Haley & Andy :: Engagement in Dallas

I have to confess, if you had told me in 2006, when I first met Andy, that I'd be taking his engagement photos someday, I would not have believed you.  Well, as they say, it just takes the right "one" and everything changes!!  I'm so honored to be photographing an old friend and his beautiful bride-to-be Haley next April, for their wedding at the Stone Oak Ranch in Murchison, TX.

So let's hear how they fell in love, straight from them, and check out their engagement session at Turtle Creek and Klyde Warren Park!

How you met:

She said:  It's 2014. He was my boss-obviously!  Isn't that how everyone meets? 

He said:  She interviews really well!  I was looking to hire a sales representative…I found the love of my life (she was a really good sales rep. too)!  As soon as I met her, I knew I was in trouble.  As soon as I got to know her, I knew I was falling in love.

Why he/she is "The One":

She said:  He had tattoos... And a job... What more could you ask for?!  We had similar views on well.. pretty much everything and our birthdays are 11/12 and 12/11.. We won't discuss years. ;)  Most importantly, when all I wanted to do on a Saturday night was lay on his brown suede couch and be in bed by 10:00, he was right there beside me. I knew he was the one!

He said:  I remember she & I passing on a chance to go out and party it up for New Year’s Eve.  Instead, we decided to spend the evening on the couch together.  Sitting there that night, with her sleeping beside me as I watched the midnight festivities on T.V., I remember thinking that there was nowhere else I wanted to be AND no one else I wanted to be with.  A good friend once told me that true love and successful relationships aren’t about whether you can have fun Friday nights out on the town.  They’re about whether you are completely happy and content on a Tuesday night, sitting beside one another on the couch.  I knew at that moment that I’m the happiest and the most content in life when it’s just us, together at home on the couch!

The Proposal:

She said:  For someone who had no idea it was happening...I certainly did everything there was to ruin it! A week before we left for vacation I said "Don't propose to me in Mexico- that's so cliche." That same week, I told him I wanted a yellow gold ring (mind you my white gold ring was sitting in his sock drawer upstairs). On our flight to Mexico, I dug everything out of his back pack I could possibly get my hands on.. how I didn't feel the box we will never know!  The night before he proposed I explained to him how LAME and extremely uncomfortable those dinners under the "romantic" huts on the beach were. 

The next night at dinner (under that same "romantic" hut) I said "Isn't it weird to think we are going to be together forever?"  He looked at me and asked me to come around and look at something - of course my thoughts were...it's pitch black out what could we possibly be looking at. - He asked me if I loved him and wanted to be with him forever. Blissfully unaware of what was happening,  I said yes and turned to walk back to eat dessert. It was then that he pulled me back and took the most beautiful (white gold) diamond ring I had ever seen in my life out of his pocket (And let me tell you, I've spent quite a bit of time on Pinterest so I've seen a lot of rings in my day!) I gave him a hug and tried not to cry... He asked if I said yes because he couldn't tell that my head was nodding yes and not shaking no. Cam and Trisha (his brother and sister-in-law) met us shortly after dinner with open arms and bridal magazines. The next day we bought three days of wi-fi and texted everyone the big news! 

Now, here we are...only one month later, with a venue, a band, a dress, and a photographer...I'd say it was pretty much meant to be :) 

He said:   It was a beautiful dinner on a beach in Mexico, with delicious food, plenty of wine, and the woman I’m in love with…and I was scared to death!  It never once occurred to me that she could actually say “no” until the day before I was going to propose.  Then I started freakin’ out!  And when it came time to actually ask her, my hands were shaking, I was short of breath, and my heart was about to beat out of my chest.  Luckily, as soon as I popped the question, her hands started shaking, she got short of breath, and I could tell her heart was about to jump out of her chest.  So, I figured we were good to go!

Erica & Mike :: Engagement in Sacramento

The beginning of every love story has 2 sides...this one actually has 3!  Hers, his, and mine! So when Mike, a lifelong friend of Andrew's, told us he kept running into a girl walking her dog (see below, Bubba, the cute Frenchie!) while out walking his dog, I immediately jumped into match-maker mode!  They had already exchanged numbers, but I suggested perhaps the gesture of bringing a steaming thermos of hot cocoa to enjoy on their morning dog walk might be just the ticket to asking her on that first date...and here we are...now merely a few months away from their wedding!!  But, let's here what THEY have to say in their own words:

On how they met:
She says:  We met on a run of the mill dog walk early one morning when I had quite literally just rolled out of bed. I was wearing my PJ Pants and a tee-shirt along with a fabulous display of bed head. In true bully fashion, Bubba Jack ran right up to Duke and tried to establish his dominance from a good 12-inches below Duke's eye level. After a round of apologies and untangling of leashes, Mike caught me off guard with a request for my digits. Turns out it was a good day to take a chance on a cute stranger. ;)  
He says:  We lived down the street from each other and walked the same 6:30 am dog walk route.  Usually neither of us were dressed to impress and often under caffeinated.  After her 22 lb. dog tried to boss my 70 lb dog around AGAIN, we struck up a conversation and I asked for her number.

On "the one:"
She says:  The sassy answer is... When he told me that he played hockey. ;)  The honest answer is... I don't remember any big light bulb or "aha" moments. It just sort of occurred to me one day as we were lounging around that he was more than just good company. 
He says:  Sorta knew when we started talking on the phone.  Before she knew I played hockey, she said "I don't really watch sports, except hockey.".  Then, when I picked her up at her place on our first date and she had The Cure's "Desegregation" album on 12 vinyl laying on the coffee table, I had a hunch she was "the one". 


The Proposal:
She says:  On Christmas morning we started to unwrap our gifts and after receiving a toaster, coffee maker and Snuggie I had come to terms with having a utilitarian holiday experience. In the spirit of celebration, I decided to use my gifts and wrapped up in my cloud print Snuggie for a little couch lounging. After a quick departure from the room, I was informed that there was one more gift. I inspected under the tree with some confusion as there were no boxes remaining. When I settled back on the couch he started acting a little odd and then reached behind his back... About that time my brain sort of turned into white noise and internal dialog of "what is he doing"... "is that a ring...". I have no real memory of what was said, but distinctly recall that he was sheet white and very nervous. 
He says:  Santa brought the jewelery, he left it to me to pop the question. 

We can't wait for your October wedding aboard the Sacramento Hornblower!

Theresa & Matt :: Engagement in Seal Beach

What can I say about these two?! They are two of the sweetest people I've ever had the pleasure to meet, let alone photograph! These lovebirds are high-school sweethearts, even thou they went to separate high schools, her at St. Josephs and him at St. John Bosco. It all began when he asked her to be his girlfriend at the end of their junior year! Could that be any cuter?! Ah, remember young love?? Matt finally popped the question during a Vegas trip, 2 days after Theresa's birthday in 2010.

I'm trying a little something different...I'm asking couples to put into their own words how their relationship began, what made them fall in love, and a special story the two of them share! And, I have to say, I was thrilled this morning when I read their comments this morning in my email!

She says: I knew Matt was the one for me when I figured out how much he truly cared for me as a person. I fell in love with his big, generous heart and the way he always made me smile. He was always there for me and would travel the distance to see me and watch me play my favorite sport, soccer, on a weekly basis. He was able to bring out the best in me and able to make me a better person.

He says: Theresa was always able to put a smile on my face whenever I saw her and thought about her. She believed in me and was able to treat me in a special way that no one had before. She was always supportive and encouraging and always had the right words to say. She was able to bring out the adventurous side of me allowing me to do the things that I probably would have never done if she wasn't there.

Theresa's favorite story: One of our favorite stories was when we went to Hawaii and went sky diving. I, Theresa, had to talk Matt into it. The only reason why he went was because he said he didn't want to "look like a sissy". I thought that it was romantic as we got to experience our first jump together.

Matt's favorite story: When we had gone white water rafting for about our 3rd trip and Theresa was tell everyone in our raft how no one has ever fallen out. Just as she had finished the story we hit a small rock in the river (we had just started our day on the river) and she falls in the rapids. We just love being outdoors and being adventurous.

Since Matt is an avid golfer, they choose Old Ranch County Club in Seal Beach as the location for their engagement pictures. Their reception will be there in June as well, and I can't wait to shoot them again on their big day!

Courtney & Greg :: Wedding in Huntington Beach

The weather couldn't have been more custom-ordered for Courtney and Greg...their Orange County wedding happened to fall on the only only Saturday or Sunday in two weekends without rain! This wedding was truly "them," a true reflection of their taste and sense of fun, right down to the red suspenders and Dickies worn by the groomsmen. There was almost a make-up emergency, when Courtney's dad came to see her right before the ceremony, but after blinking back a few tears, Courtney was all smiles for the rest of the day! She and Greg both exuded happiness...you can tell the love they have for their family and friends is beyond measure, and I just know Courtney's mom was so very proud and happy for her little girl on her big day!
















Vendors:
Wedding Coordinator: Lisa Cristea
Venue: Red Horse Barn
Catering: Country Garden Caterers
DJ: Fly By Night DJs

Natalie :: Boudoir

Can you say "smokin' hot?" I feel so lucky to be able to photograph beautiful girls and showcase them in a way they are not used to seeing themselves! I met Natalie thru one of my brides, Courtney. The two of them did their boudoir shoot at the same time. I'm actually a big fan of two girls sharing a session. It saves them a bit of moolah on the hotel room, and it tends to be a bit more comforting to have a friend nearby when you're posing in your unmentionables in front of strangers!

Hair and makeup by Tiffany Georskey of Make Up Your Event

Boudoir Contest!!

Happy Friday!! It's been a crazy 6 weeks or so, I hope everyone's summer is off to a fantastic start...hard to believe it's already mid-July!! And in exactly one month from today, I will be celebrating my BIG 4-0 birthday!! Hard to believe my mom has a 40-yr old child! But, in true Jackie style, I still put in my age as 39 on the elliptical machine at the gym! Not changing it until AFTER the official day!

So first things first....the blog looks different, huh? I basically just reversed the colors, and changed the font and logo slightly, not a huge difference, but I like the clean fresh look! Much thanks to Alex at Design & Illustration by Alex!

Now the big news....my first BOUDOIR CONTEST! The winner will receive a FREE 1/2 hour mini-boudoir session, including makeup by Tiffany from Make Up Your Event!

Here's what you need to do to enter:

• leave a comment below on this post, AND
  

• "like" jackie g. photography and Make Up Your Event on Facebook (must "like" both if you don't already!)

That's it! The lucky winner will be chosen on Monday July 25th, so you can enter anytime before then! Good luck!!

The Fine Print:

• winner chosen at random, must be available to shoot in Orange County, CA., and will be responsible for booking hotel room or providing other location
  
• session will be 30 min, 1 outfit
• makeup only by Tiffany, you may pay extra if you wish to have your hair done too!
• winner will receive 5 edited images via email
• BONUS: winner may also qualify to be upgraded to a full boudoir session, up to 2 hrs and 3 outfits when you refer a friend who books and pays in full for a full session too!

To get you "in the mood" so to speak, here are some of my favorite boudoir images!