Breanne & Trevor | West Lake Davenport Iowa Portraits

B r e a n n e  +  T r e v o r

Engagement Portraits

www.crystalbroussardphotography.com 

These two drove all the way up from Oklahoma for these engagement portraits. (I couldn't help but sing OKLAHOMA! to them.) I'll be photographing their wedding next May ... May 14th, Bre! Because they live out of state, this was my first time meeting Breanne & Trevor. Here's what I know so far: They don't bowl, but met in a bowling alley, they're faux food critics & they're very easy to get along with! Looking forward to photographing your wedding next May & getting to know the two of you! Thank you again so much for choosing Crystal Broussard Photography!

Here we go!

xoxo
Crystal Broussard

Amy & Carl | Jefferson/Acadia Iowa Wedding

A m y  &  C a r l

8.8.15

www.crystalbroussardphotography.com

This will be a long one, you've been warned... but in order to understand the portraits from this wedding, you're going to have to read this one.

I photograph a lot of weddings. Nearly every weekend from May until November, I'm photographing a wedding & to be frank, it's very seldom that there is a wedding that is so genuinely different from the next that it leaves me more than humbled to have been a part of it.

Now, before you jump to conclusions and make the assumption that I'm in any way stating that most weddings are monotonous that's absolutely not so, every wedding I photograph is unique & has it's own personal touch to it, this wedding however just happened to have several unique moments that truly made me step back a moment & remind myself to remember what's important.

First, there's a portrait in here that I have to explain because Amy has no idea what her mother has had planned for months & you may be curious yourself to what the story is behind this edited photograph. Several months ago I received a phone call from Amy's mother Denise out of the blue, she explained to me that Amy's father had passed away & she was wondering if she could send me some photographs of him to edit him into a photograph of her walking down the isle.

Of course, without hesitation - I said yes. & when offered payment, said "No Ma'am!"

This was pretty difficult to do because of the photographs I had... I didn't know if I could pull it off & then it dawned on me... that it didn't have to look perfect, it could even easily look like an edit & that... that would be okay.

So, I already knew that we had this planned & that it was going to be an emotional wedding.

Then, at the point in which I assume that this wedding could not be more unique than to have to fulfill this particular request... I talk to Amy about a month before the wedding and she tells me that her 96 year old grandmother will not be able to attend the wedding. so she wants to go visit her the day of the wedding so that she can see her & Carl on their wedding day.

What I did not know however is that on the day of the wedding, Amy would be bringing her grandmother a flower & pinning it to her, as way to include her on the wedding day. It's gestures like this that really tell a lot about the character of an individual. We live in a time where we don't stop to think about things like this & it was a breath of fresh air to have these truly individualized events taking place in the middle of wedding.

After this, we went to the cemetery so that Amy could visit her father. This is something that I knew in advance we'd be doing, but I don't think you fully understand the impact that something is going to have on you until you're there experiencing it. I made the suggestion that Amy leave a flower from her bouquet on his grave, which I think ended up being the perfect gesture... & then that's all that was said.

What do you say to someone experiencing this on their wedding day? You really don't say anything at all, you just... be there for her. & Amy has a wonderful support system, two of her best friends - her husband & her maid of honor were there for hugs when she returned.

So it's because of all the above aforementioned events that this wedding became one of the most memorable weddings I have ever photographed & I am genuinely humbled, honored even to be able to share their photographs with all of you.

XOXO

Crystal Broussard

Sarah & Brody | Galesburg, IL Wedding

S a r a h  +  B r o d y
8.1.15

www.crystalbroussardphotography.com

I had time Saturday to sit down and read the story (thus far) of Sarah & Brody, each table had a book filled with illustrations & a poem about the bride & groom. First of all, as a person who writes and paints/draws portraits as well as has a career in an art related field, I was thoroughly impressed with these books. I thought, "I wonder where they had these made, this is such a unique idea." It was simple, yet simultaneously one-of-a-kind.

Which I discovered, or through my own perception, this is kind of how Sarah & Brody are as a couple.

Turns out, the book was illustrated by the groom's mother & the poem that told the story was written by his sister. At this point in my career, I've attended nearly 50 weddings & I have never once seen anything like this book.

Up until the day of the wedding, I actually hadn't met Brody & had only interacted with Sarah & her mother. Because of distance, school, and busy schedules for us all, we weren't able to meet before the wedding & I was walking into this wedding having never actually spoken to the groom. Normally. this is a pretty jarring experience because you have these expectations about how awkward it's going to be and what if there is something about this person that you weren't able to prepare yourself for & so on, etc. Thankfully, Brody is a very warm & inviting person, which I guess I should have expected because so is Sarah.

In fact, everyone I spoke with at this wedding had this sort of aura of gratitude about them. Including both Sarah & Brody's parents, siblings, friends, & family. Overall it was a very wholesome atmosphere, in fact I photograph 8 hour days nearly every Saturday & very few feel like the time just came & went in a graceful fashion. This was one of those days. It was very laid back, the bride & groom were perfectly okay stepping away from the reception to catch the sunset which resulted in my favorite portraits of their wedding.

Okay, before I go on writing another novel... thank you again SO MUCH Sarah & Brody for choosing me to be a part of your wedding day. Wish you nothing but the best & I hope you enjoy this sneak peek I put together for you!

xoxo

Crystal Broussard

Miranda & Chase | Vander Veer Botanical | East Village of Davenport | Engagement Portraits

M i r a n d a  +  C h a s e

www.crystalbroussardphotography.com

It's weird, at first when I was thinking about how excited I was to be photographing this couple's wedding my main thought had been that I was excited to be photographing my first Jewish wedding but after spending yesterday with Miranda & Chase, I'm just happy to be photographer THEIR wedding in general because they're so unique as a couple.

They have such magnetic chemistry, which maybe comes from being high school sweethearts? I'm not sure, but whatever it is ... it's working for them. They're so magnetic that they're completely comfortable being themselves in front of the camera, I think I said about 100 times yesterday "You guys are naturals!"

& it's true, they were so easy to photograph & because of their unique personalities, they provided me with completely candid moments of the two of them just being ... them.

I loved that we were able to joke around & laugh, that they were comfortable being lighthearted & carefree while taking portraits. As a result I have some of the most genuine photographs & I could not be happier than to share their truly one-of-a-kind connection with all of you.

Miranda, Chase, I am looking SO forward to photographing your wedding & am truly grateful you chose me.


Thanks again! Enjoy!

xoxo

Crystal Broussard

P.S. When looking for a book in the "Take a Book, Leave a Book" box we discovered the book "The Wedding" .... How fitting, right?

www.crystalbroussardphotography.com