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Crystal Ballroom at the Rice Wedding in Houston

Kyle and Lauren’s Downtown Houston Texas wedding at the Crystal Ballroom at the Rice.

In February I had the pleasure of hanging out with the, now, Luong’s for nearly the entire weekend! I caught up with them at Kim Son’s Downtown for their epic rehearsal dinner. Kyle and Lauren honored Kyle’s heritage by wearing traditional outfits for their rehearsal as well as hiring some really awesome Lion Dancers!

The following day, I caught back up with the amazing couple at the Rice. Lauren and her bridesmaids got ready in the bridal suite there while Kyle got ready at a nearby hotel with his grooms men. I nearly forgot until I was posting photos, that Lauren stitched some love notes into Kyle’s tie and jacket. What a sweet idea.

The couple decided they wanted both a first touch and a first look. For the first touch, they read their vows to each other in private while holding hands and looking in opposite directions. I mean in near total privacy. All photography parties (including myself) hung out in a very loud room and took photos and video through the paned glass door like the paparazzi. We couldn’t hear a word they spoke to each other. After the first touch, we ushered Lauren and Kyle into different rooms and re-positioned them on the balcony for a gorgeous first look! It was one of the best first looks I’ve experienced. Kyle was in total awe of Lauren’s dress and had to take a look at every inch.

After Kyle & Lauren had their first look, Lauren had a first look with her father. Kyle decided he wanted to do a first look with the bridesmaids, so we lined them up for a first look on the balcony. After that, the grooms men wanted a first look with Lauren (which was one of the most adorable first looks). We then shot a couple of group photos on the balcony and on the streets of Downtown Houston before catching a chartered bus to the church for the ceremony.

Once back at the Crystal Ballroom, Kyle and Lauren were whisked to the bridal suite for a private dinner while their guests enjoyed a cocktail hour. This is probably one of the BEST things a couple can do for their reception. Once done eating, they got to take a private tour of their reception hall before their guests took their seats. During the night, the couple did a photo-dash, danced their hearts out and ate some amazing looking gluten-free cake (allergies are the best!…).

At the end of the night, the guests sent the happy couple off in a haze of bubbles.

Vendors:

 

Ring bearer Alternatives

Little boys 5 and under in a tux is the cutest thing in the world, but sometimes it’s not feasible to have an adorable kid as your ring bearer at your wedding.

Here are 5 alternatives for a ring barer.

  1. Don’t have one. Just send the rings down with the best man or if the maid/matron of honor has pockets, she can hold them too!
  2. Have an older relative walk the rings down the aisle. If you’re really close to your grandpa and want him to take part in your wedding, now’s your chance! If you have a cousin or sibling that you want in your wedding but don’t have the room for them as a groomsman, they can be an extra enthusiastic ring bearer (with fanny-pack and all).
  3. Do you have a pet that’s special to you? Strap the rings to your pet and have someone walk them down the aisle.
  4. Use technology. Send an RC car or drone down the aisle with the ring. Bonus points if the drone can drop the rings into someone’s hand!
  5. Want to be extra? Hire a falconer to send your rings down the aisle with a falcon!

Do you have any creative ideas on getting your wedding rings down the aisle? I would love to hear them. Leave me a comment!

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2023 Wedding Trends I’m excited for!

Here’s a list of the 2023 wedding trends I’m excited for.

Color! Even as a child, I’ve been obsessed with color. I memorized the order of the rainbow before I was in elementary school. I’m also flabbergasted when adults don’t know the order (or what primary colors mixed together make what secondary colors). Color in weddings is making a big & bold statement. It’s in bouquets, in bridesmaids gowns and in the decorations. Be bold with your color choices. Consult a color wheel to help you pick the perfect harmonic balance.

Colorful wedding dress: I have always loved a wedding dress that stands out from the norm. Some of my ALL-TIME favorite weddings dresses either had a pop of color, like a floral pattern, or were a solid color instead of white. Be fun and bold… who cares what your stuck-in-the-mud relatives think. It’s your wedding, own it!

Custom Dance floor: This year, couples are opting to deck out their dance floors. Maybe you have an awesome marquee lighting your space or you have a flower bedecked disco ball hanging from the ceiling. If the dance floor is a place you want to be and you want your guests to join you, make it fun, flirty & memorable.

Private Last Dance: Still holding strong from last year. The private last dance is one of my favorite things to shoot. I love that the couple gets one last moment enjoying their wedding night in a quiet space with only their DJ & Photographers for company. One of my favorite things to do during private last dances is to move through the back of the room framing the couple with their dark & empty tables.

Sustainability: I’ve always been a tree-huger and can see how weddings can become wasteful. Some of my favorite things couples have done include seeds and living plants as wedding favors. Some things you can do to have an Eco-friendly wedding — use Eco-friendly invitations & decor, encouraging guests and wedding party to carpool or use a bus to transport guests, use biodegradable confetti for your grand exit, don’t use single use dinnerware and glassware

Capes! Seriously, capes are in this year. I LOVE this for us! I’ve seen brides pin muslin to their gown with gorgeous brioches to make a cape. I’ve also seen some awesome capes with groom’s attire. There’s a very fine line from elegant to gimmicky with capes, however. Be careful & use an editorial eye.

Embroidered veils: This is such a neat idea. I’ve had a couple of brides do this and it really added to the entire look. Make sure to include colors and flowers you intend on having at your wedding to really pull the whole look together.

Comfy & cute shoes: Who says fashion has to be pain? Wear those converse at your wedding. You can really spruce up your sneakers by embroidering them, bedazzling them or personalizing them in any way. Do you have a really comfortable pair of boots? Wear those! As cute as the shoes are, if you’re ditching them halfway through the night, were they worth it?

 

What are your thoughts? What trends are you really excited for and what trends are you ready to disappear?

Arnold & Maritza’s The Springs in Angleton Wedding

Arnold & Maritza’s wedding at The Springs Event Venue in Angleton, TX.

Just before Thanksgiving, Arnold & Maritza gathered all of their friends and family to witness their marriage. The theme for the wedding was Fall & Thanksgiving! The couple chose a beautiful rust orange & sage green color pallet & offered their guests traditional Thanksgiving pie!

Arnold & Maritza chose to have a first touch before their ceremony. We found a quiet place where they could hold hands and talk quietly to each other. After the first touch, Arnold lined up with his groomsmen and Maritza shared a first look with her father.

The couple and their guests danced well into the night!

Vendors:

 

Brad & Jenny’s little white chapel wedding

Brad & Jenny’s Wedding at the little white chapel in Katy, Texas and reception at Brennan’s of Houston.

On a windy, but quite beautiful, day Brad and Jenny married in front of an intimate gathering of friends and family. The historic, wooden church sits behind the Church on the Rocks in Katy, TX. An interesting fact is that this wasn’t the original location of this church. It was moved here after buildings started encroaching around it.

Brad and Jenny chose to have a first look inside the church before their guests arrived. I know first-looks aren’t for everyone, but I absolutely love shooting them. Even though Brad saw Jenny in her dress before the ceremony, he still had the sweetest glimmer in his eye as she walked down the aisle toward him.

During the ceremony, Brad, Jenny & Jenny’s daughter pored colored glass into a jar as a symbol of the family’s union. Some time later, they will have the glass turned into a piece of blown glass art. I hope I get to see a picture of it. I’m so excited for this!

After the wedding, the intimate wedding party departed to Brennan’s downtown for a romantic reception in the wine room. After an amazing, and one of the most elegant dinner’s I’ve ever had, the couple wowed their guests by helping to make Banana’s foster. The pyro in me was most excited for this moment.

Check out the amazing photos below.

 

Wedding Vendors

Venue: Little White Chapel

Reception Venue: Brennan’s of Houston

Wedding Dress: Torid

Flowers: The Classic Blooms

Raphael & Melinda’s Holy Family Catholic Church Wedding

Raphael & Melinda’s intimate wedding at Holy Family Catholic Church.

It was an excessively windy day (reminded me of my time in Lubbock) in December when Raphael and Melinda married. The temperature dipped as the clouds settled into an overcast day.

Lucky, the reception was just a short walking distance from the ceremony. Friends and family gathered early to help with decorations and food.

Melinda was resplendent in her wedding gown. She donned her something blue, borrowed, old and new. She realized, after getting her jewelry and hair clips into place that the look was missing something, earrings. She was about to borrow some earrings from her mom when Raphael gifted her a set of stunning diamond studs.

The couple had a beautiful ceremony in their family church full of tears, laughter and beaming smiles. As if blessed on their wedding day, the clouds parted for a short while and the sun shown brilliantly onto the couple and their wedding party during photos.

As the day progressed into evening, the couple sang, danced and laughed with their friends and family. The evening ended with a grand bubble exit right into the waiting arms of a limo to sweep the couple into their long, happy life together as husband and wife.

Congratulations Raphael & Melinda!

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Vendors

Private last dance at your wedding

As a wedding photographer, I’ve seen trends come and go. One of the latest trends making its rounds in the wedding circuit is the private last dance.

It’s exactly what you would think it is. At the end of your wedding reception, as guests are instructed to head outside to set up for your grand exit, you and your spouse are in the venue having one last dance. It’s just you two, the DJ or band and your photographer left.

Obviously it’s not completely private. Because the only other people left are wedding vendors it feels private.

There are many things I love about the private last dance. Getting to see the last bits of quiet intimacy between the happy couple before they join the bustling real world. I love that these precious moments spent between the couple also give the wedding party time to set up. It feels like a well oiled machine. Everything is timed so nicely for the couple. After their dance they walk right out to their getaway car to end their magical night.

What are your thoughts? Would you have a private last dance at your wedding?

Katy Texas Wedding Photography

 

Remembering loved ones at your wedding

Today is the day of my good friend & mentor’s funeral service, the man who helped mold me into the photographer I am today. Every time I lay on the ground to take a photo or climb into a tree or something to get a different perspective, I’m reminded of him.

I wanted to talk about having a place for the dead at your wedding. I know it sounds a bit morbid, but I think it’s one of the sweetest gestures. We must remember our past to know where we’re going.

The easiest way to remember loved ones at your wedding is to dedicate a table or alter to photos of them. Let’s think about some other, more unique ways to remember them.

Offer their favorite food or drink. You could offer it as one of the options at your bar. If your loved one had a favorite food or flavor, you could offer this as an option at your wedding.

You could wear something of theirs. Maybe it’s a bobble in your bouquet, or something like a watch or cuff link. Tie something to the inside of your dress or wear their hat.

Save them a seat at your wedding ceremony and/or reception. You could put up a reserved sign at their seat with their picture. You could even go as far as setting a plate at their seat and leaving a glass of their favorite drink there.

Release butterflies at your wedding. It’s been believed for a long time that butterflies are often signs from deceased loved ones. Since your loved one is now freed from their physical restrictions, they are able to manifest a part of their energy into insects and small animals. Just make sure to do research before buying live animals to release. If your wedding is during a time where it could be harmful for them, maybe consider doing something different.

Play their song. Did they have a favorite song, or a wedding song that was special to them? Make sure to tell your DJ to play the song. You could even have a special dance in remembrance.

What are some other unique ways to remember your loved ones?

Will & Arden’s Bowery House Wedding

Will & Arden’s wedding at the Bowery House in Katy, TX.

The entire week leading up to Will and Arden’s wedding was filled with dark rain clouds and pounding rain. The day of their wedding, Mother Nature showed her romantic side and brought forth the shining sun. I will continue to sing my praises to Mother Nature for allowing me to photograph a stunning wedding with the sun shining.

The Bowery House was such a perfect venue for the happy couple to share their vows (and like the romantic journal, their vows were so sweet). Will and Arden are bubbly, romantic and such a unique couple. The venue was soft and romantic on the green where the ceremony was held. I was particularly drawn to the way the tree at the alter made an arch. It was like the magic of the Fey blessing the venue. It’s 3 story urban brick building reminds me of an open air train station on the bottom, an elegant reception hall on the second floor and a whimsical roof lounge on the top.

Will gave Arden a journal on their wedding day. The journal was filled with entries the week leading up to their engagement. Will wrote in the journal every day leading up to the day he proposed to Arden. I was CRUSHED when I read this. This is the sweetest thing I’ve ever had the privilege of photographing. Between me and Andy, I’m definitely not the romantic one… but this, this made my heart squeeze.

After the ceremony, the happy couple danced well into the night surrounded by so many loving friends and family. Though they did cut a cake, they chose to offer Shipley’s donuts to their guests in leu of cake. To say I was obsessed, is an understatement. Shipley Donuts > KrispyKreme (fight me).

At the end of the night, the wedding guests sent the couple off with a long sparkler exit. The party didn’t stop there, though. The get-away car took the couple to a second location for the after-party of the century.

Congratulations to Will & Arden on their happy marriage!!

 

 

Vendors:

Venue: The Bowery House

Wedding Planner: SB and Co

Photographer: Kelly Urban Photography

Flowers: Petals by Design

Videography: J Ernest Media

Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal

DJ: Alfonso Jaime

Leighton & Heather’s Galveston Engagement Portraits

There is a unique place as your heading out to Galveston that I have wanted to stop at and take photos for a while now. I was so excited when Leighton and Heather agreed to be my guinea pigs. So, before heading to the beach, I met up with the couple at the marshes.

When we got to the beach, I found out that Leighton & Heather could dance. When I say dance, I mean intense quasi-acrobatic swing-dancing. They showed me their sweet, sweet dance moves (which I captured) then we walked down to the jetties, which I’ve been intrigued about for a while now. There, I got into some trouble with the lifeguard because I kept standing where I wasn’t supposed to stand, and I asked Leighton and Heather to stand where they weren’t supposed to… who knew there were so many rules around the jetties?

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A Southwest Houston wedding photographer
Richmond, TX
kelly@kellyurbanphotography.comKelly Urban Photography

A Southwest Houston wedding photographer
Richmond, TX

A Southwest Houston wedding photographer
Richmond, TX
kelly@kellyurbanphotography.comKelly Urban Photography

A Houston wedding photographer