Blog

Cheyenne and Wesley’s Sunset Wedding at TerrAdorna

September 17, 2018 by Andrew Fritz

Cheyenne and Wesley had a classy Texas style TerrAdorna wedding in Manor. As often happens in June, there were dramatic thunderstorms circling. Luckily they didn’t do anything more than provide a dramatic backdrop for the couple’s special day.

Getting Ready

TerrAdorna’s bridal prep-suite is one of the better rooms we have the privilege of working it. The bright windows and white walls accent the bride and her bridal party in beautiful light.

It’s also a nice area to do some quick bridal portraits if the groom is around outside or the weather isn’t cooperating (June in Tx = hot enough to melt steel).

Wedding Details

Wesley and Cheyenne had a lot of fun details at their Texas Style TerrAdorna wedding. From the bride’s boots to the Archer, Lana and (just a little creepy) Nick Cage masks, the wedding was full of personal touches.

Bride's dancing boots at TerrAdorna Wedding in Austin, Tx

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Flower Table Decorations at TerrAdorna Wedding in Austin, Tx

Reception room setup at TerrAdorna in Austin, Tx

Light globe wedding reception decorations with flowers at TerrAdorna

Bridal accessories at TerrAdorna in Austin, Tx

Bridal Bouquet at TerrAdorna in Austin, Tx

Cheyenne and Wesley Wedding date Decoration at TerrAdorna in Austin, Tx

TerrAdorna Wedding Ceremony

TerrAdorna sits on a hill with a great west-north-west views. Their patio makes a beautiful location for a wedding ceremony with the oak trees and especially with a late afternoon thunderstorm in the distance. Whatever the weather, the deck is a great place for a ceremony or a Texas style happy hour.

One of the things we love about TerrAdorna weddings is the beautiful outside spaces. The big Texas skies provide a beautiful and dramatic backdrop for portraits.

Texas Style TerrAdorna Wedding Reception

We always love weddings at TerrAdorna. The weather is the big variable. Sometimes you come up double rainbow and other times dramatic stormy skies. Regardless the lower deck is always beautiful and the interior space pleasant. With the walls opened up guests can spread out onto the upper deck. Everyone feels right at home.

Andrew Fritz

Andrew is a wedding photographer that loves a good adventure.

http://AMadTrip.com

The Driskill Styled Architectural Shoot

September 10, 2018 by Josh Baker

The Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin is a historic mainstay of the city. It is a mainstay of classic elegance. They recently remodeled a number of their rooms. We love working with them so we stepped into take photos to showcase the newly remodeled spaces. This is one of those cross over shoots that is as much a commercial styled architectural shoot as it is a wedding shoot. Regardless, hopefully you enjoy the photos their newly freshened spaces.

The Crystal Room

The Victoria Room

The Club

We try to do style shoots regularly even if we don’t blog them (it’s a lot to keep up with). Of course we’ve also photographed real weddings at The Driskill.

Josh Baker

Josh loves a good adventure and some of his favorite wedding and engagement shoots have involved “getting crazy” or going somewhere special to the couple.

Josh is a Texas native and long time Pflugerville resident. He started his photography business in 2009 and has never looked back. His photo business even allowed him to be daddy-day-care before his two sons reached school age. Over the years his business has expanded to include just about every type of photography including automotive, editorial portraits, corporate events, sports and food. Through it all, he has continued to love wedding photography for genuine moment, the fast pace and the diversity of subjects it offers. Josh is a co-founder of North Austin Pfoutographic Society and a resident instructor at Precision Camera & Video in Austin, Tx.

http://www.azulox.com

Claire and Eric’s Santa Clarita California Golden Hour Wedding

September 3, 2018 by Andrew Fritz

Claire and Eric’s wedding is the end of an era for us. Claire is the last of the three Christiansen sisters to get married and we’ve been there for all three. It’s truly been an honor and a privilege. Each of the three weddings has been unique and matched the couple perfectly. Clair and Eric had a golden hour wedding at his parents home in Santa Clarita. It was a great way to end the Christiansen trilogy.

If you want to see Claire’s sister’s weddings, here are the links: Katie and Adi | Alicia and Colin.

It’s hard to argue with light like this… Eric’s family home is a beautiful space and it is filled with golden light in the afternoon.

Getting Ready

Wedding dress hanging in under construction door.

Wedding dress against beautiful blue wall.

Brides shoes next to the under construction door.

You might wonder why a wedding dress is hanging in a uninstalled door. Claire and Eric’s wedding was being held at Eric’s family home and they built a new barn just for the event. Of course it happened that the barn wasn’t 100% finished yet. The walls were still open so the wedding had a rustic/real feel to it. You’ll see the unfinished walls in the reception photos.

Claire got ready at a nearby hotel and they were remodeling one of their floors. The construction team had built and set this door in the hall to block off the wing under construction. The congruence with the barn was too good to pass up. As a bonus, there was beautiful light streaming in from the windows by the elevators.

Claire’s twin sister Alicia (who’s wedding we photographed last year) works in the wedding industry now and handled Claire’s makeup.

Alicia sees her twin sister the bride in her wedding dress and cries.

One thing about the Christiansen woman, they are almost always laughing, smiling or crying with joy.

Claire and Eric - Santa Clarita Sunset Wedding - Sister looking on while bride gets ready.

We photographed Katie’s wedding back in 2015 in Beverly Hills.

To the Barn

The barn is new, built for the wedding and as happens with construction projects, it wasn’t finished totally on time. The unfinished interior didn’t dampen the festivities one bit. If anything it added a metric ton of character to the night.

It turns out that, when your husband to be gives you a sweet letter, people cry which can lead to makeup issues. A fan can fix that problem quick as Claire demonstrated.

Katie and Adi have their first daughter now and she is adorable. Katie even got her and the baby matching spiky shoes.

Katie's husband Adi waves to the women in his life.

Katie with her new daughter, one of the flower girls..

Katie and her daughter have matching spiky shoes.

The Details

Claire and Eric had simply beautiful decorations that matched the location perfectly.

Something pretty in a tree for the ceremony.

Bride and grooms vows before the ceremony.

Wedding location sign with Eric's Mini Cooper.

The Ceremony

Their ceremony was under a huge oak tree just before sunset.

Golden Hour Wedding Portraits

Groom being silly during wedding portraits.

Bride laughs during couples wedding portraits.

Bride and groom kiss during golden hour wedding portraits.

You never know what conditions you are going to get during a wedding, but it’s hard to do anything other than take great pictures with light like this. The California sun and dust in the sky caused everything to glow golden. Weddings like this define “Golden Hour.”

The Reception

After the ceremony and formal portraits we headed into the barn for the reception.

Claire got her sense of fashion from her dad. She exchanged her heals for these fabulous sequined sneakers. They match her dad’s blue velvet shoes marvelously.

Andrew Fritz

Andrew is a wedding photographer that loves a good adventure.

http://AMadTrip.com

Amber and Luke’s Gruene Estate Wedding in New Braunfels

August 27, 2018 by Andrew Fritz

We love when we get to photograph an entire family of kids getting married through the years. A few years back we had the pleasure of photographing Lauren (Amber’s sister) and Joe’s wedding at Bella Springs. Now it’s time for Amber and Luke Gruene Estate wedding.

Getting Ready for a Gruene Estate Wedding

Dad’s First Look

Amber chose to do something we are seeing more of: dad’s first look. It’s a new tradition (is a “new tradition” a thing?) we like. During the ceremony we are focused on the couple and their expressions as they see each other, regardless of if they had a first look themselves. This tradition creates a nice chance for a moment between dad and daughter.

Details

Amber and Luke had lots of fun country style details that matched Gruene Estate perfectly. Their center pieces were simple but beautiful. The groom’s cake was an entire story in an of itself.

That time when Amber got Luke’s truck stuck in the field… It’s always fun when wedding details tell the couple’s story.

Amber’s bouquet included an heirloom locket with pictures of her grandparents in it.

The Ceremony

One of my favorite things about Amber and Luke’s wedding was the classic truck they restored. They left the outside looking old which is awesome but restored the inside. Amber arrived in the truck which fit Gruene Estate perfectly.

The Reception

One of the nice things about a place like Gruene Estates is that everything is right there. After the ceremony and formals all the couple had to do was walk down the path together.

Amber and Luke’s reception was a laid back affair with people dancing, playing washers and sitting around a camp fire.

Nothing like some washers and corn-hole to pass the time.

A nice bonfire gave the Gruene Estate wedding reception nice ambiance.

The property is beautiful. After their Gruene Estate wedding, we had to do some blue hour portraits.

Andrew Fritz

Andrew is a wedding photographer that loves a good adventure.

http://AMadTrip.com

Sonie and Rahul’s 2 day Engagement Adventure

August 20, 2018 by Andrew Fritz

Sometimes Josh and Andrew like to tag team an engagement shoot. Josh kicked off their Austin engagement photos at the graffiti wall (the Hope Outdoor Gallery) and Enchanted Rock State Park. Andrew took over on day two with Austin Skyline engagement photos from the town lake board walk and sunset engagement photos from the Oasis on lake Travis.

Day 1

Josh kicked off Sonie and Rahul’s Austin engagement with engagement photos at the Graffiti park at Castle Hill. As luck would have it, someone has recently painted the word “Love” over and over along one section of the wall.

Appropriate.

Sonie and Rahul have a great casual (and goofy – in a super fun way) personality that didn’t take themselves to seriously.

After the crowds of the graffiti park, Josh headed to Enchanted rock for a little more solitude. Of course, their personality was still there shining through.

Josh stole a page from Andrew’s normal play book and make a star-trail with the couple in it. The really bright star is the setting crescent moon.

In case you are wondering, no, they didn’t have to sit there that long. This type of shot is made by setting up the camera and taking the photo of the subject (Sonie and Rahul) and then letting the camera take a time lapse from the same position. You put the two together digitally. Everything was shot at the same place and time, but it saves on sitting still for hours.

Day 2

Andrew took over for day 2. Things kicked off on the board walk on town lake. It’s always a busy spot, and it is quickly becoming an iconic part of Austin with it’s view of the growing Austin skyline.

Sonie and Rahul had their first date at the Oasis so they wanted to return there for engagement photos. Luckily the Oasis is super cool about allowing things like this. We picked an unoccupied balcony (we where there on a weekday which helps) and enjoyed the sunset.

Andrew Fritz

Andrew is a wedding photographer that loves a good adventure.

http://AMadTrip.com

Janani and Chimnay Indian Wedding – Lakeway Spa and Resort

March 1, 2018 by Andrew Fritz

A Traditional Indian Wedding is a 3 day celebration,sometimes more. The colors are bold and loud, the smell of Indian spices in the air and the energy of 300+ guest.

The first evening is the Ganesh Pooja, usually at someones home for a more private setting. The couples, their bridal party and close relatives are usually the only ones to attend.

On our second day, we attended the bride’s Mehendi Party. She was joined by her girlfriends, and female family members. An artist drew intricate henna patterns on their hands,arms and feet, each one different and very detailed. She did all these by hand, it was beautiful.

Later that evening was the Sangeet, where the couples families are introduced.

The evening is filled with mingling, lavish treats, dancing, games and other performances. Everyone on the guest list joined the festivities.

And the third starts the Baraat, cocktail hour, the ceremony and reception. The baraat is the Big Bang that starts the wedding off in full swing. This takes place while the Bride is getting ready for the ceremony. Traditionally the groom will ride to the venue on a white horse, and all the close male relatives of the groom wear turbans as a symbol of honor. Unfortunately they weren’t able to locate a white horse for their wedding, so they settled for the next best thing.

A white Lamborghini. Genius.

After the grooms arrival, the procession begins. Close friends and family will lead the group, while beating Dhols. The Dhol is an Indian Drum. The grooms party forms dance circles around the groom and everyone sings and dances. They slowly make there way around, this sometimes taking longer than 20 minutes.

And after 3 days of nonstop celebration, the Ceremony is ready to begin. The decorations for this wedding were extravagant, and had beautiful details.

The priest, groom, bride and bride’s parents sit beneath a mandap, a canopy similar to a Jewish chuppah.

Lakeway Spa and Resort has a beautiful Venue, and being on the water is a nice perk. Thanks to the venue, perfect weather, friends and family this Indian Wedding was a huge success.

Capturing memories and telling stories, one wedding at a time.

Andrew Fritz

Andrew is a wedding photographer that loves a good adventure.

http://AMadTrip.com

Adventure Engagements of Sarah and Cliff – Enchanted Rock

February 14, 2018 by Andrew Fritz

Sarah and Cliff both share a love for adventure, the outdoors, hiking, and exploring. So of course it made perfect sense to venture out to Enchanted Rock for their adventure engagement.

For anyone who hasn’t taken the beautiful drive to Fredericksburg to visit Enchanted Rock, I suggest you do. There are plenty of activities to do for any outdoor enthusiast. The scenery is lovely, including a massive pink granite dome rising above everything. Enchanted Rock Park has 11 miles of trails, ranging from easy to extremely difficult.

As you can see the terrain isn’t a simple walk in the park, you get your exercise in for sure. Now imagine having to carry a 100 pounds of camera equipment and lights? Team Blue loves adventure, and don’t mind putting sweat and tears into your perfect adventure engagement session. We love the challenge!

The view’s are breath taking, and well worth the hike up. The sunsets are magical and full of color.

We love taking astro-portraits, and never miss a chance to do so. With the City miles and miles away, the sky is blanketed with bright stars.

Have an idea for your engagement session? We’d love to hear them!

Andrew Fritz

Andrew is a wedding photographer that loves a good adventure.

http://AMadTrip.com

The Peter and Emily Story – Mercury Hall Swing Dance Wedding

January 30, 2018 by Stacy Wells

How often do you hear about a swing dance wedding? I met Emily through the Lindy Hop scene dancing and photographing Lindy Hop events around the country. She teaches swing dancing (among other dance forms) all over the world. Peter too is a dancer. When they reached out to me to photograph their Mercury Hall wedding I was very excited, being a dancer myself. Their swing dance wedding brought back memories of my own. It was a beautiful wedding, memories were shared, new memories made, and everyone danced the night away.

Emily was glowing the entire day, bursting through the seams with excitement. It was contagious!

Mercury Hall is a beautiful venue, and it’s a short drive from downtown Austin. The grounds are small, but include a canopy of green live oak trees year around.

Celebratory toast were had,and stories were shared to start the evening off right. Celebrating not only the two getting married, but also their family and friends coming together.

This Swing dance wedding was epic, you felt like you were on set for some Hollywood movie. Emily and Peter had a live swing band and many of their guests were also swing dancers. Everyone knew what to do, nobody skipped a beat like it was choreographed. Mercury Hall’s hard wood floors made a perfect dance floor.

This wedding definitely went down in our record books. It was our first swing dancing wedding, and hopefully not our last. Emily and Peter, swinging into the next chapter of their lives, picture perfect wedding.

The End….

Stacy Wells

Blog

Cheyenne and Wesley’s Sunset Wedding at TerrAdorna

Getting Ready

Wedding Details

TerrAdorna Wedding Ceremony

Texas Style TerrAdorna Wedding Reception

The Driskill Styled Architectural Shoot

The Crystal Room

The Victoria Room

The Club

Claire and Eric’s Santa Clarita California Golden Hour Wedding

Getting Ready

To the Barn

The Details

The Ceremony

Golden Hour Wedding Portraits

The Reception

Amber and Luke’s Gruene Estate Wedding in New Braunfels

Getting Ready for a Gruene Estate Wedding

Dad’s First Look

Details

The Ceremony

The Reception

Sonie and Rahul’s 2 day Engagement Adventure

Day 1

Day 2

Janani and Chimnay Indian Wedding – Lakeway Spa and Resort

Adventure Engagements of Sarah and Cliff – Enchanted Rock

Sarah and Cliff both share a love for adventure, the outdoors, hiking, and exploring. So of course it made perfect sense to venture out to Enchanted Rock for their adventure engagement.

The Peter and Emily Story – Mercury Hall Swing Dance Wedding

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Blog

Getting Ready

Wedding Details

TerrAdorna Wedding Ceremony

Texas Style TerrAdorna Wedding Reception

The Crystal Room

The Victoria Room

The Club

Getting Ready

To the Barn

The Details

The Ceremony

Golden Hour Wedding Portraits

The Reception

Getting Ready for a Gruene Estate Wedding

Dad’s First Look

Details

The Ceremony

The Reception

Day 1

Day 2

Sarah and Cliff both share a love for adventure, the outdoors, hiking, and exploring. So of course it made perfect sense to venture out to Enchanted Rock for their adventure engagement.

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