love lee photography

Bye bye old blog, hello new!

2009-03-15T21:00:00.001-05:00

Yes that's right! I'm retiring this blog! But don't worry! Check out my new blog here - www.loveleephotoblog.com

Thanks for the good times old blog!

The Love Lee Blog is moving!

2009-03-13T11:07:00.003-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've blogged and it's not because of lack of weddings. I actually have a GINORMOUS (is that a real word?) list of weddings and engagement sessions that I've been keeping from you since I haven't been consistent with blogging. But there is good news! My blog is getting a MAJOR overhaul! It's going to be on a completely new link and it's going to look sooo different. I'm so excited to show it to you! I plan to launch it this weekend so keep checking back!

In the meantime, here are two pictures from a recent wedding. I'm saving the rest for the new blog!

Oh when a groom serenades his bride...it's magic!

2009-02-08T00:42:00.003-06:00

Ana Mae and Aaron had an extremely romantic wedding at the end of December. Not only did Aaron sing to his beautiful bride during the ceremony, he also sang to her for their first dance! I loved how they did it. They kept it private and intimate, just for them, before they were announced to their guests at the reception. "Be still my heart!" I kept thinking as I photographed their day. So guys if you're looking for a way to melt your lady's heart, sing to her!

A Huge "Thank You" is in Order!!!

2009-02-05T10:02:00.003-06:00

I woke up this morning feeling awful. I've been recovering from a serious cold all week. My body is aching, my head hurts, and I've got sniffles galore! But all the yuckiness went away when I found out that Love Lee Photography was awarded the "Brides Choice Award" for 2009 on Wedding Wire! This award means alot to me, especially since it's an award based on the opinions of the most important people in the wedding industry...YOU, the bride and groom!

Through Wedding Wire you can see my listing HERE or on Martha Stewart Weddings.

Thanks again so much for this! I'm so blessed to be doing what I love and to know that many of you are loving what I do means the world to me!

Just a reminder about my specials!

2009-01-28T13:24:00.002-06:00

There's still time to book your date and take advantage of my Bridal Extravaganza specials. You can take advantage of just one or all three of my offers when you book a wedding package with me!

Summer and Dexter's Winter Wedding

2009-01-15T23:41:00.003-06:00

Summer and Dexter were married on a cool day in December. Their ceremony was beautiful and so heartfelt. I always get goosebumps and a little teary-eyed when I see my couples get married. Summer and Dexter's ceremony was no exception.
The ceremony was followed by an elegant and romantic reception. And after the cake and toasts, the party was on! If you ever get a chance to meet Summer and Dexter, you'll see how her name fits. She's warm, loving and full of smiles, and Dexter is her perfect amount of sunshine to brighten her day!

Stop by my booth #1509 at the Bridal Extravaganza this weekend (Jan 10-11)!

2009-01-08T15:18:00.001-06:00

If you're checking out the Bridal Extravaganza this weekend, stop by my booth and say hello! I love meeting people :) I've got some great promotions lined up when you book me by February 15th and mention the show. The show is a great way for brides to see all the great options they have when selecting their vendors. It's a huge show, so dress comfortably! Also, if you haven't gone to my site lately, check it out! I've made some package updates for couples that book in 2009.

something must be done!

2008-12-19T12:11:00.004-06:00

This is where the magic happens. Well other than in front of the camera, this is where I work. I know, I know. My duty station is a disgrace. Like the towel on the floor on the left-hand side? What about the glass of juice on the left corner of my desk? Yes, both of those have been sitting there for ages. Those sneakers on the floor in front of my little shelf have been sitting there for a while too. One day I'll clean it up. My husband doesn't even acknowledge my office. I think he's given up on me being a little neater in there. But you know what? It's my corner of the world where I can sit for hours and hours a day and come up with all my cool pictures. It's where all my creative juices flow after every wedding and every portrait session and I love it. This is the only picture I'll show because you don't even want to see the rest of the room. My favorite part about my office is the window to the right. It over looks our cul de sac and you can see all the way down the street. I can spy on all the neighbors and see what's going on. Yeah...I'm one of those neighbors. LOL!

before they were married - grace and peter

2008-12-12T23:18:00.002-06:00

Grace and Peter got married last month and I'm so excited I got to be a part of their day. It was a long day, but you didn't realize it because of all the fun everyone had. But before all that, we met up several weeks before the wedding for a fun photo shoot around downtown Houston. I didn't have to ask them to do much. As if it was as natural as breathing, Grace and Peter were always in each other's arms. I had a great time capturing these two and I can't wait to show you their ultra fabulous wedding.

a love|lee|trio - JR, Stephanie, and Leo

2008-12-04T23:11:00.004-06:00

I'd like to introduce you to one of the coolest families I've ever met - JR, Stephanie, and their ADORABLE son, Leo. I was thrilled when JR and Stephanie chose me to capture their wedding day last month. But before the big day, we had a fun-filled photo shoot one early Sunday morning. When you're with this sweet trio, the love truly radiates, and there's no doubt they are truly blessed :)

Priscila and Gerald - By the Sea

2008-11-05T21:10:00.006-06:00

Blue skies, a warm breeze, buttery sunshine, love in the air. What more could you ask for? It was a perfect day for an intimate ceremony on the beach in Surfside. Surrounded by all their close friends and family, Priscila and Gerald tied the knot on a truly perfect day.

A quick post with two AMAZING couples!

2008-10-05T23:37:00.004-05:00

I know I've been away and I'm so sorry! I thought I'd post a small sneak preview of two remarkable couples - Aisha & Shahid, and Lisa & Andy. Both couples had really beautiful and unique weddings. I'm so honored I got to be a part of their days :)

Be on the lookout for future posts of these awesome weddings!

Never send a man to do a woman's job...

2008-09-12T09:07:00.003-05:00

In preparation for the storm, I sent my husband out to gather food for our weekend hibernation. I was out and about so I didn't really have time to go myself. He went to Sam's Club, so I thought, "Awesome, he's totally gonna stock up on good food for us AND in bulk quantity!" So when I returned home I was pleased to see 5 cases of bottled water in the garage. I park my car, go inside the house and into the kitchen to see what other goodies he's purchased. Low and behold, all I see are two bags of sun chips (I'm thinking, "Okay I like sun chips."), macaroni and cheese (I think, "What if we don't have power or can't use our gas stove - how will we boil water?"), and then....vienna sausages (18 cans?), twinkies (eh?), and clorox wipes. I just couldn't stop laughing at him (sorry babe!). I called almost all the women I knew to tell them what he bought and the whole time he kept saying, "I don't get it? What should I have bought?" I try to imagine what was going through his mind as he shopped for us. Like did he think, "If Margaret and I are trapped in the house for days, what can we eat? Bingo! Vienna sausages and twinkies!"

Thank goodness Target was still open later that evening and the shelves weren't stripped too bare. I was able to pick up some real food we could survive on.

***EDIT: If you don't hear from me after the storm, it's because I'm on my hands and knees soaking up the flood water with the Clorox wipes. I'm also sweating out all the sodium from the vienna sausages and chips. My blood sugar has shot up from all the twinkies. The vienna sausages aren't so bad when you top them with the powdered cheese from the macaroni boxes.

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-11T10:35:00.003-05:00

One thing about living in Houston - we definitely have our share of hurricanes! Our newest visitor will be here soon, Hurricane Ike. The lines at the gas stations are starting to pour into the streets. The grocery stores are full of people stocking up on supplies for their evacuation trips or for their homes as they stay to brave the winds and rain.

There are several storms that I remember. Alicia, when I was a little girl. I remember my parents taping up the windows. When she hit my brothers and I watched the trees writhe in the wind. Allison, because she flooded the entire Texas Medical Center. I remember my aunt who worked overtime at the hospital caring for patients and making them as comfortable as possible. The power stayed out for days and the buildings became uncomfortably hot. Katrina. My parents don't live far from the Astrodome, so I drove by and saw swarms of people brought in from Lousiana. It was a heart-breaking site. Imagine everything you have left in only a black trash bag. I remember seeing people with the wristbands at Target. They shopped for necessities. Underwear, socks, toothbrushes, soap, food. Instantly you knew they had gone through the horrific aftermath of the storm. Then there was Rita. Although she didn't do as much damage as most thought, it was the evacuation that became the nightmare. Today I still hear people's stories of being in the car for over 24 hours, just to get 200 miles away from Houston.

Everyone please be smart and be prepared this weekend! I pray that everyone stays safe and dry :)

A hot day with Kate and John!

2008-08-17T23:31:00.002-05:00

It was another really hot day in Houston when we shot Kate and John's engagement pictures. Although we met up early one Sunday morning to try and miss the afternoon heat, it caught up to us really quick. But these two are so incredibly sweet and so much in love, that they didn't seem to let anything get to them. Every once in a while we were blessed with a little breeze that helped us stay cool. We had a wonderful time capturing these two on camera and can't wait for their wedding in January!

Two Weddings and an Engagement

2008-08-04T09:28:00.004-05:00

Hello blog readers :) Today's treat will be lots of pictures. Yay! If you read my post from the other day, I have sad news...I didn't get to finish Breaking Dawn. I'm really bummed about it because I know that other people who bought the book have finished it. Friday night I went with my good friend Lorianne to one of the book release parties at Borders to stand in line and get my book. My husband came with us and laughed at me the whole time. Why? Because the store was filled with teenage girls who were as giddy as I was to get my hands on the book. I can't help it if they have the same great taste in love stories as I do! LOL! He's lucky that I love him and I'm lucky that he accepts my romance reading addiction!

But let me stop rambling...here are a lot of pictures for you to enjoy!

Do you remember Michelle and PK? Well here is a shot of them on one of the beaches at Atlantis in the Bahamas. It rained during the ceremony so they were married on the cruise ship. Luckily, later on in the day, the sun came out for them and we were able to get this great shot of the two of them soaking up the sun and taking in each other.

And now on to Kim and Chris. We started with a beach session the day before they were married. The day of the wedding was so perfect. It was very romantic!

And now meet Summer and Dexter. These two have the greatest smiles and they're incredibly sweet and affectionate with each other. We had so much fun during our photo shoot/scavenger-hunt-for-cool-places-to-shoot!

I won't sleep tonight!

2008-08-01T10:10:00.004-05:00

I've mentioned before that I like to read...a lot. Well tonight I will not be sleeping. Why you ask? Because I am one of many who fell in love with the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. The fourth book in the series, Breaking Dawn, is set to release at midnight and I will be at the bookstore with a friend of mind anxiously awaiting my copy. I will then proceed to any corner of the earth where I can go undisturbed and read the whole thing.

A big Bridal Extravaganza Thank You!

2008-07-20T23:02:00.007-05:00

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who stopped by my booth at the Bridal Extravaganza this past weekend! It was a huge success and I'll definitely be at the next one in January.

My cute little booth #1509 was a hit. I met so many great people this weekend - from brides and grooms, moms and dads, sisters and brothers, bridesmaids and best friends! I'm always so happy to meet new people and the great support systems they have as they plan one of the happiest days of their lives :)

I even had the pleasure of meeting some great wedding vendors!

I just wanted to post a reminder of my specials:

Book Love Lee Photography by August 1st, 2008 and I will
* add a complimentary 11x13 photobook of your wedding day to any package
- OR -
* add a complimentary boudoir photography session that includes:
- hair and makeup by a Blush and Glow artist,
- a 1 hour photo session in the privacy of the Blush and Glow studio,
- and 50 artistically enhanced images on disc (includes print release).

And for your viewing pleasure, here are a couple pictures from my most recent boudoir session. Enjoy!

So glad to be home :)

2008-07-04T19:51:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! First, I wanted to say thanks to everyone for being so patient with me these past few weeks. I've literally been in and out of the country for weddings. Second, I want to say "Happy 4th of July!" I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend. As for myself, I just got back to Houston today from a week at sea. It was my first cruise and I'm proud to announce that I did not get sea sick :)

The week started off with a beautiful wedding in the Bahamas and ended with some crazy weather that forced our plane to divert to College Station for a few hours. Good news is that I'm back at home and I'm ready to work and play catch up this weekend!

In the mean time, here are some pictures from when we docked at Key West.
This is a picture of a guy ordering from a Cuban sandwhich shop. Did you know that Cuba is 90 miles from Key West?

A border that I thought was pretty on one of the historical buildings.

This huge sculpture by Mortimor Blake was inspired by the painting "La Danse" by French artist Henri Matisse. Blake called it "The Daydream." I think because they guy he sculpted at the bottom is daydreaming about the nekked ladies. Hee hee....

I must have seen this guy cruising around the island 3 times. It was a sign that I had to get his picture. He's too cool!

I just had to get a picture of this street sign. "Margaret" is one of the most beautiful names you can see spray painted on a concrete post, don't ya think? Okay fine...so it's my name. How lovelee...lol!

Key West has a lot of colors! I loved all the bright colored shutters, walls, houses.

Even some interesting graffiti...

And finally...a t-shirt I saw in a window. I don't know about this one!

Ooo La La...it's Boudoir!

2008-06-24T23:38:00.005-05:00

Ehem...okay ladies. I've gotten several requests for these and who am I to deny what my brides (and grooms) want? Yes you've guessed it. I will now be offering a "Boudoir Package" for those of you interested in something hot and spicy...and just for his eyes only :)

In conjunction with the oh-so-talented ladies at Blush and Glow, an investment of $500 will include:
*hair and airbrush makeup by a Blush and Glow artist,
*a one-hour boudoir photo session in the privacy of the Blush and Glow studio,
*artistically enhanced images on disc,
*and an 8x10 photobook of your session.

Back from Mexico!

2008-06-23T23:37:00.003-05:00

I just got back from a long wedding weekend in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was everything a destination wedding is supposed to be - with blue skies, white sands, and pina coladas by the beautiful beach! Here's just a small preview of how exquisite the weekend was. Keep a look out for the wedding pictures!

Tim and Angelie...good times!

2008-06-05T23:13:00.003-05:00

These pictures are of Tim and Angelie's wedding. They are a truly unique and outstanding duo. From their cool robot cake toppers, to their hilarious dramatics during the reception, to Angie and her dad's awesome father-daughter dance to James Brown's "I Feel Good", there is no doubt that this couple will always have a house full of love, family, and laughter.

Emily and Steve

2008-06-02T23:37:00.003-05:00

Emily and Steve are a sweet, fun-loving couple and I had a great time shooting their wedding! On the big day, both the bride and groom were so calm and so ready to be married. You just knew that these two were right for each other. To top it off, they had a great group of family and friends that were just a hoot to be around! (yeah i said "hoot"!)

love|lee|slideshow

2008-05-31T11:07:00.003-05:00

I'm all about new gadgets, computers, software, anything geeky basically. I've been playing around with this cool slideshow tool and I'm having so much fun with it. Here's a little show I made of Michelle and PKs session. Let me know what you think! It's got some fancy transitions and goosebump music :)

Michelle and PK...so sweet!

2008-05-28T22:31:00.002-05:00

I have a confession...well a few actually. I listen to love songs when I work on wedding pictures. The music brings me back to the moment when I photographed a couple, and those moments are always so sweet and honest. I'm a sappy romantic, which is evident by my iTunes library and the bookshelf in my living room. I've always got a romance novel with me - in my car, in my purse, at my front door when UPS delivers another package from bn.com ;)

When I photographed Michelle and PK I was so excited when Michelle told me she was fond of romance novels too! Watching Michelle and PK unfold in front of the camera was like a love story. It was a great afternoon complete with a sweet slice of chocolate cake and an equally sweet pair!

love|lee|ring shots :)

2008-05-09T23:30:00.004-05:00

During the engagement shoot with Kim and Chris last weekend, I just couldn't resist getting some cool detail shots of her fabulous ring! Chris did good...it's a gorgeous ring! I'm a such a sucker for details...and diamonds!

Chris and Kim's Engagements

2008-05-07T21:31:00.007-05:00

Kim and Chris are the type of couple that remind me why I LOVE what I do. These two are a naturally beautiful pair, inside and out, that just fell in sync with the camera. They have a love and a passion for each other that you can totally feel when you're with them! Each smile, every glance, and every kiss are so genuine between these two. I can't wait to shoot their wedding next month in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico!

Here are some pictures from their shoot. Like me, they LOVE black and white photos.

Back from Brazil!

2008-04-22T12:00:00.005-05:00

Well I'm back and I'm so tan! I spent a week in Rio with my closest girlfriends and also got to visit a photographer friend of mine! I just got back at 5:30 this morning so I haven't had the chance to go through all my pictures. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorites. For those of you who were trying to get in touch with me all last week, I'll be returning your calls and emails today!

Chris - The College Grad!

2008-04-12T12:33:00.005-05:00

I was really excited when Chris asked me to shoot his graduation pictures. He's graduating this May with a degree in Finance! Go Chris! I took a finance class once, I repeat, once. I have great admiration for you numbers people :)

Well it was a gorgeous day and our photo shoot turned into a fashion shoot! Not only is Chris intelligent, but he's got mad style. For now I'll post his cool cap and gown pics. Congratulations Chris!

testing bigger pics

2008-04-10T09:52:00.002-05:00

Just seeing if I can post bigger pics. And I can! Woohoo! Be prepared for some serious posting :) This is a picture of me and my cousin Angela. She's the coolest 10 year old I know!

Thankful thoughts

2008-04-02T11:05:00.005-05:00

Weddings, weddings, weddings! The wedding season started to kick into full gear as spring came. After consultations with great brides and working with so many cool couples and new families, it dawned on me how lucky I am to have such great clients.

Since the launch of loveleephotography, I've had an overwhelming response from couples and families as they search for a photographer they trust to capture their extra special moments. Each and every time a client books me, I go home all giddy like a little kid, super excited that someone has fallen in love with my work and selected me as their photographer.

So I'd like to take a moment to thank all my awesome clients. I'm truly honored to be your photographer!

New things for love|lee|photography!

2008-03-12T20:44:00.004-05:00

Bad, bad blogger! I apologize it's been so long since I've blogged. I do have news! Several things have been in the works for love|lee|photography. One thing that's already in play - I'm proud to announce that love|lee|photography is now a member of Two Be Wed - Houston! This ultra chic studio is a great one-stop-shop for brides to find wonderful wedding vendors that are just as modern and savvy as they are. They've also got some of the cutest and most unique gifts if you're looking for something original for your bridesmaids, mothers, etc. Most importantly, it's where I display some of my work and meet for consultations.

One big thing that I've been working on is the love|lee|website. We're outgrowing the one we have now so I've been working on the new design and a fresh new logo. Be on the lookout for that announcement when it all goes live!

For now, here are some pictures from a couple of recent engagement sessions. Enjoy!

look! it's love|lee|me!

2008-01-06T10:57:00.000-06:00

It seems very rare lately that I'm ever in pictures. I'm always the one taking them. I think it's neat to come across pictures of me while I'm at work. Look at my face! I look like my eye hurts.

yum...love|lee|dinner

2008-01-05T22:30:00.000-06:00

My baby brother, Gabe, is in culinary school at the Art Institute. Naturally, he was chosen to cook Christmas dinner at my house just as I am always chosen to take all the family pictures. Christmas dinner was a blast! We had my family, my husband's family and some of our closest friends there. Everything my brother prepared for us was sooo delicious. From the salad with candied pecans and slices of sweet oranges, to the mouth watering beef tenderloin entree with grilled asparagus and caramalized carrots. We felt like we were being served a first class meal. Gabe finished the dinner with a fabulous dessert of pureed mango, rasberry sorbet and this scrumptious rasberry chocolate truffle that was just like a burst of heaven in your mouth!

Thanks Gabe for the wonderful treat! I sooo would have paid for that meal :)

love|lee|friends - Blush and Glow

2008-01-03T16:41:00.000-06:00

The past year I've had the pleasure of shooting some consultations for my good friends at Blush and Glow. I'm telling you it's amazing the work these ladies do. In fact, I'd call it art! One thing to always keep in mind as you're selecting your photographer is to also consider who will keep you looking beautiful on your big day. Notice how natural and flawless these two ladies look in their pictures. The hair and makeup should enhance your features and Blush and Glow does an amazing job of this. Anita and Artee have truly mastered their crafts. They do such a wonderful job keeping their brides relaxed. The best part is, they're so awesome to hang out with!

love|lee|bling!

2007-12-20T19:15:00.000-06:00

Okay so it's been almost two months and that's two months too many to go without updating the blog! Alot has been going on with love|lee|photography. We've been doing portraits, private parties and weddings! Stay tuned for more pictures to come. In the mean time, I leave you with two of my most favorite things...diamonds and Louis Vuitton!

My friends Geeta and Ron just got engaged after 6 (yes I said 6) years of dating. Well I guess if you're going to do it, do it right! And Ron did with this beautiful engagement ring. Thanks for the Louis Vuitton wallet as my prop!

Christmas is just around the corner. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! Merry Christmas!

such a love|lee|couple

2007-10-31T17:22:00.001-05:00

I know I know...how many more words can I put lovelee in front of? Well I think it's cute. Hee hee!

Jeff is one of my husband's oldest and best friends...since 6th grade I believe! So I was so excited when his wife, Kathleen asked if I could take some pictures of them for their Christmas cards this year. We had such a great time. It was a pleasant Sunday afternoon. The weather was beautiful and the company was just top notch! (Can you tell I've been playing around with my logo? I figured out how to add it to the frame.)

what a love|lee|family

2007-10-29T17:03:00.000-05:00

Mark contacted us about some family pictures he wanted taken. He and his wife, Grace, have one of the most adorable little girls I've ever seen! And she wasn't too camera shy either. I had such a good time meeting this family and hanging out with them for a while. The weather was perfect, the park was beautiful, and Mark, Grace & Baby Hannah were so delightful to work with!

some love|lee|headshots

2007-10-17T20:41:00.000-05:00

LeeAnn and Gunjen couldn't have been more beautiful models for these photos. I had a great time shooting them. Hair and makeup was done by Blush and Glow. For any brides out there looking for exquisite beauty on your wedding day, I highly recommend the ladies at Blush and Glow! Their airbrush techniques and specialization in color are top notch. They keep a fresh and modern look in every person I've seen them work on. Most importantly, they're so real and so much fun to work with!

These just in....

2007-09-14T20:41:00.000-05:00

Our new t-shirts! Thanks so much to Scott Carr with Sunline Products. He was extremely easy to work with and helped design a simple yet sophisticated shirt for us. It was so easy to work with him. We told him exactly what we wanted and the designs he responded with matched precisely! Not only that, but the shirts were delivered to us in no time! I highly recommend his company if you're ever in need of someone quick and professional. Thanks Scott and thanks Sunline Products!

love|lee is on AIM!

2007-08-26T23:07:00.000-05:00

You can now contact love|lee|photography via AIM! Our screen name is loveleephoto. If you have any questions about our service and see us online, feel free to send an IM. Remember, you can also contact us via email - info@loveleephotography.com.

Our website has gone live!

2007-08-21T19:29:00.000-05:00

It's official! www.loveleephotography.com is up and running for your viewing pleasure. I'm so excited! To make the day even better, the business cards came in the mail too!

So check it out!

working on the website

2007-08-10T19:07:00.000-05:00

There's alot to be done before launching love|lee|photography. I just got the template for the website today and have been working to make it perfect. It's so exciting! I wish I could show you what it looks like right now, but that would just spoil the surprise. No worries, I'll make an official "opening day" announcement when it's ready.

coming soon...

2007-08-08T10:21:00.001-05:00