From Texas to Prague, CZ | Part 1
Two continents, one wedding.
“Would you shoot a wedding in Prague?” was the first thing Brianna said to me, the day we met at the Houston Bridal Extravaganza.
I said yes so fast it wasn’t even funny. I’m lucky that destination weddings have been my thing since I got started, but I hadn’t imagined that I’d meet someone getting married in such a bucket-list destination on the floor of a convention center in Houston.
As it turns out, Brianna and Logan, who live and work in Houston, were planning a two-part wedding celebration. First, they’d officially tie the knot at the church Logan grew up attending in his hometown, Orange, TX, which is about three hours from Houston near the border with Louisiana. Then, they’d travel to Prague, CZ, where Brianna had previously lived to celebrate with her extended family and friends there.
We made them a custom photography package that covered both events, an engagement session in Houston, and our travel.
First United Methodist Church of Orange, TX
They held their stateside wedding at the church Logan grew up attending in his hometown, Orange, Texas, which is about three hours from Houston near the border with Louisiana. Family and friends were invited for an afternoon ceremony and a courtyard reception with cake and Hors d'oeuvres. The couple got ready at the church with help from their parents.
Brianna is the queen of thoughtful details, and had a gift for just about every person involved, including custom clutch bags for her mom and mother-in-law. She also used one of my favorite engagement photos (a close up of the couples’ faces) to make a pop-up sign welcoming everyone to the ceremony.
Wedding Ceremony in the Chapel
Logan grew up in Orange, Texas, attending the First United Methodist Church of Orange with his family.
The couple tied the knot in a simple ceremony in the chapel surrounded by family and friends. Brianna’s father walked her down the aisle, and her 5 year old nephew, Max, with whom she shares a special bond, led the way as ring-bearer.
A New Speed Record for Family Portraits
Family portraits are one of the most important jobs a photographer has at a wedding. Family photos are part of your own personal history as a couple. It’s the visual story of where you came from. There’s a reason that when we look at old wedding albums, family portraits are some of the few photos that have been taken the same way at weddings for nearly a century now. Plus, for most couples it’s the only time you’ll have everyone from both your families in the same room.
Despite their importance, family photos can ALSO be the most tedious and least fun part of a wedding day. The “work” of taking these photos isn’t so much creative, it’s organizational. Herding a large group of people who would prefer, for the most part, to get on to the fun part of the day can be tricky. For this reason I recommend most couples make a list of 20 or less permutations of their family members, so we can get all of those photos done in about 30 minutes following the ceremony. I also typically help clients compile and distill their list for the most efficient use of time.
When Brianna gave me a list of sixty (60) images, I for sure thought we’d be in deep trouble. To put it mildly, I advised against this.
Brianna, however, knew exactly what she was about. Family is extremely important to her and Logan, and she assured me this is what she wanted, and if we had to use extra time to get all these photos, that was fine with her.
I typically recommend allotting a half hour for family portraits, because at most weddings, we’ll also need time to capture the wedding party, as well as a wide variety of portraits of just the couple. Brianna and Logan didn’t have a wedding party, and we were planning to spend several hours taking portraits of just her and Logan all around Prague, so we could forgo portraits at their Texas wedding.
Brianna designated a family friend to help get the proper people in each group. Because she knew most of the participants by sight, she was able to be much faster than if I had been calling out the names. Halfway through working with my new impromptu assistant, I learned that she had herself been a wedding photographer—no wonder it was going great.
With a little help, I set a personal record for most family portraits—we got all sixty photos done in less than an hour. That’s under a minute each! We also got a few of just the couple on the altar, as well as the official license signing.
Reception in the Church Courtyard
After the ceremony, the guests were invited into the church courtyard for refreshments. The unpredictable Texas weather obliged and we all enjoyed a temperate April afternoon.
Stay tuned for part 2 in Prague!
Other Vendors
Venue: First United Methodist Church of Orange
Videographer: Jacob Alexander Films https://jacobalexanderfilms.com (Jacob made an awesome video, in less than two weeks, that the couple displayed during their reception in Prague!)
Officant: John Warren
Hair: Eden Hair Artistry https://edenhairartistry.glossgenius.com
MUA: Muse Hair and Makeup Artistry https://musehairmakeup.com
Floral: Plants N Petals https://plantsnpetals.net
Catering: Old Orange Cafe https://oldorangecafe.com
Cake: Sachi’s Cakes & Dessert Lab http://sachiscakes.com
Gown: Pronovias https://www.pronovias.com/
Brianna & Logan booked six hours with one photographer for their Texas Celebration, and received 613 images from this day. They also had an engagement session at Hermann Park, and booked two photographers for unlimited time for their Prague celebration.
If you’d like more information on how to work with Libby Dollar Photography for your wedding contact us here!