Yes, she really is posting on facebook while we "fake" a posting on facebook shot
Laura & Peter
this is a great reason why it is a good idea to have your photographer at your rehearsal dinner
rehearsal dinners provide a lot of great photo opportunities and lets everyone get to know the photographer
Dads
Betty, the one who found me so long ago. Laura said she wasn't even engaged yet but kept my contact info. Thanks Betty, can't wait for yours! and yours Chris & Kristin
I usually never post an image from another photographer on my blog but I had to make an exception for this gem that Erich caught
This is what I mean...how could I not love this bride!
Wow, where do I start with this wedding? There is so much to say. The obvious place to me is with the Lee family. They are the absolute best! Mr. and Mrs. Lee are incredibly warm and welcoming people. They have welcomed me into their family with open arms since the moment I first met them. I photographed Laura and Peter’s wedding two years ago in New York City, and I realized immediately what a wonderful family they are. Their children, (who are just like them) are a testament to what it is like to have great parents. Sorry Laura & Peter, but I did everything I could to try and get Michelle’s images up yesterday for your anniversary. There are so many of them that the time it takes to do everything is increased exponentially. I guess that is a good thing though because I know how much the family loves photography. Happy Anniversary! I wish you, Peter, Michelle, Kristopher, and everyone much love for many years to come.
Laura was and always will be one of my favorite brides ever. It was a pleasure to communicate back and forth with her before, during, and after the wedding. Her wedding was spectacular, even if it was 102 degrees that day (in the shade), but it didn’t matter to her or her family how hot it was, so I definitely was not going to let it slow me down. We all had a wonderful time together and produced an incredible body of work.
Last year Laura wrote me an email informing me that Michelle was getting married. She said that she wished I could be there but it was going to be held in Houston, Texas. I said, “Well let’s not rule it out yet. Maybe we can come up with some sort of arrangement that works for all of us and I could be there with you. I love your family and would embrace the chance to work together again.” Next Michelle emailed me, explained everything, and asked me to come up with a quote. I wasn’t sure if I would be doing the wedding at this point because Michelle is extremely computer savvy and I knew she would do her research on the local photographers. She could possibly save a lot of money and choose to not have me fly down for the wedding. That would mean taking a risk on the most important factor though which is the photographer/family connection. We knew we had this, plus the experience of working together in extreme heat, so I was hoping we could still do it together.
I remember that Michelle was posting on Facebook while I was shooting her sisters wedding, and I knew that if I shot her wedding she would probably do the same thing. So when I arrived in Texas I told her that I had purposely been avoiding joining facebook. However, because this wedding was her wedding, and I knew what an online guru she was, I may have to finally give in and join. Well that is all she had to hear. As it turns out, facebook is one of the things she does for a living. She looked at me and said, “Don’t worry Frank, I am going to take care of you.” That is exactly what she did. She spent a lot of time putting my facebook pages together, and I can’t thank her enough. I really appreciate it Michelle and it is an honor to have your blog post be my first one on facebook. I don’t know why I waited so long because it has allowed me to connect with so many old friends and family, it is really fun to do, and I am excited about being there.
So as you may have guessed, yes Michelle was doing posts on facebook as I was shooting. The photo of her pretending to be on facebook was an idea I thought maybe we should fake because she is always on there. Well turns out that it isn’t a fake, she was actually posting on facebook that we are doing a shoot about her being on facebook. The actual wedding ceremony was also broadcast live online as it happened. So needless to say, Michelle is also one of my favorite brides ever. It is really nice when that happens a couple of times in the same family because I feel like I become part of the family, or at least a good friend of the family. Imagine having the best experience ever with someone because they are such a great person, and then getting to do it all over again with her sister, brother, or friend. Which is actually even better because the sister you shot first is there to help with everything.
There is a lot of responsibility that comes with photographing a wedding for someone. Memories are being captured that are going to be treasured forever. It is very rewarding to be able to take a fleeting moment in life and be able to freeze it for all time. It is something that has gotten easier for me as the years go by, but it certainly is not something I take for granted. Intuition cannot be taught, it has to be experienced. It still takes an intense amount of work the days of the wedding, and in the post-production phases. For these reasons and so many more, when I bring someone to second shoot with me they have to be talented, and willing to work hard. When I was talking about having another shooter with Michelle, she said that they would much rather prefer that I brought someone from home that I was familiar with instead of hiring a stranger in Texas. When she said this to me I immediately knew who I had to try and get. The question was would he be available and interested. So I asked my good friend Erich Camping and he was available and interested. We have worked together several times over the years, and I have to say what a pleasure it always is. Erich is a well-educated photographer who isn’t afraid to take risks in order to increase his skill level or discover something new. He is very conscientious about everything around him, and like me; he enjoys doing this for people. It is important to both of us that the overall experience for everyone involved is equivalent to or even better than the high quality images we deliver with our photography. Of course Erich came through and produced some of his best work ever. Thank you Erich for all of your hard work and your companionship, it is much appreciated.
It was an honor to do this for your families Michelle and Kristopher. Thank you so much for the opportunity, and the wonderful experience. Thanks to Laura, your Mom & Dad, your brother Chris, your cousin Travis (the best Pastor ever), all of your families and friends, and of course the amazing Betty Chan for finding me a long time ago and introducing me to the family.
The following was written by Michelle and she asked me to include it here for everyone.
Kristopher and I had such a fantastic time at our wedding! Everything turned out beautifully and the day progressed without any major hiccups. I think the only thing that went wrong was that we couldn’t find my toss bouquet but we just threw a bridesmaid’s bouquet and went on with the party! We really enjoyed getting to spend time with all the people we loved in one place (and we missed everyone who couldn’t make it). Our family and friends are spread all over the country (and some across the world) so having them all in one spot was a real treat for us and was better than any other gift we could have possibly received.
The best part was we had an amazing photographer with us for the entire weekend to capture every moment. By the time Frank posts this to his blog, I probably still will not have seen all of the photos that he and his equally phenomenal second shooter, Erich Camping, captured; but I know I can say with 100% confidence that he caught every single moment of it. It was such an absolute pleasure to work with the both of them. I truly felt they were guests at our event and not just our photographers; that’s how well they just went with the flow yet still managed to do get the job done. Frank was the photographer for my sister’s wedding two years ago and I’m so happy that she found him (through her friend Betty) because that was the one thing I didn’t have to worry about finding. As soon as Frank said he would fly to Texas I knew I didn’t have to look any further. So really, with all our hearts, thank you Frank!
A special thanks to our other vendors/coordinators as well who made this all possible:
Travis Yee (cousin and Pastor extraordinaire)
The wedding Reception- Jennifer, Kristina and the entire staff at The Magnolia Hotel, Houston, TX
Welcome Dinner- Little Napoli 1001 Texas Avenue, Houston, Texas
Pre-Wedding Bash- Molly’s Pub 509 Main Street, Houston, Texas
Ceremony- Trinity Garrett at Trinity Lutheran Church, Houston, TX
Rehearsal Dinner- McCormick & Schmick’s 1201 Fannin Street, Houston, Texas
Lisa from Wedding Flowers by Lisa, Houston, TX
Eclipse Band & Orchestra, Houston, TX
Cakes by Gina, Houston, TX
American Corporate Transportation, Houston, TX
Sam’s Limousine, Houston, TX
A-Net’s Bridal, Lafayette, LA
Miller’s Formals, Lafayette, LA
Don’t Toss the Bouquet: Floral Preservation, NY
Paul’s Jewelry, Lafayette, LA
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