Houston Wedding Photographer

I am a Houston wedding photographer who provides couples with candid and fun wedding photographs that celebrate life. I’ve got you! Carpe diem!

Table of Contents

See My Photography

Check out my wedding photography examples and see why smart couples pick me as their wedding photographer. What about you? Are you ready to get started?

Wedding Photography Prices

Choose only those services and products you need with à la carte wedding photography pricing.

wedding coverage
photography only
1 hour	$1500
2 hours	$2200
3 hours	$2900
4 hours	$3600
5 hours	$4200
6 hours	$4900
7 hours	$5600
8 hours	$6300
9 hours	$7000
10 hours	$7700
11 hours	$8400
12 hours	$9100
coverage limit

Select me as your wedding photographer and I’ll deliver fun, candid, and creative photos that you and your family will cherish forever.

Includes

Click on any link below and learn more about each option:

Additional Options

Consider these additional popular, budget-friendly, and affordable wedding photography products and services also available for Houston couples.

Most clients hire me for 8 hours. Small weddings typically require 5-6 hours of coverage. Large weddings usually need 8-9 hours of coverage. You can also hire me for multi-day wedding celebrations. If you’re not sure how many hours you need, contact me today.

After hiring me, you’ll have that moment when you realize that your wedding photographer was better than your best friend’s wedding photographer. Priceless. There are some things money

Availability for specific dates is on a first-come, first-served basis with a 50% retainer due at signing. Houston sales tax (8.25%) is collected for Texas weddings. Prices and services may change without notice.

When you hire me, you’re picking one of the best wedding photographers in Houston. I’m also reasonably priced and won’t break the bank. I hope that doesn’t sound braggy. But it’s true.

Your next question is probably how much those hours cost and how much you should spend. Let’s look at this quote that nicely summarizes wedding photography budgets.

It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money, that’s all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. — John Ruskin

In other words, when you hire me, you’ll avoid many potential issues—including the all-too-real risk of ending up with photos you don’t love.

And when you compare me to other photographers of my caliber and experience (apples-to-apples), you’ll find that my prices are lower than fees charged by similarly skilled image makers offering comparable products and services.

That makes picking me a bargain.

Album Pricing

My storytelling albums are handmade hardcover books featuring photographic page-mounted prints.

Primary Albums

album prices
your heirloom
20-page	$3000
30-page	$3500
40-page	$4000
50-page	$4500
60-page	$5000
80-page	$5500
100-page	$6000
multi-volume albums also available

These luxurious bespoke albums present your most important photos as a timeless story. Includes:

You’ll receive a 25% discount on a second or third album when purchasing primary album duplicates.

Family Albums

for family
additional albums
20-page	$2000
30-page	$2500
40-page	$3000
50-page	$3500
60-page	$4000
80-page	$4500
100-page	$5000
primary album copy only

Parents and important family members love owning primary album copies. They’re a perfect thank-you gift or holiday present. These albums duplicate your primary album content and are purchased with your primary album.

Parent albums are primary album copies that feature high-quality printing, hardcover bindings, and boast actual photographic prints. Parent albums are only available with a primary album purchase.

Natural & Unique

I’ll capture natural and unique photos of your Houston wedding. Look at my wedding photography portfolio. I’ve made other couples look great. I’ll make you look great too.

I’ll also help you and your family feel at ease while I photograph genuine moments and authentic emotions. Feeling good is looking good.

As your visual family historian, I’ll create photos you’ll love. Later, your children will cherish those images. And even later, your grandchildren will hang those pictures on THEIR walls.

When you let me record your marriage celebration. I won’t disappoint you—double pinky swear. And although I’ll be your favorite photographer forever, you’ll love your photos more than me. And that’s what’s most important.

I’ve created spectacular wedding photographs for 350+ couples. If you’re getting married, I can make amazing photos for you too.

You’ll love my candid wedding photography. But when posing is required, I’ll provide direction when you need it and silence when you don’t. I’ll also help you feel relaxed when you’re being photographed.

As you compare the best wedding photographers in Houston, think about what you want, what you really, really want from your photographer. Then contact me and share your dreams, your vision, and your favorite brisket recipe.

Why I’m Better

Your hiring decisions shouldn’t be solely based on my rescue dog ownership, my love for Starbucks coffee, my deep and abiding hatred of Houston traffic (especially I-10), or my movie quoting skills.

Instead, there’s so much more. Check out these great reasons why you should hire me as your wedding photographer.

Reviews

I’ve earned 100+ 5-star reviews from other happy couples. After your wedding, you’ll write a great review, too. Can I thank you in advance?

The experience of having me photograph your celebration is almost as important as the images I’ll create. Here are some words from a past client:

It felt like one of our good friends was our photographer—we were so comfortable with Rob and our family all fell in love with him too. – Erika Lehmann Brown

Marriage Equality

I support marriage equality. Learn why LGBT+ couples hire me as their wedding photographer.

Your Traditions

I’ll document your wedding day including the getting ready, first look, ceremony, processional, ring exchange, vows, first kiss, recessional, family portraits, wedding party portraits, couple’s portraits, reception, grand entrance, first dance, cake cutting, bouquet toss, and garter toss.

Getting Ready for Your Wedding

I can’t wait to create meaningful photographs of you and your wedding party getting ready on your wedding day.

In addition to being an important aspect of the wedding storytelling, getting ready photographs are the most intimate and often most celebrated photos from the day.

For scheduling purposes, for most Houston weddings, I’ll need 90 minutes to capture common getting ready photographs.

What Happens

When I arrive, I’ll introduce myself to any family members and your attendants (bridesmaids, bridesmen, groomsmen, groomsmaids). Then I’ll briefly assist my second photographer as they begin photographing details.

When I photograph men getting ready, I’ll photograph shirt buttoning, tie tying, shoe tying, and vest buttoning. I might also ask an attendant or family member to help with jackets or tie adjustments.

When I photograph women getting ready, I’ll photograph subjects surrounded by attendants or family members. Before undressing occurs, I’ll turn away. Once the attendants tell me that it’s “all clear,” I’ll turn around and continue my photography. I can also leave the room if requested. Afterwards, I’ll photograph attendants helping with shoes, earring additions, and close family members assisting with other jewelry

Some couples exchange cards, letters, or gifts. If that happens, I’ll photograph that exchange along with the card, letter, or gift reveal.

Parent first looks also usually happen during this time if you want to include that on your wedding-day schedule.

Throughout this process, I’ll be keeping a careful eye on the time and doing my best to ensure that everyone gets out the door in time for the next event on schedule.

Hair & Makeup

Hair stylists and makeup professionals often run late in their preparations to make women even more beautiful. That can negatively impact your schedule. This common problem is more likely if you have a large wedding party.

Therefore, I recommend that you plan to have your hair and makeup finished a minimum of forty-five minutes before you need to have it finished. By padding your schedule in this way, you avoid being faced with a potentially stressful and frenetic rush to get dressed and out the door.

If your hair stylist and makeup professional finishes on time, then you’ll have time to relax with your attendants and not be forced to rush through your getting ready or worse yet, lose invaluable time you’ve set aside for portraits.

Also, you should avoid being the last person to have your hair and makeup done on your wedding day. Although some hair stylists and makeup professionals recommend that you go last, there are several benefits to being in the “middle of the pack” in terms of getting beautiful.

First, if I arrive earlier than scheduled, when I photograph you hanging out with your attendants, you’ll be looking your best and you’ll be more likely to appreciate your photographs. Second, if for whatever reason the hair and makeup folks are running late, with your hair and makeup done, you can start to get dressed even if your attendants aren’t all yet ready.

Wedding Detail Photos

To help me make the best use of my time, please gather the wedding shoes, the rings (engagement rings, wedding bands), your wedding invitation, the local newspaper, any special jewelry, and any other details that you want photographed and set them aside in one area of the room. It’s ideal if you can assemble this “stack of stuff” sometime before my scheduled arrival.

Wedding Dress Hangers

If we can find a nice location to hang and photograph your wedding dress, that’s one of the first things that we’ll do when we arrive. Unfortunately, the hangers that come with your dress are often made of unattractive white or clear plastic.

You might consider purchasing a nice hanger for your wedding dress. One place to get some great ideas is to start your search by looking at wedding dress hangers on Etsy.

Hanging a dress can be difficult in some locations. And some styles of dresses don’t photograph well on a hanger. If a photograph of your dress hanging by itself is particularly important to you, you might want to consider having a dress-form available in your getting ready room.

Neatness Helps

Keep the “getting ready” rooms as uncluttered as is possible. If a room is cluttered when I arrive, one of the first things I’ll do is move all of that clutter to an out-of-the-way area. However, since cleaning your rooms takes time, that’s time that won’t be spent behind the camera.

Therefore, although I’ll certainly do my best to work quickly and shoot around clutter, it sure helps when I can photograph you from any angle and not worry about distracting elements in the background.

As an additional advantage to this model, a tidy room allows everyone to move around freely—and that can really help reduce stress as friends and family gather around you.

Beverages

You might consider providing frosty beverages for everyone. Toasting on the wedding day makes for great photographs and more importantly relaxes the couple and wedding party. However, put a plan in place to prevent your attendants and family members from getting too tipsy.

Preparing Clothing

Remove tags and stickers from all clothing, accessories, and shoes prior to the wedding day. You’d be surprised at how many times I’ve seen department store tags on shoe bottoms in photographs!

Handkerchiefs

An amazingly awesome gift for attendants are handkerchiefs. Even on cool days in California, people will sweat and handkerchiefs can be a lifesaver! Besides keeping sweat at bay, there are a thousand different uses for a handy handkerchief.

Jewelry

Don’t be shy asking attendants and family members to remove distracting personal jewelry or fitness devices.

Get out in front of this potential issue and mention it to your attendants and family members before the wedding day.

Strapless Bras

Bras cause indentations on shoulders that can sometimes take an hour or more to fade. If strapless dresses are the plan, this can be an issue for your photos. For anyone wearing a backless dress, I recommend foregoing a bra entirely while getting ready or at least pull the straps off your shoulders.

Getting Ready Outfits

Everyone should should consider wearing nice outfits while you’re getting ready. If you want to a great attendants gift, you can present each person with matching “getting ready” shirts, robes, or outfits.

Food & Water

It’s easy for a couple to miss meals or become dehydrated on a wedding day. It’s therefore super important to eat breakfast and something around lunchtime–even if you’re not hungry. You’re going to need your energy.

Tailoring is Important

I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve seen men wearing ill-fitting suits and shirts at weddings. Men should be encouraged to have their tuxedo or suit fitted.

Even though many tuxedo rental outlets offer free shirts, those shirts seldom fit properly. The sleeve length is invariably too long or too short or the collar is too tight or too loose.

I recommend that men purchase their own brand-new off-the-rack shirts that are well-fitted and that exactly match their neck size and sleeve length.

Guys are notoriously poor shoppers so explicit directions on how to visit a department store and get fitted is a good idea. Pointing them to Nordstrom’s is often a safe bet.

Getting Ready Locations

Traveling between locations to photograph you and your fiancé separately can be logistically problematic. So try to ensure that you and your fiancé get ready at the same location.

Even if my additional photographer is tasked to photograph one of you, that additional photographer is not me and thus the photography of the each one of you will not be perfectly matched.

That’s why I prefer to photograph both of you myself.

Get Permission from Hotel

If you’re getting ready at a hotel and hope to have some photos on hotel grounds, check with the hotel before your wedding to get your permissions squared away. Many hotels restrict photography on their premises if you’re not getting married there as well.

First Look

Most couples choose to see each other before their ceremony. And they have a better day because of it.

In the wedding industry, Houston wedding photographers refer to the practice of couples seeing each other before the ceremony as a “first look.” As you’ll come to know, I strongly recommend a first look over other alternatives.

First Look Benefits

One of the most important benefits to seeing each other before the ceremony is that you’ll have more time to spend with guests on your wedding day.

In other words, if you see each other prior to the ceremony, when I’m done with the family portraits, you can immediately join your reception and celebrate with your friends, family, and guests instead of spending an hour or two with me taking the kinds of photographs you’ll expect me to deliver from your wedding day.

An additional consideration, and without lending too much importance to aesthetic perfection, if we photograph you early in the day when your hairstyles, makeup, flowers, and wardrobes are fresh, your photographs will be better than might otherwise be later in the day.

Weddings are also often affected by uncontrollable factors that can significantly impact your wedding schedule. Based on my experience, it’s likely that something unexpected will happen that will affect your schedule.

If we capture your best photographs early in the day, and if your schedule starts to slip, your photography won’t be as severely affected. For example, since the start time for your meal service can’t be moved, if your ceremony begins later than expected, you may be forced to reduce or even eliminate some of your post-ceremony photography. However, if we capture your creative photographs prior to the ceremony, you’re going to have more scheduling flexibility if the unexpected does occur.

Emotional Considerations

You might be wondering about the emotional aspects of seeing each other for the first time. I fully recognize the importance of a “first look.”

And so, if you decide to see each other prior to the ceremony, I’ll arrange a suspenseful, intimate, and special first look encounter for just the two of you—or as part of a more joyous occasion surrounded by your wedding party or immediate family.

You’ll be thrilled with the emotion of that moment and the photographs that I’ll create. I guarantee it!

Wedding Ceremony Impact

I’m sure your next question relates to how the first look might affect the impact of your wedding ceremony. You can rest easy in the knowledge that I’ve seen countless couples who took advantage of the first look but who were also seen crying like babies during the processional.

Those same couples later told me that after the first look they were able to more clearly experience the importance of the wedding ceremony without the distraction of nervousness or anxiety that they would have otherwise most certainly have felt.

Tradition Origins

You’ve probably heard the rumor that it’s bad luck to see each before the wedding ceremony. When I was growing up, I’d heard that same story.

So, when I started photographing weddings, my curiosity led me to research the origins of that belief. I discovered that the superstition most likely originated around the time of arranged marriages.

Throughout the Renaissance, a groom might decide to reject an arranged marriage if he wasn’t comfortable with the appearance of the bride. However, since a dowry was often involved, that rejection could prove financially devastating to the groom’s family; and for the bride, canceling a wedding was an offense so great that generational feuds would often result.

Since your marriage is not arranged and since the threat of family financial ruin and feuds are presumably not an issue, I’d strongly encourage you to consider seeing each other prior to your ceremony.

Related Fun Fact

By 1539, Henry VIII was in his late 40s and had already been married three times. He was considering trying marriage yet again with Anne of Cleves.

Before he agreed to the engagement, he wanted to see make sure she was beautiful so he sent renowned painter Hans Holbein to Germany to paint Anne’s portrait.

Holbein returned to England with a wonderful portrait of Anne. However, when Anne finally arrived in England and met Henry in person, legend goes that he rejected her as not being good-looking enough and their marriage was eventually annulled.

Many scholars point to this historical event as the origin of it being bad luck to see each other before the wedding.

Your Needs

As you’ve probably already surmised, I strongly prefer a situation where you see each other prior to the ceremony.

However, if you aren’t comfortable seeing each other before the ceremony, I’ll accede to your wishes; and I’ll still create amazing photographs on your wedding day.

In the end, I realize that this is your wedding and whatever you prefer for you and your fiancé is what is right and proper—and that’s all that really matters!

Wedding Ceremony Planning

I create spectacular photos during your ceremony while remaining inconspicuous and respectful.

I believe that it’s critically important that we don’t distract you, your family, or your friends during the most significant part of your wedding day. With that in mind, we always follow the simple rule of never positioning ourselves between a wedding guest and the couple.

And by using telephoto lenses and working from the back and periphery of the ceremony, we can capture amazing storytelling images without becoming part of the ceremony.

How It’s Done

During the processional, I’ll be at the front of the aisle to capture the best photos as you walk down the aisle.

After the processional, I’ll move to the sides and rear of the congregation and continue ceremony coverage from those locations. During the most important ceremony moments like the ring exchange or the kiss, I may step down the aisle to within 50 feet of the altar, but I avoid it whenever possible.

I’ll also avoid getting close to the altar except in situations where my view is completely blocked. That can sometimes happen when the celebrants gather around to pray or light candles. In those cases I may move closer in the hopes of obtaining an unobstructed view.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, after the kiss and during the recessional, I’ll be positioned at the back of the aisle and photograph you both as you recess out of the ceremony location.

Unplugged Wedding

The use of smartphone cameras during ceremonies isn’t just common—it has become ubiquitous at every wedding ceremony I photograph. And although it’s certainly understandable that your friends and relatives want to capture a blurry, underexposed photograph of you walking down the aisle, those guests really aren’t fully present in at your wedding.

Instead of watching you, your fiancé, and your wedding party, they’re watching the action through their phone displays or worse yet, checking the photos they just captured on the backs of their devices as important events are still happening.

In addition to the fact that those guests not fully invested in your ceremony, as I photograph your processional, recessional, and even your first kiss, some of your more aggressive iphoneographers, ipadographers, or aspiring amateur photographers may step into the aisle at the most inopportune time and thus negatively impact or sometimes even ruin the important photographs you’ve hired me to capture.

Therefore, consider doing what many other couples are now doing and making your wedding ceremony an unplugged affair. In other words, you might suggest to your guests, through both the Officiant and your wedding program, that they should turn off their phones and cameras during your ceremony.

Here’s an example of some text that you might want to include in your program: “Welcome to our unplugged wedding ceremony! We’d like you to be fully present for our ceremony and therefore ask that you turn off all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras and celebrate this moment with us.”

You can reinforce that idea by having the Officiant announce something like, “[YOUR NAMES] would like you to turn off all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras and be fully present during this ceremony. But don’t worry, there are professional photographers here who will be capturing everything and you’ll be able to see those photos online after the ceremony.”

Avoid Empty Seats

When you’re arranging for ceremony seating, avoid including more seating than you need. In other words, if you have 100 guests and 125 seats, you may have large gaps in your audience. And its very difficult to hide gaps when I’m photographing the entire ceremony area.

Front Row Phobia

Wedding guests will sometimes avoid the front rows in the ceremony venue. This strange behavior can lead to gaps in seating around your family members. To help prevent those gas, consider using pretty placards to identify each seat reserved for family members (with names).

Then ask your ushers to seat your guests from the front of your ceremony venue to the back. Although there might be some resistance to this plan, instruct your ushers to say, “[YOUR NAMES] have asked guests to fill the front seats first. Would you mind taking a seat at the front?”

This specific phrasing is important. When someone involved with a wedding includes the phrase “[YOUR NAMES] have asked …” when speaking to a guest, very few people can resist any request that follows.

Ceremony Seats

Make sure you personally view and approve the guest chairs for your ceremony. I’ve been to some unfortunate wedding venues where the ceremony chairs were uncovered and unattractive banquet chairs. Avoid ugly chairs!

Seating Woes

You may consider asking your ushers to seat guests wearing bright colors or strong patterns on inner seats.

If those guests are seated on the aisle, they’ll be visible in many of your most important wedding photographs. Although I avoid photographing distracting elements during your processional and recessional, it’s sometimes unavoidable. .

This advice seems petty, but dozens of couples I’ve photographed have expressed disappointment about how a guest’s appearance “ruined” their processional or recessional photos.

Aisle Width

If you can control the width of your aisle, try to ensure sure it’s 8’+ wide. That’s a comfortable width that serves you well on several fronts.

First, that width helps prevent any guests leaning into the aisle with camera phones from blocking my view during your processional or recessional. That width can also accommodate three people walking side by side—which can be important for a processional when two people are being escorted up or down the aisle.

Aisle Runners

If you’re using an aisle runner, your runner selection is very important. Not only does the runner serve as a foreground element in many of your ceremony photographs, it’s also central to the ceremony décor.

If you want an aisle runner, make sure you see it prior to the ceremony. You should ensure that the runner is thick enough to bunch when it’s laid out—particularly if your ceremony is over uneven or soft ground.

If you’re using the runner at an indoor location, consider purchasing double sided carpet tape that you can apply to the bottom of the runner. Also make sure that the front AND back of the aisle are roped off. Otherwise people will walk down the aisle and dirty or damage your runner prior to the processional.

And finally, don’t use an aisle runner over grass. When a runner is laid out over grass, it’s a mess after the first person walks to the end of it.

Even with this advice, I think that runners are rarely necessary and typically add little to ceremony décor; in fact, in my experience a runner is more likely to detract rather than add to the visuals related to your ceremony.

As a great alternative, I recommend the use of flower petals bordering the left and right side of the aisle. If you choose that option, make sure you purchase enough to provide good coverage down both sides.

And unless the aisle is grass, you’ll want to avoid sprinkling the flowers in the middle of your aisle. Flower petals can be quite slippery when you’re walking on a hard surface with leather bottom shoes and nobody wants a nasty slip on your wedding day.

Selecting Officiants

If you’re hiring a professional Officiant, remember that he or she will be prominently featured in almost every ceremony photograph. One helpful tip is you should inquire as to what they plan to wear to officiate your ceremony. I would recommend that that you ask them to avoid white garments or vestments, bright or light colors, or busy patterns.

You might also want to ask the officiant how he or she plans to hold the notes or text related to the ceremony. In some weddings I’ve photographed, I’ve seen an Officiant use loose papers, over-sized binders, colorful books, and even plain manila folders.

Since those items are all visually distracting, I recommend that you ask the Officiant to use a unobtrusive black book or non-decorated binder to hold their ceremony notes. I personally don’t recommend the use of electronic devices (like an iPad).

First, an electronic device can fail whereas printed paper provides an Officiant with a safer alternative. Second, most devices emit unwanted light that might fall on the Officiant’s face and greatly detract from the ceremony photos.

Musicians

If you’re hiring musicians for the ceremony, please ask about their music stands. In some cases, musician music stands are unattractive and can detract from your ceremony decor.

If you are hiring multiple musicians, it’s always best to ensure that every musician is using the same stand. Also, you should ask your musicians to remove any instrument cases and bags and hide them from the view of your guests.

Microphones & Speakers

The equipment used by your audio technician or DJ can greatly impact the beauty of your ceremony. To put it bluntly, microphones and microphone stands can be a distracting addition to your ceremony photographs.

Ask the individuals handling your ceremony audio if they provide wireless microphones or lapel microphones. Under no circumstances should you approve of an audio vendor who is unable to provide you with a wireless microphone setup.

You’ll also want to ask that your audio technician have backup microphones immediately available. I’ve lost count of the number of weddings where a microphone failed mid-ceremony. In addition to microphone considerations, you should also request specific speaker placement.

I strongly recommend asking the audio folks to make sure that the speakers are placed well outside the left and right boundaries of your congregation and wedding party. In other words, in an ideal world, I should be able to frame a photograph of the altar and your entire congregation and not see a speaker in the frame.

If there are speakers present at the front of your ceremony venue, then they will appear in your photos. In some cases, they might even appear to be growing out of the tops wedding party or guest’s heads.

Some alternatives include placing the speakers to the far left or right side of the ceremony area, to the far rear of the ceremony area, or using considerable amount of speaker cable to position the speakers to the far left and right side of the front ceremony area.

Lighting

If you’re having an indoor ceremony, unless you have spotlights and other professional lighting installed, please consider leaving the room lights set as high as is possible while still maintaining decorum.

Although lowering lights may create an intimate mood, semi-darkness can make it extremely difficult for photographers to capture the celebrants without the use of flash photography. If you’re having an outdoor ceremony at night, you’ll likely need lots of professional lighting—including spotlights.

Delayed Start Times

Avoid setting your ceremony start time more than 15 minutes after your invitation start time. Some wedding planners might suggest this practice but it’s almost invariably a poor idea.

Unless your wedding ceremony is being held in an incredibly out-of-the-way location where there’s a high probability of guests becoming lost or having some kind of unexpected delays moving from their parking area to your ceremony location, there are few excuses that justify a late ceremony start time.

If you feel that your friends or family are habitually late, call or email each one of them and emphasize specifically how important it is that they arrive on time. That is usually more than enough to encourage your family members and friends to arrive on time.

Finally before your wedding, make a plan regarding your absolute “must-start” time. There are occasions when certain guests and important family members might be late to the start of your event.

In the past I’ve seen couples mired in indecision as to whether or not they should start the ceremony because someone was missing. Therefore, consider worst-case scenarios before your wedding day so that you can settle on your plan long before your ceremony date.

Groom’s Processional

I’ve witnessed some weddings where the groom and groomsmen stealthily enter the ceremony area from the side aisle, often with the Officiant leading the way. When the groom and groomsmen enter from the side, I think that’s a lost opportunity to honor the groom and groomsmen.

Wedding guests are focused on the aisle and thus I think it’s only appropriate that the Officiant, groom, and groomsmen also enter the ceremony area via that prominent location.

To help put this in perspective, I’ve never captured a satisfying photograph of a groom’s entrance from the side; however, when a groom enters via the aisle, I’m typically able to capture some really amazing photographs.

Processional Speed

During the ceremony, during both the processional and recessional, the wedding party, guests, and escorts should be encouraged to walk slowly. Try to remember to remind your wedding party and family about this consideration several times before the wedding—particularly during the rehearsal.

Ring Exchange

During the ring exchange, take care to avoid hiding each other’s hands. Your guests want to see those rings exchanged so don’t hide those hands!

Recessional Kiss

If you’re feeling ambitious, it’s often a great idea to stop and kiss half way down the aisle or perform a dip if you have it in you. Your guests will love it and it will make for an amazing photo! Just make sure you tell me that you’re on doing that before the ceremony!

Recessional Favors

Consider providing bubble bottles or flower petals for your recessional. If you ask your guests to blow bubbles or throw petals during your recessional, you’ll likely see some really great photos.

It’s an excellent idea to put a note on each aisle seat to remind the guest sitting in that seat to blow the bubbles or throw the petals during the recessional. Many times, without that reminder and with the excitement of the recessional, guests won’t remember the bubbles or petals.

If you really want to help make it happen, you can ask the Officiant to remind the crowd about those celebratory items immediately after he introduces you for the first time as husband and wife and just prior to your recessional.

Greeting Guests

After the ceremony, as long as the couple is visible, guests tend to stay on hand with an idea to offer their congratulations. However, it’s important to quickly clear the ceremony location so that Family Portraits can commence. I know that you’ll be tempted to greet your guests immediately after the ceremony, but it’s best to reserve that reunion for your cocktail hour or reception.

Rain Plan

Even though we live in Southern California, you should consider creating an alternate plan in case it rains. Although I’m not afraid of getting a little bit wet, you’ll want to stay dry. Therefore, you’ll want to consider alternate locations and the best place to quickly purchase lots of matching umbrellas.

Makeup Remover

In Hindu ceremonies, a bindi is a bright red forehead decoration applied by parents and the ceremony Officiant, traditionally known as a Pandit or Pundit. Similarly, a sindoor is a red orange-red dye applied by at the parting of the hair. If you’d like to remove those dyes after the ceremony, then you’ll want to have an excellent oil-based makeup remover on hand.

No Obligation to Invite People You Hate

If there’s someone you don’t love, don’t invite them to your wedding. It’s a big buzz kill when you see those folks on your wedding day and I’ve seen it dramatically affect the mood of past clients.

It’s your day. And so I’d suggest that you invite who you want to be there and not the people who you think should be there due to some sense of family or personal obligation.

Family Portraits

Working from a well-organized family photo list ensures your Houston wedding runs smoothly. Follow these instructions and ensure an ideal family photography experience.

Information Needed

Create a text document listing the first name and relationship of every person included in each photograph. Including your names isn’t necessary.

When you indicate relationships, I can organize the list order. And with each person identified, I can address people by name when I’m taking photos. Here are properly formatted examples using made-up names:

1. Couple w/ Officiant (Judge Bill)
2. Couple w/ Billy’s Parents (John, Jane)
3. Billy w/ Billy’s Parents (John, Jane)
4. Couple w/ Billy’s Parents & Sibling (John, Jane, John Jr)
5. Couple w/ All Parents (John, Jane, Peter, Sally)

Sample List

Here are common family photo groups. Most couples create 10–15 groups. Photographing 15 groups takes 30–45 minutes.

Unnecessary duplication occurs when you’re photographed both singly AND as a couple. Being photographed either singly OR as a couple is usually best.

1. Couple w/ Officiant (first name)
2. Couple w/ Flower Girls & Ring Bearers (comma separated first names)
3. Couple w/ NAME’s Parents (comma separated first names)
4. Couple w/ NAME’s Parents & Siblings (comma separated first names)
5. Couple w/ NAME’s Grandparents (comma separated first names)
6. Couple w/ NAME’s Parents & Grandparents (comma separated first names)
7. Couple w/ NAME’s Parents, Grandparents, & Siblings (comma separated first names)
8. Couple w/ NAME’s Parents (comma separated first names)
9. Couple w/ NAME’s Parents & Siblings (comma separated first names)
10. Couple w/ NAME’s Grandparents (comma separated first names)
11. Couple w/ NAME’s Parents & Grandparents (comma separated first names)
12. Couple w/ NAME’s Parents, Grandparents, & Siblings (comma separated first names)

IMPORTANT: Remind the people you’ve listed to stay after your ceremony. If you don’t stress this need, they might leave the area. And when people disappear, family photos become chaotic and compromise your schedule.

Family Portrait FAQ

Here are important family portrait questions and answers.

Wedding Party Portraits

The phrase relaxed directed portraits describe the photographs that we’ll create with your wedding party.

It’s “relaxed” because I work really had to make sure that everyone has a fun time as we take these photographs. In other words, we’ll avoid having everyone running frenetically from place to place as we try capture cool photographs.

It’s “directed” because I’ll gently guide you and your wedding party so that you’ll look amazing in your photographs.

Although we’ll include a bit of traditional posing, most of our time will be spent creating the candid-looking, fun, and quirky photographs that you’ve come to expect in Houston wedding photography.

Who You Should Include

Relaxed directed portraits typically include you, your partner, and the immediate wedding party typically consisting of you and your bridesmaids, bridesmen, groomsmen, and groomsmaids.

Individual photos will include the entire wedding party and you with each member of your side of the wedding party. And of course, a few fun or candid photos at the end that time is always great.

Family members, flower girls, and ring bearers are typically excused for these group photos unless you specifically want them there. Those participants are usually photographed during the Family Portraits portion of your day.

How Long It Takes

After the First Look, I usually spend half of the allotted time photographing you and your fiancé with your wedding party. The other half of the time you’ve set aside for relaxed directed portraits is spent with you and your fiancé alone.

If you’d like me to do my best work, please set aside an adequate amount of time for relaxed directed portraits. If you budget adequate time for relaxed directed portraits, then I’ll have enough time to create amazing portraits.

If you don’t provide me with enough time, then the quantity and potential the quality of portraits will suffer. If it happens that we don’t have the recommended time available for portraits, although you may look at those photos after your wedding and think that they’re awesome, I’ll always know that with more time they might have been even more fabulous.

For a wedding party of up to 6 attendants, most couples budget for at least 1 hour and 45 minutes for relaxed directed portraiture.

For a wedding party of 8 or more attendants, budgeting 2 hours is typically recommended. For wedding parties of 20 or more, you should allocate 2.5 hours.

Although I can certainly create amazing photographs with less time or when you’re running behind schedule, if you’d like an abundance of fabulous photographs, it’s always best to provide me with as much time as possible.

As an aside, if these recommended times can’t be met, you might consider forgoing typical wedding party portraits and reserve the relaxed directed portraiture time for just you and your fiancé.

For just the two of you, I typically recommend that you budget at least 1 hour and 15 minutes for relaxed directed portraits although 1 hour and 30 minutes is preferred.

Locations

The location you select for relaxed directed portraits matters. I’m often asked to photograph weddings at amazing churches and venues, but some locations are not ideal for wedding party portraits.

In regards to the venue you select, we first need to consider whether the venue has enough free room for creative portraits.

Although you may have booked a great venue, many amazing locations around that venue space may be taken up by ceremony seating, reception seating, or used as staging areas for other vendors as they prepare for your wedding day.

Likewise, some venues won’t allow access to the venue prior to the ceremony except within certain limited time frames. If you’re planning on using nearby locations for your portraits, other considerations come into play including permits, parking, traffic, viability, and convenience.

Although I’ll often discuss these issues during our initial meeting, it’s vitally important to discuss your wedding portrait location plans with me far in advance of your wedding day.

Sunset Photographs

Some couples hope for sunset photographs. And although I’m happy to accommodate those requests, the sunset you might be expecting may never occur. In most cases, a typical “sunset” requires the presence of clouds or a related atmospheric disturbance. And that doesn’t always happen in Houston.

Although this sunset light is certainly complementary for photography, the storybook sunset you may be expecting may not happen. Please take that into consideration when setting your expectations and planning sunset photos.

Reception Planning

Here are some reception planning tips for your grand entrance, dances, toasts, meal, cake cutting, bouquet, and garter information.

Schedule

This sample reception schedule outlines typical event timing. Help me help you, but you do you. These recommendations work best for wedding photographers, but if you or your wedding planner prefer a modified schedule, that works, too.

For Houston wedding reception coverage, I’ll photograph traditions as they happen. I typically provide little if any direction to you or your guests except when I’m asked to take a group portrait.

At formal receptions, I may sometimes direct guests so that they will appear more presentable in these photographs. For informal receptions, I may be more casual in my posing or direction.

Outside of those portraits, I’ll photograph you, your guests, and your traditions candidly, capturing natural moments.

Reception Grand Entrance

The grand entrance occurs when you’re formally introduced to wedding guests.

You’re first presented as a couple after your Houston wedding ceremony. Afterwards, you might casually mingle with guests during your cocktail hour. But the reception grand entrance is your formal introduction for friends and family. It’s also a great reminder that it’s time to get your party started.

It’s common to precede your grand entrance with an introduction of wedding party members. In some cultures, the parents and sponsors also precede couples. The entire grand entrance typically takes less than 5 minutes from beginning to end.

Organize Wedding Party & Family

Help things run smoothly and organize wedding party and family members 15 minutes before the grand entrance. Locating everyone is sometimes difficult, so starting early is smart planning.

Inform your wedding party and parents (if applicable) that they’ll be needed 15 minutes before the grand entrance, so they won’t wander off when you’re getting started.

Your wedding planner or DJ should coordinate your grand entrance participants. Organization is important because your reception timeline may slip if everyone isn’t working together. I’ll listen in as your wedding photographer, but that’s his or her rodeo.

Entrance Aisle

When working on your reception floor plan, try and ensure that you have included an aisle wide enough for you and your partner (or wedding party couples) to enter together—side by side—during the grand entrance introductions.

I’ve seen situations where little or no aisle exists and wedding party members are forced through a slalom course between tables and chairs before they reach the dance floor or head table.

Reception First Dance

After your grand entrance, your first dance usually comes next. This is a great idea for many reasons.

First, it’s surprisingly difficult to command the wedding guest attentions. I have countless photographic examples of reception traditions featuring a couple in the foreground and distracted or disinterested guests in the background.

If your first dance follows the grand entrance, since guests haven’t yet been served their meal, their attention is fully focused on you and your partner. If you wait until later in the evening, after the meal has been served, some guests will invariably be more focused on eating, talking, clinking their silverware, visiting the bar, or taking a restroom break than they are on observing your first dance.

Likewise, prior to the meal the tables that are typically visible in the background of your photos are still pristine and free of clutter. Later in the evening, after the meal begins, the tables aren’t as immaculate.

Finally, and perhaps most important as your wedding photographer, if your reception is held outside or in a room with windows, and if your first dances is held prior to sunset, I’m able to photograph your dance using natural light—which can often yield more pleasing photographic results than flash photography.

The first dance typically takes about 5 minutes from beginning to end—depending on the length of your song.

The Tradition

The reception first dance tradition was once the official signal that the dance floor was open. As the guests of honor, the couple has that privilege.

Some people think that the dance illustrates the couple’s harmony. But I’d never put that much pressure on you guys. Call me crazy, but for your it’s a great time for you to show off your two-step to Houston friends and for me to create great wedding photographs.

27 Romantic First Dance Songs

Having witnessed 300+ first dances as a wedding photographer, these romantic first dance melodies are sure to please everyone. The songs include country, pop, easy-listening, bluegrass, classic rock, soul, and R&B.

When you’re on the dance floor, waltzing around your friends and family, this music will help set the tone for the rest of your celebration.

Dance Floor Lighting

Avoid disco lights, lasers, and colored pinpoint first dance lighting.

When multicolor “disco” lights are used by your DJ or lighting designer, your faces and apparel might feature Technicolor skin blotches or pinpoints of colored light in your wedding reception photos.

Please ask your DJ or lighting designer to refrain from those lighting styles until the general dancing begins. I’ll typically mention this consideration to DJs prior to your grand entrance but those folks will heed your suggestions over mine.

Reception Hora

If you follow Jewish traditions, you’ll probably include a hora in your Houston reception schedule.

If you’re not familiar with this dance, guests will form a circle, hold hands, and then step forward and to the right with their left feet, following with their right feet. Their left foot is then then brought back and followed by the right foot.

These movements are done while holding hands and circling as a group in a fast motion to the right. Wedding receptions with many guests often form several concentric circles.

During this dance it’s customary for guests to raise the couple on chairs above the group. And when I’m photographing your celebration as your Houston wedding photographer, I’m right in the middle of the mix.

I recommend that the hora follow the first dance and parent dances. Since you’re often quite disheveled after a hora, let’s just say that I’d prefer to photograph you in a more pristine condition during the more sedate dances. The hora takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes. I’ve seen some take longer.

Reception Parent Dances

Many couples schedule a father + daughter and mother + son dance during wedding receptions.

These dances are a great opportunity to honor your parents. I also like to mention that these dances also offer an opportunity to say special and meaningful things to your parents that might otherwise go unsaid outside of these important moments.

Parent dances should immediately follow the first dance.

Two Dances, Two Songs

Some couples are tempted to combine the father + daughter and mother + son dance into a single song where both couples are on the dance floor at the same time.

However, I recommend that both father + daughter and mother + son have separate songs and their own dedicated time on the dance floor.

First, having separate songs honors each parent individually and provides an undiluted moment with parent and child. This approach typically makes the dance more special to both the parent and the child.

From a photographic perspective, separate dances allow me to focus on a single couple rather than split my photographic time across two couples. As a Houston-area wedding photographer, I can’t tell you how many times combined dances have presented insurmountable photographic difficulties.

As you might imagine, with two people dancing and moving, there are only a few moments during each dance where both parent and child have their faces simultaneously visible. And if there are two couples on the dance floor, there’s the big challenge of capturing meaningful candid moments where both parents and both children have amazing expressions while dancing.

And finally, imagine the end of the song. If there are two parents hugging two children simultaneously, that hug lasts only a second, and with two couples on the dance floor some part of that exchange will be missed. That’s why I recommend that each parent have their own dedicated dance.

Like the first dance, each parent dance takes approximately 5 minutes from beginning to end—depending on the length of each song.

Reception Toasts & Speeches

It’s amazing when parents, the maid of honor, the best man, and friends share beautiful, heartfelt words.

Although toasts may occur almost any time before, during, or after the meal service, I typically recommend that they’re scheduled during the meal’s salad service.

Prior to your event, you’ll want to make sure that your audio engineer has wireless microphones available for the speech makers. This concern is super important. I’ve been at some reception events where only wired microphones are available and that restricts where speakers may stand and deliver their speech.

As a wedding photographer, it’s terribly difficult to make beautiful photographs of your important friends and family when a short cable and a wired microphone force them to stand near a not-so-attractive DJ booth or bandstand.

During the speeches, I typically recommend that the speaker stand next to or directly behind the couple. This allows me to capture photographs of the three of you together, focusing on your interplay during the speech.

As a corollary, placing your friend and family member nearby enhances the moment and often results in physical contact that stirs even greater emotions than might otherwise occur. And of course those emotions photograph beautifully.

Speech Length

Speeches are an important tradition during wedding receptions. However, when you invite someone to speak at your event, I recommend that you emphasize that their time on the microphone must be brief.

For best results, I recommend that the parents, best man, and maid of honor be asked to limit their speech to three minutes. If you don’t specifically mention a strict time limit, someone may go on for ten, fifteen, or even twenty minutes!

And those extended speeches can negatively impact the reception schedule or even damper the overall festivities. And, since your catering service typically won’t deliver food courses during a speech, the freshness of your meals is also impacted.

Also, unless you have tons of free time in your schedule, I recommend that you avoid having the DJ ask the audience if anyone else would like to speak who is not on the schedule. I’ve seen issue with speeches come up at countless weddings and thus these factors bear close consideration as you plan your reception.

Reception Meal

I think it’s important that you and your guests enjoy your reception meal undisturbed.

In terms of scheduling your meal service, most couples budget approximately 60 minutes for the salad and main courses. Naturally, if your guests are being served multiple courses, time budgeted for the meal should be extended.

Pause for Meals

During the meal service, photography of you and your guests is typically suspended as photographing folks with their mouths full is rarely a good idea.

In between courses, when everyone at a table is finished with their dish, I’ll sometimes photograph guests in pairs or small groups depending on how well I feel the guests will react to that kind of coverage.

Photographers Eat Too

In wedding coverage lasting six or more hours, I ask that you provide me and my additional photographer with a meal service. The timing of that meal is important and thus deserves some explanation here.

I request that we be served at the same time as you.

And there’s a super good reason why I make this request. Since you and your fiancé are served first, you’re also usually the first people who finish the meal. After finishing your meal, you’re probably going to want to greet some of your guests, either by you visiting their tables or by them visiting yours.

I feel that it’s important to capture those moments in photographs and if we aren’t served food until after your guests are served, then we’ll typically be eating in a nearby room while those moments are happening. To that end, please contact the venue or catering manager and make the following request:

My wedding photography is extremely important. I request that the photographer’s meal be served immediately after you deliver the salads to me and my fiancé. By serving the photographers earlier than might be expected for your venue, I can make sure the photographers will be finished in time to capture photos of us mingling with guests. I know it’s common to serve vendors after guests, and I can certainly understand that approach, but if that is the policy at our wedding, important photographs may be missed. Thanks so much for making this request happen for us!

This request is necessitated because some venues view this request as highly unusual and are reluctant to serve photographers prior to all guests being served.

Also, we would hope to be able to eat our meal in a location where we’re not visible to your guests but we’re near enough that we can keep an ear open to anything special happening.

In other words, things can happen unexpectedly when we’re away and we sometimes need to drop everything and return to photograph something (e.g. impromptu speeches, unexpected changes to the schedule, etc.) If we’re secluded or far away, it might be difficult to return fast enough to cover those happenings. This isn’t something you should typically worry about as we can figure out where we should eat for ourselves.

However, in some instances, this may become a concern if a planner or coordinator would like us to eat hundreds of yards away or leave the venue for a meal. When that happens, uncontrollable variables can enter into the mix which can potentially impact your reception photography.

Food Photography

When we take our dinner break, before we consume the meals, we’ll create amazing photographs of each course.

This forward-thinking planning is necessary as we can’t disturb the chef and catering staff during the meal service. Stopping them for photos isn’t reasonable and they’ll push back if we ask them for that help.

It’s also inappropriate for us to take and photograph one of your guest’s meals as they’re busy trying to eat it.

Tray Stand Madness

You might think about asking your catering manager to limit folding tray stands at your reception or remove them immediately after the meal service. Tray stands, also known as a tray jacks, are used by servers to help them manage large trays as serve your guests or clear tables.

Although I recognize the importance of those devices, some caterers use tray stands liberally and place them in inopportune areas that result in them being in photographs far too frequently.

At some weddings, I’ve seen tray stands positioned on or near the dance floor for many more minutes than necessary. In other instances, tray stands are positioned next to the cake table, the sweetheart table, or other important décor detracting from the location aesthetics. In other instances, tray stands remain overly long in the reception area and present your guests with piles of dirty dishes.

And in yet other situations, tray stands are used to store wine bottles and water pitchers throughout the evening and when they’re used in that manner, those tray tables become part of reception décor—and that typically isn’t a good thing, especially if the tray tables are directly behind guest tables and wine bottles and water pitchers are in the background of important photographs.

I spend so much time mentioning this because I’ve seen them appear far too many times in first dance, parent dance, and speech photos.

Reception Table Photos

Couples sometimes visit each reception table and greet guests formally or informally.

There are two ways that we can approach this table photo tradition. In some cases, you may ask for a photograph with every person at every table.

This is typically managed by having half of the table stand behind seated guests at the other side of the table. In some cases, large centerpieces can make this photography challenging but there are other posing methods and strategies when your décor prohibits this method.

Alternatively, you may casually mingle with guests at each table, greeting each person individually.

The first method will ensure that you’ll have at least one photograph recorded with every wedding guest. The second method is easy-going, but it will yield casual photographs that feature only a fraction of your reception guests.

In terms of time budgeting, for posed table photography, plan to spend at least 3 minutes at each table. If you don’t have enough time to visit all of your tables, you can visit tables in order of guest importance. Then you can stop when your schedule demands.

Reception Slideshow

I recommend that any slideshow follows the meal and precedes the after-dinner traditions.

There are few reception traditions that kill a mood faster than a poor slideshow. Here are several pro tips you might consider if you’re making your own slideshow.

Short Show: Limit your slideshows to 5 minutes or less. Longer shows don’t hold reception guest interest. You don’t want bored guests right?

Short Slide Duration: Most photos should appear for less than 1 second. Important photos should appear for no more than 3 seconds. For best results, I prefer that all photos be limited to no more than 1 second and most photos be limited to a half second. Short slide duration prevents viewers from getting bored.

One Song: Choose a universally recognizable and upbeat song with a duration shorter than 5 minutes. Your entire slideshow should run for the duration of that one song.

Simple Transitions: Avoid “fancy” transitions. Simply fading in and fading out between photographs is more effective than using varied distracting transitions offered in some slideshow software.

Variety Matters: Many reception guests won’t know family members in your photographs. Intersperse fun and active photos of you and your spouse between static family photo groupings.

Equipment: Keep projectors and screens hidden. Don’t set them up until immediately before your slideshow. Otherwise reception decor is negatively impacted.

Reception Photo Booth

When possible, locate your photo booth in an area outside of your main reception area. At most wedding venues, the best location is often the lobby area directly outside the reception hall.

The reason behind this suggestion is that the photo booth detracts from reception décor and makes it more difficult for wedding photographers to find acceptable angles where the photo booth is not in the background.

Additionally, the staff manning the photo booth may appear in the background of important photographs—sometimes in inappropriate attire.

Although having the photo booth inside the reception hall can sometimes slightly increase participation, the aesthetic concerns may be of higher importance.

Reception Cake Cutting

After the meal, sometime during the evening, you’ll probably observe a cake cutting tradition.

Rather than wait until later in the evening, my recommendation is that you cut your cake soon after dinner. There are several reasons why I offer this advice.

According to some cultures, it’s impolite for wedding guests to leave prior to the cake cutting ceremony. Unfortunately, some guests will invariably need to leave your reception early. Many of those folks will then feel embarrassed that they’re breaking tradition and will therefore sneak out of your event.

In some instances, some guests will be strongly committed to following proper etiquette will stay at your reception no matter what—even if they would prefer to leave. I can’t speak for you, but at my own reception, I’d prefer that my guests have the best possible experience at my event. I’d like them to feel free to come and go as they please, without the constraints of tradition.

In addition to considerations related to the tradition itself, if you serve your cake early, you increase the likelihood that everyone will be present to enjoy dessert. As the night progresses, folks are less likely to be hungry or crave late night sweets as alcohol consumption comes into play.

Additionally, since wedding cake slices are often placed at each table setting regardless of whether or not someone is seated, when guests leave the event or don’t return to their table, those cake slices remain uneaten.

Given the expense and thought you’ve put into your wedding cake, wouldn’t you like the cake to be enjoyed by everyone? Therefore, if you serve the cake after dinner, you increase the likelihood that all of your guests will enjoy your wedding cake.

The cake cutting tradition typically takes less than 5 minutes.

Wedding Cake Placement

Your wedding cake placement is quite important. At many weddings I’ve seen the cake placed on a small table in an unattractive corner of the room. The cake will be featured in many photographs and thus attractive background helps me create better photographs.

Reception Bouquet Toss

The bouquet toss tradition is observed at both classic and modern weddings.

For this reception event, brides usually stand at the dance floor’s edge with a special “toss bouquet.” Single women are asked to join and the bouquet is thrown to the waiting crowd. Whoever catches the bouquet is traditionally destined to marry next.

I recommend that this tradition immediately follow the cake cutting. Although some couples prefer spreading out reception traditions, when the bouquet toss immediately follows the cake cutting (and the garter toss follows the bouquet toss), you’ll have better dance floor continuity.

As you may have experienced at other weddings, it’s sometimes difficult to get folks onto the dance floor. And when dancing is interrupted, it’s often difficult to get dancing to resume with the same intensity seen prior to the interruption—even with an awesome DJ.

With this in mind, I’d contend that if you avoid breaking up your dancing with traditions, you’ll ensure a more continuous party atmosphere.

The bouquet toss tradition typically takes less than 5 minutes.

Reception Garter Toss

Some couples don’t observe garter toss reception traditions, but most wedding photographers still approve.

The garter toss remains a popular wedding reception guest activity. Guys love competing and some make catching a caught garter a sport. However, this process can make some brides uncomfortable. And for risk-averse couples, accidents can happen when jumping up or reaching for a flying garter.

You do you, but I love photographing the garter toss. I’ve perfected the process and can almost guarantee great action photos.

Reception Dancing

Meet your friends and family on the dance floor and show off your best moves.

If you follow my reception schedule recommendations, we don’t usually need to continue dance floor coverage beyond 3 or 4 songs.

Assuming that your DJ or band gets your guests on the dance floor right away, I’ll tell your reception dancing story quickly. Although you can extend my coverage far into the night, it’s simply not necessary unless you really want more photographs.

Here’s why I’m probably shouldn’t stay all night. As you and your guests become more disheveled and intoxicated, you might find that your photos are less appealing than earlier photos.

That being said, if you and your friends are “partiers” you might want to extend my coverage to including more dancing.

My Venue Experience

Experience matters. And I’ve photographed hundreds of wedding venues. By sharing my extensive venue expertise, I’ll help you make better photography-related planning decisions. Contact me right now if you’re getting married at one of these locations:

How Wedding Photography Works

Follow these steps and guarantee yourself amazing wedding photographs.

1. Look at my amazing photos.
2. Hire me to create amazing photos.
3. Look at your amazing photos.

Frequent Questions & Answers (FAQ)

These questions and answers deal specifically with issues of concern to couples and parents who might be involved with wedding planning or who might be making decisions related to wedding photography.

My Promise to You

When you hire me as your wedding photographer, I promise to …

Simply said, you’ll love what I do for you. But that’s not all. I do more. Always. Here are some other reasons that cover why you should hire me. Comparing apples-to-apples is important on supermarket produce aisles and in wedding photography.

Differentiators

Here are some compelling reasons to hire me as your wedding photographer. Choose me if you want powerful wedding photographs that everyone loves.

Calm

Weddings don’t always go as planned. Everything can change in an instant. When that happens, I project patience—and that helps keep moods calm. My positive mindset moves the day forward and helps us all find solutions to any wedding-day speed bumps. This helps you enjoy your wedding in ways you’ve never dreamed possible.

The first step is to help you to develop an easy photography schedule. Nobody wants to rush from place to place or feel pressure on their wedding day. Helping you develop a comfortable and productive schedule makes accomplishing everything easier and helps us all avoid the unexpected.

Although I’ll actively manage potentially stressful situations, if something stressful does end up on your radar, I look for ways to effect positive change and address the issue—even if that issue isn’t directly related to your photography. That’s because my number one priority is to help ensure your happiness. To our mutual benefit, if you’re happy, you’ll look great in photos.

In some cases, you might feel event-planning stress or a family member might shift your mood.

In those mildly stressful situations, pranayama (prāṇāyāma) sometimes works wonders. This regulated breathing immediately reduces stress and improves thought clarity. I’ll lead you in this brief exercise if I think it will benefit your mood.

In more dramatic examples of high-stress happenings, I’ll take an active role in finding the best possible solution. As always, ensuring your happiness and the happiness of your guests is my goal.

I was exposed to stressful life-and-death situations in the military. Those experiences have helped me conquer stress. And I’ll use those tools to help you through unexpected wedding-day situations.

Regardless of what stress might present itself, always remember that the only truly important thing on your wedding day is that you stand with the person you love in front of your family and friends and say, “I do!” Everything else is a bonus.

Consistent

Consistency is as important as creativity—at least when it comes to wedding photography. I’d even argue that being named a consistent wedding photographer is a greater compliment than being a creative wedding photographer—because it’s harder to be consistent than it is to be creative.

Creativity follows inspiration. But as a photographer, finding inspiration every minute of every wedding isn’t possible. And that’s when consistency matters. I excel because I deliver exceptional results week after week—at wedding after wedding—for every minute of the day from the time I arrive until the time I leave.

From getting ready photographs, to wedding party pictures, to couple’s portraits, to the ceremony documentation, to family portraits, to your reception, no one part of your wedding day deserves less photographic attention or skill than another part.

To achieve that consistency, I’ve mastered a broad range of photography skills, most notably the ability to create great images under challenging conditions. Those challenging conditions may be subject, location, or lighting related. To meet those challenges, my deep experience over 15+ years makes me uniquely qualified to create great photos.

It’s remarkably hard to be consistent. And it’s hard for you to judge consistency without examples. With that in mind, I’ve shared thousands of photographs on my website allowing you to judge that consistency for yourself. Because repeatability matters.

Creative

Creativity transcends traditional patterns. The result is photography that’s both good and unique. As your photographer, I embrace creativity ensuring that I capture remarkable and unique event imagery.

Inspiration is creativity fuel. But I don’t wait for inspiration. I seek it. If I waited for inspiration, creativity might never strike. Or it might arrive when it’s no longer needed.

The first step is discovering what matters most. I’ll ask you what you want from your photography. And when you share that information, I actively listen—seeking deeper meanings in your words. Later, when I’m creating your photographs, I’ll think about what you’ve shared and what I would want if I were you. And then I’ll deliver those photographs.

Expanding that idea further, I create one or more personal assignments before every wedding—assignments that stretch me creatively. Examples might include a simple posed portrait celebrating your personal sense of humor or something more difficult like creatively highlighting the connection between you and your parents.

When I’m behind my camera and making photographs, my attention is singular. I ignore external distractions and focus on creating an amazing photograph—one photo at a time.

Outside of your wedding day, I seek innovative ideas through art and photography. I’ll browse, study, and contemplate. I visit museums, monitor social media, create vision boards, and judge photography competitions.

My creativity is also developed and honed through professional development. I attend conferences throughout the year where I study under international contemporaries—each one at the top of their specialization.

And I’m always open to creative suggestions. Whether that suggestion comes from you, my second photographer, another photographer, or a bystander, I never dismiss ideas out of hand.

I’m always pushing my work to greater heights. My goal is to deliver work that is better than the work I delivered last week. And most importantly, I’m not afraid to fail–although I’ll never fail you.

Diplomatic

Weddings provide a unique cultural mix of friends, family, strangers, and vendors. And each person has unique needs and expectations. To successfully interact with everyone, I call on my skills as a careful diplomat. I strive to treat everyone with professional respect and courtesy.

Through my diplomacy, I’ll help ensure that everyone is happy and content on your wedding day–at least where my photography is concerned. This is managed by understanding the feelings, ideas, beliefs, and opinions of others.

I most commonly leverage attentive listening, empathy, rapport, respect, and politeness. I’m also encouraging and gently assertive when needed. Specifically, I’m always supportive and I never criticize—even in jest.

I also maintain a friendly and cheerful demeanor under all circumstances. My demeanor not only influences your emotions, but your wedding photographer also reflects on you personally.

Finally, I’m a likable, approachable guy—particularly when I’m behind a camera. I’m engaging, forthright, courteous, witty, and a little bit irreverent.

Equipped

I’ll photograph your event with the best camera equipment available.

My primary wedding photography equipment includes two camera bodies on my person, two professional lenses, and two flashes. I also have a third camera that serves as a backup to my two primary camera bodies, four backup lenses, three backup flashes, and a host of other lighting gear.

I invest heavily in my photography equipment. I’ll arrive at your wedding with $25,000+ in camera equipment. This equipment allows me to create amazing photographs in challenging lighting conditions—conditions where lesser cameras and lenses struggle to keep up.

Most importantly, my deep wedding-photography experience means that I know how to use my equipment to the best effect.

Ethical

I believe in good conduct in the rightness and wrongness of actions. I strive to be trustful without being foolish and will meet my obligations without complaint—regardless of circumstances. It’s important that I always do the right thing.

I’ll provide you with clear information and documentation that outlines our mutual responsibilities and I’ll follow that to the letter. I’m a well-known rule-follower.

Experienced

I’ve photographed 300+ weddings since 2004. And over the years I’ve worked at hundreds of venues, in challenging lighting situations, and under drastically different weather conditions while solving countless wedding-day emergencies.

One of my superpowers is that I’ll manage a wide range of highly stressful, rapidly changing situations on your wedding day and still create incredible photographs. I’ll also help you look natural in photos and feel great about being photographed. You don’t need to know how or where to stand when being photographed. It’s my job to help you look and feel amazing. I’ll make posing easy and painless.

As an experienced camera operator, I’ll create 100,000+ photographs each year. And with 2,000,000+ photos created during my career, my cameras and lighting equipment have become extensions of my body.

I no longer consciously think about camera adjustments or lighting situations. I view a scene and adjust my equipment automatically. This means that I’ll capture rapidly evolving moments as they happen. Without those skills born of experience, your most important wedding details might otherwise be missed—moments that can’t be recreated.

My photography skills are most clearly evidenced in my wedding photography portfolio.

Insured

I carry more insurance than most photographers. My insurance coverage includes $1M general business liability, $100k equipment insurance, and professional liability insurance also known as errors and omissions. I also carry a $1M umbrella policy.

On request and at no charge to you, I’m happy to provide your venues with certificates of insurance that document my extensive coverage.

The Hartford provides my business liability insurance which means that you’re covered in situations that may not be covered by personal liability policies purchased by some photographers through their traditional insurance companies.

If the unthinkable happens, I want to be prepared. I want you covered. That means peace of mind for both me and you.

Organized

I’m a detail-oriented pre-planner who uses time-tested systems to help you anticipate, organize, and prepare for your wedding. If you’ve poked around my website, you’ve already figured that out. Nobody likes unfortunate surprises or disappointment. Considering every detail means that you’ll never face the unexpected.

We’ll have planned meetings and spontaneous communications both in person and via Skype, email, phone, and text to make sure you’re always informed about what happens next. The organization checklist I’ve developed will blow your mind.

I’ll help you prepare your schedule, your family photo list, your backup plans, your photographic mood board, and hundreds of other details. And if you’re up for it, we’ll also brainstorm creative and unique photos ideas that capture your passions and personalities. Through it all I’ll carefully explain the pros and cons of every decision, working as your guide when you need one and your cheerleader when you don’t.

Plans become less important on your wedding day, but planning is always essential. Careful planning before your event gives us room to be flexible, adaptable, and spontaneous so you can have a wonderful carefree time and get married.

Prepared

When you hire me, your wedding becomes the most important date on my calendar. I’m solely focused on documenting your event and creating beautiful photos of you and your guests.

Benjamin Franklin is said to have written, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Although Franklin didn’t really create that saying, the philosophy behind it is sound.

Preparedness includes precautions that anticipate potential issues and mitigate negative outcomes. I plan for the unexpected and am typically overprepared.

I begin preparing weeks before your wedding. Preparation reduces stress and helps ensure success.

To prepare, I focus on planning, work closely with other vendors, educate myself, educate you, and ensure that we have a PLAN B for everything related to wedding-day coverage.

During our final preparation meeting, we’ll review your photography-related wedding-day details. This means that we’ll confirm your schedule, discuss your family photos, and we’ll talk through everything. You’ll know what to expect.

To make sure I’m in peak form, I never schedule personal or professional activities that might be physically or mentally taxing the day before your event. This means that I only accept one wedding each weekend.

Whenever possible, I also avoid crowds the week before your event knowing that catching a cold can affect my performance at your wedding. And that helps keep your honeymoon sniffle-free too.

If I’m traveling, I’ll always return two days before your wedding avoiding unexpected travel interruptions. I’ll never let airport delays impact your photography.

The day before your wedding, I make sure my batteries are charged, double-check my equipment, lay out my clothing, and go to bed early. And I won’t eat at new restaurants or choose adventurous food the day before—or drink alcohol.

On your wedding morning, I’ll avoid social media, breaking news, and all other potential negativity. Instead, I’ll relax with my favorite music and books, framing my perspective with positivity.

These preparations may seem over-the-top, but I recognize your financial investment and the trust you’ve placed in me. I’ll do everything I possible to make sure you have amazing wedding-day photos.

Responsive

Few things are more frustrating than contacting a business and then waiting for a reply. With my studio, you’ll never feel that frustration. I’m incredibly responsive and connected.

I’m reachable via email, phone, Skype, or text and respond to messages quickly. I value your time. If I’m asleep, captured by gnomes, or working behind my camera, I’ll get back to you in a few hours. Otherwise, I’ll respond immediately—often in just a few minutes.

My studio is open 7 days a week and I commonly respond outside official business hours. My communication strategy includes immediate availability, active listening, and detailed responses.

I know that if I treat you like my most important client, you’ll be my most important client. Let’s test it out. Contact me today!

Reviewed

I’ve been blessed with 100+ 5-star reviews on every top review website including Yelp, Google, WeddingWire, and The Knot. Those reviews include authentic details and specifics that accurately and truthfully reflect real experiences.

Since most people never leave reviews, the sheer number of those overwhelmingly positive comments reflect my impeccable customer service and commitment to delivering amazing photographs.

Whether you consider reviews as differentiators or important deciding factors, that concrete feedback from real clients should help you feel better about choosing me as your wedding photographer—especially when you’re investing so much.

Cultural Practices

I understand and respect the cultural practices and traditions you may observe on your wedding day. This deep knowledge helps me create better photos. The most common cultural influences observed in Houston-area weddings include:

Religious Customs

Through study and experience, I’ve acquired deep knowledge of religious wedding customs. This translates to better overall wedding photography.

Photographing Wedding Details

Creatively photographing wedding details ensures that important celebration elements are remembered.

Styles & Themes

Choose your wedding style and I’ll photograph every detail. Here are the most popular wedding themes.

Wedding Traditions: Exhaustive List

As a wedding photographer, I have a deep knowledge and respect for important wedding traditions.

Videographer Concerns

Choose a wedding videographer with a style compatible to my style and help ensure positive creative energy.

If you can’t find someone you like on my recommended videographer list, please contact me before hiring someone else.

If you’ve found someone you like who isn’t on this list, send me your shortlist and I’ll review their video portfolios carefully and interview those companies personally.

I’ll make sure they’re experienced, capable, and a good fit helping you make the best choice possible.

I mention this recommendation because some videographers have a coverage style that conflicts my coverage style—and that can impact my ability to deliver the photographs you expect.

In addition to potentially compromising my style, conflicts between photographers and videographers sometimes cause frustration which in turn can cloud creativity for both visual teams.

Here I’ve outlined my typical concerns and how to overcome them in order to have the best possible coverage from both visual teams. As you might imagine, I’d strongly encourage you to select someone from my list. However, I’m happy to work with other teams.

If you select a videographer with a complementary coverage style, you can help ensure that we’ll both deliver the best possible images and video on your wedding day.

In specific terms, I work best with videographers who work in the background, who don’t offer direction during the time set aside for couples or wedding party portraits, and who record events using a fly-on-the-wall approach.

One Director

Throughout your wedding day I’ll ask you to do certain things that will help ensure that I can create the best possible photographs.

Those requests might involve asking you to stand near a window with pretty light or face a certain direction during portraits. Or I might say something funny to encourage your wedding party to start laughing at the same time.

If your videographer also provides direction or commentary, then you’ll be working with two directors. This situation can introduce confusion or irritation for subjects being covered which can then lead to situations where neither team can gain the cooperation or trust needed to create great work.

On Movie Making

If you hire a videographer who has a directed, cinematic, or movie-making style and their work is as important to you as your photography, then you should adjust your schedule, adding enough padding to meet their requests for directed time.

For example, some videographers may ask that you re-stage and repeat certain actions like getting dressed, putting on shoes, tying ties, or repeating the first look. With those redos, the video team can capture those happenings from different angles or get coverage they missed the first time around. Those re-do requests increase the time set aside for your wedding day visuals.

For videographers who shoot with a directing style similar to mine, in addition to the time you set aside for your photography, you’ll want to add additional scheduled time for your video team.

That might mean that you’ll need to add thirty minutes to your getting ready schedule, thirty minutes to your wedding party portraits, and thirty minutes to your bride + groom portraits. But check with your videographer as may want more or less time. Then you can adjust your schedule accordingly.

Ceremony & Reception Concerns

Here are a few common issues when I’ve faced working with videographers. These concerns aren’t an issue for videographers selected from my list.

Lead & Follow

Observation: Some videographers closely precede or follow closely behind the bride and groom during the first look, ceremony processional, ceremony recessional, or the reception grand entrance.

Issue: This means that the videographers will in the background of those very important photographs.

Solution: Instruct the video team to avoid close-follow coverage during candid moments that occur during your event particularly during the first look, ceremony processional, ceremony recessional, or the reception grand entrance.

Circling

Observation: Depending on the coverage style of the video team, some videographers circle continuously or partially circle the bride and groom during the first look, grand entrance, first dance, or parent dances.

Issue: This means that the videographers may be in the background or block photographs of important moments as they pass in front of our cameras.

Solution: Ask the videographers to perform no more than a single circle during the first dance or parent dances and avoid all circling during the first look and grand entrance.

Blocking

Observation: Some videographers position their cameras in the exact middle-back of the aisle or in the exact middle of balconies during the ceremony at a height that doesn’t allow the photographers to comfortably create photographs over the top of the video camera.

Issue: We’re unable to create wide photographs from the back of your ceremony without the presence of a tripod and videographer in the foreground.

Solution: Ask the video team to reduce the tripod height of any cameras positioned mid-aisle or mid-balcony so that the photography team can comfortably photograph over the top of the video cameras.

Excessive Movement

Observation: There are occasions when videographers move down the middle aisle toward the bride and groom during the ceremony.

Issue: By necessity, we’ll be forced to move down the aisle with the videographer to avoid being blocked. And that that will potentially cause distractions for both guests and ceremony participants.

Solution: Instruct the videographer about the importance of being unobtrusive during the ceremony and ask them to work from the sides and back only.

Highly Visible

Observation: Videographers may sometimes position themselves in areas that are in conflict with angles preferred by photographers. In other words, the videographers may position themselves and their tripods or sliders in prominent areas.

Issue: Videographer cameras and tripods will be highly visible in many ceremony photos.

Solution: The photographer coordinates this immediately before the ceremony and before reception traditions to ensure that the videographer camera positions are known and that visibility will be minimized in photographs (assuming acceptance by video team).

Big Teams

Observation: Some videographers employ large teams. These teams might be comprised of 3, 4, or even 5 camera operators and assistants.

Issue: If they employ a large videographer team, that can lead to over large groups of visual professionals. We’ll be distracting guests and will almost certainly be in each other’s way.

Solution: For weddings with fewer than 200 guests, ask the video team to limit their creative crew to no more than two individuals.

Wardrobe Issues

Observation: Some videographers wear bright colors, light colors, denim, and tennis shoes.

Issue: Videographers are highly conspicuous in photographs when they aren’t otherwise omitted from the frame.

Solution: Before the event, send the video team specific instructions describing the preferred vendor dress code. Dark colored clothes are typically less obtrusive with black slacks, black shoes, and black shirt (or dress) being the accepted norm for visual professionals.

Drones

Observation: Some videographers provide aerial coverage with drones.

Issue: FAA guidelines state that drones may not be operated for commercial purposes without a pilot at the controls and without an issued exemption. Additionally, standard liability insurance carried by videographers does not extend to drone use. Some videographers don’t carry drone insurance due to the prohibitive expense. Also, drones cannot be flown over people other than the drone operators themselves and this rule is sometimes broken and puts wedding guests and vendors at risk.

Solution: Avoid drone use unless a) the videographer provides confirmation that any drone will be flown by a commercial pilot, b) the videographer provides proof of drone insurance, and c) that the videographer is instructed that drone operations should be limited to areas of the property where people are not present. Under no circumstances should drones be allowed to fly indoors or near buildings as both situations pose safety issues for even experienced drone pilots.

Wedding Photography Retouching

I prefer natural and authentic wedding photographs over images that are overly retouched.

Selection

Selected photographs include images that reflect my best quality of work and represent the most important moments from your wedding.

Rejected images may include duplicate or near-duplicate photographs, unflattering images, closed-eye photos, out-of-focus photos, images that reflect negatively on individuals, or photographs that don’t meet my minimum standard of quality.

Selection of photographs is included with all coverage.

Correction

Corrections include adjusting the color, modifying the exposure, adjusting contrast, and cropping images. This kind of correction provides you with great-looking images.

If you need more from your photography, then you might also consider moving forward with retouching. All photographs that I deliver include a basic correction. On request, I’m happy to provide a duplicate set of globally adjusted black and white photos.

Correction of photographs is included with all coverage.

Retouching

Although the aesthetics of virtually every photograph can be improved with retouching, I tend to lean toward a “less is more” philosophy when it comes to altering the appearance of my subjects.

When retouching album photographs or images that will be printed as fine art, I endeavor to provide the best, most natural retouching possible for the primary celebrants. For albums or fine art prints, retouching is also performed on wedding party members—but to a lesser extent than the primary celebrants.

However, when the image in question is a “hero” image, greater care is given to wedding party members than might be typical otherwise.

To a lesser extent than wedding party members, retouching is performed on immediate family members. Immediately family members typically include parents, grandparents, and guests wearing a corsage or boutonniere.

In most cases, other guests receive little retouching attention except when those guests are prominently featured in photos larger than 60 square inches.

It’s important to note that artistic judgments are always balanced with the level of difficulty in relation to each concern. In other words, when addressing atypical, extraordinary, or time-consuming concerns, additional retouching fees may apply to specific client-requested adjustments.

Retouching of photographs is an additional service and fees may apply.

Description

The sections below detail common considerations typically employed when retouching an album photograph or fine art print. These lists of retouching considerations are provided for informational purposes only and aren’t a guarantee of service.

General

Skin

Eyes

Hair

Buildings, Furniture, and Urban Landscapes

Advanced Retouching Examples

Additional charges beyond standard retouching fees apply for these complicated changes.

How to Hire Me

If you’re ready to hire the best Houston wedding photographer, don’t wait. Check to see if I’m available right now and contact me today.