Posts Tagged ‘tulsa wedding photography’

Recent Work from an Arkansas Family Photographer

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

We’re still chuggin along over here at Erika Dotson Photography!  It’s been such a great year with many wonderful new clients!  We are so blessed to have such amazing people choose us to be their special photographer!   It’s been a pleasure getting to know you and work along side you!  THANKS!  :)

Here’s some of the things we’ve been working on!

Arkansas Family Photographer

Yep you should recognize that gal in the red scarf…Donnally…..and her gorgeous family!  Had the pleasure to visit my hometown for a few hours as I drove down to Mena for their family portrait session!  They have such a beautiful home with lovely surroundings, what a treat it was to shoot there!

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This is Craig, we went out for part two of his senior portraits to Lake Fayetteville.  I love that spot!  He’s a Springdale Senior, in case you missed it the first time around!  Congratulations….again!  :)

Arkansas Family Photographer

Here’s Mr. Jack with his mommy and daddy.   I traded out some babysitting time with this family!  What a great plan and we’re both happy with what we got!  :)  Dusty and Stephanie have been my hubby’s friends for years so I adopted them too…..I’ll admit they are good company!  :)  Thanks guys!

Arkansas Family Photography

Then the Crees siblings!  This is Sam.  We know each other from high school.  Sam and his sisters wanted to give their parents a meaningful gift this year so they booked us for a sibling session!   I love that their parents have no idea!  What a GREAT gift idea!!!

Well that’s what we’ve been working on!  :)

Enjoy!

-erika

What to Wear Wednesdays // Arkansas Portrait Photographer

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Today I decided to showcase a real EDP bride and groom in our What to Wear Wednesday series…..

Meet London and Darron who will be getting married May 14th.  (I can’t wait!) They have a super cute style!

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So let me break down why this works…..

First of all she wore the most adorable cowgirl boots ever with cute little rosettes on the side along with a cut flowy navy blue dress that screams country chic.  And secondly she matched him up with dark wash jeans and a blue plaid button up (which you can’t see here) that was cowboy style – complete with pearl snaps!

This outfit works so well with the location they chose!  I love how they thought about how everything would coordinate together!  Great job guys!

Enjoy!

-erika

Ashley and Jim // Arkansas Wedding Photography

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Ashley and Jim were married at the First Presbyterian in Conway on July 17th followed by a rocked out reception at Conway Country Club!   All the beautiful florals and decor were created by  Events Rental and Floral in Conway.  Their cake was designed by Oneta Williams in Heber Springs.  And the band that rocked everything out was The Fabulous Steelers of Memphis, I’m pretty sure if you are contemplating hiring a live band these guys are it no questions!  Their reception was seriously like a concert (it was amazing)!!!!!!!  Ashley and Jim got to relax on a 7-night stay at The Excellence Resort in Playa Mujeres, Mexico!!!  :)

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Congratulations Ashley and Jim!  We are so grateful for the opportunity we had to work with you and your families!  It was a pleasure to get to know you two!  Best wishes!

Enjoy!

-erika

Tanja and David // Arkansas Engagement Portraits

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Tanja and David, where in the world do I start?  Well right here in my backyard in fact!  Tanja has been out to my house many times and knew this was the area she wanted to have her engagements done.  David is such a sport and does pretty much whatever Tanja musters around in her head!  I love it!  David adores her and I think it’s beautiful.  I was actually there the day that he proposed to her hiding behind a rock ledge trying to capture some photos of the whole thing!

Tanja wanted a vintage style to her engagements and I just love these travel inspired ones we started out with!  It was a BIG deal to keep track of David’s passport (as he’s visiting from England)!!!!

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I have wanted to photograph someone on this bridge for a very long time!  I’m so glad that Tanja was able to see the same thing I did as she drove over it for the first time to my house!!!

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We then headed to another place that I’ve been dying to shoot at!!!  Every weekend when we go to visit TW’s parents we pass this vineyard and I always put in a mental note: I’ve got to take someone out here!!!!  Now I can put that note aside thanks to Tanja!  She’s so stinkin beautiful……doesn’t she just look famous with that beautiful hair?!?!?!!?

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This next set has a bit of a funny background story to it.  We first tried to set up our picnic in the middle of the dirt road.  But between getting the blanket down, the typewriter, the soda, and not to mention the couple a car would come then we’d do it all over again and another car would come!!!  We got a bit frustrated but headed to a beautiful field instead.  But the story doesn’t stop there, while we were taking these Tanja noticed some cows getting closer and closer…….well apparently we were in the middle of two fields of cows that were headed towards one another as if they were going to battle!  Needless to say we got our stuff quickly and hopped over on the other side of the fence into the “safe” zone!!!  :)  Then afterwards they followed us to the gate and we tried to touch them.  I didn’t realize they hadn’t ever seen a cow that close before!  If I would have known that I would have stuck them out in our field and let our little cow come say hi!!!

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Tanja and David I can’t wait to fly out to Europe next summer for your wedding day!!!  You two are such a beautiful couple!  It’s been such a blast being able to work alongside you two and see you grow!

Much Love

-erika

Claire and Aaron // Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photography

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Claire and Aaron were wed in Jamaica but also chose to have a service here in Arkansas as well for those who couldn’t attend their Jamaican wedding but also decided to do so out of tradition!  Apparently there has been a long standing tradition in Aaron’s family about getting married in the bay window at their parents historical home and having your marriage last, I think I’d get hitched in the bay window too if I were them!  They had such a beautiful ceremony and reception here in Fayetteville, I was so glad that I was able to attend this one after working so closely with this couple!

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Caterer: Whole Hog

Party Rentals: Eventures

Cake: Shelby Lynn’s

Florals: J Renee Floral Design

Hair: Sarah Faye Burnett at Black Sheep Salon

Photography: Erika Dotson Photography

Enjoy!

-erika

Ashton and Adam // Mena Arkansas Wedding Photography

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

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!

Mena Arkansas Wedding Photography

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.

Arkansas Wedding Photographer

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?

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Isn’t she a beauty?

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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!

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

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

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

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

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I just love these purple bridesmaid dresses!

Arkansas Bridal Portraits

What a gorgeous dress!

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Ashton’s smile as she sees her groom……

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Along with Adam’s smile!  :)

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

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What a beautiful day and location for a wedding day!

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These two little girls were adorable!

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

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

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

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What a beautiful wedding cake too!

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Some more cake cutting…………..

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

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Awww and a cute Hog kiss to seal the deal!

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Perfect toss Ashton!

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And yes Adam you did well too!

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What a beautiful happy couple!

Congratulations you two!

Enjoy!

-erika

Alyssa and Seth // NWA Wedding Photography at Pratt Place Barn

Monday, July 26th, 2010

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……

NW Arkansas Weddings

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!

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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!)

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

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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!!!!

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This is just too cute!

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This image is so timeless to me!

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

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A little brotherly love….

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

Erika Dotson Photography

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

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LOVE.

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What a stunning bride!

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Gorgeous couple + gorgeous light = wedding perfection!

Erika Dotson Photography

Their wedding was held at the beautiful Pratt Place Inn.

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Anticipation.

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What a gorgeous ceremony inside the barn.

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They seem a little excited!

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

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

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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.

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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!

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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!

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

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

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

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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!!!)

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Alyssa seems to be a pretty hardcore fan herself!

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

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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!

Arkansas Wedding Photographer

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

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

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Seth’s facial expression here is just great!

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

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I love how much fun they are having together!

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

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What a fun grand exit!

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

Enjoy!

-erika

Beautiful Sally // NWA Bridal Portraits

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Sally and Cole were married on May 22nd so I feel like it’s a good time to get some bridals up of the beautiful Sally!  We took these bridals a few weeks before her wedding day and I just couldn’t wait to share them with all of you, but obviously I had too since no one had seen her in her dress yet and we definitely wouldn’t want to risk the chance of the groom to see them either!!!  We started shooting in a field of yellow flowers then headed down to Lake Fayetteville to capture some stunning shots there as well!  Sally is such a beautiful lady!  She recently graduated from grad school(GO SALLY!) and planned a wedding the following weekend…..brave girl!  Oh and I’m pretty sure she’s already secured a job as well and started today!  CONGRATS!

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Keep posted for their wedding images soon!

Enjoy!

-erika

A day in the life…

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

This basically is what I do on a daily basis….. edit edit edit and some more editing!  And guess what…..I wouldn’t trade my job for a million bucks!

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Enjoy!

erika

Monday’s Favorites

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

I want to focus on every color in the rainbow at some point but I think today will be YELLOW!!!

Find these adorable dresses at Forever 21 for your bridesmaids!

What an adorable idea!!!!!  Love love love lining the walkway with lemons!!!

I thought these shoes from Payless would look cute with the girls’ dresses.

American EagleKendal Canvas Knot Wedge

Oh you gotta have lemonade to make the wedding complete!!!

Lemonade
From Martha Stewart

3 cups lemon or lime juice, about 20 lemons or 25 limes freshly squeezed
2 cups superfine sugar
4 cups cold water
4 cups ice
2 lemons or limes, thinly sliced for garnish

1. Into a large serving container, strain the citrus juice, mix it with sugar, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

2. Add 4 cups cold water and stir again until well combined. Add ice to fill and a few lemon or lime slices.

Makes 10 cups.


And these would be wonderful shoes for the bride!!!!

What a cute bouquet!!!!

What a great bridesmaid gift from Etsy!

Yellow Rose and Swarovski Crystal Pearl Bracelet

Cute socks!  What a great idea for a fun shot!

yellow and gray menswear

And of course you gotta have a yellow tie to coordinate!

I’m thinking the tie would look best with a grey tux!

Instead of one big wedding cake you could offer cute little pies or cakes displayed at various heights to add interest!

Lemon Meringue Pie

These would be a good addition to the church doors.

Learn how to make these DIY napkin folds yourself!

What an adorable boutonniere!

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Enjoy!

-erika