How To Have an Austin Wedding

First off, gather your closest, sweetest friends and family.

Then get all dolled up somewhere with an awesome view of Lady Bird Lake. 

Use only the best Austin vendors!

Brooke's day was made possible by Rhea McCarter (makeup), Fleurish Austin (flowers), and Pearl Events (coordination). Oh yeah...and Jenni Roberts Photography.

Have your dress designed by Austin's own Linda Asaf. You can find her adorable shop on West 6th. And didn't she do a beautiful job on Brooke's gown?!

To complete your one-of-a-kind Austin bride look, mix your custom-made pieces with heirlooms, old and new, borrowed and...uh...green pieces!

But let's face it! If you're getting married outside in Austin during the summer, keep it cool and casual for your 'maids and men! They can still look amazing and will thank you for it!

Now that everyone is ready, tie your knot at an Austin landmark. Brooke and Kyle chose the Umlauf Sculpture Garden.

Thanks to us getting some rain this year, everything was beautiful and green, and the pergola over the altar adds a little somethin'.

But again - keep your guests' comfort in mind and make sure they've got a way (or two!) to stay cool.

Now, you might be surprised by this next tip because it is somewhat traditional. While Austin brides love to redefine traditions to suit their personalities, they do it very thoughtfully and each change brings some sort of significance to their day. I think this is why every single wedding I've ever shot has still included the posed family shots after the ceremony.

There's really no getting around their "posed" nature, but that doesn't have to mean they look stiff and unnatural. And you know Brooke's grandma is going to frame that top right photo and smile at it every day for the rest of her life! Even when there's no bride's cake or bouquet toss, the family photos still get taken.

Since there's really not anywhere to hold a reception at Umlauf, choose from one of what must be hundreds of cool places around town. Now, it is Austin, so you'll probably be sitting in some traffic on the way there. So maybe you might want to book a stylish ride for the trip over.

...or a freakin' awesome one. You know, it's your call.

If you know what's good for you...or what tastes good anyway...you'll hold your reception at one of Austin's local restaurants. No worrying about how many tables to rent or how to decorate that big empty box of a ballroom? That's something a chill Austin bride will truly cherish!

Plus the food...well, 'nuff said!

I know that was a ton of photos, but really it's a pretty simple formula. Especially when all you really need to do is marry the coolest person you've ever met. Your best friend.

Somebody you wanna kiss like this:

Congratulations Brooke and Kyle!  I looooved sharing your day, and I pray for a lifetime of days as awesome as this one for y'all!

One Pretty One-Year Old!

Gracie turned one this August! We celebrated with a portrait session and a party! Get ready for looots of pictures! 

Momma and Daddy played with Grace to keep her smiling. (It's not terribly hard!) 

Grace was a trooper the whole time even though it was H-O-T.  

Then a little bit later, there was partying to do! Jess's plans all came together really nicely and everything looked so cute! 

Grace had a bunch of friends and family turn out to celebrate with her. 

She never really got super-excited about the cake though. They kept having to bring her back to it to eat a little bit more. Not a sweets girl, I guess! 

Happy Birthday, Grace! We love you!

The Willie Show

Okay - so now I can tell you! I didn't want to say anything before, 'cause I just couldn't quite believe that it was happening! 

I got to shoot the Willie Nelson concert last weekend! I photographed it for KOKE and they have all the photos on their website. You can see them all here! 

There's a ton of them! Drew Womack played at the VIP pre-show: 

Michael came with me to tote my stuff, and when we walked in he said, "Is that Bob?" And glanced out of the corner of my eye just briefly, saw the guy in the middle: 

and said, "phhth! NO!" But then I looked again and said, "Oh my goodness!" Indeed. That is Bob. Dressed up as the Roadhog. Oh Bob. Alright, mighty fine!

Looks like everybody was having a good time! 

It was a Willie and Family show, so his daughters opened up for him: 

 Okay, the ladies on the bottom right aren't his daughters. They're just adorable and they rounded out that collage nicely. Can you see the braids? They're wearing Willie braids! 

Roadhog had a few things to say before Willie came on; mostly thanks! 

And finally, the big show! Again, there are a ton of shots here, but here are a couple of my favorites. 

Yes, that first pic is Willie Nelson smiling at me. He waved at me later. We're, like, friends now.

Hangin' with Cory Morrow

I'm gonna count it as hangin' with Cory Morrow anyway. I mean, he was at Papa Woody's and I was at Papa Woody's. So that counts, right? Cory sang some songs, I took some pictures. It was good times.

Actually, KOKE FM invited me to come take some photos since they were one of the sponsors of his show Saturday night.

It was an hour away, he didn't start until almost 11 and it poured rain so that I had to run inside with my camera under my shirt. 

It was so much fun! 

First I shot from the front of the stage:

Then I found something to climb on at the side of the stage for another angle: 

Then I got to go around and shoot from the stage! A little tiny corner of it, but still...got some good stuff. 

Of course, that lasted about 4-5 songs, and then it started pouring! We all ran inside and they finished the show  inside. Since the inside was just a bar, I got to get really close and get a few shots that I'm a little proud of. 

And just a couple more:

 Got another exciting shoot coming up this weekend! If you're in Austin, you should come to the Willie Nelson show on Saturday night. I'm just sayin' - maybe I'll see you there!

A New Hogg Baby

Y'all have met Hudson before. You know he's pretty cool. Well, all of a sudden, he has a little protege - his little brother Brazos.

Brazos is also pretty cool. He'll let you put a hat on his head while he is sleeping, and just keep on sleeping even though your camera is loud and you move his feet around a lot. 

The Hoggs are some of our oldest Austin friends, and it is so fun to watch their family grow! 

Now they have two sweet boys who, I'm sure, will get into lots of trouble together over the next few years! 

But I think Meagan is plenty momma-enough to handle them both! 

I've seen several things on Pinterest lately that say it is better to be a big brother than it is to be a superhero. Hudson would like you to know that's only true if you still get to wear the cape.

 

He's gonna be a great big brother! 

Welcome, Brazos! We're so glad you're here! 

To book your newborn portrait session, contact me at jenni@jennirobertsphotography.com

An AUSTIN Guide to Wearing Cowgirl Boots

If there is one thing an Austin Girl knows how to do, it is wear a pair of cowgirl boots! Google, however, seems completely unaware of this fact.

When I bought my boots a few weeks ago, I wanted to find some ideas about what outfits to wear with them. All Google could seem to find was picture of Hollywood Girls wearing boots that were probably from some fancy shmancy shoe store that knows nothing about boots.

Seriously?

I think it is high time the world heard from the experts on this subject matter! Turns out, y'all are the experts! It took me less than an hour to get almost 50 shots of awesome cowgirl boots outfits. (I call them cowgirl boots...we're not cowboys!)

Expert Example No. 1:

White or Black Sundress. Any color boot you want, although Brandi and I both have brown boots. Easy peasy to throw a denim jacket over it once we start moving into Fall. (Mine is crocheted even though you can't tell it in the photo. I think Brandi's was eyelet lace.)

Expert Example No. 2:

Daisy Dukes. C'mon - you know you wanna! If you're 16 (or still look like you are), go for it! Add an adorable bow in your hair and a cross-body, teal purse while you're at it! Other fun additions seen here: hippie-style crocheted top; floral collar necklace; bright sunglasses; lace trim; the ever-popular big, wavy hair!

Expert Example No. 3:

If Daisy Dukes are just a little too young for you, try the more grown up version - tailored white shorts. I seriously saw three different girls wearing white shorts with a blue chambray button up. All of them looked cute! 

Expert Example No. 4: 

Boots mixed with a current trend. For instance, a peplum top. This is a peplum top: 

See how it's got the little flouncy bit at the bottom? That's what makes it peplum. She's freakin' adorable. 

Neon, of course, is also in. And who'da thunk it would work so well with cowboy boots? 

 

Clever girl. Silly boy in the background, though!

I don't know if these quite count as neon, but I'm gonna go with it. 

Moving on! 

Expert Example No. 5: 

The sundress. Anybody can pull this off...I mean, like, anybody! And that is partly because ANY sundress will work and party because it's just that good a look. 

Bonus wisdom: Ladies, this is a look the boys understand. Some of them may be confused by pink shorts and turquoise top (even though it's awesome). But if it's a cowboy you're trying to catch, this look is the bait. You're welcome.

Expert Example No. 6: 

Frills. Frill it up! A lacey dress and high heels is probably a little frou-frou for most girls. But if you feel the need to pile on ruffles and lace up top, balance it with a snakeskin boot and nobody will mistake you for a cream puff. It's a look that's sweet and tough at the same time...perfect for a Texas Girl! 

Another favorite example: 

Note the crossbody bag with zippers to close everything up. If you're going to a concert, get one! You won't spend the night worrying if the person next to you is rifling through your open purse while you enjoy the show, and it won't slide off your shoulder. 

Oh! I can't believe I almost forgot the hot pink ruffles! 

What a cute smile to go with her cute outfit! 

I'm also going to count sequins in with the frills. Please wear sequins with your cowboy boots! 

 

Expert Example No. 7: 

These ladies look like they've been shopping in Fredericksburg! The shops out there start mixing their Southern and their Western and I love the result. This is definitely a Hill Country way to wear your boots!

Expert Example No. 8: 

Another example of cowgirl boots eliminating the "too sweet" factor: gingham. I always feel a little bit Wizard of Oz when I try on anything with a gingham print, but this girl's handmade dress drew me in the second I saw it! I was actually on my way to another girl and got sidetracked by the sunny color. Love it.

 

Expert Example No. 9: 

Animal Print. This is sort-of a reversal of the snake skin boots and ruffles! I'm not convinced it would work with zebra, but I think the leopard looks great. Little bit unexpected. 

Expert Example No. 10: 

I'm not sure what you call this style of dress, but I like how it's showcasing the boots. This would probably count as a current trend. I'm fairly certain it would look dumb on me, but I think this girl is pulling it off quite nicely. 

Expert Example "The Final Word"

Saved my favorite for last. We stopped this girl as she was running across the venue. Saw the flash of turquoise, leather, lace and glitter and said, "I need THAT one!" Even though the girl seemed to be in a hurry, she very sweetly stopped and posed for us. 

 My initial thought was, "Dangit! Why didn't I think to coordinate my boots and my sunglasses?!" 

Then later when she got up on stage to open for Randy Rogers, I thought something along the lines of "Wha?! No way!! Cool!!" I knew her music already, but didn't recognize her with her sunglasses on.

This is Ms. Kacey Musgraves. She is, obviously, super cute and clearly has no issues figuring out how to wear a pair of cowgirl boots! She has an album coming out sometime soon, but until then you can (and should!) listen to her songs on her website. Click the Enter the Website link, and then on Music. There's a bunch of songs.

So no more excuses! Break out the cowgirl boots and wear them with...well, pretty much whatever you please! 

Just wear it like you stole it.

P.S. - If you are one of the experts in the shots, leave us a comment and tell us where to shop your look!