Hi Friends! How are you today!? I wanted to share something insightful about weddings. This was shared at Stillwater Community Connection, a local information hub for small businesses in town. Thanks Sherry for having me as a guest blogger. ♥

As wedding photographers, a large part of our job is planning out the different types of photos on a wedding day. Within this mixture of formal and candid pictures there is a series of photos we always encourage: first glance photos. The first glance or first look is the first time that the Bride and Groom see each other in their wedding attire on their wedding day. These photos are obviously taken just before the ceremony and somewhere where the couple can be completely alone (as the photographers we are invisible as much as possible).

Placing tradition to the side for a moment, there are several reasons why we encourage this series of photos. First, this may be the only time for the Bride and Groom to be completely alone together on their wedding day and it allows them to more fully experience the excitement of seeing each other for the first time. The ritual of the ceremony along with everyone watching can almost be overwhelming to some couples. This extra time can help bolster nerves and create a pivotal and intimate moment to talk one last time before becoming husband and wife. Second, this is actually the most ideal time for couple photos. The Bride and Groom have just finished getting ready and look their best. Also, it is much easier to allot time before the ceremony than to break away from the congratulating crowd of family and friends afterwards. Lastly, these photos are easily some of the best photos of the day. The bride and groom are genuinely anxious and excited to see each other…the smiles, and tears, and laughter are very real.

We are the ones that coordinate the whole affair. At some weddings we have picked a spot where we know there shouldn’t be any guests and at others we clearly inform everyone not to enter the area. We always have the groom wait with his back turned while the bride sneaks up behind. This gives it a more suspenseful feeling. I love to watch the groom’s anxious expression and the excited look on both their faces when the bride taps him on the shoulder.

Now you may be surprised to hear that first glance photos are quickly becoming popular and almost all of my brides agree to them. I realize that all of this flies in the face of tradition and some would even cry blasphemy at the mere thought that I would even suggest to a Bride and Groom to see each other before the ceremony! Truthfully, all I do is lay out my feelings regarding it to my clients. In the end, it is merely a suggestion and it’s ALWAYS up to the bride to make the final decisions. Some brides may be worried that first glance photos will trivialize the moment when the groom first sees her walk down the aisle. On the contrary, I believe having that alone time before the ceremony relaxes the couple and enables them to appreciate the moment more…more fully experiencing having family and friends watch you descend the aisle and be given away to your handsome husband. I think that this moment still remains equally as special but the most important thing is for the bride to be happy.

And trust me, even when the couple opts for the first glance, there will still be some butterflies and jitters in the tummy. That’s just love, excitement, and a happily ever after! ♥ To discover more wedding ideas make sure to explore our website and blog. ♥

Happy Monday everyone! While you start making your holiday wishlists and settle down with a leftover turkey sandwich, I have a super sweet couple to share with all of you! Meet Brian and Angelica. :) They started off as classmates…then best friends…then dating…and now they’re on their way to a happily ever after. And from the way they look at each other, I can tell it’s a love that will grow each passing day.

One summer Angelica went back to Mexico too see her family. Brian saw this as the perfect opportunity to pop the question while including her family during this joyous time. Angelica toured Brian around the campus where she studied for her undergrad and she was sharing one of her favourite spots with him. As they traversed the walkway around the library Brian got down on one knee to pop the question and Angelica tried to get him to stand up since she was pretty shy and didn’t see this coming. Of course she made sure to say Yes as she convinced him to get up. Brian picked out the ring himself and he actually fell in love with it as soon as he saw it.

Angelica actually loves books but it would have been a shame being cooped up inside on a day like this. The weather was perfect for strolling around the campus pond and relaxing under the trees of library lawn. Also we had time to go to the lake and had some fun with the leaves, it’s fall after all!

We even caught a glimpse of a family of deer who seemed to be enjoying the weather just like us. And finally the sun decided to shine as it slowly set on the horizon. These two were so sweet throughout the session, I loved it! ♥

Tata for now. Make sure to visit their Event Page for more sweet e-session photos and I hope you enjoy your week!

Happiest Friday friends! I know we just celebrated Thanksgiving here in the US yesterday but I think it’s important to be thankful everyday anyway. I’m sure I will have a long list of people like fans, friends, clients, and families to be thankful for. I thank YOU all and I could never thank you enough for sure…for having faith in our photography and for letting us live our dreams! Thank you from the bottom of our ♥ ♥ {Scott + Mine}. And most of all, thank you God for everyday!

These gifts are actually camera key chains that Emi brought from Japan last month during her family visit. They make noise and flashes when you press the shutter release, how cool is that!? I love it! Well friends, have a wonderful weekend and I’ll be posting Brian & Angelica‘s e-session on Monday so check back soon!

Oh my, we have been going crazy over here waiting to post the sneak peek of this e-session! It didn’t all come together until the last minute but when it did we knew it was perfect for Patrick and Ally. It definitely helps that this couple is fun, happy, and oh so in love! ♥ We all wanted to take advantage of what is most likely the last weekend of fall leaves. And from our experience on Sunday I would also guess the last warm day.

And hey even their adorable dog Harley joined in the fun for a bit. Ahhh love that beautiful sunshine on them! ♥

Patrick is in the Air Force and we took some quick photos at the Air Base. So sweeeet!

I can’t seem to get enough of these two! We had so much fun running around Enid for this shoot. Make sure to check back in two weeks to hear their love story, it is absolutely beautiful! Happy Hump Day y’all! ;)

It’s not very often I get to say this to my internet friends but Happy Tuesday everyone! We’ve been so jammed packed with photo sessions this fall that I’m having to squeeze this post in on a Tuesday. :) I wish I had medals for my clients because Jennifer and her family would have been finalists for sure. They valiantly braved 41°F (5°C) cold and dreary weather to take some fun fall family photos.

And of course I can’t resist but post more photos of her kiddos. Grayson, Kennedy, and Ainsley were having so much fun just rolling on the leaves. ;) Awww little Ainsley even smiled for the camera! Love!

Truthfully, we weren’t sure how long all of us would last but this family brought along plenty of their own sunshine and smiles. I can’t wait to show some more great pics in two weeks (there’s some really cute ones). And don’t go too far ’cause we have another fall e-session sneak peak for you tomorrow. ;)

Happy Monday Everyone! I know everyone here in the States is looking forward to family and friends coming together this weekend for Thanksgiving. So, I have a great way to start out the week – with this sweet family and their adorable daughters Charlie and Maddie! This family is special to us because they’ve been with us pretty much since our beginning and we’ve been watching them pretty much from their beginning too. ♥ It’s surreal thinking back to when we captured them in this very same place when they were only 7 months. Then we caught up with them again at their first birthday. And now look at them – they’re running around!

These two found this bridge that is just their size. I think they could have played all day…perfecting the best way to climb up and slide off. :)

Maddie would pull out the plant signs and their dad Jeremy, would promptly put it back. Then Maddie would pull it out again and hand it to Jeremy. Charlie & Maddie are always a blast to play with. They would pick up twigs and stones off the ground and either present them as a gift or boldly declare it “Yuck!” Scott and I have been saying the same to each other since that day. LOL ;)

The botanical gardens is always a hit with kids – looks like Charlie is even doing a happy dance.

As the evening drew on and the sunlight began to fade we headed over to the trees to enjoy the fall season and children’s laughter.

Charlie is so sweet! She was even in the mood to give her Mom Katie and twin sister Maddie hugs. *Huuuuugs* ♥

Awww, I miss these two already just looking through the photos. I hope we’ll be sharing more of their adventures in the future. Until then make sure to check out the slideshow on their Event Page and have a great week!

Happy Friday everyone, I have a fun engagement session to share with a sweet story. When we first meet Sean and Rachael they let us in on the fact they actually have a competitive side. We all thought it would be fun to incorporate it into the photoshoot. So it was decided: this couple would be duking it out at…the minigolf course! When Saturday afternoon rolled around it was cloudy and windy and cold but bless these two ’cause they weren’t gonna let the weather get in the way.

For Sean and Rachael it was love at first sight…but there’s a twist. In order to get into the PHD psychology program, Sean went through an interview process. He instantly noticed this girl interviewing with him. They spoke briefly and he was anxious to see if they would end up in any classes together. As the school year began, he was heartbroken to find out that she didn’t join the program :( He never thought to ask for her full name and couldn’t find her. He even confided with a friend and made the bold assertion that this was the girl he was going to marry. When all hope of meeting again seemed lost, there she was! Rachael joined the program the following semester! It was love at first sight…but they weren’t destined to be together until the following sem. What heart-wrenching games fate can play!

Back to our day, the minigolf game began with typical competitive spirit, but as the afternoon drew on and it seemed only to be getting colder. They decided to call it a draw this one time and we headed over to the pond for more laid back photos. I gave them the quilt just to keep them warm as we tested the light, but we just couldn’t resist snapping a few shots. They are just too adorable together. ♥

As the days passed in their PHD program together, they found eachother spending more and more time together. On one fateful day, Sean presented Rachael with a promise ring with the bold declaration, “Rachael, I’m in love with you and I’m going to marry you.” From what I gathered, utterly taken by surprise, Rachael had to draw upon all of her training to keep herself together. But for Rachael, Sean is her first love and these soul mates are meant to live happily ever after.

We learned from Sean to never give up hope, and we were hoping for sun! At the last minute, the sun came out to play and graced us with it’s warm glow before it set.

Ah I love this last photo with the glowing sun on their faces. I love these natural flares! ♥ Make sure to visit their Event Page for more of their fun e-session photos. ;) Happiest Friday! And I hope you enjoy your weekend.

Oh dearest me! November is as busy as it can be! A lot of work but still a lot of fun. ;) Despite the busy schedules we have, we love that we get to meet new clients who later become our friends. I think that is neat! Scott and I being from different countries don’t really have many friends here in the States. So hooray to our clients for being friendly, yay! I think it is cool that we get to have friends online too, like on Facebook and through the blog. ♥ Thank you all for being wonderful. I wish I could meet you all someday!

I am over the moon that one of our weddings was featured last week at Times Two Hearts. The lovely Lizzie featured Kevin & Hannah’s wedding in two parts ~ Part 1 & Part 2. How cool is that!? And she actually blogged about opting for a First Look or First Glance which was insightful and Kevin & Hannah’s first look was on that page too. Do stop by and say Hi to her and check out her newly designed blog, it’s pretty sweeeet! Happy Hump Day y’all!

Happy Monday everyone and it’s another sneeeeak peeeek day! Yay! This couple we photographed yesterday is so sweet. Brian is from the cold state of Nebraska and Angelica from the warm country of Mexico. We started off on the University grounds and later headed to the outskirts of town to a lake and the surrounding woodsy area.

And OMG! we were so happily surprised that they brought along their new puppy Rugie. She is such a cute and sweet puppy. You couldn’t find a more perfect fit for Brian and Angelica! ♥

The temperature was just right for fall and the leaves were so beautiful…just like Angelica’s sweet face. I can’t wait to show you the rest of their fun fall e-session and tell you their love story, so make sure to check back in two weeks. Hasta Luego!

Happy Friday Y’all! Well, two Saturday’s ago we took some sweet engagement pictures in front of an Italian restaurant here in Stillwater. It happened to be homecoming (which is a very big deal) but it was an even more special day for Jessica & Scott: it was the anniversary of their blind date at this very restaurant! I’m sure it brought back many fond memories and it was so much fun listening to their love story.

They were introduced through friends and live in a city 45 minutes from Stillwater. Scott showed up to pick her up and hadn’t made dinner plans yet. They decided to get out of town and headed down to Stillwater and have dinner at Joseppi’s Italian Restaurant. Jessica wasn’t sold on the idea of a blind date at the time but as days passed they found themselves talking almost every day! ♥

Scott may not come off as the Romantic type but he planned out the engagement for two whole months! They took a trip together to visit some family in Ohio and headed up with them to Niagara Falls on July 5th. They were all standing on the lookout by Maid of the Mist on the Canadian side watching the majesty of the falls. Scott stepped back and said he was going to take a photo of her watching the falls. This was a typical request and Jessica thought nothing of it. Then at the call of her name she turned around and found Scott kneeling on one knee. He asked her to marry him…and she said “Are you kidding me!?” LOL, she eventually said ‘Yes’ of course!

Scott is a process operator at a oil refinery and volunteer firefighter. Jessica is a grade school teacher. This summer they went to Disney World and bought Mickey and Minnie wedding hats :) Aren’t they so cute together!? We finished the session taking photos around OSU, Scott is a huge football fan! And they were actually going to watch the football game that afternoon so he was pretty psyched!

We also had time to look at some huge homecoming walls made out of crepe papers. Some were pretty creative like that vintage bike! Check out their Event Page to see more of their engagement photos. ♥ Have a fun weekend!