Hey, hey! I am still getting several inquiries about weddings, so I wanted to post an update and share some pretty pictures at the same time. I am currently only shooting beach weddings, primarily in Galveston, but I’m happy to travel to your preferred sandy spot. If you want to book me, my price is $2995 plus sales tax. That includes me shooting all day from the time you’d like me to start until you’d like me to get out of your face and skedaddle. It also includes all of the digital files, fully edited (culled, color corrected, fixed lighting, straightened, noise reduction, minor Photoshop work, etc.), from your gallery. This includes at least 150 images,

but, my name is Andrea, and I am a digital hoarder,

and can’t bear to delete much, so it may include more than that. These will be delivered electronically in a share-able online gallery no later than 3 weeks after the wedding day.

Potential additional charges: travel fees (this will vary, of course), additional photographer (if you’d like), significant Photoshop work (e.g., you wore a pair of earrings you now want taken out of every image)

If you think we would be a great fit,

Side note: Your photographer will see you in your knickers and will follow you around for many, many hours on your most favorite day. Please hire someone you like!

give me a call. Cheers to happy nuptials and wedded bliss!

xo,

Andrea

508.768.5808 or andrea.bacle@gmail.com

Well, bummer. The hubs and I just cancelled our big, over-the-top, 2-week Amalfi Coast 20-year anniversary trip scheduled for May, because one of my children said he or she really, really doesn’t want us gone for that long. I’ll honor the anonymity, but his name rhymes with “momma’s boy.”

In his defense, he never asks for anything, and I’m constantly trying to teach him how to stand up for himself and speak up for himself, so when I found out he cried himself to sleep when we went for a weekend away to Houston, I asked him if he wanted me to cancel the Italy trip, and he said he did.

So, my point of all this is to say how happy I am for THIS COUPLE getting to celebrate 15 years. This oh-so-lovely redhead and I have been friends for…20-ish years? We went to high school together 20 years ago, caught up at a friend’s wedding 10 years ago, and now we got to meet on the beach for a special anniversary photoshoot. There are times when Facebook and social media make me a little nutso, but I’m really grateful for it for the relationships I’m able to maintain because of them.  

People. 15 years is a BIG DEAL. Galveston did not let us down. Weather? Perfect? Sunset colors? Perfect. 

This pretty lady wanted to make sure that we got mostly candids and not as many posed pictures, so we got lots of laughing and cuddling and hand-holding. My favorites!I love, love, love this one, and I have plans. I’m going to do my best to convince them to order this in a giant size and hang it in their bedroom. 

Thank you, my lovely Louisiana friends. I hope you had a fun time, because I had a blast. Happy anniversary!!

Love, Andrea

By the way, don’t feel sorry for me or my husband for cancelling our trip. We were married for 10 years before we had littles and made sure we traveled the world for such cancellations. We’ll be ok and we’ll celebrate another way. What time does Tiffany open??

If you’re wanting an anniversary sesh, call me: 508.768.5808 or andrea.bacle@gmail.com xo

So, as Jay-Z has taught us, we all know this: after the show

it’s the after party,

then after the party, it’s the hotel lobby. 

The Woodlands Westin Hotel lobby to be specific. After the knot was tied and the drinks were drunk, I asked these lovebirds to meet me at The Westin for some night shots at The Waterway. If The Woodlands, TX, is on your travel list, you must head to The Waterway at night for a drink and/or dinner. I suggest the vegetarian, bigger-than-my-head nachos at Yucatan Taco Stand. But, all the food down there is great. And if you’re a dessert kinda person, grab a cannoli from Grimaldi’s. Anyway, we had the best time, if you can’t tell.

No, neon green is not the ideal lighting scheme, but, hey, roll with it. It just takes a few extra steps in Photoshop to ease up the Kermit-like-skin-saturation effect from the lights, and then it looks pretty cool. 

And when the lighting is too crazy to handle? Use the fail-safe technique: black and white conversion. (Bridal tip: If you plan on having wacky and fun lighting at your wedding or reception–like a DJ that loves to use flashing neon lights–tell your photog to go with it! If you don’t love that kind of lighting in your pics, tell your photog to go be heavy-handed with the black and white images.)

The coolest part about the lights around the fountain is that they continuously change colors.  

The Waterway always seems to be my go-to spot to suggest for pics. What can I say? I’m a lucky girl. I live in the coolest part of Houston.

If you’re interested in booking a wedding, contact me to see if we’d be a good fit. I only book a few a year, so don’t wait to call!

Lots of love,

Andrea

508.768.5808

What did you do over this Spring Break? This travel junkie was living it up…all the way in Conroe, Texas. What do you mean you’ve never heard of this bustling metropolis? It’s the new Spring Break destination!

Ok, I kid. But when one of your best gals (and her new husband you love) asks you to shoot her wedding and haul your cookies all the way to Conroe, you do it without hesitation. And, ok–I’m just being a jerk–I did manage to sneak in trips to Brenham/Independence, Galveston, and Las Vegas over the rest of the week, so I think I’ll stop whining about my uptown problems.

Side note: the venue was gorgeous. I had no idea this little picturesque, perfect wedding venue even existed in Conroe. If you’re wedding shopping, check out The Gardens at Madeley Manor. It’s darling. They have thought about every last detail.

And back to the main point? I HAD to be their wedding photographer. I was at her party where they first met, he got my opinion on 50% of the jewelry he’s gotten her, I watched them give googly eyes at each other when he was the speaker at the Rockwell Trading Conference (yeah, he’s kind of a big deal),

and then in Vegas (where they officially fell in love), I was their little personal paparazzo. I’ve essentially documented their whirlwind courtship during all of our work trips. You like how I make this about myself? 🙂

Ok, get ready for the gushing. I love this chick so much. We met when our big kids were just 9 months old, and we’ve all grown up together. I can’t ever explain how happy I am for her now that she’s found head-over-heels-love-you-to-the-moon-and-back love. Do you remember all the way back to when I did some shots for her when she was a finalist for The Woodlands Idol? Yeah, she’s definitely kind of a big deal.

Sheesh. There are too many pics in this gallery that I could say are my favorites. But, I have to mention the flowers. Over the course of their courtship, Groom sent Bride flowers every week from the same florist, and so they had that florist make their wedding flowers. I mean, c’mon. How cool would it be to be that florist to watch (and sort of participate in) their courtship and then create the wedding bouquet??

I also have to mention the shoes, because I will never forget going to her house and seeing the stars in her eyes when she told me about the first magical weekend they had together in Arizona, ending with a fabulous pair of Choos. Oh, and the ring is pretty okay, too. 

Ok, so normally, my favorite-favorite wedding pics are kissy ones near the altar. But, I think this might be my winner. After the ceremony, they had a lovely, intimate reception/dinner at Tommy Bahamas at Market Street. I was on the other side of the room, and I noticed they finally had a chance to sneak off and have a little moment together. They took a little selfie to announce to the social media world, and the light was frickin’ amazing, and I caught them toasting–I’m not sure. Their love? They did it? Their happiness? All of the above? I love when I can sneak a moment. This is what happiness looks like, people. 

And then, after the drinks were done and the kids were off to the grandparents’ house, I asked if they would be willing to come have a “first dance” at The Waterway. People were everywhere, the lights were gorgeous, it was chilly, and we were all feeling frisky and happy. They were so obviously in love, I couldn’t even handle it. I can’t express my gratitude enough about how honored I am to share such a special moment with you two. I wish you love and love and more love. Congratulations on being the second cutest couple ever.

Love, Andrea

Hey, hey! Sorry for the delay. I’m in Maine, and I don’t think wi-fi has made it this far north yet. 🙂 So, last week in Chicago (long post to come about that), a friend asked me what my favorite things are to shoot. I think my answer was something to this effect:

It’s kind of a super big buzzkill when everyone is unhappy. There have been too many sessions recently when the babies were crying, or dad was mad, or mom was stressed because the kids were acting a fool, and it just wasn’t much fun for anyone.

So, my favorite things to shoot? When everyone is having a good time. When we’re celebrating love or a special occasion or a milestone. I am probably annoyingly happy and am definitely a sappy romantic, so fast forward a week later to me standing at this wedding when the groom said his vows—with me willing the tears to stay inside my tear ducts—and having that moment of, “Good grief, I really love this job.”

My real answer is that my favorite shoots are the ones where the people are in love. Mommas with their newborn babies, engagement shoots, families relaxed and happy on their best vacation ever….those are the best.

The next best situation is when it’s just plain fun. This wedding was the most fun wedding I’ve ever been to. Ever. It was one of those weddings that made me wish I could get married all over again. Not only was this couple obviously in love and definitely best friends, but the bride’s parents had just celebrated their 41^st wedding anniversary (you know I love that!), the maid of honor and the bride had known each other for 30 years, and there was even a surprise bridesmaid “formation” at the end of the reception. I had fun from start to finish, and I think I was laughing, smiling, and crying from start to finish.

I normally focus these previews on the brides, but the bridesmaids at this wedding were so great. They had a little sneaky peek to get the party going, and it was nothing but fun from there. Coconut rum and sun flare? That’s a party I can get on board with.

And here’s a shot of the bridesmaid shoes; they were too beautiful not too share.

And then? The best music ever. My beautiful bride, I don’t know if that was your playlist or if you had the best DJ ever, but every song was PER-FECT. The wedding party entered the reception hall to Outkast, they played DJ Jubilee at one point, and they even fed me dinner. I mean, COME ON. This wedding and I were meant to be.

(PS, try it. I challenge you to say “Ain’t nobody dope as me,” and see what my kids say. I’ll give you a dollar if they don’t say the right answer.)

When the bride and I met for the first time, I think we both said how much we have in common several times: teachers, lefties, and one of my favorite students at the USAFA Prep School ever was named Valencia.

So, I say all of this to tell you how much fun I had at your wedding, despite being stressed to the absolute max a mere 12 hours before, and I am so very honored that I was able to capture these beautiful—and fun—moments for you.

Love, Andrea

PS, the oh-so-lovely Kelly of Kelly Q’s Cakes was the one to put us in touch with each other, so I want to make sure I give her a super special shoutout. She is fabulous all the way around–oh, and her cakes are as tasty as they are beautiful.

Holy smokes. I can’t handle this beauty. More to come!

Happy wedding season! Are you as excited as I am?? This is my first of two summer weddings. This one was down in Galveston on a crazy rainy Sunday.

So, the day couldn’t make up its mind if it wanted to be sunny or rainy. Fortunately for all of us, the sun made an appearance every now and then just long enough to get a few perfect shots. Stained glass, rainbow sun flare, and heels. Yes to all of those things! These are the kinds of shots I go try to get while the bridal party is getting ready, because you only need so many pictures of you getting your makeup put on, right? I usually have to go hunting around for some color and sun–love how this one turned out. Since I’m a momma and my typical shoot is of kids, of course I snapped lots of the little ones at the wedding.  Technically, these are the lovely hands of a flower girl and not the ring bearer, but the flower girls were so stinkin’ cute practicing with the ring box that I had to snap it. 

I love the framing of this. Even though beach weddings are my favorite, these are the kinds of details you miss out on when you’re surrounded by sand and sea. This chapel is the lovely Grace Episcopal in Galveston. Fair warning, interested brides and photogs, there is no flash photography allowed during the ceremony. You’d better bring your A game. 

Getting ready:

This little butterfly is a special family keepsake. Don’t you love little details like that? 

And here’s the after! If you’ve read this blog at all, you’ll probably recognize this as my favorite shot: the end of the aisle kiss as man and wife.

Now, on to the dancing, food, celebrating, and fun. How do you have a pretty reception? Flowers and candles, I always say.

Sweet bride and groom, I hope you’re enjoying your honeymoon! I’ll have the rest ready soon.

Love, Andrea

Introducing, my first-ever engagement session giveaway!! I figured I’d show some love to my pitiful weddings blog and am super excited to offer one free session to a lucky couple. Details below. 🙂My husband and I met when my family moved to Haughton, Louisiana, when I was 10. You’ve never heard of it? Yeah, I wasn’t too thrilled either.

So, back in 5th grade, we lived in the same neighborhood, and he and I rode the same bus together. My only memory of him them was him using my arm to smack my leg and say, “quit hittin’ yourself, quit hittin’ yourself” (in his country bumpkin accent that I’m now cursed blessed with) while he laughed and I got embarrassed. I’m pretty sure it was not a case of “oh, he liked you!”

***Which, side note tangent, why in the world do we tell girls that boys pick on them because they like them?? Let’s collectively knock it off. Anyway, I’m certain it was a case of him just being a little punk kid.

Fast forward through junior high and then to freshman year of high school when I was over-the-moon crazy about him. Through years of strategic seat selection in class, a teeny tiny fib about how I was super-into his not-so-cool survival book on how to live in the wilderness on your own (so, ok, we both had our punk moments), and an even bigger fib about being the biggest Seinfeld fan (his favorite show), I would love to say he finally fell in love with me.

Not so much.

After a polite “thanks, but no thanks” to my sweet homecoming dance request, I finally accepted my fate as his friend, and we really did become best friends for a year.

During that time, he finally realized he didn’t need a cheerleading beauty queen and what he really wanted was the occasionally funny, mousy nerd who made him laugh and laughed at everything he did.

After a year of truly being best friends, we got the timing right, fell in love, and started dating.

We went to college together and quickly got engaged.

Hang in there, I’m getting to the point soon.

We didn’t have time to get engagement pictures done, because we were both commissioning into the military at graduation and had to be married before we filled out our “dream sheets,” so we could attempt to be stationed together. We had a whirlwind 3 months to plan (thank goodness for my future sister-in-law/matron of honor who did EVERYTHING), and we were married the day before our senior year of college.

Here’s my point: If I could go back and had the time and money to do, I would have LOVED a beach engagement session. The picture above is from our 15-year anniversary pictures he did for me, courtesy of a tripod and a lot of running back and forth.

So I’d like to make a beach engagement session happen for a couple who didn’t get them done either.

Do you know a couple in love who never got the chance to have an engagement session? I’d love to give them a session for you on their behalf. Or, are you part of a couple who never had those beach engage picture you always wanted? Nominate yourself.

The catch is that our timing has to work out: I’ll be at a few Northwest Florida beaches in June and Galveston beach in June and July.

Let’s send some love and joy and romance out into the world. To enter, please comment with a few sentences about who/why you’re nominating, and I’ll pick a lucky winner at random on May 31st.

Since I’m always going to encourage you to put your lovely images up on your walls, I want to show you I practice what I preach:

If you don’t win or don’t schedule an engagement session, have a friend take them, or get a little tripod and a camera with a timer. 🙂

Love, Andrea

andrea.bacle@gmail.com or 508.768.5808

Ok, I can’t help myself. These two are too cute not to share a few more. Plus, I never had an engagement shoot, and you know how I love to live vicariously through my clients. 🙂

Looking for a destination wedding and/or engagement session? I just might be your gal. andrea.bacle@gmail.com or 508.768.5808

You’ll see these two lovebirds again when I shoot their wedding in Galveston in a few months. For their engagement shoot, this lovely bride-to-be really wanted a fall feel. Good thing for us, you can get fall-ish colors in Houston in the middle of January. We spent a gorgeous Sunday afternoon together in the woods at the Houston Arboretum, and they were sneaking kisses between the families walking by. Sometimes I give little assignments to the couples on what to talk about, because if you ask a couple to just stand and look longingly into each others’ eyes, it usually starts to get stiff and look uncomfortable, plus there’s usually lots of awkward laughing. The trick is to have people do what you want to capture. A pose usually always looks posed. So here, I had them take turns whispering to each other and try to make the other one giggle. Sometimes I wish I could know what they are saying, but I’ve been married for 16+ years. I think I have a pretty good idea. This was the first shot of the session. These two are a little more on the conservative side, so before I told them to say anything too saucy to each other and really get them laughing, I think I was super hungry, so I told them to talk about what they were going to have for dinner after that. It helps to start with something mundane, because really, it must be very strange to have an old lady you’ve only met once before ask you to say dirty things to each other. Ok, maybe more creepy than strange, but it’s all for love–and great pictures, right??This beautiful ring is just too pretty not to photograph. Gorgeous!

Sweet couple, I hope I gave you some good material for lots of laughs on the ride home. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. Eh, not really.  🙂

Good luck with the rest of the planning, and I’m so very excited to shoot your beautiful wedding in Galveston soon.

Love, Andrea