Used to teamwork, Angie Pressey & Justin Forsett became the star players in a game more important than the national championships- their wedding ceremony and now, marriage. The ceremony, held at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, filled the sanctuary with jubilant energy which I could feel deep-down to the core — and I clearly wasn’t the only one.
In a sacred, surprising ceremony, two talented souls shared laughter, God and tears. OK, maybe no tears for JUSTIN!- Psst, Justin, if you want to admit it or deny it just leave a comment . Sneaky Justin completely surprised Angie when her favorite singer, Avant, showed up to sing during the emotional ceremony, then again when Avant performed several encores during the reception stoking the house-on-fire! With so much celebrating, it’s a good thing the Omni Park West Hotel had a huge dance floor, made all the more spectacular by enhancements from AVT Event Technologies. Yolanda Haley coordinated this high energy event, putting together a fabulous team.
Thank you, Angie and Justin, for making the inquiries that allowed me to join you in Dallas. I feel completely honored to have photographed your portrait session and your wedding celebration. On top of that, I couldn’t have had a better time. You make it easy to love my job!

Surprise, surprise. Justin arranged for Avant to grace his union with Angie. Clearly she was hugely surprised and Justin received his well-earned look of love and gratitude from Angie as she realized Avant was indeed singing, in flesh and blood.

See reception photos, including more of musician Avant
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Part 1. Wedding Hair and Makeup Artist
For any bride, her wedding day look is obviously a high priority, and it has an enormous effect on her overall mood, not to mention the heirloom photography collection.
What’s a bride to do?
Hire an experienced, talented makeup artist who is specifically experienced with wedding hair and makeup and be sure to mention the photography start time, aiming for the bride to be completely styled an hour before show-time. Getting dressed takes longer than you think (and so do makeup artists, who rightfully so want you to look your stunning best). Your part is to allow them the time needed for this enjoyable service.
An experienced artist knows to respect the schedule you have already created for your special day, including to begin with the Bride, then her maid of honor, then mom so everyone is ready for photos before being needed. Your experienced artist already knows how to create looks that last all day, so a couple of hours difference shouldn’t matter one bit, except to your calm peace of mind.
Caution
Hiring an artist with little WEDDING experience.

Hair and Make-up by Tiara's on Location. Dress by Luly Yang Couture.

If reception touch ups are needed, ask how long this typically takes. If a second outfit and style-change is pre-planned, it works beautifully. I have never seen a reception freshen-up take more than a few minutes. I have, however, witnesses a very experienced “fashion-shoot” artist take a bride away from her wedding for a full 30 minutes, leaving guests murmuring, a confused coordinator, and a special guest artist perform only for the groom. How bad could her makeup have been?! Some artists have shined year after beautiful year. Tiara Whitney of Tiara’s on location is a favorite hair and makeup artist who works intuitively, efficiently, with humor and has a way with “getting the look” a variety of clients dream of. Tiara knows her stuff! I’ve worked with Tiara for years, both on wedding and fashion sessions and am always, every single time, impressed with her professionalism and artistry.

Result
Experienced artists understand that a wedding day schedule has an enormous effect on how a bride and groom experience the day, however good they might look. And stress looks good on no one! Not only does running over-time have a direct impact on the number of opportunities a wedding party and photographer can enjoy together, but it causes undo stress on the party and anxiety for the coordinator who is urging other vendors to make up for lost time. Ever heard of the domino effect? And personally, I would prefer not to take responsibility in the public-eye for an artist running over time nor for being solely burdened to “getting to the church on time”. Hey, we all have our pride! I want to look good too. Running behind making ME look inconsiderate, urging timeliness rather than creatively instigating the pre-ceremony, fabulous photography experience you and your party deserve.
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