druidic stone circle that dates back thousands of years, and a New Orleans wedding that broke tons of records!

Click the link below to see more!

Yes, I am still shooting boudoir, and in fact I have been shooting quite a lot of them lately, and thanks to a more relaxed winter wedding schedule, I also finally found the time to update my terribly abandoned boudoir site, Racy Steeves.  I’ve also got a few more posts lined up there for the future, so make sure to add it to your blog reader! Unfortunately it’s too late for Valentine’s Day session, but if you’ve got a birthday or wedding anniversary coming up, or you just want to celebrate your awesome and beautiful self, email me now and schedule a boudoir session of your own.

Head on over to Racy Steeves Dallas Boudoir Photography to check out more of Miss J’s session!