Posts Tagged ‘vintage 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!  :)

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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!

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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

Saturday Steal // Arkansas Wedding Photographer

Saturday, October 9th, 2010

I have been bookmarking blogs like crazy so be sure to expect some good stuff around here!  Let me know if you have any ideas for posts or if you would like to see something on the blog!

Saturday Steal…..Again from Martha because she’s that awesome!

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This is super cute!  Why just have the “Just Married” sign on the back of your car and why not post one at your reception?  Download the template here….

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I love this advice about the ties!!!  Read more.

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Find out how to make this frame!!!  So cute! Read More.

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Ring Bearer book………I think YES!!!  Read More.

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You know we could totally create these for you!  Let me know if you are interested before we start your engagement shoot and we can work this into the design!!! Read more.

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This would be a post my mom would be proud of (she’s an environmental engineer)…..BIODEGRADABLE CONFETTI!!!!  Awesome!  No mess to clean up! Read More.

If there’s anything you’d like to see featured please let us know!  We write these things for you guys anyways!  :)  I’d love to hear from you…..(AKA please leave comments!!!)  :)

Enjoy!

-erika

Erika and Johnny // Creekwood Gardens Wedding Photography

Friday, September 24th, 2010

Erika and Johnny were married August 21st at Creekwood Gardens.  We were all super worried I was going to pop before their wedding date.  I hired extra help as well as kept everyone involved super updated after every doctors visit.  I hung in there as a super large preggo lady and shot their wedding with grace and style, ok I’m totally kidding on the last part, but it was a whole lot easier to shoot weddings that late in my pregnancy than I thought it was going to be!!!

I’m so excited for Erika and Johnny!  I met Erika when I started working at Forever 21 in the mall over last summer.  It was a pretty fun job.  I’ll be honest in saying I was scared to death of Erika the first time I met her.  Soon that all changed, she was in charge of changing out mannequins in the front window while I worked vigorously trying to organize the jewelry room.  We started to chat weddings quite frequently (could you really imagine me chatting wedding stuff?!?!! jk), and then I came into work early the day after Christmas to find out she got engaged on Christmas!!!!  I was so excited for her!  Of course we immediately talked up a storm about everything she had to do and things to think about etc.  Soon she found that they would be relocating to Texas.  Just before they moved off she booked with us to make sure we were going to be able to photograph her wedding.  During early spring we met up in Dallas to shoot their engagement pictures!  Which was such a great trip (a trip to IKEA, shopping at the big mall, and eats at Cheesecake Factory!) and we got some really awesome shots!  Does anyone remember my favorite with the pigeons?  Oh and FYI that day was the random freak day mother nature decided to let 12 inches of snow fall!!!!  -which made for a fun trip driving back!

Congratulations Erika and Johnny!  I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon and are settling nicely into married life!!!

Oh yea and a side note!!!!!  Be sure to look for us at the Bridal Fair this Sunday at the Creekwood Gardens Booth in the back corner!!!  :)

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Here’s an example of a first look!  Once again you all know how much I LOVE it when my couples decide to go this route!  What’s a first look?  Fair question……   Basically here’s the gist, you two get ready separately all day just as tradition would have it, we set up a nice spot for the look and we’ll escort the bride to the groom while he looks away.  This allows to relieve all the pre wedding stress, for emotional pictures, time to shoot couple portraits before the wedding, we can actually get all the traditional family shots out of the way if you’d like, making your arrival to the reception much quicker.  Lot’s of pros to this option and I’ve honestly had several times where this saved the day just because the bride and groom were so much less stressed out!  I’ve had a couple say their personal vows at this time to make it extra special!!!  LOVE!  Customize it anyway you like!

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And a sparkler send off!!!!  I love the time we get at the end of the day for these shots!  Just a word of advice, save the petals and the bubbles for the daytime weddings or shoot even for after you leave the ceremony, but definitely bring out the fireworks for those night time receptions!  :)

Enjoy!

-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!

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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.

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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!

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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……

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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

Kelly and Adam // Devil’s Den Wedding Photography

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Hey everyone I was pretty stoked about shooting Kelly and Adam’s wedding at Devil’s Den last weekend.  It was such a gloomy day to start out and I was nervous but just in time the sky cleared out for them!  It’s funny that always seems to happen for us on wedding days!  :)  Kelly and Adam live out at Devil’s Den since Adam works there.  It’s such a beautiful place to visit.  Both of their families drove all the way from Jonesboro the day before and experienced the cabin life.  It was an intimate but gorgeous wedding.  Julie from Jules Design provided these really cool trees to put at the ceremony location, she also provided the awesome floral arrangements.  She’s amazing with the flowers!  They decided to take an hour before the ceremony to capture some couple portraits together, which if you’ve got the time I totally recommend!  We got lots of yummy pictures of them together!  Then it was time for the ceremony.  Her daddy walked her down the aisle that was sprinkled with dirt, pine needles, and gumballs!  :)  Then they reached all the rocks that Kelly graciously crossed to her new groom.  It was a very sweet and simple ceremony surrounded by the most important people in Kelly and Adam’s lives.  We then caught some quick pictures of their cake from Rick’s Bakery and then they were off to go enjoy dinner with their family.  I was so grateful to have the opportunity to help them remember their special day.  Kelly and Adam truly are wonderful individuals and they compliment each other so well.  I know they’ll be together for many many years.  It was so cute to watch how concerned Adam was for his new bride as she made her way in a gorgeous wedding dress across all those rocks.  What a cutie.  And I can’t forget how many times Kelly told us she wasn’t photogenic……………what?!?!?!?!?!?  KELLY you are totally HOTT!!!  :)

Congratulations you two and we wish you the best!

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Meet totally HOTT Kelly!  :)

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Meet the handsome groom Adam.

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This beautiful shot was captured by Tanja.

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Totally laid on the ground below them to get this shot!  Awesome.

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Aren’t they just adorable?

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I’m pretty sure this is my favorite image from the entire day!

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Told you Jules Design was amazing…..  :)

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This is another favorite!  So hard to decide.

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I’m not sure if there’s a more beautiful place in the world to get married……

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Doesn’t “THE” kiss make it all official?

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She seems pleased.  :)

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Enjoy!

-erika