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Colorado Springs | Hillside Gardens | Gabi & Manny

This day was filled to brim.... no, this day was overflowing with emotion. Gabi and Manny's wedding day brought tears to my eyes more times than I can count.

As Gabi stepped into her  wedding gown, her mother began to sing to her an old lullaby as she buttoned her gown. Later, she had a first look with her father and brother, both of whom were brought to tears as they approached her, whispering what a beautiful bride she made. In fact, during the ceremony as Gabi and Manny recited their vows, I don't remember seeing a dry eye in the house! It was touching and emotional and truly beautiful. 

But once the reception got going, the party was in full-swing! Hillside Gardens is an expansive an truly unique wedding venue! At night, market lights twinkle over the gardens, and the whole atmosphere feels magical! Their guests danced the night away, and the groomsmen even rapped an old rap they'd written as teenagers! 

Just another wonderful wedding in the Colorado mountains!

XOXO

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Jackson Lake Lodge | Jackson Hole, Wyoming Wedding Photographer | Christina + Jon | Taylor English Photography

When Christina and Jon told me they were getting married at the Grand Tetons, I danced. Most destination weddings take place at a beach, and while I live for the ocean, I was BEYOND pumped that these two had chosen such an incredible, majestic, heart-stopping destination for their wedding. I mean, really, what could be better for two outdoor junkies? Check out their engagement session here.

The Jackson Lake Lodge is reminiscent of a bygone era - tokens of the wild west period adorning the walls and large-scale prints of images taken generations ago hung in the cottages. 

It was the peak of summer, July 16, 2016, and yet it was a mild and breezy mid-60s sunny, glorious day. The titans of the Tetons rose into the sky making for the most incredible backdrop for Christina and Jon's ceremony. Christina wore a two-piece, romantic, and sultry wedding gown. The party and celebration lasted well into the night - a major perk of having a destination wedding: no one has to leave! 

I cannot wait for the day I can return to photograph another beautiful couple amid the jagged peaks of the Grand Teton National park.

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Chattanooga, TN Photographer: Winner of WeddingWire Couples' Choice Award

Taylor English Photography Honored For Excellence With 2017 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award®


                      Chattanooga, TN – January 12, 2017 – WeddingWire, the leading global online marketplace for the wedding and event industry, announced Taylor English Photography as a winner of the esteemed 2017 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® for Authentic Story-Telling in Wedding Photography in Chattanooga, TN!
                        
                        The Couples’ Choice Awards recognize the top five percent of wedding professionals on WeddingWire who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness, and professionalism. The prestigious awards are given to the top local wedding professionals across more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their professional achievements from the previous year. 
                        
                        The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with Taylor English Photography. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients.
                        
                        “The Couples’ Choice Awards’ ninth year features one of the most impressive groups of dedicated and acclaimed wedding professionals yet,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “It is our honor to work with high-caliber merchants, such as Taylor English Photography who not only make a couple's big day possible, but also contribute to the more than 2.5 million U.S. reviews represented on WeddingWire.  We congratulate all of this year's winners on their achievements.”
                        
                        As a Couples’ Choice Awards® winner, TEPhoto is highlighted on WeddingWire, which is comprised of more than 200,000 wedding professionals in the U.S.
                        
                        TEPhoto is thrilled to be one of the top Wedding Photographers in Southeast Region on WeddingWire. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We truly value all of our clients and appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn a 2017 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award.
                        
                        For more information about Taylor English Photography, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/taylor-english-photography-chattanooga/b778ef8d9f4a633f.html.
                        
                        To learn more about the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards®, please visit www.weddingwire.com/couples-choice-awards.
                        
                        About WeddingWire, Inc.
                        WeddingWire, Inc. is the leading global online marketplace connecting consumers with event and creative professionals. Operating within a $200 billion industry, WeddingWire, Inc. hosts 10 million monthly unique users across its mobile and web platforms. Consumers around the world are able to read over 3 million vendor reviews and search, compare and book from a database of over 400,000 businesses globally. It provides these businesses the technology they need to serve their clients through advertising, marketing and business management tools such as websites, payment processing, invoicing and contracts. Founded in 2007, the WeddingWire portfolio of sites serves couples and businesses across 15 countries in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia, making it the worldwide leader in weddings with brands including Bodas.net, Casamentos.com.br, Matrimonio.com and more. The company employs more than 800 and maintains global headquarters in Washington, DC and international headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.  
                    

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Chattanooga Photographer: Dinosaur Photo Stands Tutorial

I LOVE to craft. I'm all about that Pinterest, HGTV, DIY-LIFE! Seriously, I regularly have to cycle out decor with new projects I'm always making. It's part of why I love making props for photo sessions! I get to stretch that making-stuff muscle and take pretty pictures! 

So, this year, my brother is deployed, but his wife and son are in town while he's gone! I texted my brother and asked him, "What is something small I can buy for Kinsey and Kit so they don't have to lug it all back to California in a few months?" Tanner responded with, "Make us something, Tay! I love bragging about all the crafts you make for us!" Well, I couldn't say no to that! 

I started looking around for cute and easy crafts to make, and decided that, of course, I needed to do something that included the billions of photos I take of those three! I saw some other photo stand tutorials, but decided I wanted whatever I made to be incorporated into Kit's bedroom. I spent some time in Hobby Lobby going back and forth trying to decide if I wanted to do the little army men figurines (but my brother is a Marine!), or some Hot Rod cars, or normal large animals like tigers and lions. But I just couldn't walk away from the Dinos! I also knew I wanted them to be a little more chic and stylish then how they come in the little toy tube. 

This is a super fun, quick, and easy DIY, and makes for a great and personal gift this holiday season!

SUPPLY LIST

  • HANDFUL OF TOY FIGURINES 
  • MULTI-SURFACE ACRYLIC OPAQUE PAINT
  • SMALL SPONGE BRUSH
  • 16MM+ WIRE
  • NEEDLENOSE PLIES
  • PRINTS OF YOUR FAV. IMAGES (I highly recommend Artifact Uprising!)

I bought the wire previously, but found the toy dinos and this multi-surface *THICK* acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby. 

Paint the figurines and allow to dry. I stuck mine in front of a fan to speed up the process. I'm not super patient when it comes to watching paint dry. I added another coat - and it did need it, but then it was perfect! The texture of the toys still showed through but the colors were beneath were covered. Allow to dry for at least an hour.

I chose 5 dinosaurs out of the bunch that I thought would hold up the wire and the photos the best. Plus - I chose some of the most recognizable dinos! The whole tube comes with about 10 figurines, so make as many as you want!

I chose to paint them white to give them a little chic update, and went with the gold wire for the same reason here. Feel free to experiment with different colors to achieve the look you want! Think neon green, all black, or copper even.

Next, cut a length of wire close to 10 inches. This is where the pliers come in handy. Use them to wrap the wire around the body of the dino and secure the end of it. At the top wrap the pliers around and down to create a spiral affect, and make sure to do at least two layers. This is how you'll slide the prints in!

I love Artifact Uprising. Look at how pretty that packaging is! Their square print set is durable and sturdy, and they make it super easy to print images directly from your phone!

Now slide your prints in and that's it! It may take a bit of maneuvering to secure the photos. The wire should pliable to bend so that the figures remain stable and hold the photos in place. 

I absolutely love the way these turned out! I gifted Kinsey and Kit with prints from our trip to the San Diego Zoo! 

If you make them, please post them and hashtag #taylorephotography, so I can see your creation! 

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

XOXO

-T

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Colorado | Maria + Clayton | Love Story | Taylor English Photography

Seriously though, how lucky am I to have such incredibly attractive friends who also don't mind getting in front of my camera for some magical love story portraits! 

One night after not sleeping, I found myself having my own little Tim Burton movie marathon. Next thing I knew, I was ordering gothic parasols and drawing up concepts for this couples' session. The next day, I started spray painting red roses black and making bouquets, and buying velvet top hats from Party City. I reached out to Maria (who is often my second shooter these days and who is also terribly talented and beautiful!), and asked if she and her boyfriend of three years, Clayton would be into modeling for me - in the snow, all Addams Family style. And of course - they were so down! 

We drove out to an open space in Broomfield, Colorado where these evergreens grew at random and the snow had just fallen. We brought along smoke bombs and a black sheer curtain we used as a veil.

These two so totally nailed it. They knew exactly what I wanted and the esthetic I was searching for. The snow clouds and fog creeping in over the front range added to that eerie quality so like Tim Burton's films. Combine that with the love Maria and Clayton have and suddenly it didn't feel quite so chilly out there any longer! 

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Gross Reservoir | Emily + Ben | Love Story | Taylor English Photography

Oh my gosh guys! 

Emily and Ben are personal and close friends to us, and because of that friendship, they are often forced to be in front of my camera. Well, it's force for Ben, Emily is usually a good sport :p 

We headed up into the clouds over Boulder to shoot some beautiful styled images of these two at Gross Reservoir... it's obviously not that gross, haha! But it was cold, which for me as the photographer, makes it even better because then as the couple you are forced to cuddle and snuggle up to each other even more. 

The fog rolled in over the mountains in the most dramatic and moody way making these images some of my favorites! 

<3 <3

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