Connor and Nikala said their vows and celebrated the night away at the tropical, south Texas nature preserve, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Center. Located just around the corner from Texas A&M Kingsville, and a little under and hour outside Corpus Christi, we packed our gear and headed out. We love working at this venue- something about the weddings here always look a little different, even if it's the same room (and a lot of times the same crowd, since Kingsville isn't exactly a big city). We love to stage getting ready shots in front of the pretty windows and stroll with the couple through the greenery of the small trails for sweetheart photos. Depending on what is blooming in the different seasons, the preserve can look totally different, making every shoot feel totally unique.
Connor, a fishing boat captain, faced with his landlocked wedding, decided the next best thing was to spend some time on a ranch. He and the groomsmen got ready at a nearby property in Alice, Texas, where we turned up and got some photos of the gents before they headed to ceremony. While the boys went off to swap out their tee shirts for dress shirts, we took a look around and spotted this frankenjeep that looked like it was begging to be in a photograph. After asking the owner if would be ok to pose the boys on it, he was more than happy to clean it up a little and let the boys take it for a spin! I didn't even know there were guns in the jeep until I said something like "too bad you guys don't have any guns" and 4 guns immediately emerged. I wasn't scared, these guys knew what they were doing.
The couple chose sage, blush, maroon with simple gold accents for their wedding colors. Nikala selected a very pretty sage green for the bridesmaids that played off the terra cotta walks and vibrant greenery in a lovely way. Other than a minor fumble trying to get ring on Nikala's finger, which the officiant mocked lovingly, the day went off without a hitch! That is saying a lot, too, simply because the couple had to change venues a week before their wedding! With the help of their planner, their friends and their family no one would have been any the wiser. It was a lovely event. A lovely event that also happened to fall on National Margarita Day! The bartenders kept that frozen goodness going all night.
This sweet and sassy couple left the night in style. They left the party in a vintage, buttercream yellow El Dorado convertible. I think Connor liked it so much because it was about as big as a boat! When I was trying to frame shots I just felt like I just kept having to back up, and back up and back up to fit the entire car in the photo. It made for some awesome photos, and a memorable moment. Take a minute to scroll down through the blog and see some of the highlights from their wedding!
Best Wishes,
Laura
