Jenna Cole Photography-Chicago, IL » texas

Wedding: Natalie and Jeramy, Pt. I

Jenna — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:37:45 +0000

Natalie and Jeramy were married on a sunny, slightly windy, Friday in June. You’ve seen them on Jenna Cole before, as they did an engagement session in Deep Ellum with me and brought their sweet puppy with them. They were married at Paradise Cove in Westlake, Texas, with a wedding day that can be described as wonderfully Texan in so many ways. What a delight it was to spend the day with them!

Venue: Paradise Cove

Officiant: Jim Dunn

Florist: Lakeside Florist

DJ: David Mayo

Cake: Elegant Cakery

When the coordinator delivered a gift wrapped in pink for Natalie from Jeramy I was expecting perfume, jewelry, you know something typical…

I did not expect her to pull these sunglasses out of this box! She said she was going to wear them down the aisle and I got excited (she didn’t though ).

This sweet junior bridesmaid painted her nails extra special in order of Natalie and Jeramy.

The moment when the bride slips on her dress is one of my favorites of the day.

Natalie stayed sequestered in her dressing room to make sure she wasn’t seen, but I was able to track down Jeramy and get him outside for some portraits.

This view is the reason why brides choose to marry at Paradise Cove (one other reason must be the coordinators as they were particularly awesome!).

Natalie alternated between beaming and floating down the aisle.

One reason I loved the coordinators at Paradise Cove was how efficiently they handled the timeline and kept the day flowing. After the ceremony they ushered Natalie and Jeramy into this little alcove, and sent guests up toward the reception. It really helped us get to our portraits quickly which was extremely important as we didn’t have much time before the sun set completely.

The bridesmaids hate windy days because their hair and skirts fly all over. I like them because they make the photos exciting.

Ah, portrait time. Hooray! I’ve had some weddings with a very limited amount of time for portraits and I kept thanking Natalie and Jeramy for the amount of time they gave me. I also thanked them for how natural and relaxed they were in front of the camera. The secret to great wedding day portraits for the bride and groom is just forgetting that the camera is there and enjoying each others company.

I was in love with this majestic tree.

THAT SHOT! My favorite from the batch. Natalie, you’re smokin’.

Every wedding at Paradise Cove needs a dramatic sunset shot.

The happy couple are due back from their honeymoon tomorrow and I wanted to have this post up for their return. Welcome back you two!

Pt II, the reception, will be posted on Monday.

Solo Sitting: Sutton

Jenna — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:30:02 +0000

Before this session Sutton told me “I’m not very photogenic so be prepared.”

Ha! Probably my best session yet. Can we do it again?

I used my brand new 135 2.0 lens for this session. Isn’t it dreamy?

Engagement: Denise and Josh

Jenna — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:30:21 +0000

Denise and Josh met me at one of my new favorite spots in Dallas, Dragon Park. They told me they would be bringing their dog along for the session and I quickly realized that this wasn’t just their dog, it was their dog-child. A ball of energy bundled up in a 70 lb English Bulldog named Stanley. It was only natural that Stanley should come, as he was an integral part of their engagement, trotting over to Denise with a box, within a box, within a box, with a ring inside (Josh packaged it up extra secure in case Stanley tried to eat it!). We started this session at Dragon Park and then moved over to the Reverchon Park area to finish the evening.

These two are some of the most relaxed couples I’ve ever met. I won’t be shooting their wedding, as they are heading off to Vegas at the end of July with a few close friends. Denise must love Josh a whole lot because she is letting him get away with no official wedding photographer! I told him that wouldn’t have been something I ever agreed to for my own wedding, but it’s the kind of ceremony and celebration that will be the perfect fit for these two.

They met when Denise was working at a bank. She admits to stalking Josh a bit, waiting for him to come in to work each day. When they ran into each other while out on the town one night. She offered him her phone number, and confided in her friends that very night that she was sure they would get married one day!

Meet Stanley. I didn’t ever offer to hold his leash because I wasn’t sure I could keep him from pulling me over. He’s so big and so energetic!

I am not sure I’ve ever seen eyes as bright and blue as Denise’s are. I assure you, this was not the result of any special photo editing, I’m not even sure my camera really did them justice.

THAT SHOT!

Everyone needs a good quality shot for the newspaper, right?

What did I tell you about those blue eyes?

Denise and Josh,

I so enjoyed getting to know all three of you! Good luck on all of your home building adventures, and if you end up changing your mind about a wedding photographer in Vegas you know right where to find me.

Best,

Jenna

Teaser: The E-Session with the Giant English Bulldog

Jenna — Thu, 20 May 2010 23:29:02 +0000

Everyone had a chance to have a personal portrait done at this engagement session…

Even Stanley the English Bulldog.

Engagement: Natalie and Jeramy

Jenna — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:02:46 +0000

Natalie and Jeramy were the first engagement session I’ve photographed in months, and the last I’ll do before baby comes. I have this couple to thank for sending me into my maternity leave with a bang, I loved working with them! I’ll see Natalie again in May for her bridal session, and I’ll spend June 11th of this year with both of them as it’s the day they are set to get married!

We did this session at one of my favorite locations, Deep Ellum. I’ve been there several times over the course of my one year career (it’s Jenna Cole’s one year anniversary this month!) and I always find new spots to explore and use when I visit.

They brought their dog Luke along for the photos. I really enjoyed all of the funny faces he made.

Jeramy has a really terrific smile, and he displays it readily.

Love that tongue!

THAT SHOT!

How did I get Natalie to smile like this? At first I asked her to think about her wedding day, which got me a bit more of a nervous smile (I think she still has a lot of planning to do!) The secret? I told her to think about how she’ll feel when the wedding is over and they are getting on the plane for their tropical honeymoon. I think she’s excited about it!

I have a feeling that this is going to become a new favorite engagement photo pose of mine.

SOOC:

Fine Art Edit:

I asked the couple if they wanted to do a “street shot”, dashing out into traffic and grabbing something with a bit of the skyline in the background. We were almost hit by a bus to get this one but we laughed so hard while doing it that I think it was worth it.

I like to try to get at least one headshot of each person at each session. Who doesn’t want a good headshot of themselves to use?

These two got a little bit lovey-dovey as the light faded. This wall used to be electric yellow but I like this green color a lot better. That’s another reason why I love Deep Ellum, the walls are constantly changing and I never know what to expect when I show up with my clients.

Natalie has a beautiful, simple solitare.

As we walked back to the car I decided to have a little fun with the flash I had packed along. For the photogs reading this, these were done with my flash on camera, with a diffuser, and the flash head pointed at about my 2 o’clock, over Natalie’s right shoulder. Thanks to the couple for letting me play a little bit!

Natalie and Jeramy,

I had such a wonderful time with you. Thanks for being patient during my bathroom breaks and all of my moaning and grunting as I hauled my 8.5 month pregnant self up off the ground.

It’s going to be a fabulous wedding, I can tell.

Best,

Jenna