Chase & Vicky traveled all the way from Houston to have their photos done at their wedding venue! It was a beautiful quiet afternoon, full of gorgeous light, and I had such a fun time capturing photos and getting to know them better. So excited for their wedding this fall at this exact location!
P.S. Isn’t Vicky’s red dress just drop dead gorgeous?
Coordinator/Planner & Florals: Nitaya Teng
Venue & Catering: AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center
MU Artist: Orbit Salon
Hair Stylist: Urban Betty Salon
Dress: Casablanca Bridal
Bride's Accessories: Diamonds Direct
DJ: Austin Classic DJ
Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Groomsmen Attire: Perry Ellis
Cake: Austin TT Cakes
Stationery Suite: Minuteman Press
Oh gosh, where do I even begin? I am still head over heels in love with these frames. Not only did my dream come true to photograph at Laguna Gloria, but more importantly, I got to see these two sweethearts again. If you guys remember, Joseph proposed to Sean back in June, but they drove down to Austin for their engagement session (it was also Sean's brithday!), and I cannot be more thankful for their adventurous and willing spirits. From start to finish, they stayed troupers as we battled the Texas heat and mosquitoes. I also can't rave enough about how fortunate we were that day because the lighting was gorgeous as the sun was setting, and everything that we thought to be a challenge turned out perfectly.
It was a special treat to spend this extended time with Joseph and Sean. I could sense that both were a bit nervous when we started, but over time, I loved watching them relax with each other. At times, it almost felt like they forgot I was photographing them! Joseph's humor always made Sean erupt into laughter, and it was adorable seeing them pause between moments to make silly faces and talk to each other. That's what I love most about engagement sessions and what I want every couple to experience when I photograph them. It just brings me so much joy to witness the progression of a couple's growth as they share about their future dreams and prepare themselves for a new season. I have so much excitement for Sean and Joseph, and I can't wait to photograph their wedding next May.
West Texas is a beaut. The idea of spending a weekend getaway in Marfa couldn't be more romantic and fitting for the summer. J and I traveled here for his friend's wedding, but we decided that it was a good idea to also make a vacation out of it. Afterall, I can't imagine the next time we have the opportunity to do something as unique as this, especially with our work schedules being so crazy.
We left Austin on Friday morning, and while six hours on the road sounded a little daunting, I couldn't have spent it better. Of course, I had J to keep me company with great conversations and Nicki Minaj rap battles (hardly. I chickened out), but it was the view that truly captivated me. Mountains and plateaus majestically stretched across the Texas desert, and lush green trees and wildlife were scattered so beautifully throughout the land.
We managed to get there before it became dark so we unpacked in our Airbnb and started our first adventure with dinner at Pizza Foundation. You can bet that I did extensive research for this trip, which was extremely helpful because I found out that it often takes up to two hours to order a pizza there. To avoid that, we called in way ahead of time to ensure that we weren't eating dinner ridiculously late.
By Saturday, we were rested enough for our real adventure. Since this was our vacation, we obviously have the freedom to do anything we want, and it was just so tempting to sleep in until noon. Good thing we didn't. A place like Marfa is certain to have breathtaking sunrises so I didn't want to give up that opportunity. On top of that, the weather was insanely good. I feared that the heat would discourage us from adventuring, but there was actually a breeze and the mornings were crisp and cool.
First stop was Do Your Thing, a coffee shop. J and I had some bonding time over breakfast before we headed off to walk around the town. The thing to appreciate about a small town is how close everything is to each other. A ten minute walk could take us anywhere, from breakfast to shopping. Not only that, the southern hospitality was out of this world, which is ironic for me to think since I grew up in Texas. Everyone that we walked past either gave us a nod or greeted us with a "Hello, how are you?".
We browsed around some of the more well-known locations, such as Marfa Bookstore located inside Hotel Saint George. By noontime, we were hoping to hit up Food Shark for lunch, since it was clearly a must on everyone's go-to list, but J and I fell upon Squeeze Marfa and decided to go there instead. It was one of those moments where we could've made that extra effort to do what we planned, but we were just so darn tired from walking around. Plus, there's nothing wrong with flexibility, right?. We're on vacation, not a field trip. After cooling down with a smoothie and filling up on sandwiches, we spent the rest of the afternoon at home. Since we had a wedding that evening, it made sense to save our energy for that.
When Sunday came around, J and I slept in. To be fair, we stayed up 'til 3AM the night before talking, but the rest was also much needed. We managed to make it out the door by noon for lunch at Marfa Burrito. It was tricky because we couldn't find any information about it online, such as hours and a telephone number, but fortunately, it was opened and not crowded. The attraction about this quaint little place is that their burritos are homemade and fresh. It's authentic and guaranteed to fill you up for sure.
Further down the road is the Chinati Foundation, a contemporary museum based on the ideas and foundations of Donald Judd. Most of our time and energy were spent looking at Judd's fifteen untitled works in concrete. They're spaced out across the field and each set is positioned uniquely. Though the weather was hot and harsh, we managed to make it worthwhile experience and one that is memorable.
When evening came around, we celebrated our last night with dinner at Jett's Grill, located in the heart of Hotel Paisano, and then we drove west to Valentine, Texas to see the classic Prada Marfa exhibit by Elmgreen & Dragset. It was easy for us to assume that it wasn't worth driving 40 minutes to an "over-hyped" attraction that offers very little besides an opportunity to photograph next to an iconic landmark. But if we put those thoughts aside, the very essence of travel is to explore with genuine, unpretentious curiosity. To appreciate and learn about the treasures that characterize and make up the place.
Who knew our little escapade would create some of my proudest frames, and that's what I love so much about photography. I love being captivated by my artwork. I like to envision how I want my pictures to look after post-processing and especially how it would look like when I decorate my home. I want to keep these pictures alive by giving it a home in frames and albums instead of storing them away into my hard drives without a second glance.
And just like that, our trip was over. It concluded in one of the most beautiful ways, with the sun setting in its fiery orange glow in the backdrop of our view. As dusk continued to darken, the purple and blush hues grew richer and deeper. It pretty much had me fall in love with Texas all over again.
Joseph and Sean's engagement is a story that will live in my memory for years to come. I can't even begin to describe what an experience it was, but it for sure guarantees a happy ending. Though I'm based in Austin, I'm always excited when I have opportunities to travel for my clients. The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden has been on my radar for quite some time now so what better way to explore it than to combine it with a photo session!
For those who know Texas weather, it's fickle as heck. In one minute, the sun shines gloriously, but the next minute, it rains cats and dogs. And yes, that's exactly what happened the moment Joseph showed up at the proposal site. We, including Joseph and Sean's family, all hid under the arch of trees as best as we could, but we eventually got drenched in the rain. What a way to start everything, huh?
Enough words from me, though. Here's the whole story told by the future Mr. and Mrs.
JOSEPH: Chapter 1: Pre-planning
The Proposal, as told by the soaking husband-to-be:
I had originally planned to set up a day of fun surprises for her including all of her favorite things (brunch, nails, puppies, donuts, etc) but after talking to a few friends, they said it was more worthwhile to save the exact moment. So I decided to plan to propose at a venue that Sean and I LOVED, but wouldn't be able to use due to capacity. This way, she'd still get to experience a special moment at an area that she loved. I got her mom to meet us there, and planned for a group of friends and family to meet us that evening for dinner.
SEAN: I already had a feeling that Joseph was going to propose when he did because he said that he was going to this summer, and this was the first weekend we were seeing each other in about three weeks because I was studying abroad in China. That morning, I had gone to a friend's bridal shower and had to leave early to meet my mom at the arboretum to meet with our wedding planner. I had been eyeing the arboretum as a possible venue because it was so beautiful. I was actually kind of sad because I had a strong feeling that we would not be able to book it, but we decided to go anyway.
JOSEPH: Chapter 2: The Proposal - Let it rain
My parents and brother had flown in and Sean's parents and sister met us at the garden about 15 minutes before Sean arrived. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and love was most definitely in the air. We paid for our entry fee and headed over to the location. Just as we were arriving, it started to rain. Not like, the sky accidentally spit on you rain. It was more, heaven nailing us with a water hose rain. Needless to say, all of us were soaked, and the girlfriend (now ex-girlfriend) was nowhere to be found.
SEAN: I met my mom at the entrance of the Crepe Myrtle Allee and saw Joseph standing at the end of the aisle. I laughed when I saw him because he told me that he didn't want to go visit the venue with me, and there he was! It was so surreal and funny to walk down the aisle as my future husband-to-be waited at the end of aisle.
JOSEPH: The rain died down 15 minutes in and Sean took about 10 more than that. She was taking her sweet time tip toeing through the rain since she was dry from sitting it out in her car. There's nothing really like watching the woman of your dreams walk towards you as you prepare to make the 2nd biggest decision of your life (Jesus first, always folks). I really wanted to make her melt with some eloquent words but all I could dribble out was some mumbo-jumbo about Jesus or something. I wrapped it up, asked her if she was ready, got on my knee, pulled out DAT ROCK, and asked her to marry me. She said yes.
SEAN: He said some really sweet things about us, our journey, how far God has taken us and how much farther we have to go as we walk with Him. He then asked me if I was ready (for him to propose) and I said no out of excitement, fear and a rush of emotions. He then joked that he could propose at another time instead and I saw no to that suggestion also. He then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I just giggled the whole time because I couldn't contain my excitement - and to keep myself from crying. It was a sweet and surreal moment of revelation of God's faithful promise of bringing forth a man after His own heart to romance and love and care for me, a daughter of the King. I can't wait for this next season of life in growing together in knowing Him and making Him known!
JOSEPH: Chapter 3 - Friends that became family
I kind of knew Sean had already realized that I was proposing on that day. You can ask her about that. However, she didn't know that she had 30+ of her closest friends in town and much of her family ready to celebrate with her! We had dinner and drinks at an excellent restaurant and had a blast reflecting on how incredible its been to have these people around us as Sean and I progressed in our dating relationship. The night continued with flashes of the running man, some Mario, and patty melts. Best day of my life, to date. The end.
SEAN: Side note - The story of the ring is actually a really sweet and important backstory of the proposal. So I had been very obvious with ring designs that I liked, and it was really important to me that Joseph like the ring too because, well he was paying for it, haha. The one that he ended up giving to me is a design that we both loved. He presented the design to a small mom and pop jewelry store we visited in Irvine, CA a few years ago, and they were amazing to learn from and work with. They custom designed my ring around the center diamond - each design is original and unique. The diamond itself has an important story too. My dad and Joseph picked out the diamond together from my dad's jeweler. It was so sweet to hear that it was a joint effort from both my dad and Joseph because this was an act of love for my dad to physically give his blessing to us by choosing the best diamond that he could. My dad and Joseph have always had a great relationship and hearing this story just made my heart melt.
JOSEPH: PS. Vickie Liu and Amy Kersetter are bomb. The end.
(thanks for the shout-out!)
Proposal Site: The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Reception Venue: Meddlesome Moth
Coordinator: Amy Kersetter
Chalkboard Art: Joanne Hu
I hope by the end of the this blog post, your mouth will be sore from smiling. That's how mine certainly was when I photographed this beautiful couple from start to finish. I've known Josh and Meagan for a few years now since we've all attended the same university, and it's been fun getting to know them. They seriously couldn't be any funnier!
The morning commute to San Antonio was very much needed, and as soon as I arrived, I could already feel the warmth and coziness of Josh and Meagan's family. Everyone wore such welcoming faces and created an energy that kept the wedding joyful and full of celebration.
Josh and Meagan, you two are truly the best. Thank you for allowing me to experience such love and kind-heartedness and trusting me to capture a wedding that reflected your love so perfectly. I hold this experience as one of my most favorite moments in my working career.
Love,
Photography: Victoria Liu Photography | Assistant Photographer: Alison Chang | Venue: Noah's Event Venue | Bride's Dress: Essence of Australia | Floral Design: Cheryl Lam | Cake: Sam's | Bridesmaid Dresses: Etsy | Bride's Shoes: DSW | Hair: Stephanie Gee | Make up: Carol Kong | Groom's Attire: Bar III, Express, The Tie Bar, Daniel Wellington | Groom's Shoes: Cole Haan
