Ashley in W.G. Jones State Park in Conroe, Texas

Lately i’ve been attempting to do more model calls & styled sessions of concepts & ideas that I have, which has been fulfilling to my soul. This allows my mind to wander & have creative freedom, which is always something I try to allow myself to have time for & be able to do. Plus, ever since I’ve been in this new place it’s great to try out new locations I find, which this is one of those places! W. G. Jones State Park is in Conroe, Texas & is truly a hidden gem amongst the city that surrounds it, you have the tall pine trees everywhere you look, nature & greenery is so full you can get lost. If you’re looking for a forest location for your next photoshoot, then I highly recommended W.G. Jones State Park!

One day I was adventuring to a thrift store in Conroe, whenever I found the prettiest crocheted lime green & pink shawl, I assume this is what it’s meant for… but it was from the early 2000’s (if you know me you know I’m a sucker for y2k). After my thrifting adventures I decided I wanted to have a model call with this shawl & go to the park I had been admiring. So I did just that! Ashley had responded to my post & we planned everything out & when the day arrived we got to work! I loved the idea of moving around, having a dreamy/film look to the session & photos, & Ashley just modeled perfectly! The vision was being brought to life & I was ecstatic to edit the photos!

As a photographer it’s important to allow your thoughts/visions roam freely! Which is something I have to remind myself to do more often all the time. Whenever I first started photography, I did these fun photo shoots with friends all the time & as time goes on in the industry I think we tend to forget where we started or maybe we just get too busy to realize we have the extra time. OR maybe we acknowledge it all & have zero motivation to do it, well I’m here to tell you to TRY & get out of that mindset, because I was in that fog for almost 2 years. Quite frankly it’s not fun (if anything it’s more fun to do what you want!) & it’s important to bring your visions to life!

Tabitha's Grad Session at The University of Texas in Austin, Texas.

Tabitha’s College Grad Session was such a wonderful day!

If there’s anything about me I love catching up with past clients on life & what’s been going on (which Tabitha was a past high school senior rep of EMP, so it’s a full circle moment), taking pictures on a beautiful Texas day, when everything just works out perfectly, & the sunset changes colors… all of those things I love happened for us this day! We were so lucky & Tabitha was so stunning & her outfits are just spot on! We first started the session in Downtown Austin with pictures & her 21st Birthday balloons - Tabitha is about to get her Bachelors Degree this Spring & just turned 21, truly an icon! I was obsessed with her pink bow birthday dress too! She decided to do her first two outfits for the session in the city before we headed to her college, The University of Texas in Austin, yee haw! It was definitely a much busier Wednesday evening than we expected, but everything just worked out & we got all the pictures in the spots Tabitha liked, so YAY! The sunset & last part of the session was truly a movie moment! The sky was turning pink & orange, which is always my favorite part of the sunset & I decided to use my camera flash for some of the pictures, because it got a bit dark out & they ended up being so CUTE & some of my personal favorites!!! It’s giving me paparazzi vibes & it’s something I’m going to start incorporating within my sessions, because I love it ✨ It’s always so fulfilling & wholesome to have good session days like these & makes me feel so thankful to have such loyal clients, so thank you Tabitha for letting me capture your beautiful memories! 🫶🏼🥲🌞

I had to get Mom in there for a picture!

The Texas Capitol in the distance & the colors of the sky 🤩

How to navigate how many hours you need your wedding photographer on your wedding day!

When it comes time to booking your wedding vendors - more specifically your wedding photographer it’s important to understand their pricing, packages, & how they photograph a wedding day.

So, I want to give y’all insight & speak a bit for myself as I have found that offering hourly coverage works better for my clients better than offering the typical 8 hour package or all day coverage that other photographers might offer.

It’s important to me that I’m intentional with my time when I’m photographing any wedding day & I only want to photograph what’s important to you & your partner on y’all’s special day. Every couple is different & so are all wedding days! This is important to remember, because this day should be all about how you want to spend it with the one you love & the people around y’all. Whether you have a traditional wedding, an intimate wedding, or an elopement, it’s important to envision the day & start curating a rough timeline, so you have an idea on how the day will flow. As this will help you going into reaching out to your photographer & other vendors.

Here’s 3 things you should take into consideration;

1. Take time for yourself! It will be KEY to have wiggle room within the day to breathe/decompress, eat, use the restroom, & take in all the moments!

2. The sunset time! This will be important to figure out as your photographer will be taking the natural light into consideration, plus you can plan the events of your day around the sunset, which is KEY, because you’ll want to have time for photos after your ceremony ends, before the sun sets (reminder!! daylight savings happens in March 2024 & November 2024) You’ll want to factor in at least an hour for family portraits, bridal party portraits (if you don’t have a bridal party this could add anywhere from 10-20 minutes), & your newlywed portraits!

3. Your exit time! Depending on how long you plan on celebrating on your wedding night, it’ll be important to finalize whether you want you photographer there with you to capture all the reception dance floor moments OR you can opt for an early faux exit with immediate family, friends & or bridal party!

TIP: If you’re planning a traditional wedding have your wedding photographer arrive to your getting ready location anywhere from 90 minutes-3 hours before your ceremony begins! Some things to take into consideration; details photos/flat lay photos, getting ready photos, the bridal party with the bride & groom with his groomsmen photos, individual portraits with the bride & groom separately, any first looks, & detail photos of the ceremony space. If you’re traveling to a church for your ceremony, take travel time in mind.

Most EMP couples book anywhere 5 to 8.5 hours of coverage on their wedding days.

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Here’s an example 7 hour timeline!

Let’s say you’re having more of a Traditional Wedding in October & the sunsets at around 6:55 p.m. then.

3:00 p.m. - Photography Coverage begins, Details of Venue & the day!

3:30 p.m. - Getting into wedding attire & Individual Portraits.

4:00 p.m. - You can do; Bride & Bridesmaid Photos, Groom & Groomsmen Photos. First Look with partner, bridal party, or anyone special to you. Possibly even Immediate Family Photos. Truly whatever you want in this time.

4:30 p.m. - Tuck away until ceremony begins, Details of Ceremony Space & Reception Space (if set)

5:00 p.m. - Ceremony Begins.

5:30 p.m. - Ceremony Ends & Cocktail Hour Begins.

5:35 p.m. - Family Photos Begin.

5:50 p.m.- Full Bridal Party Photos.

6:05 p.m. - Newlywed Portraits.

6:35 p.m. - Bride gets bustled, newlyweds join cocktail hour, or have a moment to breathe!

7:00 p.m. - Grand Entrance, go into First Dance as Newlyweds, & any other special dances, into dinner being served.

8:00 p.m. - Toasts & Cake Cutting.

8:20 p.m. - The dance floor opens & party begins!

9:00 p.m - Bouquet Toss & Garter Toss (Some couples tend to opt out on this)

~ you can add fun things in the mix here ~

9:50 p.m. - Private Last Dance.

10:00 p.m. - Grand Exit & Photography Coverage is over.

Hopefully everything in this helped any brides to be out there & hope this gives more insight to how I help plan & curate my wedding timelines for my clients!