Clare and Stephen's wedding was one of the most calm, laid back, and joyful wedding days. Clare was relaxed and had seemingly no preference for anything...her only concern was getting to marry her best friend, at the beautiful Vineyard setting of Clauren Ridge Vineyard in Edmond, Oklahoma. 

While shooting the rehearsal dinner the evening before, I was awestruck at the closeness of the two families, and the genuine support and dedication for Clare and Stephen to have a fulfilling and well supported and blessed marriage. The gifts and moments shared that evening gave me only a glimpse of what their wedding day would be like the next day.

In short- I'd say it was a fairytale. 

Wedding day.

               When I first photographed Katelyn and Dustin's engagement pictures, the first thing apparent to me was how much she trusts him with her heart- and how much he honors that trust. Her smile to him was electric and lit up the sky. There wasn't a hesitation or wary gaze in her eye, only that of a giddy little girl.
               

        I remember meeting Amy and Minh in Kamp's Cafe before booking them. Rightly so, they had many concerns, many standards, and wanted to be thorough about the wedding process. People would be traveling long distances for their wedding, there would be both Chinese and Vietnamese traditions, and Amy had numerous outfit changes for the day. On paper, everything looked fairly overwhelming to be honest. None-the-less, I was ecstatic when they chose me. 

       Bad weather lead to rescheduling of engagements, and I know in my head that is something that can stress a bride. Amy was relaxed, and they were extremely laid back to work with. They're one of those couples that brings out so much sweetness and kindness in the other. 
      

        Since their wedding day itself was going to be long hours and quite large, Amy and Minh wanted to ensure they got the images of the two of them that they dreamed of getting, while still respecting their family and friends time. To ensure both, we set up a time separate from their wedding day to take formal portraits. 
        This is also when we did their first look. 

By the time their actual wedding day arrived- Amy and Minh were prepared, organized, and able to let go and enjoy things. Between the games, karaoke, dancing, fun outfit changes, and delicious food, the day was not just a success, but one of my most memorable weddings. 

I remember meeting Kelsey and Kody freshman year of college.
 They had been together for years already, and I always so amazed how fluid their relationship was. It wasn't one of those up and down, hot cold, things.. and if it was/when it was, they each were so mature that they would never show that to the world. One thing I knew, was of course, they were going to get married.. Kelsey and I went to UCO on the same Leadership Scholarship. As the years went by, I was always taken aback by her maturity and kind heart. 
She was always so dedicated to her health and running, to her school work, to being kind to others, and to overall being one of the most genuine Woman of God. 
She is so passionate about her priorities, and let me tell you- this Woman has her priorities s.t.r.a.i.g.h.t. 
She is so beautiful inside and out, and  there isn't anyone in this world that is more perfect for her than Kody. 

I also knew very well, that Kelsey is a very type A perfectionist. Because of that alone, I wasn't even worried about the idea of photographing her engagements, bridals, or her wedding. So when she inquired, not only was I shocked (typical photographer never completely happy with my work) but I was almost a bit nervous. 
It had to be perfect. 
Every image. Every moment. 
I couldn't lose a single thing. I had to get it all. 

Being traditional, conservative, and a most honorable couple- I didn't expect them to do a first look. When they did, I will never forget that look in Kody's eye. Thanking God for his bride, his wife, his best friend. 

Here are a few selections from their day:

That moment when... You realize, you haven't blogged a single 2013 wedding, or even half of the weddings from 2012. 
It is honesty hour, and although I do enjoy writing (I write in a journal daily) it seems to always fall wayside when it comes to blogging. 

Of course a New Years means New Year resolutions, but I don't want to think of this as a resolution. More so, better business running, and keeping myself accountable. 

If you don't already, I invite you to "LIKE" or simply Save my Facebook page (view the tab in the column to the right). I have posted every single wedding there. I am excellent at keeping up on there, and with my actual clients themselves (haha), but the Blog... well, I just haven't found that sweet yearning to just Blog all the time. 

I am a Doer, I like to be busy and have a precise schedule. I love to do lists... I feel like because I spend so much time editing, I am constantly in a magnetic pull away from my computer. This is what I will BLAME my lack of blogging on- as soon as I am done editing, it is off to Yoga, or the great outdoors with Kenya, or the stable. A girl needs to breath and have time away from the computer, and being a busy photographer means spending at least 5 hours a day starring at a screen. 
That alone makes me shiver. 

Alas, I will repeat this post, as I quickly post a few images from numerous weddings in  2013... 

Enjoy. 

Brittany and Tucker Malone had one of the most heartfelt weddings. Aside from their devotion to Christ and their love for one another, the love and support from all of their family and friends was what truly made the day. At the end of the day when a couple has any hardships, I believe the relationships and support groups you have are what truly get couples through anything. Nothing makes me happier than seeing how much love a couple has from others. Plus, both Brittany and Tucker are just two of the brightest starts out there. I mean, look at them. 

That moment when... You realize, you haven't blogged a single 2013 wedding, or even half of the weddings from 2012. 
It is honesty hour, and although I do enjoy writing (I write in a journal daily) it seems to always fall wayside when it comes to blogging. 

Of course a New Years means New Year resolutions, but I don't want to think of this as a resolution. More so, better business running, and keeping myself accountable. 

If you don't already, I invited you to "LIKE" or simply Save my Facebook page (view the tab in the column to the right). I have posted every single wedding there. I am excellent at keeping up on there, and with my actual clients themselves (haha), but the Blog... well, I just haven't found that sweet yearning to just Blog all the time. 

I am a Doer, I like to be busy and have a precise schedule. I love to do lists... I feel like because I spend so much time editing, I am constantly in a magnetic pull away from my computer. This is what I will BLAME my lack of blogging on- as soon as I am done editing, it is off to Yoga, or the great outdoors with Kenya, or the stable. A girl needs to breath and have time away from the computer, and being a busy photographer means spending at least 5 hours a day starring at a screen. 
That alone makes me shiver. 

Alas, I will repeat this post, as I quickly post a few images from numerous weddings, both 2012 and 2013... 

Enjoy. 
-V

This wedding felt like it was much further than simply 1 year ago, 2013 was such a tremendous, and tremendously busy, year. Beth and Jarrett were such a lovely, vintage and old-fashioned quirky couple to work with. Beth looks as though someone just snagged her straight from Pride and Prejudice or something... a classic Victorian queen. 

That moment when... You realize, you haven't blogged a single 2013 wedding, or even half of the weddings from 2012. 
It is honesty hour, and although I do enjoy writing (I write in a journal daily) it seems to always fall wayside when it comes to blogging. 

Of course a New Years means New Year resolutions, but I don't want to think of this as a resolution. More so, better business running, and keeping myself accountable. 

If you don't already, I invited you to "LIKE" or simply Save my Facebook page (view the tab in the column to the right). I have posted every single wedding there. I am excellent at keeping up on there, and with my actual clients themselves (haha), but the Blog... well, I just haven't found that sweet yearning to just Blog all the time. 

I am a Doer, I like to be busy and have a precise schedule. I love to do lists... I feel like because I spend so much time editing, I am constantly in a magnetic pull away from my computer. This is what I will BLAME my lack of blogging on- as soon as I am done editing, it is off to Yoga, or the great outdoors with Kenya, or the stable. A girl needs to breath and have time away from the computer, and being a busy photographer means spending at least 5 hours a day starring at a screen. 
That alone makes me shiver. 

Alas, I will repeat this post, as I quickly post a few images from numerous weddings, both 2012 and 2013... 

Enjoy. 
-V

       We all know that although weddings are a cherished and wonderful event in two lovebirds (and their families!) lives, they are expensive. That being said, you can certainly make a wedding "cheap," but sadly the day of results reflect from being cheap in a negative way. Everyone has heard of nightmare vendors, venues, and various other things going wrong on wedding days. My advice? Take a deep breath, keep calm, find something to laugh at- and use vendors you can trust. 
      Having interned with Ryan Brenizer at www.ryanbrenizer.com who was named one of theTop 10 Wedding Photographers in the World I am confident shooting every flavor of wedding, any season, lighting condition, or whatever the weather throws at us that day. My number one concern? That the wedding day is as smoooooth and blissful as possible. How do I achieve this? Being efficient, organized, prepared- and most of all- having experience through my college degree, internships, and my own business. All I want is a happy Bride, happy families, and happy guests.
 
Enough with that, you came here for a FREE wedding. So lets get started...


...Some Important Details and Rules

- Couples may enter from now thru Midnight on Monday, June 24th. 


-To be eligible the couple engaged to be married must have a wedding date between August 2013-September 2014- and Valerie Sebestyen must be FREE on that date. 


-You must be O.K. with your photo being shared. Currently booked couples are not eligible. 


- The contest will be run through an album from my Valerie Sebestyen Photography Facebook Page.
 
- The couple whose photo receives the most likes will win 5 hours of Free Wedding Coverage. If they wish to add on additional hours, or sessions, they may do so at normal costs. 


-The couple who receives the 2nd number of most likes will receive $400 off of an wedding package of their choice if they wish, and the couple who receives the 3rd most likes will receive $200 off of any wedding package of their choice, if they wish. 


- If the wedding is 20 miles outside of the OKC Metro , travel fees will apply at .55 cents per mile, or a flight/gas money if the wedding is out of state. (Yes, this is open OUTSIDE of Oklahoma) 


-The winning couple must sign a simple contract saying they agree to the terms, and Valerie is alllll theirs on the wedding day.   

- Voting will begins Tuesday June 25th and end Monday July 1st at Midnight. 


  

1. Like the Valerie Sebestyen Photography Facebook Page

Why? Well, for starters I post every session (that is allowed to be public) on there. 
Secondly, it is how the contest is run!
It is where all details and specifics will be updated, and where the voting will occur.  

2. Share the contest...

...and this page to as many friends and family for votes!
Tell them what this means to you, and make sure they know to share it, too.

3. Click on the Photo
 
of the couple you want and "LIKE" their photo 

My apologies to my poorly updated blog! That being said- may no love be left behind so I'm attempting to catch up from last year ;) 
This entire post will focus on Engagement Sessions! I will be spreading out all of my fall to spring engagement sessions in multiple posts, so here is just the first. :) 

One thing I hate about engagement sessions that I see online is how uncomfortable the guy looks. Half the time they almost seem like they are in pain or something. That being said, I know it is unavoidable and most every guy that comes to an engagement session has the mindset of "getting it over with." I think it is my favorite thing to flip that. I wouldn't see it as a challenge, it isn't as though they're trying to be devious or spite their fiance, they just feel uncomfortable and they don't know me. Plus, cameras are pointing at them and photographers say cheesy things and when it all adds up- lets face it, it really is a nightmare for guys.

So when I shoot an engagement session- I treat my couples like the real people that they are. I want to create a comfortable environment where they feel comfortable making jokes and being themselves. 

I try to always make jokes that catch the couple off guard... generally ending up in the guys laughing, and the girls either worried or give a nice sassy face. My first concern is always getting the guy to trust me that I won't make him feel awkward, girly, or mechanic. Not only is it fun to get to know the couples a bit deeper in their personality before shooting their wedding. 

I also really love when couples bring creative things to sessions, but I understand that can be difficult to come up with. Especially if you or your honey aren't the most creative savvy people. Sometimes people are so unsure of what to even bring, and don't want to do what anyone else is doing. For that I always tell couples that this session is completely about *them*. 

Think about you and your fiance, are you crazy about your pets? Sports? Rival teams? Do you have a snack like Oreos and milk that you both adore? What about any hobbies together, or separately? Are either of you lovers of tea, cupcakes, coffee, or ice cream? What about board games? Wine? Traditional picnic? Biking? Rollerblading? The list goes on and on, and I adore helping my brides find the right location and "props" to match their love.

 Jessie and Brandon's wedding at the History Center was absolutely beautiful. Jessie was so sweet and Brandon's love for her was so apparent. I love seeing couples that are genuinely so tender and loving to one another and their families.