We met Connor and Zane at the Star Telegram bridal show in August 2017 and immediately knew the chemistry was there for the perfect client/photographer partnership. Between the love for fishing, skeet shooting, rustic wedding, and simply having fun on their big day we were probably more excited to shoot their wedding then they were to have us!
Rain or Shine, Let’s Get Married
Connor & Zane’s wedding was originally scheduled for April 2018 but a change in plans moved the date up to December 2017. Of course the weather in Texas in December is unpredictable, and we drew a really cold, really windy day for them. The Stearns wedding took place at Lucky Spur Ranch Retreat in Justin, TX. Despite the freezing temperatures and drizzling rain, everyone was in great spirits. As professional wedding photographers, we are prepared for any type of weather. In certain situations we prefer to photograph in the available light, without flashes. In other situations, we can create beautiful light by augmenting the available light with our portable strobes. Because of the weather, we were challenged to create beautiful lighting at nearly every scene. See if you can tell the difference in the places where we used our strobes vs where we used the available light.
Bridal Portraits and The First Look
Our day with Connor (the bride) started early for a private bridal session. The Lucky Spur Ranch makes an amazing backdrop for any portrait sitting. With the weather, we were limited to certain parts of the venue just to keep Connor out of the wind. Focusing on our bride and the details of the venue, we captured her excitement and beauty in a variety of settings, lighting styles and poses. As a part of her bridal portraits, Connor made sure to take time for her father. We helped her set up a special Dad’s first look with him in the courtyard. Zane and Connor had already planned a first look, and with the help of the videographer, we staged a scenario that kept everyone as warm as possible, while still in position for photos and video.
The Wedding and Reception
On any wedding day, we feel it is our duty to capture things that are already happening, without interruption, while at the same time, using our experience as photographers to capture moments in the best light. We generally like to spend 30-45 minutes with the groom and his family while he gets dressed and we make portraits. From there, we like 45-60 minutes with our bride and her family. All the while we are creating moments or capturing them as they happen. Since we work as a two photographer team, we are generally prepared for any wedding day scenario. With the wind, the families decided to relocate the ceremony from the traditional outdoor space into a covered barn area. We were able to make a few adjustments to our plan and capture their ceremony without issue. Everything went smoothly and we made it to the reception where creativity and fun intertwine to build a memorable series of images that are always my favorite to capture. We did get a chance to pull our bride and groom from the fun and excitement and capture a key portrait of just the two of them and then quickly returned them back to their party so nothing was missed. We made it through the highlight moments of first dances, toast, garter/bouquet toss, and cake cutting before the grand exit was made. Having a 2 man team makes these moments a breeze and allows us to capture two different perspectives of the events.
This rustic wedding was planned beautifully with every detail that went into it. It was such a pleasure working with Connor and Zane and all of their family and friends. We look forward to seeing them all again very soon when we shoot Connor’s brothers wedding later this year!