My sister helps me get ready on my wedding day in 2014. We're standing in an old schoolhouse that we decorated with tissue-paper poms & doily garland.
Hey! I'm Diana. Being indecisive in nature, I'm gonna give you TWO 'About Me's'.
FIRST, about-me-and-your-wedding.
I like to have an in-person consultation with every one of my couples if possible. I think it's great to sit & chat for a little while & see if we'd be a good fit. You can ask me any questions you have, & I'll detail my timeline + process & buy you a coffee. I like to put my best foot-forward when we meet & I will probably have spent a lot of time twirling my hair, putting on lipstick & wearing the only pair of high-heel shoes I own that are (sorta) comfy.
I'm really big on educating my clients. As your photographer, it's my job to make sure your wedding photos are as wonderful & beautiful as possible. When clients share plans of their day, I work hard to educate them about every way the plans will affect photography (that dimly lit indoor reception space vs. having it on the patio? Doing a first look or not? Having the ceremony outdoors at 4pm vs 5pm in early March? Planning to start MUAH 4 hours before the ceremony?) These things will have a BIG impact on your photos! This doesn't mean I tell you what to do--quite the contrary, I hope every client can plan & arrange their wedding day exactly as they please without worrying what others say. But I do want every couple to know every detail of what to expect about their photography!
When I show up on wedding day, I'm gonna look different. No fake eyelashes on this day. I'll be wearing comfy shoes because I am ready to WORK for 10 hours or more. I'll wear dark colors & my hair pulled back, but by midday you can bet it will be messy & frizzy because that's just what it does. And, oh yeah...I wear a fanny pack. Where else do I keep my extra cards, batteries, & maybe a lens or two?
When I'm with you all day, I take a relaxed & casual approach. I want my clients to feel like they're around an old friend, or at least someone they can trust & loosen up around. I believe this is important for capturing your real, not-stiff-self in front of the camera. My assistant & I will chat with your girls as you get your hair done & try to get to know them. We might act goofy if it makes people laugh. I'll bring out corny jokes if I need to, so get ready! (They are REALLY corny!) I also can get LOUD if I need to gather 34 family members together quickly for a family portrait! I'm in my element on a wedding day & confidently do what needs to get done. If no wedding planner is available, it often falls to the photographer to keep the whole day on time! I'll be running from the minute I arrive until you drive away & your guests quietly mingle & depart while the sparklers run down. It's what I love to do.
Ok. That's the story of me-and-your-wedding. Would you like to know me personally?
About just ME:
Well, I'm a Texas-born girl who now calls Alabama home. I lived in New York State for 3 years somewhere in there, too. I think my tv sitcom spirit-animal is a mixture of Liz Lemon, Jess from New Girl & Diane from cheers (nerdy, a bit out of place & always well meaning).
I love the color aqua (the color of my kitchen & bedroom walls). I will rock a thrift store outfit any day of the week & LOVE the thrill of finding a classic vintage dress or expensive anthropologie sweater for $5. My hobbies are crocheting (I homemade 6 christmas stockings last year!), binge-watching netflix, baking (my best work is a brown-sugar-upside-down-peach-cake), hiking, & learning about local history. I love driving long back roads & have never regretted taking "the long way".
If I couldn't be a wedding photographer I think I would be a florist because I am OBSESSED with flowers. My husband is really into birdwatching & sometimes I piggyback off of that hobby. I don't know nearly as much as he does, but I sure think they're cute! I love chocolate & cheese & ice cream (goodness do I love ice cream). I love Cracker Barrell. If I was a rich woman I would buy most of the stuff in that gift shop. Does that make me an old lady at heart? Probably. I don't care.
I married my husband in 2014 in a little white chapel on top of a hill at a state park. We went hiking there after just a few months of dating. The moment I saw it, I knew it was where we would get married.
5 years later, we did.
My dream is to map out all the little white churches on every little back road of Alabama & drive to each one, take a photo & compile all the pictures into a book & I would call that book "Little white churches," & one day I'll do it, too.
Hey, have you kept reading this long? Wow! You must kinda like me (aw shucks!). Should we meet up for a free consultation? I think we should.
Photo credit: Love Be Photography