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Fall in love at The Dallas Arboretum

Fall in love at The Arboretum, Chase & Rachel did and Thisbe Grace photographed every sweet moment. From cobble pathways to fountain courtyards full of fall foliage and flowers, The Dallas Arboretum never ceases to offer a setting worth capturing with love. Let the suns rays peer through the trees and warm you as you stroll hand in hand, kissing at every turn. 

Engagement Photos at the State Fair

It’s the beginning of fall in many areas of the country. For those of us from Texas, fall means the Fair, and that means The State Fair of Texas! With visions of cotton candy, corn-on-the-cob, tasty treats, and this year “fried bubblegum,” we came across these engagement photos at a fair by Meg Perotti.

They’re a complement to our recent engagement photos at a miniature golf place.

We even have a featured wedding that includes a stop at an amusement park.

We’ve said it many times before. We love that couples are encouraged and supported in their desire to create a wedding experience that truly speaks to their passion and personalities.

Engagement Photos – Let’s Play Miniature Golf

Photographer Jeremy Lawson from Chicago took these very fun engagement photos of Heather and Chris at miniature golf.

A quote from one of Jeremy’s clients says … “Jeremy was absolutely terrific at making us feel like rock stars for our engagement shoot and on our wedding day! He took every opportunity to make our wedding day amazing, kept us laughing when things got zooey, and his energy was boundless. From the moment he arrived to the hotel before the big show, he blended in like a friend, an 11th bridal party member, a long-lost (and funny as heck) cousin. He made not only photos — but unforgettable moments — out of scenes both expected (the family by the pretty pond, the bridal party gathered in the church) — and completely unexpected…”

“Jeremy captured the dramatic emotions, the quiet moments, the simple smirks, and the hearty laughter in his photographs of our wedding. He found unusual backgrounds that added dynamic lines and colors to the images. His great sense of humor not only calmed a bride’s nerves but also made the photo shoot entertaining. Every time we look back through our wedding photographs we re-live the evening moment by moment because Jeremy paid attention to every precious detail. He knows how to capture the personalities on film! We feel honored to have had Jeremy document the most special day in our lives.”

Featured Chicago Engagement Photographer: Exposing the true personality of the bride & groom

With some people you just have an immediate bond. That’s how we felt when we first talked to Jai Girard about becoming one of our Chicago Wedding photography partners.

Jai, the person, is as beautiful as the art that she creates. And, to us, and to her brides, what Jai creates with her photography IS a work of art. She has the gift of making her brides, and even us non-brides, feel like you are the center of her focus. It’s all about you! And it shows in the exquisite wedding and engagement photos that she shares so generously with StrictlyWeddings.com.

So enjoy this sampling of just a few of Jai’s Engagement Photos. They’re fun, dramatic, unique and all show off the artistic touch of Jai Girard.

Love Amidst the Snow

Wedding engagement photos have become so much more creative and in line with the couple’s personality over the last few years. It’s so nice to see such expression.

In honor of our wintery weather that keeps blanketing a large part of our country in snow, we found these lovely photos of a couple from Michigan on Junebugweddings.com.

Can you think of other fun ideas for an engagement photo theme in the winter? Ice skating? Hockey? Skiing?

New Trends in Wedding Photography

The stiff group portraits that were the standard in wedding photography for generations have become the exception rather than the norm. Here’s a little inspiration for your wedding photographs.

Wedding photography taken in unusual places is one of the hottest rising trends in weddings. Many of these pictures are taken as engagement photos before the wedding, but they are nothing like the posed studio shots of old. Urban backgrounds are particularly popular, ranging from black and white photos set against a towering city skyline to gritty scenes in front of graffitied brick walls. For couples who do not live in a city, popular backgrounds include seasides, natural locations, and even places like carnivals and zoos. These settings are also gaining popularity for day-of-wedding photography; the contrast between the wild setting and the bride in her exquisite bridal gown, veil, and wedding jewelry makes for an interesting juxtaposition which gives the pictures an edgy quality.

Another trend in wedding photography is to make pictures a part of the event itself, rather than just something to look over weeks later. The rise in digital photography has made this possible. For instance, you might have the photographer use the photos he took during the wedding ceremony and cocktail hour to project as a slideshow onto a wall during the reception. Digital photo booths are finding popularity instead of traditional wedding favors. The guests can go into the booth and have their pictures taken as an instant keepsake of the day. Some of the photo booths will even have a monitor on the outside which will show all of the pictures taken during the reception as a slideshow for everyone to enjoy. An added bonus is that the newlyweds can get a copy of all of their guests’s pictures burned on a disc for them to have as a souvenir.

Pictured here: Gina Cristine Photography out of Chicago shared these photos of friends of hers. Carolyn and Pat knew each other in high school and re-met at the Chicago South Side Irish Parade. Their first date was bike riding at the spot were these engagement photos were taken. Pat asked Carolyn to marry him in front of Chicago’s Buckingham fountain and they celebrate with drinks and chocolate covered strawberries at The Drake Hotel in Chicago.