hunter + michael // pre-wedding festivities
zombie bachelorette party + farm-to-table rehearsal dinner // austin, texas wedding photographer
I always love when clients do things a little differently and ask me to be a part of it. When we first started talking with Hunter and Michael about doing their wedding photography, Hunter asked me if I'd consider shooting her Zombie-themed bachelorette party in Downtown Austin the Friday before their Sunday wedding instead of the bridal session that was included in their package. I was so psyched! She explained that people were traveling from all over for their wedding and they really wanted to honor family all weekend long, so this wouldn't be a typical bachelorette party. They decided to start the evening at some food trucks in South Austin and encourage everyone to dress up in costume - especially the kiddos! It was easy to find their crew in the food truck park with their green skin, fake blood, and my favorite - Hunter's own version of a Zombie Bride! She is unbelievably creative (just wait until you see their wedding details!) and ended up making a gorgeous two-piece dress from a goodwill skirt and a top her sister wore at her own wedding. Add in flawless zombie make-up and some temporary scar tattoos and she was the most stunning Zombie Bride I've ever seen!
The following evening, Hunter and Michael had us shoot photos of their rehearsal dinner at Eden East, a perfectly-Austin little farm-to-table outdoor restaurant. I couldn't get over how perfectly styled and dreamy it was with the huge trees draped in glowy bulb lights, festive pumpkins, and simple wooden tables with succulents and fall flowers as decor. Once again, Hunter was wearing a gorgeous two-piece gown that was originally her mother's wedding dress, modified to fit her edgy style. Once again, Hunter and Michael's priorities had family first, and it was obvious everyone at the dinner felt the love. We've only had the opportunity to shoot a few rehearsal dinners, but much like weddings, we find ourselves being so thankful that we get to witness such an intimate, important evening with other people we wouldn't know without this job. I found myself tearing up as her mother spoke about how wonderfully Michael loves Hunter. It was amazing to witness the bond between their two families, the deep love Hunter has for her sister and for her nephews, and simply the way Michael looks at her (I mean look at the photo near the bottom of this post of him watching her speak!!). Sometimes I can't believe I get to do this job, to capture such important moments for people, and I definitely found myself feeling that way throughout their entire wedding weekend. Be sure to keep an eye out next week for their wedding blog - you won't want to miss it!