bridgettemarie.com » Weddings

Phoenix Bride and Groom Magazine, more published pages! – Bridal Fashion Photographer

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:18:08 +0000

I have been waiting few months for this magazine to hit the stands. It was hard to find because they actually don’t start selling it until July 1. I got 4 pages from two separate shoots. One of which I showed on the blog already not knowing that it was getting published! So you already had a sneak peak of two of the images. The other two are from a shoot with some Amsale gowns. I will post more from that fabulous shoot later (one was even worn in a movie!). In the meantime, here are the four pages I recently had published in Phoenix Bride and Groom Magazine. Thank you Chelsea, Justine, Brita and Stephanie for being elegant models (even at midnight….). Sim Agency for loaning me these beautiful girls and Destiny’s bride and Linda Wagner for always showing me love and allowing me to capture your beautiful gowns.

This is Chelsea in an Amsale Gown. Location: private residence

I knew the day I saw this tub I was going to put a big white dress in it. Chelsea’s skin tone was perfect for this look in another Amsale gown. Location: private residence

Justine in her first publication! This is the Twilight gown from Monique Luhllier Fall 2010 Location: Destiny’s Bride

Justine, Brita, Stephanie and of course Chelsea. It was past midnight and they were all still amazing. Monique Lhullier gowns. Location: Destiny’s Bride

Island Wedding- W Resort, Vieques PR

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 04:35:47 +0000

I know…soooo long since my last post. I have some backed up weddings to share with you. Some really great stuff! This last week Brendan and I traveled to Vieques, PR to shoot the inagural wedding at the W Resort. It had been raining for 10 days so we had grey skies. That was the only thing that was less than ideal. The property was beautiful! Not a detail was missed, but what else would you expect from a W property.

To condense all the images that I have I put together a little blog board for you but I had to include some of the property photos and amazing couple shots around the property.

Akta and Mitesh 6-05-10

The best way to end a night is with fireworks. What a great surprise for all the guests.

Monique Lhuillier 2010 fall gowns – Arizona Bridal fashion Photographer

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 03:44:38 +0000

I know…I have been so bad about posting. I have a few good reasons.

1. A few of my best shoots are either getting published or being considered for it. So I can not share them until they are out. But that’s all great news!

2. I am lucky to get sleep in lately.

3. I’m PREGNANT! Yes that hes been a little damper on productivity but I am feeling much better and more like myself.

Okay so to the big reveal. I am so blessed in that I get to do some amazing things with my job. Recently Linda from Destiny’s Bride called and asked if I wanted to shoot the amazing (and fresh off the runway) Monique Lhuillier gowns. The thing was they had to stay in the store. I don’t think any of them had seen the light of day. From runway to trunk-show. It posed a little challange of how to get a beautiful shoot, indoors at night. As you know my style is natural light. Hey, I am always up for a challenge and have been working on my lighting work. I wanted something a little more “moody” that really let the gowns be the focus. I called in some support from my good friend/photographer Cindy Price of Lily P Studios and some of my most favorite models. The generosity that is shown to me from the models down to the stylist is very humbling. Having models and stylists out until all hours of the night just to capture some images with me is the best gift.

Thank you to SIM Agency (models), Ruca (hair) , Linda (makeup-styling), Destiny’s Bride, Chelsea, Justine, Brita, Stephanie, Cindy (best assistant, brainstormer, counselor and friend ever)….you all bless my life and work.

Let’s start with an outtake of the set up. So many gowns…so little space! Yes that’s Linda on touch up and it’s about 9PM at this point. Cindy is hiding behind the light.

Justine wearing Monique Lhuillier “Twilight”

You will need to forgo the Italian honeymoon, this gown runs in the $17,000 range. But it sure is pretty!

Brita (her first post baby appearance and she looks stunning!)

Brita is wearing Monique Lhuillier Schiaparelli. I am in love with the elegance of this dress.

I think the back is my favorite part!

Stephanie is wearing Monique Lhuillier Brilliance. The bodice is breathtaking.

Here is Chelsey in a gown from the Fall 2009 collection. This is Monique Lhuillier Lourdes and it looked so amazing on her. This dress is so feminine and elegant.

and for the finale, once more all the beautiful models!

Did I mention that I love my job?

First wedding of the new year – Arizona Temple Wedding Photographer

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:10:34 +0000

Sometimes I just like posting a picture of a great kiss. This was taken at the sweet moment during sunset. That amazing split minute that we happen to be near the front. I had to beg all the people standing in front of the Temple to step out of the shot. So wonderful that they did. (I may have removed the two that didn’t).

It’s great to start the New Year off already having a favorite image. Here is Katie and David in front of the Mormon Temple in Mesa.

Wedding photos that rock! Arizona Wedding photographer

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Since it’s the end of the year, I feel the need to post some stuff from throughout the year. I am sure I will do a few of these this month. I happen to have some inspiration from a recent session. 2 posts back you already saw the bride/groom couple Jen and Brian. Well upon finishing their images I found this gem. I had forgotten I took it actually. It is now in my top 10 favorite images. You have to love it when people believe in you enough to say “sure I’ll jump in the air holding hands and wearing heels” Thank you to the Bluth wedding party for the fabulous shot. (If you want to see some shots from the whole wedding, their slideshow is really fun. Bride had great taste in decor. Bluth wedding slideshow click here.)

November 2009

(Also a shout out to Totally Rad Actions on this one. I am madly in love with Grandma and her Tap Shoes)

My next wedding shot is of just the bride. This whole session was great, but there is something about the confidence that comes through in this photo that I love. Tamara is a very vibrant and funny girl. However this shot shows her elegant and strong side. I love that. Not to mention her custom designed dress (From Destiny’s Bride) was amazing and one of a kind.

February 2009

I love Grooms. It’s difficult sometimes to get a great groom image. I am not sure if it’s that men don’t like cameras or that the bride generally outshines the day. While the bride in this image was stunning, I love this shot of the groom in the foreground but it doesn’t miss showing the bride’s elegance and beauty at the same time.

May 2009

Okay so if I were giving out awards, the next couple gets “Best Arizona Location” award. They were married in the cavern of Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona. It was raining but not so much that it ruined anything, I actually thought it was wonderfu. We did some hiking that is for sure! l Such a beautiful day and a super fun couple. This was also the first day my husband joined my wedding photography and I discovered he’s a natural. There’s a debate as to who took the shot on the left, so we’ll just say “we did.” I will say that this wedding is memorable all the way around.

September 09

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE gowns and flowers. Probably because I am a girl. This bouquet was from a recent wedding. The Flower Studio out of Scottsdale did all of her flowers and they were BEAUTIFUL! Here is a shot of the brides bouquet. It had so many little touches that matched the dress. You will get to see some shots from the wedding soon and hear all about this amazing designer dress. For now, here is a shot of one of my favorite bouquets this year.

November 2009

Okay… so I saved the best for last. ITALY!!! What a whirlwind trip that was. Nothing like hauling camera equipment around Europe for the first time. Alex and Kelly are two of my best friends and their wedding will be talked about for sometime. Married in a breathtaking old Catholic church in Italy. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous…every minute of it. The shot below has been seen by anyone who’s viewed my work at some point. If you have not seen it, this is also the image that I have on my business card. It’s beautiful and simple and my hands down favorite wedding shot this year. I only had to travel halfway across the world to get it.

May 2009

Last wedding of the year! – Arizona wedding photographer

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:58:58 +0000

Well this was it, the last wedding of the year! If you have watched my blog, a few months back I posted a few images from Collette and Ty’s engagement photos. I just love Collette and she is so easy to work with. She came with so many ideas for her bridals and was open to everything that struck me. They also brought Sugar and Dopey with them. That would be the beautiful horses.

There is not a shot here of the gallop, but I asked them to have the horses let go and gallop full speed at me. Let me tell you, that’s like standing in the way of two cars coming at you head on. Crazy.

The train was Collette’s idea. She really wanted the train tracks but instead we had an actual train! It was such a great shoot. After all you can’t go wrong with a cowboy, some horses and a pretty bride. Plus I got to take a trip home again to Safford. In fact the top two shots were taken on the road to my house. That was really neat for me. I gave you quite a few in this one!

Jennifer and Brian get hitched…and have some pizza I Arizona Wedding Photographer

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:11:37 +0000

What do you get when you mix a beautiful bride, groom, The Newport Beach Temple, some pizza and a Ferris wheel? What else..a wedding! If you have been following Brian and Jennifer’s pics, they finally got hitched! She was stunning in her gown wearing a hint of metallic green eyeshadow. It was so much fun to work with them. They gave me two hours to follow them and their bridal party around New Port Beach and shoot some great stuff. We had a blast. They stopped before pictures and bought everyone monster pizza slices. It was pretty funny to watch everyone try to inhale these massive slices so we could go take pictures. I even tried, but alas could not finish my piece. Here are a few shots from The Bluth wedding.

This was shot outside the Newport Beach temple just after the ceremony. Again, I tried my hand at the Canon 45MM tilt shift, although subtle, I love the affect.

This was the wedding party…two girls to every guy.

I rode over on the Auto Ferry with the couple and was able to get so much fun stuff. Auto Ferry’s are kind of strange. You drive onto a boat and park, kind of fun and kind of scary at all the same time.

I am pretty certain she will kill me for posting this. I had to demonstrate the pizza madness that was going on. Massive pizza madness, roadside.

Okay so if you have never photographed on a Ferris Wheel, it is much harder than one would expect. I do not recommend eating Massive roadside pizza first.

…andthen the photography Heavens opened up to reveal this awesome mural wall. I did a little dance I was so excited. No really, I did.

Little note to Brides; if you love shots like these, please plan enough time to shoot them. Photographs were very important to Jennifer and so she was an angel and choreographed her whole day around them…and it was awesome.

A photographer can not get great shots if you plan 20 minutes between the ceremony and cocktail hour. Really consider that when planning your day. Also consider some fun locations like Jen did, it’s always worth it!

What’s New with Bridgette Marie Photography?

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:52:59 +0000

So much to share…so little time. Let’s recap the last few weeks and talk about what’s coming up.

First of all, I finally sent out my first newsletter. I have no idea why it took me over a year to get one together but I am happy to mark it off my list. Fellow photographers know exactly what I am going through on that one!

Next, I keep getting asked about Miley Cyrus shots, so here you go. Here are a few from her recent interview and concert two weeks ago. I will say it again…this girl rocks! I adore her and she is very talented. She is much more of a “rock it out” type performer than the pop princess we all think she is. What I love most is that beneath all the glitz and glam she is still very much a teenager. She fidgets when she talks, can’t stop looking at her blackberry, and eats cheesecake before dinner (an act that I witnessed myself and when I brought it to her attention she then commented on my rice and salad platter- “touche’” Miley!). She loves her fans and has smiles and hugs for every one of them. When a little girl cries because they are meeting her, it makes her tear up, too. Just a sweet teenager that happens to be one of the world’s biggest pop stars. Her brother’s band Metrostation is on tour with her, also. They are all very close and it’s pretty cool to see them together. Here’s some Metrostation and Miley shots…

Metrostation

Miley at concert

Miley at soundcheck

Miley at Interview with JohnJay and Rich

I know not much tops Miley, but there has been lots of fun stuff going on beyond Miss Cyrus. I shot the new press images for Univision, Phoenix 33. While by contract I can not share those just yet, they did turn out great and you should be seeing them on billboards and advertisements throughout town. That was fun as the whole Univision team was so great to work with! I will share one shot of two radio/tv hosts Danny and Erika. They are so funny together. Although most of what they say is in spanish…so I am pretty sure they are funny. lol..

Why yes…there IS still more to share. “We” had our first wedding together in the caves of Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona. We, being my new partner, second shooter, and husband Brendan. I was so proud of how well he did. Kind of jealous at how fast he adapted to the manual shooting. He’s great at balancing on bridges to get shots and packing all the equipment, including the flowers for the bride. As seen here…isn’t he cute?

Maybe some images from the actual wedding…

Doesn’t that look so beautiful? If I could have our wedding all over, I would go back to that canyon and have it there. Out in nature with nothing but the beautiful and peaceful weather surrounding you. Amazing…

Okay back to business, there are some BMP workshops and events coming up. I will have official flyers this week on both. To get a head’s up on information…

October 23-24- Headshot mini session. – $125 for 45 minute session and 6 files. Perfect for Actors or even just your Facebook Avatar!

November 10th – Photoshop workshop with CRW Media’s Christine Wolfe covering Lightroom, Photoshop workflow, enhancing images, plus body and skin work. Details are still being worked out but spots are $150 and the class is 5 hours long. I will post information in the next week so stay tuned. So much information on this one! (Plus Christine is taking a break from her national photoshop tour to share info with us!!!) If you are interested email me to reserve a spot.

That’s enough for today…thanks for checking in! Keep an eye out for my newsletter if you are on the mailing list..only a year in the making.

-Bridgette

Love is in the air! | Phoenix engagement photographer

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:11:35 +0000

I am overdue…as usual for posting new images. I’ve been busy so it’s all for good reason! Lots of weddings and engagements sessions. I have an amazing Sedona wedding to share but not just yet. Today I wanted to share two of my favorite couples session from the last month. The first session is super special. Jenn (the bride) was my daughter’s kindergarden teacher. I will be photographing her beautiful wedding in New Port in November. I am very excited! Her and her fiance had a great session with me at (my favorite place) The Farm. Late day and no one there. They are in love and she is a fashonista! She brought this great yellow dress…outfit #2. A few shots from their session.

For couple number two. A good family friend Collette is getting married to a guy she kept trying to set her sister up with! She liked him so much she tried to find him a girl until she realized that she was the one who really loved him! They are very funny and I was able to photograph them in my hometown of Safford. I love the mountains and blue sky. Collette is such a sweetheart and always telling me she loves my work. I had fun with them. We climbed on hay bales and stood in cotton fields. I really enjoyed it because I was able to be home and working at the same time.

I grew up half a mile from this road. When I became a photographer I always drove past it and said “One day I will have a great session here.”…and so I did.

People who believed in me when I didn’t.

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:34:46 +0000

Linda Wagner is a dear friend of mine and one of the best stylists I know. She is highly respected in the bridal and fashion industry and I am quite possibly her biggest fan.

Where am I going with this? Well if you have followed my blog you are no stranger to my thoughts of Linda. She was the light that gave me the courage to make the leap into wedding work. I make it no secret that I have been a professional photographer for just under two years. Quite some time ago I was looking for little kids to take pictures of and practice on. I approached a friend and photographed their sweet girl Gracie. Well Linda was friends with Gracie’s parents and saw the shots and said “OMG she needs to do weddings.” At the time I thought the idea was nuts. How did she see wedding photographer from 5 year old portrait session? Who would hire me to shoot their wedding and would be crazy to trust me with such a special day?? Linda was that crazy. She believed in me and didn’t even know who I was, in fact never had met me. She began to pester Katie to talk to me about it. Maybe I found some inner belief or maybe I got tired of hearing it so we planned a shoot. I knew a lot of great models and thought that I would practice on them. I talked to a bridal and tux shop and borrowed a dress and tux. (You would be amazed what you can get if you just ask for it). So here I was, I had a beautiful location, two amazing models who appeared for all purposes to be married. I had a well known and respected stylist working for free because she believed in me. In fact they all were…because they believed. I didn’t believe but they did. That thought still amazes me. Oh and did I mention that it was July…in Arizona…outside??!!

I share this story because I want to thank the three people that made this whole wedding venture happen. Danielle (who is now a hugely famous model in LA now), Tanner who braved the heat in that tux and Linda who made it all happen. These three people will probably never know what they did for me. Since I was recently looking through old work for a project, I ran across their images. It inspired me to write this. I also though perhaps I should share some. One image was on my first ever business card. That was the first time I really fell in love with the idea of wedding work. Obviously my first actual wedding was a wake up call, as any wedding photographer knows! However photographing people that are really in love was even more rewarding.

So thank you again, the three hours you all gave me changed my life course and for that I am so grateful. Here are some shots from my first bridal session. The turning point..

This was the image on my business card. I received so many compliments on her beauty. I never had the heart to tell people it was staged.

They did such a great job giving me “couple in love” models are like quiet actors. This day I got exactly what I needed…chemistry.

The lighting was so amazing that day. It was also when I fist discovered the magic of the “golden hour.”

These were some silk flowers I bought on the way to the shoot. I am no flower designer but it helped to have something. In the heat real flowers would have never survived.

This was one of the first attempts at adding grain into a shot. I fell in love with the look of it. It had a great film quality look.

I was madly in love with this image for a long time. I had never shot into the sun before and it was such a fluke that I got it. It’s was kind of a “hot” image for a bridal.

One more note. For anyone just starting I should tell you that these were all shot with a Canon rebel and an 85mm 1.8 and whatever stock kit lense I had at the time. You can start with what you know and work your way up in equipment. I have since upgraded my camera twice. But I still love these images as much as any I can take now. The freedom was that I went into this shoot with no expectation.