Dripping Springs Wedding from Luke & Cat Photography- Featured on Style Me Pretty

Oh my goodness... is this a beautiful Texas Rustic Vintage Wedding or what? I love ALL of the little details! This couple were quite the vintage items and antique collectors. They're attention to detail is AH-mazing and it is so obvious that they spent so much time to make their day perfect. Their search for fun, unique items that would compliment their theme began month and months in advance.

And those flowers, those beautiful bright delicate flowers are just gorgeous. I love all of the different textures. Petal Pushers accomplished great delivery creating such a  lovely whimsical look. Everything looks perfect, absolutley perfect.

XOXO- Lindsay

Images found on a featured Style Me Pretty Blog- "Dripping Springs Wedding at Camp Lucy from Luke & Cat Photography"

Photos are forever...

I believe that aside from your significant other (and a few select family members and friends), the photographer(s) is the most important person at your wedding/event. This could be because Chad and I are firm believers that photos are important treasures and should be valued as such. Your photographer takes on the role of a story teller at one of the biggest events of your life - without them you are left with vague memories that likely will not stand the test of time. Photos capture precious moments that we may or may not remember, or deem important in the moment, but when seen later make an impact. Great photos should make you feel something. Great photographers have the ability to capture this again and again.

A bit about our experience:

One of Chad's many wedding/pre-nuptial party responsibilities was selecting the photographer. As an Energy Research Analyst this meant extensive research, a scoring system and a lengthy excel spreadsheet that I could barely understand, but since Chad knew what it translated to I didn't worry. He narrowed down his top 8 choices and used a scale to rate them and rank them. After an exhaustive search, Chad selected Nathan Russell Photography.

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We first met Nathan for our engagement photo shoot- a day I had actually been dreading. I think I put more thought into what I wore that day than what I wore at my wedding. #priorities. I can be a bit rough around the edges, so meeting some new person at 7:00 am in downtown Austin to take my photo is not really my thing. Chad and I had pre-selected locations where we wanted to shoot. The first was the "Greetings from Austin" sign. After introductions and some chit chat, Nathan started to shoot --

So there we stood next to a building while cars drove by and some stranger snapped away. I was uptight, uncomfortable, and self-conscious. It was terrible. I imagined the whole morning would continue to be this really uncomfortable experience, and it was, for about 5 minutes.  Nathan used his ninja magic and - all of the sudden - I started to relax and Nathan was no longer this guy shooting our photos, he was just Nathan. A person with a great sense of humor, deep love for his profession and a quirky way of seeing the world through his viewfinder.  We went all around downtown and South Congress, and after a couple of hours this experience was ending. I was sort of sad - I had actually really enjoyed myself. It didn't hurt that Nathan got our jokes or at least pretended like he did.

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This same feeling carried over into our wedding weekend experience as he and his partner (and wife) Amy shot at our pre-nuptial party (in lieu of a rehearsal dinner)  and wedding. They were with us through it all - there for the stress filled, high-energy, anxious moments. Amy was with me when I put my dress on and my mom and best friends were at my side. She was with me when I waited for what seemed like an eternity to walk downstairs to meet my father and then down the aisle to join my future husband. Nathan was at Chad's side to capture him tearing up before I even walked out the doors.  I'm not really sure how to explain it, but I felt cared for and that my memories were being cared for as well.

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Chad and I have probably looked through our photos more than 50 times. There were moments that were captured that hit me like a ton of bricks and made me feel so grateful. People who, had circumstances been different, may not have been there to share the weekend with us or any future events for that matter. Stories which I will share at some point but that's the heavy and this post isn't about that. I expected that I would love our photos; I never expected to feel so much when I looked at them - and that is priceless. As silly as I think it is, I hope I never stop tearing up when I look back through my wedding photos.

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My Advice:

The biggest piece of advice that can be given when selecting a photographer is to do your homework. I know it is easy to just take someone's word for it, but digging deeper and finding someone who can see your vision, understand you and make you comfortable, and all the while capture amazing photos is worth it. Check their website, find publications that they are featured in, talk to them directly, and check their ENTIRE portfolio - see if the photos they take and their personality fit with you and what you want. Make sure they are not one trick ponies and have the experience and skill to produce creative work. This person will be with you on a very important occasion in your life. The last thing to worry about on the day of your wedding or event is the quality of the photos. Think about it.

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Acknowledgements:

Thank you to Nathan and Amy Russell of Nathan Russell Photography for being absolutely amazing.

XOXO-

Lindsay & Chad

*Special thank you to Classic Cakes by Lori, Petal Pushers, and Celebrate with Strings Attached.

Stay Calm & Keep Pinning

I don't think I'm alone here when I say that I love Pinterest. Like really LOVE Pinterest. I'm a big fan of the mantra- "don't bother me, I'm pinning" and I mean it. Don't.

When we started planning our wedding, Pinterest was still pretty new. It was this cool new thing that introduced me to ideas that I had never even considered. Having this collection of such creative and unique inspiration at my immediate disposal was such a lifesaver and caused a bit of an addiction and even some confusion.  Our wedding was held at this fantastic venue, Vista West Ranch, just outside of Austin, complete with hill country views, a biergarten and a gorgeous rustic barn. Absolute perfection. Chad & I had a much more urban, modern style. With so many different ideas and themes on Pinterest, my mind was all over the place - there was just so much stuff. Should I go with the rustic vintage look or go with vintage with modern thrown into the mix- if so, how does one accomplish this? (Photos of our wedding to follow). It is the kind of dilemma that keeps you up at night - this is your day and you want it to be perfect down to the last detail. And as much as I loved Pinterest, it started to give me nightmares. It sounds silly now, but it did. So I wiped out my board and started again. Selecting the things I knew made sense - things I could do - and I would actually be able to get my hands on.

So here is my tip: one of my favorite places to look for projects and inspiration towards my new very specific one theme wedding board was on Petal Pushers' Pinterest Page. With over 40 boards filled with amazing pins that were perfect for planning, inspiring, and staying on point- I felt revitalized. The rows and rows of boards and pins are filled with very different themes, ideas and events, but they all flow in this effortless way. Making it easier for me to stay on task and not deviate from the new plan.  It was a lifesaver and I am not sure I would have pulled it off had I not found it. Don't be shy and make sure you share your board with your wedding planner or anyone else involved with decoration or logistics. I found this extremely helpful in the process. Just remember to stay calm & keep pinning.

XOXO-Lindsay

It's Official... we are going to have a guest writer for Petal Pushers!

Meet Lindsay and her hubby Chad.  Our paths crossed when they booked their wedding at Vista West Ranch.  I knew after about 2.3 minutes that we had similar taste except they are younger and a bit more hip of a couple than Joe and I.  We are excited to  watch this blog come back to life with their fun ideas, real wedding posts and timeless ideas for your wedding, event or home. -Stacey

From Lindsay and Chad:

We're so excited to be a part of the Petal Pushers blog. As a brief introduction, we've been best friends since around the age of 4 and have been a couple for over 7 years. We made our love official at Vista West Ranch on June 8, 2013. When we met Stacey and Joe after booking our wedding at Vista West Ranch, we knew that it was the right venue and that Petal Pushers would perfectly complement our DIY passion. Over the coming months, we look forward to updating you with the latest news on Petal Pushers, beautiful DIY projects to personalize your wedding or space, information on the plethora of wedding- and interior-related stores that call Austin home, and general advice from a bride and groom that savored every moment of getting their hands dirty in the wedding planning process.

XOXO C+L

Photo Credit: Nathan Russell Photography (www.nathanrussellphoto.com)

Engagement Parties, And An Ode To BHLDN (part 1 of many, I'm sure)

Happy Thursday everyone!  We wanted to share some great articles with you today that are sure to help with your planning AND brighten up your morning! We can't tell you how many times we have brides tell us that they want an "Anthropologie-inspired" wedding.  (Oh, I can just hear it now... vintage is old news, modern is in... blah blah blah.  Well, as long as Anthro keeps rocking it like they are and Pottery Barn keeps doing the same, I just have a really hard time buying into the whole "vintage is out" mantra.)  I digress.  It's been just under a year since design masterminds at Anthro launched their bridal line, BHLDN and every time an email arrives from them, my heart drifts away... yes, it's that good y'all!  The site is pretty amazing as well (where were you when I was planning my wedding, BHLDN?!?) and has  loads of gorgeous features that make designing your wedding whimsical, like it should be.  I really could spend ALL day blabbering about my love affair with BHLDN, but for now, I'll leave you with something pretty that gives you the low-down on everything you want to know about engagement parties.

Enjoy this gorgeous day!

xo,

Angela