Why do Shiraz Garden couples love

Lauren Garrison Photography?

The list is endless. But here are a few top reasons:

• Lauren loves adventure, as do Shiraz couples — it’s a thing. The experience guests and couples have at Shiraz brings couples with a love of nature to us, and that same love brings them to Lauren.

• The views are amazing at Shiraz but ONLY if your photographer knows how to capture true-to-color outdoor scenes with a variety of lighting properly. You never know what the clouds will do on your day, and having a talented photographer like Lauren to capture your special moments regardless of sun, clouds, or rain is so important.

• And lastly, she has great energy that puts couples at ease in front of the camera so they only focus on each other.

Read on to learn more about Lauren, her process, and reasons you’ll love her (and her pups) too!

What is a fun characteristic of your Ideal Couple? 

The couples I enjoy working with most have a clear style and vibe for their wedding, but they stay focussed on what matters most and don’t get too caught up on the details. Having beautiful decorations can enhance the day, but it shouldn’t be your top priority. I love working with couples who simply want to throw a fun party with the people they’re closest to.

I also love when couples appreciate the natural beauty of their venue, spending lots of time outside and slowing down to enjoy every moment.

What do you wish couples understood about your process? 

Your wedding photos are some of the most important and meaningful photos you’ll ever take, so it’s really important to truly LIKE them! This can feel like a lot of pressure, but I want all of my future couples to know that taking photos can be really FUN! It’s 100% normal to feel weird imagining yourselves in front of a camera, but when you find the right photographer for you, it’s not scary at all.

My style is really natural and candid, and I'll help you feel comfortable and have fun with it! I’ll give you prompts to add movement to your photos, but they’ll also be “posed” enough to be super flattering.

REVIEW BY TARA, SHIRAZ BRIDE

If you are looking for a photographer for your upcoming proposal, engagement photos, bridals or wedding, stop looking now and choose Lauren Garrison. My husband, Lee, and I first met Lauren when Lee hired her to photograph his proposal. I honestly never even knew she was there until he pointed her out - she's that good! The photos she took were amazing and made me cry happy tears for days. So, once we had a wedding date in mind, we double checked her availability before even booking our venue (I HIGHLY recommend this if you love a photographer as much as we love Lauren). Once we booked the wedding package with Lauren, she sent us the sweetest congrats box with cute gifts (even a bandana for our dog!) and gave us a list of expectations and schedules and all the info we could ever need - and even asked us to complete a questionnaire to help her get to know us better. At our engagement photos she made us feel like models! She even carried around a speaker with a playlist of our favorite songs. The special, small details she brought to the table far exceeded our expectations and made us love her even more. When it came down to our wedding day, she knocked it out of the park again! We had a phone call a couple weeks in advance and went through the list of what we wanted photos of, and she got them all. We even forgot we had asked for a few photos, but she remembered and made sure to capture it all. Her communication is 10/10 as well. Obviously vendors get busy during certain seasons, but we could always count on her replying as quickly as she could. She made everything so easy and effortless, and again, produced BEAUTIFUL photos. Our entire family was impressed with her professionalism, kindness and talent. So, again, go book Lauren right now! You won't regret it.Read Less

favorite photos from Tara’s wedding captured by Lauren

Have a great behind-the-scenes memory from a Shiraz Wedding? Have you been the MVP and we or the couple didn't know it?! 

I try to help out in little ways throughout a wedding day. My #1 goal is for the couple to spend their pre-ceremony time hyped but relaxed, not worrying about a thing.

I’ve been photographing weddings for over 10 years, and I can use my past experience to plan ahead. For example, as the bride is finishing hair & makeup, it can save time to pick up trash and clear an area of the bridal suite that we’ll soon use for photos. It’s not glamorous, but this is what makes a day flow smoothly for the bride.

I also encourage my couples to plan ahead but also be ready to go with the flow. Sometimes things that go “wrong” become memories that make your day special. For example, as one of my Shiraz brides walked down the ceremony aisle, her veil caught on something and was ripped off. A guest picked up her veil and popped it back into her hair. The bride laughed it off and kept walking. I liked this little moment. Her groom was at the end of the aisle, and she was going to get there, veil or not!

How much do you love your pup (or is there two!?), and how many photos do you have of him? 

We adopted our dog Walter in January of 2021, and we’re obsessed with him. He’s a mix of Australian Cattle Dog, Lab, Pit Bull, and about 10 other breeds, in case you’re wondering. (I’m the weird person who asks everyone what type of dog they have.) My phone is full of hundreds of photos of him doing normal things like sleeping, and I can’t ever get myself to delete them.

We also have frequent photo sessions in the backyard. His Instagram is @walter.goodboy :)

Why you love working at Shiraz in one sentence — GO!

I specialize in outdoor wedding photography, and Shiraz Garden couldn’t be a better match for my couples! The trees, water access, and hill country views make you feel like you’re on vacation, which is the perfect setting for laid back weddings.

 What are your top tips for couples getting married or newly engaged? Vendors, general marriage advice, etc -- specific or broad! 

When you’re planning a wedding, you have to make one million decisions. My top tip is to make decisions together, and trust your gut. It’s natural for most brides to have more opinions than the groom, and it’s easy to exclude him from the planning process (you know it’s true). It may take more time and thought, but sit down to have real discussions about what you want your wedding to be like.

What part of your work do you enjoy the most? Prep, wedding day, post-wedding? Specific or broad! 

This is a tough question, but I think the engagement session may be my favorite part of the whole process. It’s my first chance to hang out with the couple in person and the best way for us to get to know each other. By the time their wedding day comes along, they know me, and they feel comfortable having a camera around.

Another favorite moment is when the couple enters their reception! For most people, the ceremony is so surreal that it’s a complete blur, but as they enter the reception – and everyone cheers for them – it all hits.

What do you wish other vendors/venues knew about your work? 

As a photographer, I take photos of other creatives’ work all of the time! Almost every photo taken on a wedding day features another vendor’s hard work. Whether that means having floral arrangements in the background, or fun dancing photos that only happen because of the energy the DJ brings to the reception, it’s a group effort. Getting to see everyone’s vision come together is inspiring to me.

Find Lauren and the other top-Austin wedding and Hill Country wedding Vendors we Recommend HERE.