the journey of photographing flowers

I am so endlessly grateful that I love photography.  It has elevated my business and made marketing our work so much easier. But it has been a long bumpy road with many mistakes along the way. 

We have absolutely love our photographers and how many amazing images they get for us on the event days.  But can we have a moment of truth and remember that we are not their client, at least not on someone else's event day. We have to honor the client-vendor relationship they built and not have any expectations for images of our work.

That being said, we need images of our work. We not only showcase this work to our future clients but also take time to look back on our work and make improvements. Photography is the keystone to what makes our business so successful.  It's an element of this business that I had no clue would need so much attention and curating as it needs.  And to be honest I have fallen madly in love with it.

I am not going to lie, I thought it was going to be much easier that it has been.  My gosh, picking out my next camera took me over two years to decide on.  And still wonder if I made the right decision. Finally when needing to choose some lenses I ended up making a rash decision and choosing two super expensive lenses... that I do not regret purchasing. But OUCH! I will be recovering from that one for a while.

Here are some images from a recent arrangement.  These images were taken on a day where I had time to slow down and appreciate the time it takes to learn and make it happen.  

the team

Today I sit in awe of our hard working team.  It's taken me years to create a wedding and event team that enjoyed the hustle.  Through these almost 9 years I have seem many young women and men come through our doors trying out the flower scene.  Many have worked out, and moved on... many have been never scheduled again and others asked politely to leave. It hasn't been easy but man it's been worth it.

The team we currently have might be the hardest working bunch in Houston.  With their hard work and sense of team, we could concur any task ahead. Maxine, with her kind, generous ways is leading the pack.  She designs thoughtfully, and always willing to learn.  Daniel, has been with us the longest and has seen the most.  He never turns down a good days work.  And sweet Dahlgren who has come in wide eyed and has truly hung in there when all others have gracefully bowed out.  She is our youngest and most adventurous. 

Let's not forget our amazing volunteers who get paid in hugs, my mother also my accountant, my father also my financial advisor, and my fiance also my everything. 

And as we all know, no blog post would be complete without some gorgeous images.  Today once again we have more of the artist Hannah Mayson. She just keeps filling our inbox with goodies and we couldn't be more excited.  When she asked us, during set up for the wedding, for styling items we knew we were in for a treat.  

Side note; did you know that not all photographers style images.  What does it mean to style images you might ask? Well let me tell you that it makes the difference.  It is artistically using items such as flowers, ribbons, invitations, plates and other items to place in a manner that tells the story of your event/wedding. These details are the details that you spent days, weeks and sometimes years thinking about, making decisions on and want them to be captured. 

Amongst so many other decisions to make, your photographer is the most important.  Choosing someone that not only photographs well, but also caries your vision through by taking the time to style items can be so important.  And let's be real, it doesn't have to be a whole style sesh, but at least those items that matter to you. 

Did you write a hand written note to your mother? Or bring pieces of china from your grandmothers set.  Potentially a handkerchief that is a family heirloom or your nieces first walk down the aisle.  These are all memorable moments that take time to setup for the image, style and thoughtfully captured.  Discuss these things with your photographer and see their take on what matters to you.

when the trees bloom

We felt trusted and honored by this sweet family.  The Hinds & Nguyen families were some of the most gracious, fun loving clients we have had.  They trusted our process and let us run with their vision.  We designed and styled their wedding to be a true reflection of who they are.  Fun, romantic, kind, and ethereal.

We helped welcome the guest in with a gorgeous calligraphy sign with a light floral garland.  Meredith loved eucalyptus and one of our favorite garlands to make are made out of eucalyptus.  The movement we get from those garlands create a look like no other.  Once the guests turned the corner they continued to see gorgeous flowers styled through out.  

We used our collection of handmade ivory ceramic compotes to create garden style arrangement that complimented the aesthetics of the space and the client.  These two things (the client and the space) are some of the most important factors that we take into consideration for our design. And we truly believe when our clients have these things at the forefront of their vision, we all create some of the more spectacular events.

Gorgeous details of this arch taken by the super talented Hannah Mason Photography.  You guys, she is brilliant! Smilax vine was at it's prime season and we wanted to make sure we showcased that gorgeous vine at the altar.  Even though the ceremony was short, we try our best to make this a place that is sweet, and well thought out.  

Taking advantage of the gorgeous venue, Chandelier Grove's, natural beauty we went with fabric to help decorate the arch.  Styling this gorgeous wood arch with a combination of flowers, greens and fabric truly pulled together everything that was then going to be showcased at the reception.  We know this space so well and truly love decorating outdoor spaces.  The movement that we get from the wind is just so beautiful.

Can we pause here for a moment.  Hannah captures these types of moments perfectly.  The moments of those glances that we all want to last a lifetime. WOW!

This urn is one of my favorite pieces we cary. I have been searching for more that resemble this one for a while now with out any luck.  It can truly be styled with such a huge variety of colors and flowers and has always been a client favorite... and we totally know why.  Readers, if you know where I can find another... shot me an email.

We were asked for the first time to create a flower girl wand.  Because every young girl should live out her flower girl fantasies. How stinking adorable is this! 

Special thanks to Jennifer Lowrance of Jlow Events.  You guys she is such a gem. And Stacey at Chandelier Grove, someone so passionate and loving to open a space as gorgeous as hers.

a little something on the brighter side

Brides tend to shy away from color, and we completely understand why they lean towards that direction.  Quite frankly, we love muted tones.  But!!! We love color too. And a couple weeks ago we got to pair up with the talented team from Little Coterie to create a colorful, fun filled fiesta.

This cheerful wedding was what our portfolio needed to get the Summer months started.  Lots of peonies, ranunculus, and garden roses were in their high end sophisticated mix.  And let's not forget those gorgeous details that the owner of Little Coterie, Courtney, does not shy away from.  Turquoise printed escort cards to gorgeous bride and groom signs to make everything feel thought of and well put together.

These gorgeous images taken by our friend Paige at Awake Photography.

maxit studio styles

I have always had a passion for photography but finding a place for it to grow has always been a bit tricky.  Maxit has always took the forefront of our time and development.  Now that our team has grown and many responsibilities that were mine have been delegated I have turned my attention to photography.  

The tricky thing about photography is that you need a subject but the best thing about this problem is that I have the easiest solution.  Flowers.  Having our passions meet has been one of the most fruitful moments. Taking control of how our original art form is seen by the world through photography has been so rewarding.

We have been at the mercy of how others see our work.  And let's be honest we don't all see art the same.  Something that might be amazing to you, is a complete turn off to many others.  Our flowers are not always photographed at events and when they do get photographed the ever so sneaky salt and pepper shaker want in on the image. There is no possible way to get the photographer of every event and explain to them the best angle.  Because, yes, every arrangement has a best angle.

All that being said, we found a need to photograph our own work. To take the reigns and show off our work through our eyes.  Here's a sampling of what we came up with:

Our goal is to continue elevating our work and showcasing what we do best as artist.  I hope that I continue to grow and am able to show different elements of our work through photography.  Wish me luck