Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Castle Avalon: A Fairy Tale Come True in New Braunfels/San Antonio {New Braunfels, San Antonio Wedding Photography}

This is the first in a series of blogs to highlight some of my favorite places to photograph weddings in the New Braunfels and San Antonio area.

The first time I saw the entrance to Castle Avalon quite a few years ago I nearly had a wreck. I was driving along Hwy 46 toward Bulverde when a pair of castle turrets appeared on the side of the road. I did a double take and gasped and had to refocus on the road and avoid the urge to u-turn to get a better look. I love all things fairy tale and was in awe at the existence of a castle, right here in New Braunfels.

Jayme was the first to take a trip there to scope out the place. He reported back with some amazing photos and stories.

Since then I've photographed the castle numerous times for weddings and sessions and worked my way onto their preferred vendor list.

I get so excited when a bride calls me about shooting a wedding at the castle. I know I'll have a great time working with Susan -- the wedding coordinator there -- and will likely get to work with some of my other favorite vendors.

The castle features a gorgeous garden to host outdoor weddings.





The bride enters from an elegant garden door, a favorite spot for bridal photos.





The owner of the castle, Ron, built this masterpiece from scratch, choosing pieces from all over the world to complete the decor. He painstakingly chose every little detail. His daughter hand painted the artwork on the walls on many of the rooms, including the ballroom, which was inspired by Beauty and the Beast -- a family favorite.





The groomsmen get ready in an amazing "man cave" dungeon complete with poker table, stocked mini fridge, bathroom and plenty of space.





The bride and her maids gets ready in a gorgeous "Queen's suite" complete with gorgeous window lighting, vanity tables and mirrors, restroom and plush decor.



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Upon entry to the front door of the castle, guests will be greeted by a gorgeous grand staircase leading up to a breathtaking stained glass, designed by Ron, that features characters representing his family members (his daughters are the fairies). The guests may use that grand staircase to access the ballroom or they can use the elevator.



The exterior of the castle is everything a castle should be, complete with turrets, balconies, and grand sweeping views. A favorite spot for bridals, group photos and exits is outside the grand front entry.



The lawn in front of the castle is an amazing spot for photos as well and if you'd like an awesome sunset shot, just a short walk across the driveway provides a sweeping view of the field and horses.



Ron's attention to detail has created numerous gorgeous photo spots all around the property.



Give Susan a call for a tour of this amazing property. And then call me to photograph your fairy tale wedding.

Lisa On Location Photography

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

How I survived an outdoor wedding in August {New Braunfels Wedding Photography}

When I first booked Kelli and Jon's wedding back in March it didn't enter my mind that it would be hot when the wedding date rolled around. At the time the weather was cool and quite rainy. We had to postpone their engagement session because of storms and when we finally shot it, the weather was gorgeous.

Fast forward a few months to her bridal session. It was quite toasty in early July when we took these photos at Gruene Estate.



The temperatures reached the triple digits last weekend and Gruene Estate -- although incredibly gorgeous -- is an open air venue. The Gruene Estate team was on top of it with an ingenious water filtration system that circulates water over the roof of the reception hall. The constant stream of cool water over the tin roof did help as did the constant breeze from the beautiful fans.

I think I went through a dozen water bottles that day and even brought a change of clothes to change into halfway through the day. I didn't want to get too smelly! And it worked out well for us.

And the evening sky was gorgeous over the little chapel in the field with the waning moon rising over the horizon. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

Fortunately, Kelly and Jon are incredibly sweet, like-able people so they made the day that much more pleasant. Thanks for letting me brave the heat with you two.

Lisa On Location Photography