JJ KELLY BRIDAL PORTRAITS – OKLAHOMA CITY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Gorgeous

Glamorous

Gotta love it!

My top model.

I call all my couples, brides, okay anyone I am photographing my top models. Jared Wanzer Photography Top Models to be exactly. (love how every word is capitalized)

I love being involved with weddings. Literally I love every aspect, every new person I get to meet along the way, which leads me to this shoot. I have become friends with the owners of JJ Kelly & I Do Appointments. Patrick came to me and ask if I would be up for doing this shoot for Ashli at the Marriott on NW Expressway in OKC. Before Christmas I was able to do this fantastic bridal shoot for the Oklahoma City Marriott. There were so many great people involved from the flowers to the jewelry, hair & Makeup.

Like I said before I call whoever I am shooting that day my models, honestly I mean it, I love it when my clients get comfortable in front of the camera then start working the camera & laugh at my corny jokes. This shoot was no different.

I got to the hotel early to scout out the locations I wanted to use and we moved a little bit of furniture & we made a go of it and I think it turned out to be such a great bridal shoot.

Poppy Lane Design did two spectacular bouquets.

Naifeh Fine Jewelry provided the gorgeous jewels.

JJ Kelly, the best dress store in Oklahoma City!

Elegantly Finished Faces LLC – DeAndrea Daniels Mua
was the make up artist.

Michael Brandon Harris was the hairstylist.

& our lovely model that worked my camera, Brandi Hambleton

I love my job more and more everyday and so thankful that I was able to be apart of this great shoot. I look forward to working with all of these wedding professionals again & highly recommend all of them!

Have a great Wednesday!

JASMINE STAR – THE FIX – DALLAS

Jasmine Star

Motivating
Inspiring
Authentic
Insightful

It’s like going to church for photographers.

I heard Jasmine speak for the first time at WPPI in 2010. I knew then that this amazing photographer and person, I had just heard speak the exact words I needed to hear had just made me look at myself and my photography differently.

To go back a little bit, in 2009, because of many things going on with the economy, I needed some inspiring!

My friend Abi had gone to WPPI the year before and highly recommended it. SOO… my point finally! I was hungry for knowledge & to be inspired to do better, be better. After attending Jasmine Stars class that year ‘Ghetto Fabulous Marketing’ I had my list & I was ready to go home and start marking it off.
Hearing someone that was as excited about her photography & clients as I was, well it was exactly what I needed.

Wow..Okay back to 2012!

I was able to attend ‘The Fix’ in Dallas just a few weekends ago to hear Jasmine speak again. Once again inspiring, once again motivating. It was at very cool location, The Apartments, where by the way I would love to do a bridal shoot at!

A few of my favorite quotes from the evening because we all know I love me some quotes;

“The fight doesn't go to the strongest, but to those who finish what they set out to do.”

“If you don’t do anything about it, you will remain.”

“Sacrifice doesn't guarantee success, it’s merely a prerequisite for success.”

“If you are going to invest, invest in yourself.”

…and on that note I want to thank Jasmine. Thank you for coming to Dallas and sharing your story and your experiences to help me be better! If you ever come back close to the OKC lets set up a photo-shoot of you and JD

I will attend your church any day!

A few pictures with my photo buddies.

OSCAR MOVIES

I am a big movie fan. I love all types of movies and most of the time I can have an appreciation for a movie even if I am not a fan of the movie. Now, if it is bad acting that does make a movie hard for me to watch. I decided quiet a few years back that I was going to start watching the best picture nominees nominated since the year I was born, 1986.

3 years ago I heard about AMC Theatre putting on an event where they show all the best pictures that were nominated for Oscars, 10 pictures were nominated that year so they divided the days up 5 movies one Sunday & 5 the next. I decided after going this was going to be a tradition for me to do because I would LOVE to go to movies and write reviews all the time. If they offered this once a month I would be there, or at least I would try.

Last year I was actually unable to attend because of my schedule but this year I picked back up. I always go with my friend Keith.

The 9 Movies that were nominated this year;

The Tree of Life (dont waste your time)
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Midnight In Paris
Moneyball
Hugo
The Artist
The Descendants
The Help
& War Horse

Hugo was shown in 3D which I am not a huge fan of because my contacts do not like it, but the glasses do make for a good photo.

Highly recommend seeing all of these movies at least once, exception of The Tree of Life, was not a big fan of that one at all.

Enjoy your Monday!

 

JAMES EVERETT TURNED 1

I met Ashley back in 2008, she was a bridesmaid in one of her best friends weddings, Tara. It wasn't long after Ashley & Les were engaged and contacted me to shoot their wedding.

Through all of this time I have photographed their engagement, parties, maternity & now their little boy Everett. I always say I become friends with a lot of my clients & Les & Ashley are two fantastic people. They have become my friends and have done so much for me to helped me in a lot of ways in my photography business, always showing up for whatever I might be putting together next.

This last year I did pictures every month of Everett's first year, capturing all his many facial expressions!

Fun
Exciting
Hilarious

Many more photo shoots to come!

INVESTING IN PHOTOGRAPHY - OKLAHOMA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

I’m back.

I love blogging but for some reason I tend skip the blogging step in my processes of editing, no excuses, I love writing and telling a story of this amazing job I have, I will be doing better, I think I am telling myself this more than anyone else.

I love my job, sometimes it is even hard to explain how much I enjoy being a photographer. Pictures have always been important to me, my mom always took a lot of pictures when I was growing up. I love being able to go back and look through the memories. The same goes for my clients, I try to explain investing in photography and hiring a professional to capture the memories for you so you don’t have to have the stress of wondering if Uncle Bob will remember to take the lens cap off their film camera. I have heard so many stories and received countless e-mails of clients that decided to have ‘Uncle Bob’ shoot their wedding & wish they had invested in a professional.

Here is an e-mail I received just the other day from a bride whose wedding is coming up in May. I asked Molly if I could share it because it is easy for a photographer to stress photography as an investment because I feel like I have seen and heard so many stories that make me hope everyone will not regret not investing but I also feel it is even better to hear it from a bride.

"Hi Jared!

Thanks so much for meeting with us today! We really enjoyed visiting with you. I know that it is very important to feel comfortable with your wedding photographer. Chris and I were very at ease in visiting with you and were very impressed with your style.

We would love to book our wedding with you! I am going to place a check in the mail tomorrow along with the contract.

Again, thanks so much! This was one of my biggest decisions and I am very happy to have found you!

Molly"

Remember the cake, the dress, the decorations will literally be gone but the pictures will keep your memories alive forever.

Have a great Thursday!

Drew & Kassie Engagement - Oklahoma Photographer

Have you seen the movie Forrest Gump, when Forrest says, "Jenny & me was like peas and carrots."

Drew & Kassie are like peas and carrots.

As you will be able to tell in these photos they are just made for each other.  We had a great day exploring downtown Oklahoma City.   This engagement shoot was filled with a lot of laughing, romance & fun. Thank you both for being Jared Wanzer Photography Top Models, I can't wait to photograph your wedding.

BLAKE & CAYLEE DAY AFTER SHOOT - Oklahoma Photographer

You know those days when you wake up and you just know it is going to be a good day. Well, this day was one of those. Blake and Caylee are two of my top models. Let me tell you, these two can work my camera like no bodies business. I told someone just the other day I love capturing people in love, true love, real love, two people truly happy.. I try to set up a pose and then just let it happen and these two just let it happen, you can tell these two are not only in love, they are best friends.

It has been such a great experience being apart of their engagement, wedding & now their day after session. Caylee really wanted some beach pictures & even though it is against the law in Oklahoma to kill a whale with no oceans anywhere close, Arcadia Lake is definitely a good second.

The lighting was perfect

sand on the lake

an evening shoot

two people in love

…couldn't have gone any better!

Blake and Caylee are now two of my favorite people, I love when a client becomes a friend.

Love? Passion? Romance? I think so!
Thanks for asking me apart of so many important moments of your lives!

I LOVE BIRTHDAYS.

25 years,
exactly 1 month ago today!

Johnnie Carinos

Photo Booth

SO MANY of my favorite people!

My mom always made sure our birthdays were special! It has never been about doing something extravagant it has always been about being together!
This year was no different, as busy as everyone’s schedule is I really just wanted to get all my friends & family together & just enjoy being together!

It was such a perfect day! I had so many people make time to be there and it meant so much to be to have each and every one of you there for me!
I have so many fantastic people in my life. It was exactly what I needed, catching up with everyone.

I put up a photo-booth in the corner, surprised? I didn't think so. I knew it would be fun for all of us and make for some great photos!

It was such a great time, to think I almost didn’t put this together because I knew how busy July was for everyone.
Oprah called it quits after 25 years, I think I will just keep on keepin on!

Thanks again for making this birthday the best! I love each and every one of you!

“Joy is what happens when we allow ourselves to recognise how good things really are.” – Marianne Williamson

MY BROTHER GOT MARRIED TAKE 2!

July 31, 2011

Sunday

A Perfect Day!

out-of-this-world chapel

lighting that blew my mind

getting ready

so many great pictures

everyone dressed spectacular

extremely proud

everyone very happy to be there

no drama

the pat on my shoulder

watching him watch her

proud brother

trusted photographer

dances from a new prospective

on the dance floor

soaking it all in.

watching you both drive away.

didn’t want it to end.

On my drive home from the wedding I was thinking of everything about the day that was so excellent
and I started listing off everything in my head. I have been to so many weddings, gone to so many great places. Let me tell you,
There is no other place in this world that I would have rather been than to celebrate
Sean & Joni getting married! I have to say I wasn't sure how taking the photographer
hat off for the day would feel, but the best man hat this blog will never be able to describe.
A remarkably proud brother I was. God gave me the cream of the crop for sure!

what a day what a day!

Thank you to my friend Abi Ruth for taking the wedding photos, I am very thankful.  

MY BROTHER GOT MARRIED

My brother has been my best friend my entire life and it was such an honor to be his best man at his wedding to Joni.  I am thankful for my friend Abi for being the photographer so I could literally just be there for them and enjoy every moment with them and sometimes just standing back and soak it all in.   As a wedding photographer I always thought when the speeches were give that people would memorize their speeches because it would look way better for photos than holding an iPhone or a piece of paper.   I memorized my speech because of this and then when I got up there to start talking I could tell I was going to get emotional so the trusty iPhone came out.  I will never wish in my head that someone will memorize their speech, do what you need to do to get it all out!!  I tried doing a video blog of my speech because I could barely get it all out at the wedding but here it is. 

Everywhere Sean & I lived everyone always said we didn't look anything alike, so eventually I started jokingly saying Sean was adopted.  A few actually did believe me, so today I thought I would introduce myself and say  I am Sean's twin brother.

This is the first time I have ever been a best man at a wedding, usually people have to pay me to be at their wedding. 

In the dictionary the word brother literally means,

‘a male offspring having both parents in common with another offspring; a male sibling.’

I feel like that definition is a little boring soo 

My definition would be,

someone who is always there, someone I am so glad God gave to me, someone that will

always be apart of my life no matter what, a close friend.

This is a perfect day because not only are you marrying the love of your life, I am finally getting a sister.  After all those songs we wrote in the car about not having a sister when we were younger.

I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and I hope your friendship and love continue to grow for the rest of your lives, the best is yet to come!

I love you both.

Thank you to my friend Abi Ruth for taking all these photos.