The luckiest couple we’ve ever met…
They say if it rains on your wedding day, it's a sign of good luck. Well, Jennifer & Phillip are the luckiest people we've ever met! LOL John & I woke up early on Saturday and starting watching the radar…it was overcast and wasn't looking too promising for our outdoor wedding scheduled for that afternoon. We decided it would be best to arrive early, even though we weren't technically allowed to get into the venue until 3:45 to start pictures. At 2:45, we rolled into Lumiere du Corps in Lebanon to begin setting up our equipment. Another wedding reception was finishing up from that morning but the storm clouds were rolling in. John whipped out his new LG Chocolate phone and started tracking the weather on site. I took outdoor shots of the location, the ceremony set-up, the location's flowers and decor, etc. I knew that if it started pouring, there would be no chance to get these shots later. Little did we know at the time what the day would hold in store for all of us…
At 3:45, it began sprinkling outside. Within the course of the next hour, Jennifer and her wedding party encountered so many wedding emergencies. Somewhere between duct taping boobs, removing excessive tulle and the veil, ironing the wrinkled dress, getting a dress zipper unstuck, looking for our stolen umbrellas, sewing together a tux, looking for the site coordinator to turn on the air and finding the flowers, we managed to get everyone dressed and ready to start pictures. Our emergency kit definitely came in handy!!! LOL Jennifer had a gorgeous Mori Lee wedding gown…it was SO beautiful!
A little music to help diffuse the sound of the thunderstorms going on outside…
Loved the hoodie….
Diana got a shot of me helping Jennifer get all taped in…gotta love the Hollywood Fashion tape! 🙂
Once everyone was almost done dressing, Diana and I scouted out our photo options. As photographers, we're always looking for the best possible options for lighting, natural backgrounds, soft colors, etc. This was probably the most challenging situation we've faced yet. We couldn't shoot outside obviously since it was raining….we couldn't shoot in the reception hall since there was another wedding finishing up…the tent was filled with chairs and tables that were in the way…and the best light that we had coming in was from a window that faced a parking lot full of cars. Here's what we had to work with….
(Yikes) So, we decided the window was our best option…Diana pulled the curtains back and tied them up, John moved the furniture in front of it and we actually loved the way it looked!! Here's our handsome groom, Phillip….
Cheers! Jennifer found a cold drink while we shot Phillip's pics… LOL
Here's our happy bride, Jennifer…she and Phillip were such troopers through the whole day. She spent months and months of planning and the weather put a wrench in her plans. 🙁
But of course she still has amazing pictures….. 🙂
LOVED it!!!
They are so cute together!!
After we finished pictures of the bride, the groom and the two of them together, we ventured outside for some fun "in the rain" shots…
Then finished some pictures at the reception site once the other wedding party cleared out. Here's a cute one of Jen & her girls…we loved their dresses! I love it when bridesmaids have black dresses, they're so elegant and they're practical – you can actually wear them again. 🙂
According to the bride, the staff at the venue wanted them to continue with their plans to hold the wedding outside. :O I didn't think you could fit 200 people under a tent of this size?!
The poor videographer…. hope his equipment didn't get wet like ours did. 🙁
I don't think this is what she had in mind when she envisioned an outdoor wedding. 🙁 I felt so bad for her, but mom still managed to walk her down the aisle, smiling in the rain. 🙂
The rain was coming in at an angle, hitting everyone in the face….John held the umbrella over me as I used my body to shield the cameras from water. No such luck…one of our cameras got water logged and quit on us…but have no fear, my back-up was already in my other hand when it happened. We just kept on shooting and never missed a shot. 🙂 Note to all photographers out there: Tamrac bags and Shootsacs are the bomb!!!!! John zipped up the Tamracs before we went out in the rain and we put all other necessary items in the Shootsac and not a drop of water got on anything in any of our 3 bags! They took a full day to dry out of course but we were AMAZED at the quality and durability that they all withstood while shooting in the pouring rain.
Eventually, we had to back-up slowly in tandem to get under the tent (it got too bad outside) and here's a shot of the water pouring off of the tent…what a day to remember!!! LOL
I don't think I've ever heard more cheering during the kiss than at this moment! 🙂
After everyone managed to get dried off, we continued on with the reception….the sand ceremony obviously didn't work out as planned but we still managed to get a shot of it, maybe they can do that on their honeymoon? 🙂
They had cupcake cake centerpieces, they were so cool!!!
And cookie cutter favors…
Jennifer dancing with her mom…
Congrats you guys!! I hope you have a great time on your honeymoon and that it's sunny and perfect for you the whole time!!! 🙂 You definitely win the award for the most memorable wedding ever, that's for sure!!! 😀
Congratulations Kerri & Ryan!
Last Sunday, we photographed Kerri & Ryan's wedding at First Baptist Church and their reception at the Marriott North. It was another beautiful, sunny day with a gorgeous couple to photograph! 🙂 We had the opportunity to work with Bob Ridge from Indy Visual (who did our wedding video in '03) and he's always a blast to work with, I know their video will be fantastic!! Here's the handsome groom….
The adorable flower girl….
A detail shot of Kerri's gorgeous Jasmine Couture gown….
Kerri looked absolutely stunning!! She looked like a celebrity bride….:)
Favorite!!
They had two yellow roses at the altar in remembrance of Ryan's first wife and Kerri's father that passed away. Through those tragedies, fate brought them together though. Melissa & I used a few of those rose petals to create this shot, showing their past, present and future together…. 🙂
An emotional but happy ceremony for both families….
I love cool bubble shots!!
Here's Ryan's son, the ring bearer, trying to get the wedding party to laugh for me….hilarious!!!
They are so cute together!!
Classic Cakes did another amazing job as usual…. yum!!
Gorgeous flowers….
The DJ had the guests surround the outside of the dance floor during their first dance…I loved it, you could really feel the warmth and love that everyone has for both of them….
They had a chocolate fountain which was a huge hit! The guests LOVED it!
Congrats you guys!! Hope you're having a blast in St. Kitts this week!! 🙂
Holy cow…
I know most of you saw my post last week about us being in the running for WRTV's A-List in the category of "Indy's Best Wedding Photographer" and I checked out the comments again tonight on my listing…holy cow. I'm so lucky to have such an amazing career, amazing clients, amazing staff and an amazing life. When I started out shooting weddings in '94 (yes, high school) I had NO IDEA where it would all lead. Who would've ever thought that 13 years later, so many people would be voting for us and cheering us on like this! (This feels like American Idol…but I promise, I won't sing…) LOL We meet so many cool people every weekend and we have such a great time, I'm so lucky. You guys all made my night (again!) and I truly appreciate all of the kind words…I couldn't ask for a better life. 🙂
Cori
"Erin and staff produces wonderful photos that not only capture the day/event, but the emotion that goes with in. Not to mention what wonderful people they are. "
Dawn Stemle
"Erin and her wonderful assistants photographed my best friends wedding on August 18th. I already knew from seeing my friends pre-bridal portraits that she was an amazing photographer, so I wasn't surprised by the quality of her work. What I was surprised by was how friendly, personal, just plain out nice they all were to everyone in the wedding party. Unlike other weddings I've been in where the photographer BARKS orders at everyone so they feel like they are in the army, they were calm and patient. What a delightful change! Erin has such an eye, getting the perfect shots at those intimate moments. I was so touched with one picture at the ceremony when my friends brother sang the Father/Daughter song and caught the family moment afterwards. How touching and personnel. THOSE are the moments people remember and she captured it beautifully!!! Oh, and it doesn't hurt that she makes everyone look so darn good in the pictures too!!! I can't wait to set up my own little session with Erin soon! "
Cathy
"Erin photographed my daughter's wedding two years ago – best choice I made! She was just wonderful to work with and the pictures were so creative. Very responsive to e-mails – we loved her, John and Diana!"
Karen
"They go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Erin is truly excited for every bride and her joy comes out in your pictures. "
Christine A. ~ carmel, Indiana
"Erin and her staff are AWESOME! They have photographed two events for me, and she always does an AMAZING job. I love her creative abilities and her willingness to go the extra mile for the perfect shot!"
Heather
"Erin and her staff are incredible. We love our album and received so many compliments on the photography. Erin makes the day run smoother – extremely organized . No other wedding photographer that I have seen has been as comprehensive in their coverage or as efficient as Erin and her crew."
Jessica
"She is a WONDERFUL photographer! She has photographed my wedding, rehearsal, reception, a friend's bridal shower, my sister's maternity shoot and baby shower as well as my newborn nephew. She is always professional, kind and ingenious!"
tkai
"I have never used Erin Hession Photography myself but have heard comments from many others about the great quality of work."
Linda
"Erin and her team photographed my daughters wedding last month and I have never seen such remarkable shots in my entire life. So many emotions captured for our memories, you wonder where you were when she took them and how you could have missed it. "
Michelle Flowers
"Erin is so professional, fun and amazing at what she does. She basically helped me plan my wedding. I had no idea where to start and she sent me in the right direction, she's incredibly knowledgable. I didn't have to ask for a single thing on my wedding day because she was right there, literally, taking care of me. She goes above and beyond the duties of a wedding photographer. She took care of everything! And the pictures were ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! I had no idea I could be so pretty. Anytime I hear of somebody getting married I ALWAYS refer them to Erin Hession. She's the BEST IN THE BUSINESS as far as I'm concerned!!!!!!"
Molly
"Erin and her team are so sweet and low key…they made my wedding day stress free and I have so many wonderful pictures that bring the memories to life!"
Jennifer
"My roommate just had her wedding in June and the pictures turned out great! There were even pictures developed by the time of the reception for everyone to see. In December the groom's sister is using Erin for her wedding too!"
Bonnie Orsa
"They photographed my daughter Kelly's wedding. Which turned out wonderful. "
AdriAnne Jones
"They are wonderful, they not only take your photos which are awesome but they care about you and want your day to be perfect. They are easy to work with and are NOT rude. They are the most genuine people I know and I have used them since my wedding and will continue in the future. It is more than a business to them it is their passion. They only do top notch work!! They were a miracle to us!!"
Crystal
"Erin's photography is amazing. She is photographing my wedding on 6/7/2008 and I cannot wait! The pictures are the memories of weddings and I know that mine will be the best because of Erin and Staff! I am always looking at her blog to see what NEW photography she has done and it just always seems to amaze me!"
Beth
"One word, AWESOME!"
patrick
"Because she has the best side-shooter in the business!" (LOL…of course!! ….this one is from Melissa's husband…LOL)
Amanda Meyer
"Erin and her staff are phenomenal! Her personality is great, and she truly cares about all of her clients. Since she has photographed my wedding, I've become addicted to her photography!"
Angie Eberhart
"Erin Hession photographed my wedding in April and she did an amazing job. Most of the time we didn't even know she was there. They say the day goes so fast and you can't remember anything… when I got my pictures I was able to relive my whole wedding day. She does a great job and is very reasonably priced especially for all of the extra things she throws into her packages that I just didn't find with anyone else. Our album is also beautiful. The first time I saw it I cried! She is a wonderful photographer that I would recommend to anyone."
Bobbi
"She is an amazing photographer. SO MANY different ideas. Just AMAZING. "
Crystal Shively
"The most awesome photography I have ever seen. They have a great relationship with their clients and make them feel very comfortable! I haven't used them personally yet but my fiance's sister did. They will be photographing my wedding on 6/7/2008! I have seen so much of her work already though on her blog. I look at it all the time! I am so excited for my wedding pictures!"
Corrina Mccorkle
"Erin and staff are the best out there, no one comes close to the services they provide. "
Pre-wedding testimonial…
I just received the cutest e-mail from our 10/5 bride today…just had to share….
"Erin, You are such a great help to me! I'm not sure what I would do without you. I will say it once again…I am soooo lucky to have found you. I think I forgot to tell you that I ran into an old friend from high school last weekend and he said that you were his photographer at his wedding last year. His name is Nick and his wife's name is Sara. She told me that she still visits your site frequently…so much that she said "I loved your engagement pictures by Erin Hession" before she even knew who I was! 🙂 See, you really are awesome. I think we are going to take your advice and go on a little date tonight. 🙂 Love ya, Holly"
How funny that she ran into Nick & Sara! Holly is dealing with a lot of last minute wedding stress right now (which a lot of brides go through) so I suggested that she and her hubby take a night off and go on a date tonight…which reminded me that I should probably post that idea on here too. My best advice to everyone out there….NEVER quit dating!!! 🙂 John and I went on date nights throughout our engagement and we STILL go on dates together, even after almost 5 years of marriage. 🙂 Our next one is this Sunday (even though it's to celebrate my b-day) but I can't wait because he's in charge of the whole date and I know we'll have a blast together! 😀
I have the best clients!!!!
As most of you know, we're in the running for Indy's Best Photographer from WRTV's A-List (how cool is that?!) and I checked the current standings last night as well as the comments on my nomination, they were just incredible…
April
"Erin is so talented. She truly has an eye for capturing emotion. Her photography is second to none. "
Sara Anderson (Moore)
"They did an amazing job with my wedding pictures and they are so great to work with! They deserve it!"
Brianne Irwin
"Erin is absolutely amazing. Her creative eye and touch is outstanding. She is the photographer for my wedding on Oct. 6th. I loved Erin's work so much that I knew that I wanted her as my photographer before I even meeting her. After meeting her, I can't wait till my wedding because she is so professional, passionate for photography, and most importantly dedicated to her clients, which goes a long way. I definitely think that Erin deserves the award!"
Emily
"Erin and her crew photographed my wedding and did such an amazing job I cannot put it into words. They captured every moment and then some. It was fun looking at the pictures because they captured things that I didn't know were happening. They were able to fix every little thing that went wrong and helped get people where they needed to be. They are the best. "
Lori
"We couldn't have asked for a better photographer; our pictures are amazing!"
Lydia
"Erin is so easy to work with. She has an amazing eye and just knows how to read a moment. She captures feelings in her photos."
Anonymous
"Erin and staff are not only produce great photography, but they are fun to work with and take care of you on your wedding day! "
Thank you to ALL of you who have voted for us and especially for those of you who left these wonderful comments, you made my night last night!!! ….off to this weekend's weddings! Check back next week for some awesome images from today and tomorrow's weddings! 🙂
