senior portrait Archives

Dec

Styled Senior Portrait Session

On the way to her senior session photo shoot, Kelsey and her mom were a little unsure as to what to expect, so they made fun of the silly poses they imagined I might make Kelsey do. The poked their index fingers into their cheeks and said “cheese.” They laid their faces in the palm of their hands as they gently titled their heads to one side. After the shoot had concluded, we had a good laugh as they confessed they were both relieved we had done NONE of these shots.

Kesley is a natural beauty who likes to relax and relieve stress by playing video games… Legend of Zelda to be exact. Kelsey most identifies with a character in the game called Link. But, don’t let the gamer in Kelsey fool you. She is no slacker. On the morning of the shoot and as her mom stood beside her in a Texas Longhorn’s sweatshirt, Kelsey told me she had recently applied to the University of Texas and was hopeful she’d be accepted.

Good luck Kelsey and thank you very much for the opportunity to capture the beginning of your future! Hook ’em Horns!

Click to see my complete senior portfolio.

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I started Ata-Girl Photography Co. in 2010 and I am a San Antonio based wedding photographer who is available for destination weddings. In addition to wedding photography, I also specialize in San Antonio senior portraits and senior portraits for high school seniors in the surrounding areas. I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I enjoy watching my daughter play softball, hiking, cycling and listening to Elvis!

Nov

Great Country Senior Session

Kayla took me on my first EVER photo shoot that involved poop–cow poop to be exact. In her second of four mini senior sessions, she wanted to include Ginger–her steer! (Yes, I was also confused. However, Kayla explained to me that she named HIM based on his color, not his sex.) Kayla wanted to take Ginger outside, but Ginger didn’t really want to go. So, he stopped… in his tracks. Kayla asked me to poke his hind end to get him moving along… this is where the poop came in. I am a country girl; I was raised on a farm, but I’d like to remind everyone to LOOK before poking a steer in the rear. (Ha. Rhyme.) Making camera adjustments and poking a steer at the same time is NOT a good idea. (Thank you, sweet baby Jesus, for hand sanitizer!)

Next, we headed south. I had a surprise up my sleeve for this beautiful and bubbly senior girl. She had requested that we shoot some images at an old, rusty Mission Ice truck that I sometimes use in my sessions. But, my last two seniors shot there and I wanted to give Kayla something new… and shiny… and bright. So, I worked a deal out with my baby brother to use his 1954 Ford F100. And the images turned out new… and shiny… and bright. We shot them just as the sun was setting and the light was most magical.

Kayla is a runner and a darn good one! This next spring, will be the last chance I will have to see her rounding the track. Kayla is heading to Texas Tech (Go, Red Raiders!) next fall. I can’t wait for Kayla’s next two mini senior sessions! I hope they are at least half as much fun as the first two have been.

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Click to see my complete senior portfolio.

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Nov

Tori – Class of 2013

I honestly cannot recall the exact moment I was introduced to Tori, but I do know that our families go waaaayyy back. We’re all Christine Crickets. So, if that’s the case, our history could date all the way back to approximately 1907 when my great grandfather came to Christine in a covered wagon.

Tori is much quieter than the last senior I photographed. (Haha. Sorry, Bree!) When she spends the night with my daughter, I hardly knows she’s here. But, she’s just as beautiful. She is a gorgeous girl who always seems poised, quiet and reserved. She has a beautiful smile and she wears it often.

I’ve watched her on the courts for a few years now, and I think I can say that three pointers are her specialty. If you’re watching Tori play basketball, you might get used to hearing the swish sound a lot. She drains the net often.

I can’t wait for the next three mini senior sessions with Tori! I’m sure we’ll have as much fun as we did during this first senior portrait session!

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Click to see my complete senior portfolio.

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Nov

Beautiful Senior Session Easy Breezy!

I’ve known Breanna ever since was a member of the Red Hots in Little League. Since then, she has been a pretty regular fixture in my house. Some of the times, it was actually enjoyable. (hahaha! Sorry, Bree! I just had to!) If she’s here, I know it. I cannot hear Pink’s Raise Your Glass without thinking of this goofy girl. (So if you’re too school for cool. Eek!)

Breanna is absolutely stunning when she smiles. If I could cast one spell on Breanna, it would be that she always has a smile on her face. She has the prettiest golden brown eyes that nearly make it impossible to not like her. And, her face is adorned with the cutest freckles.

Breanna is a senior at my alma matter (Once a Squaw, always a Squaw!) and she has applied to six colleges. One of them has already offered Breanna an academic scholarship. Besides being extremely beautiful, she is also extremely smart. Have I mentioned she’ll be graduating early? She’ll be finished with her high school education this December (a whole semester early), and then she’s going to embark on a month-long trip to Australia to visit an ol’ friend. This girl is extremely blessed! I am thankful she chose ME to capture the beginning of the rest of her life. (Call me when it’s wedding time, Breanna! And NO MORE PINK!)

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Click to see my complete senior portfolio.

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Nov

See the Light!

Funny. I’ve been thinking a lot about this very issue lately. When we don’t take time out to get to know people, or even speak to people, people tend to pass judgment. I’m including myself in this group of “people”. I’ve often thought I that I didn’t really care for someone. Most times, this is without even knowing a person. It was only because I didn’t know them very well, I had made my mind that I didn’t like them. What a vicious cycle! I’m sorry to say that it took me until my 40s to realize this flaw. I’m now going to make a conscious effort to speak to people. My hope is that I will get to know more people and that more people will get to know me without all the pretense of not “liking” each other for no good reason.

A few weeks ago, my favorite online resource for learning, CreativeLive, hosted Photographers Ignite 2012. Twelve photography professionals each made a 5-minute presentation about anything they wanted. Here’s the video of Tamara Lackey talking about getting to know someone as soon as possible. Amazing insight.

Until next time, be positive, be happy, be healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

_______________________________________________________________________________

I started Ata-Girl Photography Co. in 2010 and I am one of the premier San Antonio wedding photographers who is available for local and destination weddings. In addition to wedding photography, I also specialize in high school seniors and family portraits in San Antonio and the surrounding areas. I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I enjoy watching my daughter play softball, hiking, cycling and listening to Elvis!

Nov

Fame & Shame #10

It’s time for another installment of Fame & Shame. I am way late on this. I can’t believe I have not written a Fame & Shame since August 28th. Wow!

Shame

Speedy Internet Registerers: After listening to Dale Smith Thomas give an invigorating motivational speech tonight, I made up my mind to register for United 2013. (Jasmine Star and Zach & Jody will be there, y’all.) It is a photography workshop/seminar being put together by David Jay and ShowIt. I was very “disenchanted” (Thanks, Dale!) to discover the event had sold out in one day. 🙁 Next year. Next year.
Sweaters: It was cooler weather last week (for South Texas) and that prompted me to buy two new sweaters. I love sweaters, but can they please keep their shape? By the end of the day, my cuffs reach my knees.
Ozzie: Even if you’ve developed a habit of waking me up every morning at 2:30 to go potty, I still love you! You’re gorgeous!

Fame

Dale Smith Thomas: I was fortunate to attend STRMC’s Heathly Woman Gala and I had the pleasure of listening to a lady who grew up at Route 3, Box 89 speak. Her message was incredible! If I took away just one thing from her, it was that I am gorgeous and so are you! I’ve always thought of myself as a pretty positive person, but from this day forward, I will try harder… I will be even MORE positive! And, I will be more positive with YOU!
30 Minutes: Listening to Dale Smith Thomas’ motivational CD, she asks that you devote 30 minutes a day thinking positive thoughts and coaching yourself to be positive. At the end of a year, you will have invested 28 8-hour days to becoming a more positive person! I’m in!!
YOU: Take 30 minutes today and tell yourself how intelligent, resourceful, capable, gifted, blessed, loved, lucky, fortunate, faithful, healthy, positive, ambitious, awesome, energized, friendly and gorgeous you are!

Ata-Girl Photography Co. | Ozzie

Remember. YOU’RE GORGEOUS! Until next time, be positive, be happy, be healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

Let’s “hangout!” I wanna hear about your love story!

Schedule a virtual or in-person discovery meetup!
For more options, visit my “Let’s Connect” page.

About Ata-Girl

I am a San Antonio-based wedding photographer and I cater to outdoor-loving couples who prefer to have all the realness captured on their wedding days. I am the wedding photographer for the outdoor adventurers, the romantics, the laid back, the snugglers, and those who wish to capture all their realness.

I am absolutely in love with capturing the kinds of weddings where there are more hugs than handshakes, the dance floor rumbles all night long, and chairs are pretty much rendered useless after dinner. Whiskey bottles are passed around, most of the wedding party has been best-best friends since kindergarten, Grams is likely to lose her shoes and your partner is much more emotional than you are. These kinds of weddings are my jam!

You can always call or text, but if you really want to get to know me, schedule a meetup!

I started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. I enjoy documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I love being a part of people’s journeys and consider myself privileged to document their legacies.

If you enjoyed this blog post and would like to get your hands on 20 FREE interactive wedding planning tools that every couple needs, please take a moment to access them here.

I am a published author (purchase my book here), a podcast host (listen here) (watch here) and a WPPI-C certified professional, full-time wedding photographer. I specialize in a 10-day image delivery, same-day prints, same-day slideshows, Italian handcrafted wedding albums and I have a mobile meeting space.

When I’m not behind my camera, you can find me hiking, cycling, backpacking, camping, enjoying water sports, listening to music (Elvis and Prince), hunting for arrowheads, reading audiobooks, occasionally eating a few glazed donuts (my only weakness to sweets) and then re-starting my keto diet about every 10 days. The most important things in life are for me to see my two daughters happy and to create a family history my grandparents and grandson would be proud of.

Oct

Auto/Program vs. Manual

Someone recently asked me why I don’t just shoot on automatic all the time if the camera is able to make technical decisions about a picture. When I first started taking pictures of my kids, I always shot in the automatic mode. Then, I got a really cool camera that had advanced options like action, close-ups, sunsets, or portraits. I sort of have to laugh out loud when I say that because they’re really not advanced options at all. They’re sort of advanced options of the automatic mode–none of which give me the control I need to take the best picture possible.

Since pursuing my love of photography, I have, sometimes painfully, learned how to manually create a good exposure–to use my built-in light meter, my histogram and to look for the light. While my camera is extremely smart and can achieve an excellent exposure in situations where nice, even lighting is present, these are things the camera cannot fine tune. I, on the other hand, can.

Here is a demonstration comparing Program Mode (left side) vs. Manual Mode (right side).

Ata-Girl Photography Co. | Auto/Program vs. Manual Mode

For the program/left picture, the camera chose the settings of 1/250 shutter speed, f-stop/aperture 4.0 and ISO 800. I chose to shoot a very similar photo at 1/500 shutter speed, f-stop/aperture 2.8 and ISO 4000. This gym has exceptionally bad lighting. Ideally, I like to shoot all my indoor sports at a shutter speed of at least 1/640th of a second.

By telling my camera to let in more light (f 2.8 and ISO 4000), I was also able to speed up the shutter speed—capture less time/movement. So, not only is my picture brighter, it has less motion blur in it. Compare the things in motion in each picture: the balls, hands, feet and shoelaces. The picture captured in program mode has motion blur in all those areas, plus it is darker. While my picture, taken in manual mode, will contain more noise/grain, I have stopped virtually every part of the picture except the hitting hand. The left picture barely has any detail in the stands area, but I can see the faces of the Cotulla fans in the picture on the right. My subject’s skin is even brighter. This fine control is extremely helpful in situations like weddings, sweet 16s and quinceañeras, where there is little, if any, light.

If you’re a DSLR owner, I encourage you to get to know your camera and how to make a proper exposure. You can start by test driving the coolest DSLR simulator ever! Your pictures will thank you for it.

Until next time, be positive, be happy, be healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

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Oct

Coolest Simulator Ever!

Do you know what a flight simulator is? Of course you do. Who doesn’t? Okay, let me introduce you to this little piece of software—a DSLR simulator. I think that whoever invented this must have also invented stretchy jeans because this is a piece of pure genius.

From different polls and research that I’ve looked at over the years, it seems that the majority of DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) owners shoot in Automatic or Program mode. To me, that is like choosing to eat a microwave dinner when you could have had chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, country gravy and Texas toast. Crazy! You’ve made the financial investment for your camera, now make the educational investment. Even if you’ve mastered focus, composing, framing, perspective, posing, and storytelling but you haven’t mastered expsoure, your photos are not the best they can be. Learning to have full control over your images will allow you to take much better photographs. Pass the gravy, please.

Distance
Use this slider to replicate how close you are to your subject.

Focal Length
This slider replicates zooming in and out with your lens. A wide, zoomed setting creates the greatest depth of field (DOF) where more things are in focus. Zooming in creates a shallower depth of field. Typically, just the subject will be in focus.

Light Meter
The camera’s light meter will help you to get the proper exposure. This is a great starting point in most lighting situations. Ideally, you will want the indicator lined up with the arrow right in the middle of the meter (between -2 and +2). Be aware, there are exceptions to this.

Mode
I’m pretty sure that every digital camera has an Automatic mode, but there is not one included here. You already know how to use that one. The exposure modes of a DSLR let you control one setting while the camera decides how to adjust the others. In Shutter Priority mode, you set the shutter speed while the camera sets the aperture/f-stop. In Aperture Priority mode, you set the aperture/f-stop while the camera sets the shutter speed. In Manual mode, you get to decide all the controls. This is the part where you get to eat the chicken fried steak. Yum!

Lighting
Evaluating your light source is always the first step in setting up the camera for a proper exposure. Lighting is the single, biggest determining factor of how your camera needs to be set. With only a few exceptions, you can never have too much light. Use this slider to experiment with different indoor and outdoor lighting conditions.

Shutter Speed
The way I explain shutter speed is the amount of time you want to capture—how long your shutter will be open to record information. Being that I ran track for Coach Johnson back in the day (the best track coach ever!), I have an excellent understanding of time. I can mentally break down a second into 8,000 parts if I need to. For example, you may only need a shutter speed of 1/100th of a second to photograph your grandma sitting in a recliner. You can probably get away with a shutter speed of 1/400th to photograph your two-year-old on a tricycle. However, photographing a daytime softball game, you can really stop time with a shutter speed of 1/4000th. Faster shutter speeds allow you to “stop time”, but require lots of light. While slower shutter speeds allow you to shoot with less light, they allow blur to happen.

Aperture
Once we determine how long our shutter will be open, we need to figure out how wide we want the lens to open. The aperture, or or f-stop, refers to how wide the lens will open. The wider the lens opens, the more light passes through to be recorded in your image. It’s very confusing at first, but smaller numbers (f 1.4) mean that the lens is open wider. Larger numbers (f 22) mean that the lens is barely open. The smaller aperture (higher f number) means that more things will be in focus in your image, but you’ll need more light. The bigger aperture (lower f number) means that less of your image will be in focus but you won’t need as much light. This is how you control focus, bokeh, depth of field, magic, etc.

ISO
ISO stands for International Standards Organization, which refers to the group that set the standards for film speed. You can relax. You don’t really need to know anything about ISO except that it determines how sensitive your picture will be to the available light source. Higher ISO settings allow you to shoot at faster shutter speeds in lower light situations. However, shooting at higher ISOs allow “grain” and “noise” to be present in your images. The higher the ISO, the more noise you will have. Lower ISO settings generate the cleanest images, but require more light. I always use the lowest ISO I can get away with so that I have the cleanest images. However, that sometimes means shooting at 4000 ISO at a nighttime football game.

Ready? Go for it!

I’d like to thank the people over at CameraSim.com for this nifty little tool and for also helping with the invention of stretchy pants! But for now, I need to head on out to the gym to work off some of this chicken fried steak.

Be happy, be positive, be healthy and don’t forget to be photographed!

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Oct

I Can’t Take You to Paris, but…

This original blog post was made on October 11th, but today I’d like to edit it to add the following information:

1 – The deadline has been extended to November 2, 2012.

2 – I am pleased to announced that the Friends & Family Salon has agreed to join my in this venture. Claudia Reyes and her team of beauty professionals have generously agreed to add BONUS! to this promotion for Breast Cancer Awareness. They are going to throw in the services of a hairstylist, makeup artist and nail technician to make someone feel EXTRA! special. If you Facebook, please follow this link and “like” their page.

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I have been struggling with updating my blog with this week. I was looking for inspiration and trolling around some other photographers’ websites and then it hit me! Hard! It just so happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness month and I was reading Sue Bryce’s blog about Jill, a breast cancer survivor. Not only was I reading Sue’s blog, I also got the opportunity to see and hear the “Australian Portrait Photographer of the Year for 2011 & 2012” this past weekend at an I Heart Faces workshop in Dallas, Texas. Duh! Why didn’t I think of this sooner?

Sue Bryce at the I Heart Faces Photography Workshop | Ata-Girl Photography Co.

Jill and Sue are telling a story to the world—a story about Jill’s fight against breast cancer. They flew to Paris to put together a documentary and photo shoot. Jill was 32-years-old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. That ended in a double-mastectomy. She’s now fighting bone cancer. Jill’s goal is to help women—even if only one woman.

Having had many of my own loved ones afflicted with this horrendous disease, I decided that I too could follow Sue’s lead and tell someone’s story to help promote awareness. I want to share my talent and make someone feel special. So today, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I’m inviting anyone who has had breast cancer to fill out the questionnaire below. Based on the answers, I’ll pick someone to give a FREE photo shoot to. I’ll accept submissions through ~~October 25, 2012~~ November 2, 2012. Good luck! Let’s rid the planet of this awful disease!

If you can, please stop by the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. and make a monetary donation.

(Now, please keep in mind, I can’t take you to Paris to hold this photo shoot. We’ll have to do this somewhere relatively close to where I live. Also, please only fill out as much of this questionnaire as you are comfortable with. There are no right and wrong answers.)

"*" indicates required fields

Name*

Phone*

Email*

If you are NOT one of the people tying the knot, please describe your relationship...

What is your partner's name (or both if someone else is filling out this form)?*

Where is the wedding and reception venue? (Please indicate if they are in two separate places.)*

When is the wedding date?*

How did you hear about Ata-Girl?*

If you answered "client, former client, or wedding pro," who I should thank?

How important is your wedding day photography to you?*

Do you have any specific questions? What else should I know?*

Favorite vacation spot? (This one's just for fun! Mine is Havasu Falls, AZ.)*

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Oct

Reasons to Hire a Professional Photographer

I’m going to give you the top ten reasons to hire a professional photographer. But first, have you ever heard any backhanded compliments like this?

(1) “That custom-sewn wedding dress is exquisite, you must have a GREAT sewing machine!” (2) “That was a fantastic dinner, you must have a GREAT stove!” (3) “That bouquet is beautiful, you must have a GREAT garden!”

Okay, I think you get the point. These things would never be said to a seamstress, chef, or florist. Yet every day, people compliment a photographer’s camera. While it is true that a camera with a better light sensor or faster glass can take a better picture, the person who clicks the shutter button ultimately makes the photo what it is. Anyone can take a snapshot, but only an experienced professional can capture the moment. Here are ten reasons why you should hire a professional photographer to capture your special day. Here are my top ten reasons to hire a professional photographer:

Reasons to Hire a Professional Photographer

Peace of Mind: Hire a professional instead of relying on on a family member or friends to photograph the event. That way, Uncle Joe won’t miss the cake cutting because he’s catching up with Cousin Emily.
Access: Professional photographers have access to pro-level resources like print labs and album companies. Anyone can order a photo book from Snapfish, but not everyone can order an heirloom wedding album from KISS.
Experience: Not only do professionals have nice equipment, but they have demonstrated a skill and knowledge to consistently produce pleasing images. They don’t take pictures hoping that “they turn out.” They are skillfully prepared for bad lighting situations, uncooperative subjects, and unexpected changes in the day’s schedule.
Photo Equipment: Professionals have invested thousands of dollars in their equipment. Today, many people own DSLR’s, but most DSLR owners shoot in “Automatic” or “Program” mode. Most professionals have learned how to properly use the camera in “Manual” mode and have also invested thousands of dollars in their lenses. They’re not using kit lenses to photograph a $20,000 wedding.
Software & Computer for Post Processing: Professional photographers purchase professional-level software and have spent many hours learning how to use it. They also invest a lot of money in the computer systems needed to run this software. They don’t just turn over images to you straight out of the camera. They deliver images that have been processed using the latest software and techniques to ensure the images look the best they can look.
Insurance: What if Aunt Edna accidentally trips on a camera bag, falls in the pool and breaks a hip? A professional can cover that.
Backup Plans: Professionals have more than one camera body. Professionals have access to and often use second shooters, back up their images… sometimes even remotely and will keep your images for years to come should something happen to your copies.
Diligence & Dedication: Professional photographers spend a lot of time and money attending professional seminars and workshops. (On average, I attend at least two of these each year to hone my craft and keep up to date in the field.)
Vested Interest: A professional photographer is going to perform above and beyond your expectations. Not only are they going to deliver great images, great products and great customer service, they are protecting their brand image in doing so. Their reputation is what puts meat on their table. They have a vested interested in performing well—repeatedly and consistently.
History Preservation: The average cost of today’s wedding is $20,000. The ONLY thing you will keep, besides the dress, is the photographs. The music, food, flowers, cake and venue will all be gone the day after the wedding, but you will have your photographs forever. Make sure they tell the story you want them to.

I make it my personal mission to create a set of images that permanently cements this moment in your mind forever. It is my goal that each image will make you relive that exact moment, stop time and induce all the same feelings you had the second the shutter was pressed. Images mean the world to me, and I want them to mean the world to you as well.

In closing, I spent several minutes trying to figure out how to spell “exquisite” and here is a cute video I found on YouTube. Also, please see all the reasons I lay out why a professional photographer charges what they do. I think you’ll be more surprised what you MAY NOT be paying for more than what you are paying for when you’re hiring your wedding day photographer.

Be happy, be positive, be healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed!

Let’s “hangout!” I wanna hear about your love story!

Schedule a virtual or in-person discovery meetup!
For more options, visit my “Let’s Connect” page.

About Ata-Girl

You can always call or text, but if you really want to get to know me, schedule a meetup!

If you enjoyed this blog post and would like to get your hands on 20 FREE interactive wedding planning tools that every couple needs, please take a moment to access them here.

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Hi, I’m Tammy.
I'm a San Antonio-based wedding photographer for outdoor-loving couples who value real moments.

I am a San Antonio-based wedding photographer and I am absolutely in love with capturing the kinds of weddings where there are more hugs than handshakes, the dance floor rumbles all night long, and chairs are pretty much rendered useless after dinner. Whiskey bottles are passed around, most of the wedding party has been best-best friends since kindergarten, Grams is likely to lose her shoes and your partner is much more emotional than you are. These kinds of weddings are my jam!

Since 2010, I have excelled in helping each of my couples plan for one of the very best days of their lives! I’d love to share my very personalized wedding experience, my super-human organizational abilities, and my U. S. Army combat skills (when needed) with you too.

I want your wedding day to be as perfect as you do! I am all in with my whole heart!