Little Chapel in the Woods wedding couple - from Jim Rode Photographer

I had an absolute blast with Chip and Jennifer in Dallas. We went on Safari exploring Little Mexico (after a great Mexican Breakfast of course!) and the arts district of Dallas. They are a fun couple and willing to kiss. (Duh!)


This is what love is all about -big as Dallas -as they say. They are getting married April at the Little Chapel in the Woods, one of my favorite places.


They drove 60 miles to meet me. We talked over the tortillas and coffee and got to talk about wedding plans. It was kind of sad to have to see them take off at 12 to get back to work!

Have you thought about adding a BridalWalk to your plans? (That's a name I made up today...)

Here is the problem-and the solution. Bridals have been around for more than 50 years. Very nice. Much more popular in the 1970's then now...but still asked for (usually by Mom). The problem is, Bridals are a lot of trouble. You have to have your gown ready weeks and weeks before the wedding. It must stay hidden from you know who. You have to have your hair the same as on the wedding day. Can the florist match the flowers? Can you keep your gown clean? Can you keep him from seeing the previews? When you are done, you may find your wedding images may be even more exciting. Do you hang a portrait of your bridal in your living area after the wedding? Does it seem a little too much for your home? Will you end up giving it to Mom?

My solution has been an Engagement Safari. Fantastic images of the two of you in casual dress. Something that decorates you wall a lot better! These Safari's have made me nationally known, and are now wide emulated. But here is another twist -I call it the BridalWalk. On BridalWalk, he gets to be in the pictures! The portrait is of the two of you and not in the church! You can be married Saturday and begin your honeymoon Monday with the BridalWalk in between. Heck, does he have to be in a tux anyway? Do it the week after you come back from Hawaii! He can wear a suit. What are you going to do with that gown anyway? Are you having your gown cleaned after the wedding? Give the cleaners something to really work on!

It takes 2 to 3 hours of time, and the investment is $650. I will give you a $350 credit toward a gallery wrap portrait. You also get a cool webcast to show at work...or send to your friends...or to show off while your on your honeymoon...or to email that Uncle from California who didn't show up at your wedding!


Hear Heartbeats at JimRode.com

Delaney Vinyards Wedding - Jim Rode Photographer Grapevine

It was my pleasure to photograph a great wedding at Delaney Vineyards. Jamie and Joey gathered with friends and family and spent the day filling hearts together. The Vineyards is a great place even for a winter wedding. You can see I got a great shot of Joey walking the vineyards before the ceremony. No Worries Catering provide great food. The cake was fabulous. It is really interesting to see people line up for the buffet next to 2-story wine tanks too!

Jenna was my second photographer for this wedding. She is an ultra competent photographer. I waited for the right time to sneak Jamie and Joey out of the reception for 10 minutes and sent them to walk through the vineyards. That's Jenna you see in the photograph -she went the extra mile to lay in the grass to get low-angle shots. I got this shot of her after I walked out of the vineyard rows. (Don't worry, we got a ton of shots without Jenna in the picture! I was shooting diagonals (2nd shot shown) at the same time Jenna was getting the different viewpoint. This is what's great about 2 professional photographers at the same wedding -we can both see things differently, and the bride and groom benefit with great images. We certainly got some good ones that day. After every wedding, people begin to realize just how important the images are.