2011 EVOKE Summer Bridal Tour

Houston Bridal Portrait Photography – EVOKE 2011 Summer Bridal Tour:
Is that a gold couch you’re seeing in the middle of an alleyway in downtown Houston? Yes, it is! And you can bet that only Evoke can pull off something like that! This summer we wanted to do something to not only challenge our creativity but really push the limits on bridal portrait photography. We invited three of our brides to meet this challenge head on with us, and boy, what an amazing job they did! Leilani and Amanda were newly married, Leilani in March and Amanda in April. And at the time of the shoot, Schande was yet to be married and all three brides were wearing their actual wedding dresses. So not only were we testing our creativity but we also had to keep Schande’s dress clean before her big day. And wouldn’t you know it, it rained the day of the shoot! The total rainfall for the year had been at an all-time low and the one day we were actually hoping it wouldn’t rain, it did. But being Evoke photographers and team members, we didn’t let that get us down or stop our plans. The first item on our agenda for the day was getting our brides ready for their close-ups! We had the amazing team of Thalio Beckham Makeup Artistry getting our brides all dolled up for the session. Thalio, Jessica, Robin and Hilda wowed us with their awesome hair and makeup talents, which you can clearly see in the images. And by the time Platinum Limo Services showed up with their stretch Hummer Limo to drive us to the Bayou Lofts on Franklin Street in downtown Houston, the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. (We’d like to think it was Mark with Platinum Limo that gave the sun a ride with him to our studio!) With bouquets in hand provided by Dream Bouquet, Leilani, Amanda and Schande began the photo shoot in the alleyway of the Bayou Lofts and as the sun was setting, we made our way up to the rooftop for an amazing view of the city skyline. To finish up our day of shooting, we headed over to Sabine Street to get some impressive nighttime photos with the Hummer Limo. And waiting back at the studio for the brides were surprise gift bags filled with treats and discounts from Almaza Jewelers, BeautyFirst, Dromgoole’s, Monica Seymour Hair Designs, Maison de Mode, Papyrus and Richard’s Fine Wine and Liquor. All in all, we’d say it was a pretty good day! How would you like the opportunity to be a part of the next Bridal Tour? Leave us a comment below and let us know if you’d like to participate!

Only Evoke can pull off a gold couch in the middle of the Bayou Lofts alleyway!

Amanda, Leilani and Schande did an amazing job during the Summer Bridal Tour!

Bayou Lofts has the best looking alleyway in Houston!

With all three brides in their wedding dresses, you can guarantee there was no diving on the Bayou Lofts Rooftop pool!

The amazing Downtown Houston skyline!

A beautiful sunset on the Bayou Lofts Roof in Downtown Houston!

Platinum Limo took the Evoke brides to Downtown Houston on Sabine Street to finish up our tour.

How to Prepare for your Bridal Session

Houston Wedding Photography – Portrait Photography Tips:
Here is Part II of our Bridal Blog….

Ladies!!! Here is where the Fun begins!! Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of stuff to do the day of your Bridal Session but it can be fun if you plan for EVERYTHING!

The Important Details
Expect delays in your Hair/Makeup appointments and for Traffic on the commute in between appointments. The last thing you want is to arrive to your session stressed and in a bad mood.  (We all know that the commute in Houston can be stressful). Oh and here is something big. YOU HAVE TO EAT!! Too many girls stress and starve themselves the day of the Bridal session. No Good. We don’t want you to get sick and not feel good. You have worked hard to get to this point, eat a cheeseburger, you deserve it! Actually a healthy meal is suggested so that you feel great! Also, another tip, drink plenty of fluids the day before the session, this can improve your skin texture. Oh and get a good nights rest the night before your session!! Do I sound like your mom yet?

The Hairstyle and Makeup
Your hair and make-up…  don’t get crazy!! If it is completely not your style don’t do it! True, you will only be a bride once and want to stand out but something completely out of your comfort zone could cause you to not like the way you look. If your going to bring the Bee Hive back, at least love it!! Light eye shadow will bring your eyes forward and your beautiful eyes are definitely something we want to highlight in your Bridal session. If you have never worn fake eyelashes before and plan to, cool but do a trial run to make sure you like the results. Please be aware that make up with glitter in it tends to leave white specks on your face in photographs when a flash is used. When it comes to your Tan, please be careful not to get burnt before your session. When tanning remember that if you are wearing a strapless dress the lines will show so adjust accordingly. Lotions that have glitter in them look great on you, not so great in photographs; it tends to make specks on your skin in the photos. Also, please keep in mind that your hands and toes could be in some photographs so use it as an excuse to treat yourselves to a Manicure and Pedicure.  (As if we need an excuse, right?)

Don’t forget to bring
Things you might need at your session. 1. Someone to help you finish getting ready (Mothers, friends and sisters love being part of your Bridal Session). It is fun to have someone there to oooohhh and ahhhh at your beauty!  2. Make up for touch ups, Hairspray, bottled water (it gets hot being a model ),
Props (let’s add some of your personality, if you feel like it), Bouquet (if it is too big and heavy during your session have your florist adjust the size for your wedding day), accessories, etc. Something that is important to note is that your dress needs to be wrinkle free. Professional Cameras pick up everything and if there are excessive wrinkles in your dress it will show! This goes for your ring too, if you haven’t taken it off since he popped the question make sure that it is clean enough for a close up.

The Session
Expect to be in the session for approx. an hour, this is just enough time for you to get a lot of great stuff. During your session we are going to use many different poses as well as backgrounds. For the outdoor sessions we will bring a sheet out so that we do not get your dress dirty by putting it on the ground. There is a fair amount of patience involved as we are going to be adjusting your dress a lot and making sure everything is perfect all while taking several of the same pose to insure that we got the shot.

The Photos
It is important that you communicate with your photographer on the day of the session. If you are placed in front of a background that you know you don’t care for or is not the style you are going for, don’t be shy, tell us! We are here to make you happy and would like to know if there are things that you do not like. We are your friend and like to know things like: I do not like my profile. I do not like angled pictures, I am very traditional, etc. At EVOKE we want to make sure that you are 110% satisfied with all of your images and are open to any suggestions/requests that you have so please communicate any of your thoughts with us on the day of your session and prior to your wedding. We hope that you find these tips helpful and most importantly want you to have a great time at your Bridal Session!

How to Schedule for your Bridal Session

Houston Wedding Photography – Portrait Photography Tips:
It your Bridal Session!
In the next blogs, we are going to discuss:
- How to schedule your Bridal Session
- Prepare for the day
- How to look your best

You’ve spent hours dragging your maid of honor and mom around to find the perfect wedding dress. Or maybe you were the one hit wonder bride, who knew it was the first dress when you tried it on.  However, it worked out for you have made it to your Bridal Portrait Session.

Today, is dedicated to you as a bride. It’s going to be all about you, your dress, and all those details. You know the details I am talking about. The shoes which only took 60 hours of internet research to find. The veil, necklace and earrings, and of course the cute little sparkling hair clip that matched so well with your dress. You will also have a chance to see what your hairstyle, makeup, your bouquet will look like for your wedding day. It’s like a mini test run.

To keep things running smoothly, there are some things you want to consider and prepare for a successful shoot. With close to 2000 Bridal Sessions under our belt, we have a few things to say to help out all brides.

How to Plan the Day?
This is where we see the most drama occur. With all the wedding day planning going on, sometimes it seems like the Bridal Session may not have had enough attention. The other thing, we understand you maybe close to maxing out your vacation days at work, but save one for your Bridal Session. You do not want to attempt to do your Bridal Session on your lunch break. I repeat you do not want to attempt to do your Bridal Session on your lunch break.

Okay, now that we have that out of the way. Here is what you should do to plan for your day. When your dress is in and out of alternations and you are between 2 – 4 months away from your wedding, you want to get into Bridal Session gear. Gather all the accessories, shoes, veils, jewelry, anything you need for your Session. Start to look at your schedule, find a couple dates you can potentially have your Session on. Keep in mind, being flexible will be easier for you. You’ve got a list of other partners to work with.

- Your Bridal Session Companion
- Photographer
- Location Avability of your Session
- Hairstylist
- Makeup Artist
- Florist for your Bouquet

You will see the proofs in 3-5 days and from the time you order until the time that the prints come back from the lab it will take 3 weeks. If the session is on location (outdoors) you will want to schedule this early in the morning or later in the evening for optimal lighting. (We find that Bridals are usually better in the evenings so that you have time to go to all your appointments earlier in the day). Besides, you should feel like a rock star all day and get pampered! If your session is in the Studio then you won’t have to worry about lighting. In the Studio we have a full dressing room for you to use, just let us know and we will block off some time for you.

Once, you’ve got the date locked. Plan for the Day. Think in Reverse. Start with the time of your Bridal Session start time. Go backwards from there..Consider the following:

- Getting into your dress and do final touchups
- Hair and Makeup
- Snack/lunch break
- Travel Time
- Cushion Time

Starting 5 – 6 hours prior to the start of your Bridal Session is normal and should be expected. Be liberal with your travel time, getting from the makeup artist to your photographer’s studio.  Always always give extra time for traffic. And give the unexpected some time too. This could be anything, from mom forgetting the veil to a second hairstyle when you weren’t so crazy about the first. It happens, so be prepared for it.

When the day arrives, enjoy your Bridal Session. Enjoy being pampered, getting your hair and makeup done. Savor the first moment you get into your dress and have a chance to look at yourself in the mirror. Hug your family and friends with you, share the excitement with them.  Walk out to your Session with your elegant crystal beaded dress and hot red shoes for some of the most memorable photos you will take. Have an absolutely fabulous time.