You may remember Mallorie from our previous post about her bridal portrait session at the Mansion at Red Hill. She was a new client at a new location and we really got to know one another and had a good time while capturing some pretty cool pics. (It’s true, we are living the dream!) Since then, we have been working with her to prepare for her wedding and on the day of, we had even more fun than we did in our first session. Mallorie’s contagious, fun-loving attitude and attention to detail made all of the difference at her Ruston, LA wedding.

But first, a word on lighting . . .

When working with new wedding clients we are always hesitant to imply that you should plan your day – particularly those at outdoor venues – around the photography . . . But you should totally plan your day around the photography. At least as far as the lighting is concerned. We certainly don’t demand this or make it a condition in our contract, but we do suggest it in a gentle and loving manner. After all, we are there to document our clients’ event, not make the event about our photography. However, the lighting is oh so important. And Mallorie knew this. Without us having to say a word. *Don’t you just love it when, every now and then, the universe just seems to smile on you?* With this in mind, Mallorie scheduled her day so that her outdoor ceremony and reception took place when the lighting was just perfect. We love this.

It’s all in the details . . .

Beyond the lighting, however, she included personal touches in her wedding decorations. As a lover of literature – with the degrees to back it up – Mallorie decided to use books as part of the decorations on her reception tables. She also made some really cute “paper flowers” from the pages of old books. They really helped serve to make the reception a reflection of her and brought her personality, her love to the fore.

Speaking of love, Mallorie loves to laugh. And that is one of the first pieces of advice we give to anyone that wants to learn how to get the most out of any photography session: laugh. There are so many old sayings, saws, mantras, and maxims about laughter that we couldn’t possibly list them all, but guess what . . . they’re pretty much all true. Laughter, real laughter, affects so much more than just the positioning of your lips and cheeks (or the types of sounds coming out of you). Laughing brightens your eyes, creates a happy little aura around you, and then spreads to others. It works absolute wonders in the photography world. And luckily for us – again – Mallorie had no problem helping out in that department. You can tell just by looking at her that she was/is beautiful, in love, and having a wonderful time.

Take a look! You’ll see it.

 

The Norton Building, Ruston, LA

We can’t end this post without mentioning the Norton Building in Ruston, LA. We have photographed several weddings there and our photo booth, The Selfie Stop, has been at several events there, too. Every single time we have been fortunate enough to work at this venue, the owner has come over and spoken with us to make sure that we have everything we need and that we are enjoying his space. Besides being a wonderful location, it has been really easy to work with them. And we would/will do it again in a heartbeat. Check out their Facebook page, and if you are looking for a venue in Ruston, you should give them serious consideration.