A Winter Wedding with the Wrights

I cannot believe I’m just now getting around to blogging about this Fort Worth Wedding!

Chelci and Kevin found me on Facebook through a friend of mine who is from their home town. They contacted me and we talked about their needs and wants, and it was a match! They wanted their engagement photos done in the mountains, and I was dreaming of doing them there, as well. But the permit I need to shoot in the mountains wasn’t approved until AFTER their engagement session date, so we did a session in the Bishop Arts District in Dallas. We loved those photos, but knew that they weren’t everything we dreamed of them to be. So we waited on the permit, and drove up to the mountains and did a second engagement session. It was perfect.
Shooting Chelci and Kevin during their engagement adventure session; climbing rocks, scaling hills, battling the wind, really helped us get to know one another and become comfortable with each other. I learned so much about them, and I think that really helped me for their wedding day.

Without further ado, I present to you, Mr. & Mrs. Wright
December 14, 2018
Venue: BRIK Venue

Officiant: JP Michael Roach

Caterer: Chuy's

Bartender./ Coffee and Cocoa Barr: HD Liquid Catering

Cakes: Nothin Bundt Cakes

Florals: KatieBug Florals

DJ: Dj Connection, DJ Katasha

Videographer: Outre Cinema 

Exit Car: DFW Vintage Cars

Hair and Makeup: BA Beauty

Custom Cuts and Shaves: Heather Phillips

Coordinator: Lovebird Lane Events

Photographer: Myself! Kaja Salsman

A Joyful Mountain Engagement Session

Chelci and Kevin contacted me in December about their December 2018 wedding. I knew from the moment Chelci spoke with me, that I wanted to make their engagement images completely magical. 

Chelci let me know that she wanted their session to be in the Wichita Mountains, so I got to working on a permit application. Unfortunately, when it came time to do their session, my application hadn't been approved yet, and, to say the least, we were pretty bummed out. 

To make the most of it, we had a laid-back session in the Bishop Arts District in Dallas. We got some great images, but I could tell Chelci and Kevin weren't completely in their element. 
A few weeks later, i got the great news- my application was approved! I headed up to the mountains, paid for my permit, and picked it up. Chelci and I set up a date for the mountain engagement, and we waited patiently, hoping the day would bring sunshine, warmth, and *NO* rain!

The day came, and sure enough, we had sunshine and no rain! It was CRAZY windy though, but we managed to get some incredible shots of Chelci and Kevin interacting; being in their element together. They were able to tune out all distractions and concentrate on one another, creating some beautiful moments that I was lucky enough to capture. 

 

Needless to say, you guys, I cannot WAIT to finish their entire session! And I am so stoked to photograph Chelci's bridals in the fall! 

Albert & Ceciley Kussavage

Last weekend I had the honor of photographing Al & Ceciley's big day. It was a perfect Saturday, truly. The sun was shining, it wasn't too hot, the wind was minimal, and the sun showed up at all the right moments. 

I met Ceciley at Primp & Blow while she, and her bridesmaids, were getting their hair & make-up done. I took some shots of the girls, along with Ceciley's mother and soon-to-be Mother-in-Law, getting their hair curled, pinned, and straightened, as well as getting that perfect eyeshadow color applied. Ceciley looked so beautiful and radiant already, and she wasn't even dressed! 
I could tell she was excited and ready to marry the love of her life. 

Ceciley and Al chose the Kemp Center for the Arts as their wedding and reception venue. And let me tell you, it is truly a beautiful place. The garden is gorgeous. The art around the grounds is inspiring and original, and the trees are just incredible! 

Ceciley's wedding planner, Kathy, really put a lot of love and care into the decorations and set-up of the reception area. I've never seen centerpieces like were at the tables at the Kussavages' wedding. Mesmerizing! 

 

I couldn't help but notice the groom's cake next to the gorgeous wedding cake. It was so original and so silly! I got a great chuckle out of it. Dotty Hoover, of Just Bite Me Creations, baked and decorated both scrumptious (and beautiful!) cakes for Al & Ceciley. 

I took some pictures of the groomsmen, who were all obviously fantastic buddies! I love when all the groomsmen cooperate with me so it's not like pulling teeth when it comes to taking their pictures! They were a pleasure to work with, for sure. 
I then went back up to the bride's room, took pictures of her getting into her gown, with her bridesmaids assisting her, and then we headed down to the art gallery to get some pictures of AL & Ceciley praying together and holding hands around a wall. Ceciley didn't want Al to see her in her gown before the wedding, so we had to do some finagling to make sure he didn't see his ravishing bride! We did succeed! 
Before the ceremony, Ceciley gave her father, step-father, and soon-to-be father-in-law custom engraved wallets, and each one of them cried upon the sight of seeing her in her gown. It was a beautiful moment to witness- very raw and real. Those are my favorite moments to capture. I'm so glad I was able to experience that with them. 

And, on to the ceremony! Ceciley and Al got married in the garden, and the it was so special. Their love radiated throughout the entire grounds. Everyone who attended jaws dropped when they saw Ceciley walking down the aisle. She looked like royalty! 
 

I chased Mr. & Mrs. Kussavage back down the aisle and managed to get a few pictures of them together, fresh with adrenaline and giddiness, before the stress of portraits set upon them. And the result, in my opinion, was amazing!

 

Then, of course, came all the family portraits! I loved getting to quickly meet every single person in Al and Ceciley's families. They were all beautiful people and I'm so glad they were able to make it to the big day. 

The bridal party looked absolutely stunning. The bridesmaids gowns were some I've never seen before. The wrap-around-style gowns were so classy, sassy, and original. I loved how they fit each bridesmaid and flattered each of their body types. Ceciley definitely chose the perfect dresses for her girls!
And don't even get me STARTED on the flower girls! Their outfits were pure MAGIC! They reminded me of fairy tale characters. Beautiful tulle skirts, hand-crocheted tops, and the most precious lace crowns I have ever laid eyes on. 

Al & Ceciley's reception followed suit with the beautiful day that came before it. So much laughter, love, and well-wishes. The whole ballroom was filled to the brim with sincerity and love. I truly enjoyed my day with Al & Ceciley! Thank you so very much for choosing me to capture these moments for you, and your families, to cherish for years to come!

 

Congratulations, and may your love always be as true, strong, and unfaltering as it was the moment you said "I Do!"

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...A Webpage

FINALLY!
Finally I have found a busy-scatter-brained-can't-remember-any-thing-sleep-deprived-procrastinator-friendly website host! 
I'm so glad to have an easy interface to showcase all of my wonderful clients now! I'm counting on all of you to keep me accountable for updating this photography blog, and clients, I need you to stay up my butt about it, too. I want your beautiful faces up on this blog for the world to see! 

It's mid-February. And as a mom, I still feel like I'm settling in to the year. That's weird, right? In college I swear I was revved and ready by January 10th. But, alas, I'm not in college anymore and things get weird the older you get and the more kids you have to keep alive, amirite? 

So far this year I've had the honor of photographing the sweetest engagement. Their outfits were absolutely perfect. As a matter of fact, I'll blog about that fantastic session tomorrow. 

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Al & Ceciley were so precious and so easy to work with. The laid-back couple made sure to concentrate on each-other instead of concentrating on me. That's what always makes images magical! 

I've taken some Valentine's Day pictures of my little self-made doppelgänger- and my goodness was she cute. This year seems like it is going to be pretty laid back. Two weddings, a few bridal sessions, and...a lot of soccer!  (I've gotten crazy and brave: decided to volunteer as coach for my son's soccer team! What!)

I can't wait to go on this social-media/website journey this year! Will you join me? 

Much love, 
Kaja