Ashton and Adam were married in Mena, which is where I graduated high school!  It was nice to drive back down there and visit again!  Their wedding was held at the Herod home.  They had so many lovely wedding day helpers!  I could tell these two families were very welcoming and just amazing!  It’s always good to feel accepted and taken care of at a wedding!  :)  Thanks guys!  You two are beautiful and I know the Big Man upstairs has a lot in store for you!  Congratulations on your new life together!

Let’s start with all the BEAUTIFUL details!

The flowers were created by a local florist that is just starting out in the area her name is Lauren Frost.  She’s super stylish and adorable!  If you are planning a wedding and would like her info please contact me.

For some reason I love this photo!  Guys just have no idea how much work it can take to get that beautiful gown on do they?

Isn’t she a beauty?

This image along with the next few pretty much sum up a “First Look”.  I just LOVE LOVE LOVE when my clients decide to do a First Look!  You still get ready as usual without seeing each other beforehand.  We set up in a pretty location with good lighting before the ceremony begins.  A First Look allows you to relax and send a little time with your future spouse before the ceremony, you can talk, touch, kiss, laugh, hold, hug, etc. all of which are things you usually aren’t doing at the altar.  It also allows for more time for creative portraits as well as getting all those family portraits out of the way so you can move right on to the reception without leaving your guests waiting!

She’s so happy and relieved to be able to see her groom before the ceremony!

And then you get yummy pictures like this!!!!!  LOVE!

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Herod!  :)  Ashton that has a nice ring to it!

Don’t they look so happy together!?!?!

I just love these purple bridesmaid dresses!

What a gorgeous dress!

Ashton’s smile as she sees her groom……

Along with Adam’s smile!  :)

Love this shot I was able to capture!  Some dad love!

What a beautiful day and location for a wedding day!

These two little girls were adorable!

They look a weee bit happy to finally be married…..  :)

Now on to the reception……..just a few more detail shots for ya!

I’m telling you this Lauren Frost girl did an amazing job on the florals!

What a beautiful wedding cake too!

Some more cake cutting…………..

The whole crowd called the Hogs while they cut their cake!  Too cute!

Awww and a cute Hog kiss to seal the deal!

Perfect toss Ashton!

And yes Adam you did well too!

What a beautiful happy couple!

Congratulations you two!

Enjoy!

-erika

Hey there everyone!  I know I’ve disappeared off the face of the earth for a bit but I’m coming back in full swing!  Alyssa and Seth were the winners of our contest we held nearly a year ago at the Democrat Gazette Bridal Fair in Rogers.  If you remember there was a whole lot of people following what was going on.  I had the participants submit a letter explaining them as a couple.  Then we selected a few participants to take a picture with their fiance and incorporate Erika Dotson Photography into the photo somehow.  It came down to two girls and I had the opportunity to meet with them and I chose Alyssa and Seth as the winners of the Free Wedding Photography package.  I am certain that was the right choice as well!  Alyssa and Seth were perfect and glowing on their wedding day.  Their special day was something out of the ordinary as well which was another reason I chose to volunteer my time and talents in their behalf.  Alyssa and Seth both lost their father’s in a relatively close time period and decided that there was no other day that would honor them as much as Father’s Day.  These two set themselves aside to commemorate their amazing father’s.  I hope through these images you can see that same selfless beauty that I saw the moment I met Alyssa and Seth.

Let’s start with some getting ready shots……

I just love her cute little shoes!  She even had her brother (the lucky guy that walked her down the aisle) put a penny in her shoe just before the ceremony started!

Her dress was stunning!  The entire gown was made of lace!  Gorgeous!

(Just a little tip to all my brides out there……remember a cute hanger for your dress shot!)

I loved the color of these bridesmaid dresses!  I think green was a pretty popular color this year!

This is one of my favorite images of the day!  Seems silly I know, but just take a minute to look into the photo.  This image tells a story.  You’ve got the bride making last minute preparations before her finally gets her dress on, while mom and maid of honor are carefully getting her dress ready for it’s big debut.  This is a beautiful photograph!!!!

This is just too cute!

This image is so timeless to me!

A little attention for Seth as well…..lookin sharp.

A little brotherly love….

To be followed by sisterly love!  I’ve got some more lovely lit photos for you!

First let’s finally met the lovely couple……Alyssa and Seth Pitts…..Congratulations!

LOVE.

What a stunning bride!

Gorgeous couple + gorgeous light = wedding perfection!

Their wedding was held at the beautiful Pratt Place Inn.

Anticipation.

What a gorgeous ceremony inside the barn.

They seem a little excited!

Let’s move on to some detail shots!!!!!!…………….

Alyssa chose to use a local florist from Prairie Grove.  Their flowers turned out beautifully.

At their reception Alyssa and Seth set up this beautiful little table to make Father’s Day cards.  It was such an original and cute idea!  Pictured above is Seth’s father on the left and Alyssa’s father on the right.

I started thinking which led to this idea!  I just love when my wedding clients add personal touches to their wedding because it allows me to capture meaningful memories for them to truly bring out their character in their photos!

As soon as I saw those stamps I knew what my ring shot was going to be for the day!  I think it’s perfect!

What an amazing wedding cake!  Love it!  It was quite tasty too!  Thanks guys!

They had these cute little tins with candy surrounding the cake.  Too sweet!

These are just too cute!  I loved all the little details that Alyssa and Seth incorporated!

We can’t leave out the groom’s cake!  I’m pretty sure Seth is a pretty big razorback fan!  (He should be excited to know that Baby Dotson’s room will be Razorback themed then!!!)

Alyssa seems to be a pretty hardcore fan herself!

Alyssa was all grins as they shared their first dance together!

The Best Man whipped out his speech from his phone……I just love how technology is changing the wedding scene too!  He gave a great tear jerking speech!  Way to go!

I love how Alyssa’s looking back at all her single friends.

And Seth with all his single friends!  I just love this shot!

Seth’s facial expression here is just great!

They had a live band that really rocked out their reception!

I love how much fun they are having together!

Looks like this guy surprised everyone with his awesome dance moves!

What a fun grand exit!

It was wonderful to work with you two!  I hope you have many happy years together!

Enjoy!

-erika

A few months ago KNWA’s special projects team called me up and asked if I would like to participate in something that totally sounded awesome to me.  They are GIVING away a DREAM WEDDING to one lucky couple in our area!  How awesome is that?

If you knew from our last Bridal Fair in September 2009 I gave away a free wedding package to Alyssa and Seth who were recently married on Father’s Day!  So I immediately jumped on the train at this opportunity!!!

As far as photography is concerned they will be highlighting three photographers: Erika Dotson Photography along with Dale Benfield and David Manning.  I have yet to meet David (I have probably seen him in passing and haven’t realized it though!) but I’ve checked out his work and it’s pretty cool.  As for Dale he’s pretty awesome if you haven’t met him yet, he’s super friendly and willing to help everyone!

This should be a fun contest so if you are interested go register and vote!  Be sure to read the info page first (this contest has certain requirements).

If you just want to check out the submissions you can do that to!

Enjoy and Good Luck!

-erika

I couldn’t wait to post these, but now since Ashley and Jim are finally The Clarks I get to share!!!  What a wedding last night!  (You’ll hear all about it later I promise)  For now I’m going to share how beautiful Mrs. Ashley is.   Now these are just bridal portraits (taken at The Inn at Carnall Hall) long before the wedding day, and as gorgeous as she is in these photos she unbelievably was far more stunning last night……..must be all those giddy love emotions oh and Jim (that probably had a little bit to do with it!)  ;)   Enough blabbing let’s see those photos!

Is she not just gorgeous?  I love the smile here!!!!

Can you believe her mother made this bouquet for her bridal portraits!?!?!?  Well done Mrs. Avra!

I think this one is my favorite!

I love how the lighting captures her beautiful dress!

Adorable shoes!

Great job Jim!  This ring is magnificent!

Enjoy!

-erika

Hey everyone its Tanja.

This might be my last post seeing as I will be moving sad times.

So if you have been keeping up I went to Jamaica to shoot Claire and Aarons wedding and I must say it was gorgeous! It couldnt have went better. Claire’s family and friends made David ( my fiance)  and I feel as if we were part of the family. We had such a good time getting to know everyone playing ping pong and pool at nights.

If you remember Claire’s bridals her dress is absolutely amazing and Claire looked stunning!!

Lets have a look :

Claire getting her hair and make up done.

Claire and her dad are very close and its so heart warming to watch the way the interact with each other. This was a big moment for the both of them.

Now pronounce you husband and wife

I feel like the gentleness of this picture just shows how much she means to him. This was the father daughter dance to “I loved her first”

Told you she looked magnificent.

just precious

what girl DOESNT love forehead kisses?

watching the sunset in jamaica was something else.

bling bling

Claire and Aaron good luck to your future and thank you again so much for letting me share these moments with you.

Enjoy!

-Tanja

I just came across this website and couldn’t resist posting about it!!!  Check this out you can rent umbrellas for your wedding!!!!  I always recommend my clients to go buy some color coordinating umbrellas if they are planning an outside wedding and there is a chance of rain.  This website is perfect!  You can just rent those umbrellas instead and they will be much prettier, which means prettier pictures!!  :)

Think about it there are TONS of reasons to check this out!

Instead of renting a tent keep your guests covered from rain or the hot sun with umbrellas!

Color coordinating umbrellas for your wedding party!

Engagement pictures!

Hang umbrellas from the ceiling as decor!

Whether you are a wedding planner, a bride, or a wedding coordinator you’ve gotta check these out!  They have all different kinds too!  Ruffles, solids, prints, bridal, jeweled, and double layered!!!

(Image found from Azzura Photography)

Now how cute would all these be for you and your bridal party?!?!?!?!  LOVE!

Enjoy!

-erika

Hey everyone as promised I am posting more images from Cristy and John’s sealing in the Draper Utah Temple!  I got to tag along with Doug Larson their Utah Wedding Videographer and he showed me all the hot spots at the temple grounds.  Cristy and John had so much family and friends there to support them and witness their beautiful sealing!  The weather was perfect, other than being a tad on the cold side (but no one can tell that from pictures!  :)  Cristy and John are such a beautiful couple inside and out and I’m pretty sure someone has got big plans for them while they are here!!!  After their sealing they attended their reception held at John’s parents house in Heber City.  Their family did lots of work preparing for the reception and it looked great! Congratulations Cristy and John! I just love how happy they are in this shot!!!  Exactly how they should be after leaving the temple! I love how John steals one from Cristy to show off for the camera!  :)  Shots like this make me smile! Beautiful couple at a beautiful temple! This is definitely my favorite shot of the day! I just love the lighting in this little nook!  The warm glow from those doors is amazing! Here’s the famous cupcakes!  All of John’s sister in laws spent the entire day creating these beautiful little cupcakes so I had to give them justice and feature them on the blog! So who would have thought this old rusty chair that I spotted outside would make the perfect backdrop for Cristy’s bouquet? Or how about a tree stump to provide such a detailed ring shot? I love how happy everyone is in this photo as the couple enjoys their first dance together. This image is priceless to me…..it’s as if John has had a moment to really stop and think as he holds his new wife close.  I can see so much love and care for her here. Let’s end with this playful shot of dad and son making sure they “get” the new couple as they make their get a way! Enjoy! -erika

Hey there I know the much anticipated post for the day!  Today’s picture isn’t going to be good quality at all!  My gear was sent with Tanja to shoot our Jamaica wedding with Claire and Aaron and I rented gear for our wedding we had on Sunday with Alyssa and Seth at Pratt Place Inn and Barn.  My point and shoot camera that my mom got me for Christmas (it’s funny to me that I wanted a “normal” person’s camera) is with my hubby out in the woods on a horse somewhere for the week.  Leaving me with nothing but an iPhone camera for the night…….do you have any idea how hard it is to take a picture of yourself with one of those things?!?!?!?  Mission accomplished though!

Week 29:

How big is Baby Dotson this week? He weighs nearly three pounds now and measures about 17 inches. Though he’s getting pretty close to his birth length, he still has to chub out a bit. In fact, over the next 11 weeks, he’ll more than double — or even come close to tripling — his weight (oh wonderful……..). And as he grows and the room in this womb gets tighter, I will be less likely to feel those big kicks and more likely to get poked by an elbow or jabbed by a knee, which I’m not quite sure which I would prefer.  They say I’m supposed to be counting his kicks now and that there should be at least 10 movements within an hour……….I don’t think they realize we must have a soccer player on our hands because he kicks like 59.2 times an hour!!!!  Baby Dotson’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin.  Baby Dotson is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though — I don’t think they necessarily coincide with my own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments.

We’d like to know what your thoughts for names are……..

We are looking for originality, nothing like Matthew, Tyler, or Andrew.

Also we aren’t interested in popular names like Hayden, Parker, or Peyton.

His middle name will be Jay (in honor of TW’s late brother who passed at 6 months old) and obviously his last name will be Dotson!  :)

And now for a pretty picture….

*please ignore the awkwardly HUGE looking arm.

Baby Dotson is the size of a squash!

Enjoy!

-erika

Cristy and John were sealed in the Draper Utah Temple a few weeks ago where I was able to capture their special wedding day memories with them!  Cristy and John are so perfect for each other!  I’ve known Cristy since I moved here to Northwest Arkansas.  We met through church and have been pretty good friends since.  We roomed in college together and she was also one of my bridesmaids when TW and I got married!  Cristy is such a delightful person to be around and she’s always lifting you up emotionally and spiritually!  I remember one time I was venting about how frustrated I was that I was working so hard but still didn’t have any money……..she’s so sweet……..a few days later I went out to my car and she had left me a lovely little note with some money to buy gas!  I told you she was a doll!  Now as for John I don’t know him very well but through the weekend I was able to gather that he is almost identical to how adorable Cristy is….well of course in a more manly way!  His family was everything beyond amazing!  I know Cristy got lucky marrying into such a beautiful loving family!  They all made me feel like I was part of the family too!  :)  After such a wonderful weekend I have some amazing shots to show you guys!!!  Aren’t you super excited!?!?!?!?

We started with a day of portraits the day before their sealing since we were worried about weather and if we would have enough time!  I’m so so so glad that Cristy asked me if we could do this!

For now I’m just going to share those portraits…….another day shortly we’ll share their wedding day portraits and all the details!

Isn’t she just gorgeous!?!?!?  When I took this shot John whispered to me….”I am a lucky guy to get to marry her”!  —now doesn’t that make your heart melt?

They found this beautiful barn that had the perfect backdrop for some amazing images like this one.

LOVE.

The wind is so graciously blowing her hair here and it is so dreamy!

I think this might be my favorite image of the day!  I loved these white trees that were everywhere out there!  I also love the look of excitement on John’s face!

John worked at this golf course that served as our gorgeous backdrop for these pretty pictures!  I love this one too!

John wasn’t too happy about this picture because Cristy’s high heels were ruining the green…..I’m not a golfer but who cares about a few little bumps?

This picture cracks me up and it was totally their idea!  It’s so funny how she’s attempting to pull him away from the game!

Another gorgeous kissing shot, I’m loving that tree!

This is a favorite too!  For anyone thinking about seeing their groom before the ceremony I totally recommend it!  You can get more creative fun shots like these that you would otherwise miss!  We could also do a day after session too!

Enjoy!

-erika

Claire and Aaron are getting married in Jamaica today!  I hope the weather there is beautiful!  Tanja our associate photographer is capturing their special day over there!  What fun!  Claire, Tanja, and I went out with Claire’s mom about a month ago to get these beautiful images that I’ve been dying to show you!    Congratulations you two!!!

I just love the light in this image!

Isn’t she gorgeous?  She got these parasails for Jamaica, I can’t wait to see what Tanja does with them!

Once again I’m in love with that lighting!  She looks so beautiful here!  I think this is one of her favorites.

Ummmm blue shoes……YES PLEASE!   This is too stinkin cute!

I love how playful this image is!

Awwww this reminds me of an old time picture.

Just loving that parasail again!

As if you couldn’t tell by now this image should tell you how laid back and easy going this little lady is.  I was freaking out when someone mentioned taking the dress in the creek (since she isn’t married just yet) but Claire just hiked up her dress and walked around.  This image is lit so beautifully and shows off Claire’s gorgeousness!!!

Enjoy!

-erika