Big blog post this week.

Enjoy Maui! 

Shannon Cunningham is an Austin wedding photographer

This was her Grandmother’s and was a pendant given to her by Jackie’s Aggie Grandpa. You probably know that women weren’t admitted to Texas A&M until the 60′s, so I LOVE the history in this piece. That’s right – it’s from 1945.

Really, I love any personal touch you add to ANY part of your wedding. Make your wedding personal – make your wedding yours!

Shannon Cunningham is an Austin wedding photographer

Jenny and Bryan met years ago at a swim meet. They were coaches for opposing teams. Later, when Bryan proposed at Portabla, they decided on an elopement in San Francisco – just the two of them. Word began to get out to family and friends, so they decided to enlarge it to a small wedding for about 30 people in San Francisco. Here’s where things get really good. Jenny had always wanted to be married at her parent’s house in Arizona, so without her knowing, Bryan and her family began planning a surprise wedding. The moms told Jenny that they would take care of all the arrangements in San Francisco – she just needed to show up in her dress. All the while, they were planning in Arizona.

The day arrived for them to leave and crafty Bryan had told Jenny that they had a layover in Phoenix. As they landed in Phoenix, Bryan had arranged it with the flight attendant to announce that all flights to San Francisco had been cancelled because Jenny and Bryan’s wedding for 150 of their closest friends and family would be taking place in Phoenix. At that moment, Bryan handed Jenny the wedding invitation (and man do I wish I could have been there to see it).

Jenny and Bryan, I hope you two have an amazing wedding day today. I can’t wait to see you for part two of our session and hear all the details!! 

  I also want to give BIG thanks to Cortney Zieke of BZ Events, who arranged this session for the two of them. Cortney and Jenny are friends from college. It’s always a big honor to have a friend, and wedding coordinator extraordinaire, trust you with their friends. I’m glad I could take care of them!

Also, MAJOR thanks toPortabla for letting us have the run of the place. Portabla is a very special place to Jenny and Bryan and the owners and chefs couldn’t have been nicer to us.

Shannon Cunningham is an Austin wedding photographer and big fan of awesome love stories and surprises.

The lovely Leslie and Ryan picked up their album this week and I wanted to show you that the basic black album got an upgrade. It is so pretty. Gorgeous printing and modern binding – sharp, square pages. Yum! It’s completely archival too. It’ll outlast all of us.

These two had their guests sign bottles that had 1, 5 and 10 years on them. They planned to drink the wine on those anniversaries and then keep the bottles.

I love this. I am coming up on my 10 year anniversary next year (seriously??!!) and I think it would be so fun to have a nice bottle of wine and reminisce about the people at our wedding.

Find the other Detail of the Week posts HERE or just sort by the Detail of the Week category.

Shannon Cunningham is an Austin, Texas Wedding and Portrait photographer.

I love my fancy cameras, but something I love having at my fingertips is my iPhone for quick snaps. Here is a small collage of my vacation as seen through the iPhone. All of these were taken with the Hipstamatic and Shake It apps.

 Shannon Cunningham is an Austin, Texas wedding and portrait photographer.

Lee and Lindsay’s lovely wedding at Kali Kate Farms in Buda had so many personal touches. On each table, there was a small notebook (in the shades of the wedding colors) and on various pages, Lindsay had stamped questions like “Where did you travel from?” “Tell us a love story” “What’s your favorite wedding memory?”

By the end of the evening, they had books full of joyful notes from friends and family. What a treasure.

Shannon Cunningham is an Austin, Texas wedding and portrait photographer.

It’s the slightly slower summer season and I am looking to do some creative and FUN shoots with ideas that have been rattling around in my brain. I have (almost – don’t want to jinx it) one of the coolest spaces in town lined up for a shoot and I need MODELS!

Currently, I am looking for a couple AND a pretty, lively gal to be a bride for a shoot.  Later on, there will be other opportunities for families/kids.

Here are the details and the requirements and the perks. This shoot will take place sometime in the next 15-60 days.

For the couple shoot - you must be a couple, or at the very least, willing to be really lovey with each other. This part of the shoot is going to be a very styled engagement shoot. You’ll have access to makeup and wardrobe and I have some of the coolest vendors in town working with me. You will look amazing, I promise. You also must be able to model during the week. My time at the location is going to be short and specific. I need you to be flexible. Also, you have to do what I say. This is an editorial-style shoot, which means my ideas win and you have to do them. I promise it won’t be anything weird. You also have to be OK with me submitting these photos for publication.

For the bridal shoot - same dealy. We’ll supply wardrobe and makeup/hair. You just have to do what I say and be available during the week. See above.

Who ‘s Eligible?  Anyone! Past clients, future clients, people that have been married 5 years. I’m looking for a specific ‘look’ is all.

What Do You Get? Well, first of all – a super fun photo shoot! Also, you’ll get a disc of high resolution images or some prints for your hard work.

Interested? Woo-Hoo! Please send me an email with the following:

1. A  photo of both of you (a snapshot is OK).
2. Both of your basic sizes (tops, pants, shirt, dress, etc). We’ll need those to pull wardrobe.
3. Names and contact information.

Thank you so much for helping me create some AMAZING images!!

~shannon

My slow blogging does not mean I love these two any less though. Kristin and Nik and I had a great time during their engagement session. We battled traffic on South Congress during first Thursday, wind, the threat of rain – pretty much a full plate of drama as far as shoots go.  It didn’t matter how weird the circumstance, though, these two were calm and trusted in me.  They are so lovely together. I think you’ll agree.

I can’t wait for your fall wedding! Thanks to Barbara of Barbara’s Brides for bringing us together. (Aren’t we all dreaming of fall this time of year?)

 Shannon Cunningham is an Austin, Texas wedding and portrait photographer.

Calls and emails will be returned in earnest starting July 26th.

Thank you so much for your patience while my family and I spend some much needed time together.

Also, for your viewing pleasure – what’s the best part about hotel rooms when you’re four? Why all the jumping on the bed you could ask for of course!

Shannon Cunningham is an Austin, Texas wedding and portrait photographer