Lindsey + Michael’s Post-Wedding Poolside Shoot by Abigail Lauren Photography | Outdoor Weddings

At your wedding, you get one shot at everything – and hiring a good wedding photographer is crucial! Your wedding photos are what you will look back on for years to come and you want to make sure the person or team behind the lens is professional and knows exactly what you want captured in your day. But when the result is less than satisfying, opting for a post-wedding shoot like Lindsey + Michael did is such a great way to get the photos you want. Plus, there's no rush and you'll feel way more relaxed which definitely makes for better photos! And if there's a special location that is meaningful to the two of you, why not shoot there? Abigail Lauren Photography had the privilege of photographing this couple and paired with Lindsey's beautiful bouquet from her company Gradient & Hue against the pool and mansion backdrop, the photos were exactly what they were looking for! Check out all the oh-so sweet photos along with excerpts from Abigail and Lindsey about the day! 

Lindsey + Michael

Post-Wedding Photo Shoot

Private Residence

From the photographer, Abigail Lauren: This shoot was absolutely incredible. I met Lindsey, the bride, through another shoot I did in the Nashville area. She worked at the same floral company I received a bouquet from for another styled shoot, and after the pictures were delivered, she reached out in hopes of doing a shoot of her own. Lindsey, now an owner of an incredible new floral company, Gradient & Hue, was a dream client. Not only was she open to shooting at someone's Nashville house (which turned out to be fantastic) & being flexible, but she was also able to create her own floral designs for the entire shoot.

We did this shoot about 6 months after they had been married. Lindsey had mentioned that they didn't have the means to hire a professional photographer, or that they didn't really like the outcome of the first set of photos they got, so why not try again? Doing this bridal shoot after the wedding also allowed us to take the time to get interesting shots in a relaxed environment.

I often have clients do bridal shoots before or after the wedding in addition to the wedding day coverage. Although there are certainly many amazing photos taken on the day of the wedding, it's always fun to grab a few more, interesting and relaxed shots without any rush of a wedding day.

If I could suggest anything to brides, I would say to be confident in your choice of wedding photographer, and to remember to budget for a high quality, experienced photographer. These photographs, while fun to post on social media shortly after your wedding, hold so much more weight as they stand throughout time as the remaining documentation of your wedding day. Build a good relationship and trust with your photographer before the day of the wedding so that you are certain they will be able to get the shots you hope for. Also, if you have little to no budget for a wedding photographer, you can always look into doing a post-wedding bridal session to ensure you have some great photos in your wedding dress!

I look forward to working with Lindsey more in the future, as we have now built a great working relationship as Lindsey starts her new floral design company. It's these ongoing work relationships that make my job so interesting & rewarding!

Wedding Vendors:

Photographer | Abigail Lauren Photography

Venue | Private Residence

Florals | Gradient & Hue (by the bride!)

Dress | The Dress TheoryRue de Seine

From the bride, Lindsey on their wedding: So we actually got married this past October during peak Aspen season at the C Lazy U Ranch in the mountains of Colorado. It was nothing less than magical. Our wedding was an entire weekend where 75 of our friends and family came out to the ranch together and rode horses, hiked, fly fished, and spent quality time together. That being said, I felt a bit overwhelmed the day-of, and I felt that I looked so nervous in my wedding photos. I wanted to have an opportunity to shoot in an environment that felt familiar and where my husband and I felt relaxed and comfortable. It was so fun to do these photos after all the wedding madness, as we got to focus on each other and just have fun!

About their engagement: The mountains have always been a special place for my husband, Mike, & I. I was born in Colorado, and a love for the Rockies has been engrained in me by my family and the many summers I spent following my grandparents up and down mountain trails. Knowing this, Mike took me on a “winter trip” to the mountains. He was planning on proposing at a beautiful, majestic, romantic lake called Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, but we got horribly lost and a winter storm rolled through as the sun was setting – the opposite of romantic! After another curtailed (and hysterical) attempt at proposing on a slippery mountain trail, he finally was able to get down on one knee at the summit of the beautiful Gem Lake hike. It was such a blast! After the proposal, we spent our descent from the mountain rehashing all his opportunities to propose that he had had to let go due to the snow storms, ice, and unsettling drop offs. Moral of the story – December in the mountains can make planning a proposal pretty tricky – but it was the most amazing experience. We now have a very special place that we can visit year after year to remember our engagement.

About the shoot: I find that the most beautiful artwork is many times created when you give full artistic liberty to the artist. The only guidance I gave Abi was that I wanted it to be genuine and fun. I love Abi's photography style, and trusted her fully in grabbing some great shots with very little direction from me. And as suspected, Abi produced the most beautiful photos. I was in awe as I scrolled through the gallery the first time (and second time, and third time). She truly captured the authentic moments between my husband and I. Trust your photographers to do great work and give them some freedom to play around! You won't be disappointed.

Working with Abi was seamless from start to finish. She is cheerful, energetic, kind, professional and truly has an eye for creating beautiful art. We felt comfortable with her, and she had great suggestions for poses (my husband and I are awkward!). We would have been lost without her direction!

I think the most fun was near the end of our shoot. We played around a little bit after we knew we got the shots we wanted, and I think the last shots are some of the best! Who would have known photos by the pool would have turned out so well (well, I guess Abi did!)?

Advice for brides: Let your vendors get creative! While it is ok to give them some direction, I feel that the best work is produced when they are allowed to work within flexible boundaries and given creative liberty – this is what will make your wedding day memorable, unique and give you a great connection with the people who helped make your day come together.

Thanks so much for sharing about this incredible + unique shoot, Abigail and Lindsey! Check out more of Abigial Lauren's work here on her website and also be sure to check out Lindsey's floral work here at Gradient & Hue!

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