Tag Archives: Houston wedding photographer

Love

Posted in b.marie.photography, Inspiration by

Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day today.

Yes, today’s supposed to be about love.

 

But I hope today you focus on more than just romantic love. Celebrate love of family. Love of friends. Love of nature. Love of God.

Go past the Hallmark phrases or conversation hearts, and actually share phrases from YOUR HEART.

Kingwood photographer morning engagement session in arboretum & downtown Nacogdoches

Not everyone feels like they write well, or speak eloquently. We don’t all sound like that perfect line from a movie. But that’s not what matters anyway – the real, honest, true-life stuff is what matters, regardless of how messy it may seem.

 

So today, take a minute to share love. Give a hug. Give a high five. Compliment someone’s shoes (as long as you genuinely like them). Write a love note. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Look in the mirror & say out loud to yourself at least one reason why you love you…. & then believe it.

 

If you’re into grand gestures, by all means go big with your displays of love & affection. But if you’re more a sticky-note on the dash of the car kinda person – go with that. Just share your love today… there are people in your life who need to hear it & feel it.

For Brides: Timelines

Posted in b.marie.photography, For Brides by

When it comes to your wedding day, something you might not think about having to figure out is the timeline. As a guest at a wedding, you don’t really think about the timing or flow of events – you just go from ceremony to reception & enjoy! When it comes time for your own wedding, you realize pretty quickly how many things are included in the timeline & it can seem a little overwhelming at first (especially if event planning isn’t something you’re used to doing!).

If you’re working with a planner, they will be able to help you nail down a timeline for your day. Having a detailed plan allows all of your vendors to make sure they are on the same page to make your day go as smoothly as possible!

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When you’re working on detailing out your timeline (whether it’s you or your planner), I recommend making sure your photographer is able to chime in as well. Your photographer is going to be the expert when it comes to how much time is needed to capture various parts of the wedding day, and can collaborate with your planner to make sure everything is lined out to provide ample time for each portion while reducing stress! If there are certain photos that mean the most to you (getting ready, details, bride & groom portraits, etc.), be sure to mention that to your planner & photographer so that they can be sure to build in sufficient time for those topics in particular!

If you aren’t working with a planner, don’t get overwhelmed at the thought of breaking everything down for a timeline. I always send a tentative timeline to my brides & grooms so that they have a starting place to go from, and can see how their selected amount of wedding day coverage will span the day’s events.

Here are a few tips for planning your wedding day timeline:

  • Break the day into sections (pre-ceremony, ceremony, & reception) to make it more manageable. Then look at just one section at a time & take a break once it’s planned!
  • Know what you want. Will you be doing a first look? Will you be doing a father-daughter first look? Do you want group shots of you & your bridesmaids during getting ready (think matching cute robes or monogrammed button downs!) & once you’re dressed? Are you doing something unique for your exit that you want to be sure you have in photos? Knowing all of the key moments that are important to you (outside of the ceremony) will be really helpful in making sure you can have intentional time scheduled for them!
  • Give yourself some cushion. One of my favorite things is when the timeline includes a bit of a breather for my bride & groom (& the rest of the bridal party) prior to the ceremony. I’ll be using that time hard at work photographing ceremony or reception details while you all get to relax, grab a bite to eat, or sip a coffee (or mimosa) real quick. Having a bit of blank time prior to the ceremony also allows some cushion if getting ready took longer than expected, and portraits need to get pushed back a bit.
  • Ask the experts. You’ve selected vendors that you love & trust, so let them help you plan the timeline! As wedding vendors, we do this all the time, but you shouldn’t have to feel like you need to be a pro at timeline structure. Don’t be afraid to ask for help in getting it all figured out!
  • Plan ahead, but be flexible. Wedding days always have curveballs that can throw a timeline off a little bit, and that’s ok! As your wedding photographer, I am prepared to be flexible (and after more than a decade of planning & running major events, I’ve gotten pretty darn good at adjusting throughout the day!).

 

For more in the For Brides series, check out these posts: 

I Bet You’ve Failed

Posted in b.marie.photography, Inspiration by

I bet you’ve already failed. Yes, you.

You’ve already forgotten about that New Year’s Resolution.

You’ve gone a few days without thinking of your Word of the Year.

And I bet you’ve already kicked yourself for it.

 

Because you know what? I have too.

But here’s a little secret just for you, friend….

It’s ok. 

 

Yes, really. It’s ok that you’ve already eaten Oreos & milk instead of kale.

It’s ok that you’ve sat down to get caught up on the last two episodes of This Is Us instead of going for a run.

It’s ok that you’ve gotten caught up in the day-to-day stresses & forget to focus your decisions, both big & small, through the lens of the word you’ve chosen to guide your year.

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You know why it’s ok? Because I’m sure there have been times when you have made the healthy meal choice. There have been times when you’ve taken a deep breath and thought about your Word of the Year before reacting or making a decision. And there’s always today. There’s the next moment. There’s the opportunity to try again. And again. And again.

 

Because as long as you keep trying. As long as you don’t let the poor choice become an excuse to just not try anymore, then you really haven’t failed at all.

The only failure is stopping. The only failure is giving up.

 

So take a second today to think about the times you have followed through on your goals or resolutions for 2017. And then take a second to think about one concrete way that you might be able to help yourself have more wins in the future (like having your word of the year as the background of the lock screen on your phone so you see it alllllll day long).  And then just don’t quit trying. You’ve got this, friend. I’m cheering for you!

 

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