Hey there! Welcome to my blog! I thought I would start by sharing things about my life that you may not know! So hangout, stay awhile and enjoy some of my embarrassing stories and hopes and dreams. 

***peep the embarrassing photography business name/logo...

You know the feeling when you see all your friends being gymnasts, or singers, or just really good at any sport ever and you're not? Yea, I had that feeling all throughout my high school years. I had always dreamed to walk in my big sister's footsteps and be on my high school's dance team. I felt like I had ROCKED the audition and just knew I was going to make it... to my surprise, I did not. I remember crying my eyes out on the phone with my best friend Emily as she told me, "Annie, you don't need them, you'd have to wear crazy clown makeup all the time. Who wants that?" Just saying things to make me feel better. Crazy how those moments stick with you. The failures. I picked a random elective after I found out I wouldn't be putting Dance on my schedule, and that elective was Yearbook 1. In hindsight, thank the good LORD that I was able to not make the dance team and pick up that elective because it was the start of me figuring out the one thing I found out I was good at. The one thing I could practice and fully put all of my effort into to become the best I possibly could be. Weird how one failure, could open you up to your whole future. 

My name is Annie Gray, and I am a workaholic. I've always known this about myself, always striving for perfection, always trying to move up, get better or just yearn for recognition if I'm being TOTALLY honest with y'all. (Type 3's in the house say HEY) Yes, do I have off days in the summer and winter months, absolutely. Do I fill them with things that give me even more work because I literally can't stop working to save my life? absolutely. I have such a passion for what I do, that I live and breath it every single day. When I'm in the shower, I'm thinking of my next shoot, when I'm driving, I'm thinking about my next shoot, right now, thinking about my next shoot. I think it is definitely a blessing and a curse. Yes, I love being a workaholic and I think it will help me become more successful, but y'all, sometimes I just want to watch Netflix without constantly thinking and dreaming up work related activities. Ya feel me? Anyone else incapable of turning your brain off? 

Yeah, I know. I talk tough and put on this brave confident face, but I am such a sensitive person. I constantly care about what people think of my work. Is it good enough? Do they like it? Do they like me? Is my whole business going to be over because of one bad review?! These are the questions that seriously keep me up at night! Why? Most people say it's because I am fully crazy, and most of the time I believe them. I feel that it's because I want to succeed SO badly, that anything that might partially get in the way of that dream, I obsess over. I don't mean an hour or two, I mean days and WEEKS! I think a lot of people still see small businesses as corporations and don't really see that there is a person behind the business, someone looking to make sure you like everything and is eager to help you! Trust me when I say I want to make your experience as amazing as possible, because I've already obsessed over the location, what lens would look the best, what time of day I think would work the most, and everything in between. Any tips on de-stressing and trying not to feel like a complete maniac? Asking for a friend. 

Ever since someone has asked me, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" it's never been simple. It was always a singer or actress (Hah, I know right?) until I started really thinking about it. I would say now, I just want to be successful. To know that people look up to me even if I don't know them. I think success is such a general word. How do you define that? I was watching an interview with Fred Armisen (my favorite person ever), and he was talking about how he wanted to be a famous musician, he wanted to be like the people who he idealized for so long. When I heard that, it all clicked. That's how I define success. Success to me is becoming someone that people look up to and respond to. This may be selfish, or too big of a dream, but I've tried to lower them, and it just doesn't stick, and I think that's okay. 

Thank you SO much for reading a little more about me! It means so much that you would take a little time out of your day to read my blog! Let me know what you think! 

Have you ever been on instagram or Pinterest, looking at these beautiful weddings and think, dang...I want that. I want my wedding to look just like that! Then you look at the costs that the beautiful installation would take and you instantly feel like you could never pull that off. As a wedding photographer, I see this so many times! We see these breathtaking tablescapes with the prettiest looking flowers, invitations, napkins and think we could just never pull that off! That's why I enlisted the help of a few of my favorite wedding vendors to show you, that you can get the wedding of your dreams regardless of your budget! Here we will look at all the different costs and show you the difference of the tables, hair and makeup, invitations, dress, and photo packages for three drastically different wedding budgets. Let's take a look!

We are going to start with a $10,000 wedding budget. This budget is pretty average in costs for the brides we see a lot. You want to spend the right amount of money on your venue and photography and still have plenty to put on food and decor! We've come up with a budget for this bride that covers most of your important bigger costs! Every bride is different, so we don't consider this a master budget, but can be useful if you are wanting a starting off point! 

For this tables cape, we used cream candles that we put into these really pretty house structure holders that we got at Target for $3 a piece. The chargers are from Hobby Lobby, dinner plates from Target and are plastic that came in a set of about 8. We used plastic cups and utensils from Target as well (yes, I'm at Target every other day...), and the napkins are from Camille & Co. These napkins have a letter on them that you can get with your new last name, or they can custom make napkins for you! For the table runner, we simply got tulle from Hobby Lobby and draped it across the table. The flowers, we actually got at Sams. The eucalyptus is actually fake from Hobby Lobby, and Sams had really pretty hydrangeas and mini roses that we just added for extra color. I'd say they turned out way better than imagined. 

Links: 
Chargers
Plastic Dinner Plates
Gold utensils
Gold cups

Venue: Kindred Barn
- $3,500 This covers barn, tables and chairs, has kitchen. They let you also use any of their decor that they have in the barn. You'd be shocked at how many goodies they have for their brides! 

Dress: Always & Forever
- $800 - 900 They have a lot of gowns to choose from and make your visit so seamless! Tell them the budget you are looking at and they can give you plenty of different options! They also have a lot of sale days and bridal discounts on certain days, so make sure to follow them on instagram to see when those come up!

Photo: Anne Marie's Photo & Video
- $1,750 This covers full photo of your big day! We make sure that your day is completely photo covered! Right now we are also offering a free engagement session to all of our couples that book us in the month December and January so we'll be able to meet with you and get you some beautiful photos for your save the dates! If you have cut costs in other areas, you can also add video! We are able to give our couples photo & video and a reasonable rate!

Hair & Makeup: Heather Hinojos at The Brow Bar in Fort Smith
$80 - 120 This cost is something that differs depending on what you are wanting! Do you want an extravagant updo? Glamorous fake lashes? Just talk with Heather about what you are wanting and she will be happy to answer any questions! 

Invitations: Camille & Co
$250 These invitations are so pretty! These are really cool, because its an all in one invite. They just peel off the RSVP and send it from there so you don't have extra printing with your invitations! They look just as elegant but at a lower price point!

(The rest of the vendors we have listed are a guesstimate and vary depending on who you choose!)

Florals: $700 - 1,000
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Cake: $500

Catering: $1,000

Decor: $500

Cutlery/Plates: $200

DJ: $400

TOTAL: $9,680 - $10,120

Cut costs by putting your wedding on a Friday or Sunday and going to a bridal gown sale day to find your dress. Your florals will act as a sort of decor, so don’t think you have to use a ton of decorations. This is not the only way to do it, and you might have a way to cut costs all on your own!

Model: Kendra Brown

The $20,000 wedding changes things a bit. I would say this gives you the wiggle room you would want for extras and different things that would give your wedding colors and theme a better understanding to your guests and your photos. Here's the budget we recommend for that $20,000 wedding: 

This table got a few upgrades with this budget. We added a plain white dessert plate, a white cloth napkin, a macaroon at each place setting, and higher-end (looking) utensils. We did get pretty creative with the utensils and got them at a local thrift store. Cleaned, and washed, these will give your table a vintage look without having to buy them outright new. We also added a few more of the black houses that we also got at Target in the Magnolia section (are you surprised? me neither) and some colored candles to give it more vibrancy at the table. Instead of just the tulle table runner, we added more texture by putting a cream fabric down to add a fuller look. 

​Links: 
Chargers
Plastic Dinner Plates
White Cloth Napkins
​White Dessert Plate

Venue: Kindred Barn
$3,500 This covers barn, tables and chairs, has kitchen. They let you also use any of their decor that they have in the barn. The table you see in all of these photos comes with the barn along with two others that look identical! Think beautiful bridal party seating! Also, those chairs! Need I say more? 

Dress: Always & Forever
$1200 - 1600 Go see Shelly at A&F for your bridal dress! She always makes you feel like a queen! With this budget, you'll be able to get your dress, and some accessories that can complete your look! Like a longer veil or a pretty bridal belt! 

Photo & Video: Anne Marie's Photo & Video
$2,750 This gives you most, if not everything you would want in photo and video for your big day! For this package, you will receive an engagement and bridal session with your full day coverage! 7 hours of photo and video will make sure to capture you getting ready, to leaving with your beautiful sparkler/rice/bubble/confetti exit! We can't wait to show you all your incredible pictures and we haven't even taken them yet!

Print Collection: Anne Marie's Photo & Video
$725 - This is our second print collection! Print collections are not required when you book with us, but our brides love to invest in prints that will last for generations. 

Hair & Makeup: Heather Hinojos with the Brow Bar in Fort Smith
$150-650 This gives you the option to take care of your bridesmaids with their hair or makeup! Have your whole bridal party look like a queen on your big day!

Invitations: Camille & Co
​ $400  To have this type of budget for invitations is so much fun! You get to choose things that are extra custom to you and your big day! Look at the type of paper, the envelopes you use and different things that give your invitation that extra pop! 

Floral: $1500

Cakes: $1,000

Catering: $3,000

Decor: $1500 (candles, vases, table runners, extra linens, signs, champagne glasses)

Cutlery/Plates: $650 (includes your plates, nicer plastic, nicer plastic cutlery, monogramed napkins)

DJ: $1200

Drinks: $1500

TOTAL: $19,075 - $20,125

Model: Selina Phan

If you live in bigger cities, where this is the average cost of weddings, these prices might not be too surprising. In Arkansas, with a $30,000 wedding budget, this will get you most, if not everything on your Pinterest board! This budget gives you the room to do some crazy, cool installations, very extra looking invitations, and a dress that will wow anyone that looks at it! Splurge for the real glassware and the cloth napkins! Here's our $30,000 budget roundup:

The blue and pink combo on this table is so dreamy to me. I love everything about it! To the black taper candles and the black scalloped napkins. This is just too pretty! (Also, if you did love this table and wanted it to use it as just a Head Table, that could be an option for smaller budgets!) This table spared no expense when it came to place settings. We sprung for the real plates, real utensils, real napkins, and vintage cups. I was trying to figure out what to do for a napkin ring without it looking too much like a napkin ring if you know what I mean. I think the light pink ribbon was a perfect touch that tied in the colors as well as made the napkins look a little better! 

Links: 
Chargers
Dinner Plates
Napkins
Utensils

Venue: Kindred Barn
​- $3,500 This covers barn, tables and chairs, has kitchen. They let you also use any of their decor that they have in the barn. They also have some really pretty places outside as well! They have an outdoor ceremony space, a beautiful terrarium made of old vintage windows, and a beautiful porch that wraps around the front of the barn! This place is what dreams are made of. 

Dress: Always & Forever
$2500 The sky is the limit according to Shelly when shopping with this budget at Always and Forever! You are more than likely able to get your veil, bridal belt, and the dress of your dreams!

Photo & Video: Anne Marie's Photo & Video
$3,250 This package gives you absolutely everything when it comes to coverage and sessions for your big day! Engagement, bridal, and boudoir before your wedding as well as 7 hours for wedding day coverage for photo AND video. (You can add on to the hours as well if you'd like!)
    Add Ons: $500 extra minutes on film

Photo Print Collections: Anne Marie's Photo & Video
$825 Print out all of the wonderful memories you've made with our print collections! 

Hair & Makeup: Heather Hinojos with Brow Bar in Fort Smith
$150 - $650 I can't say enough good things about Heather! She makes you feel super comfortable, does an amazing job, and takes the perfect amount of time to do the best job possible without taking up too much of the day!

Invitations: Camille & Co
$650 - $1,000 These invitations come with the prettiest envelope to match! Completely customizable and thought out to go perfectly with your wedding theme. 

Floral: $4,500 

Cakes: $1500

Catering: $3,000

Decor: $2,500 

Cutlery/Plates: $850 

DJ: $1500

Drinks: $2500

TOTAL: $26,725 - $28,625

Model: Thao Nguyen

We did this little experiment to show you that budget only matters as much as you want it to. You can have a beautiful styled shoot inspired wedding regardless of how much money you put in it! Sometimes a little ingenuity can go a long way! We want to make every bride feel incredible on their wedding day! Honestly, getting married is about being with the one you love after all, right? Trust that these vendors can work with everyone's budget and make something MAGICAL for you! Talk to you soon! 

See the full gallery here.
To book us for your wedding, contact us here.

VENDORS
Venue: Kindred Barn
Bridal Dresses:Always & Forever
Photo & Video: Anne Marie's Photo & Video
Hair & Makeup: Heather Hinojos with Brow Bar in Fort Smith
Invitations:Camille & Co

The unthinkable happened in March. Over five photographers came together, and shot the exact same models with the same outfits in the same venue and all the photos looked COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!! Yep! That's right. It's not just about the camera. 

Working with other photographers is so much fun! You get to watch how they pose models, and also give them insight on what you do in the exact situation! If you are nice enough, sometimes they even let you borrow their lens that you've been eyeing for a few months! :) The take away from this session is that even though there is absolutely no difference in the flowers, dress, models, and venue; all the photos look so different! It's actually so cool to see! 

Vendors: 
Model: Payton Scott
Dress: Always & Forever
Venue: The Ballroom at I Street
Florals: L Designs by Lisa
Calligraphy: Little Evergreen Calligraphy
Cakes/Macaroons: Marys Little Sweets

SURPRISE! I'm blogging again! You thought I gave up didn't you? Well, technically you're right. Fall time, took me over and slapped me on the butt! Let me tell ya. We did not expect to get busy like that, and frankly, I don't feel like people really truly read my blogs, so it fell by the wayside. But, not anymore! I am going to blog my little heart out until I can't do it anymore! Now, I'm not saying I won't fail a time or two.... or three, but I am saying I will make an effort! It's one of my New Year resolutions, if we can still have those in February. SO, before I start sharing one of my absolute favorite creative shoots of my life, let's talk! 

One, I am SO SO SO SO SO happy that you are here and that you are reading this! I want to start being completely open and transparent with everything I do creatively. Sometimes that is SO hard for me because I get insecure about the things I create. "Will they like that?", "Is that too far?", "Will anyone even get what I was trying to do there?" But honestly, WHO CARES! Art is art is art is art, and as long as we continually create and DO, then that's all that matters! Now that you know I am horrible at writing, I can really only go up from here, right? 

It's no secret that I love fashion photography. It is one of my biggest passions as a photographer, so this shoot was a little boudoir a little fashion and I think that's why it worked so well! I was going for aesthetic number one and the rest fell into place. I will definitely be using these lights on future projects and tell you all how I like them! The full shoot will be available to see by clicking HERE. Let me know if you guys love it or hate it, even though I'm going to try not to care! (lol, baby steps)

I have been so excited for this blog post. This was one of my absolute favorite sessions, because it meant so much to me and everyone involved. 
Katherine, came to me with an idea for her 20th anniversary. She had seen a styled shoot that I had done, that looked intimate and picture perfect. When she came to me wanting a styled shoot all her own, I was absolutely thrilled!

Katherine and I discussed the different things she really wanted when celebrating her 20th wedding anniversary. We used a lot of her beautiful family heirlooms mixed with beautiful floral arrangements from 27 Rue De Fleur, and some handmade pieces from my home that I made specifically for this shoot. I love being able to offer styled shoots to my clients. I love decorating and creating something that is really magical, and I think that was accomplished in this shoot. 

I think my favorite part of this shoot was showing Katherine the finished product. We had talked so much about this day and what all she had envisioned and just to see how happy she was with everything, just really made me feel so special and honored to be a part of everything. 

They had told me that they did not have a big wedding and weren't able to take professional photos so they really wanted to relive that time in their lives 20 years ago. It was such a beautiful experience. It was so amazing to see how much they loved each other and how grateful they were to have one another in their lives. When I started posing them, it was a piece of cake. When you get 2 people that are in love and have been for awhile, they know exactly what to do. They seemed comfortable and relaxed the whole way through and I couldn't have asked for a better pair. 

There was pure love that day and I am so honored to have been able to be there and capture it.

If you are interested in a styled shoot like this, please let me know! I love doing them and it is so much fun to make 2 peoples visions come alive!
See the full album here. 
Contact Us HERE to shoot together!

See you soon, 
​Annie

The Guzman wedding was nothing short of eventful.
This couple. This venue. This day. 
This would be one of the weddings I would call a "game changer". Naomi and I have known each other for a few years because we were in the same sorority in college. She's always been such a sweet woman, but I had never met her boyfriend Victor. All I have to say is that they are truly perfect together. Naomi is so fun and down to earth, and Victor is so calm and funny that they really stick. It really reminded me of me and Shane when I interacted with the two of them and I think that really helped us capture their special moments. 

The first thing I have to say about this venue, is dang. That is some Bridal Suite, and also a photographers dream. If I could shoot the whole wedding in that suite, I would have. The lighting was absolutely perfect, and everyones makeup glistened and the temperature was nothing short of amazing. No, I am not being paid to say this. Horton Farms was truly beautiful and I commend Naomi for picking this venue. 
I also commend Naomi in picking her bridal party. These girls were so helpful and attentive to her that day that I fell in love with all of them. Every bride should have friends like these. 

We had very high hopes for the weather that day. It would sprinkle, and then stop for about 20 minutes, and then start again. By the time we were going down the isle, the rain had started. It was definitely a ceremony I will never forget. I kept wiping my lens off and running for shelter throughout the ceremony, watching the bridesmaids stand with no coverage and guests with umbrellas. At first, I felt so bad for Naomi and Victor for it raining, but in that same thought, I knew that it was still the best day of their lives, they had an incredibly hilarious story with visuals for the rest of their lives, and they were actually covered from the rain so who really cares about anyone else, am I right? They were such troopers that day... and so were all their guests. 

Their reception was such a good time. From amazing food with the best rolls, to the custom wine labels they had, to the mariachi band that played. If you went to the Guzman's reception, you had a good time. They had the best dance tradition that I have ever seen. Where the guests come up to the bride and groom with a cash donation to dance with them. Now I have seen this dance before, but never when they actually attach the money onto the bride and groom. By the end of it, Victor had horns and a tail! It really made me wanna go back to my wedding and play this game!

Overall, this was one of our favorite weddings yet. (Yes, I do say that about all of them, but they're just so great!) Naomi and Victor were so sweet and so in love that it made our job so much easier. 
See all of the Guzman's photos here and watch Naomi and Victor's full length film below. 

I am SO excited to finally announce my senior rep program. I have thought about this program for months now. Deciding what it should include, when I want to present it, what perks I am going to include, and how I would get anyone to even care!
I always love looking through Instagram and seeing these cool celebrities with their awesome floaties and cute swimsuits, running the world with their Instagram posts. They looked like they were having so much fun, and I just wanted to be their best friends and join them! Seniors would LOVE this, I thought, and quickly asked for volunteers to pursue my idea as a promotion for my new senior program. 

We had a BLAST getting ready with Maggi May Stylings. She did everyone's hair and makeup and made it look absolutely flawless and last till the very end of the session! My favorite part about getting ready, GLITTER ROOTS. I was a little skeptical at first, not knowing if it would go with my theme, but after a smidge of convincing from my seniors I caved and I'm glad I did. It gives it just an element of e x t r a. 

Don't let these photos fool you, it was H O T that day, but they were all good sports and made it seem like they weren't sweating or dying from heat. 
I really wanted to do something for seniors that they haven't had the opportunity to do before. Being a senior in high school is a hard but exciting time. You are almost pushed into a reality where you have to figure out what you want to be, apply for college, do well in school, hangout with friends, and also try to look like you have everything put together! It's stressful, I've been there. 

So enough talking about the session, here's the lowdown to the senior model program...

GET A PRIME DATE AND TIME FOR YOUR SENIOR SESSION
GET A STYLED SESSION DESIGNED JUST FOR YOU
BE IN A GROUP SHOOT WITH OTHER REPS
USE AN OUTFIT FROM YOUR FAVORITE BOUTIQUE IN ONE OF YOUR SESSIONS
GET YOUR OWN REP CODE TO SHARE WITH ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS
RECEIVE A VIDEO OF YOUR STYLED SHOOT
GET A GOODY BAG FROM ANNE MARIE'S 
GET DISCOUNTS ON PRINTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
EARN CASH FROM ANY FRIEND YOU REFER
WIN A HANDMADE IMPRINTBYANNIE DENIM JACKET
HAVE A BLAST!!!

So there you have it! I really tried to make this something that people will really respond to and love. You can apply HERE!

The Solis Wedding was very special to me. Rachel and I have been friends for years now. We went to elementary school together and her mom was even my teacher the first year she started teaching at River Valley Christian. Rachel and I were quick friends and she was always one of the sweetest people I had ever met. Years have gone by since then and she still is such an amazing sweet woman. 
​

When she asked Shane and I to document her wedding, I was thrilled. I knew she would be the perfect bride without the zilla :). The day of she was completely stress free. She was enjoying the day and cracking jokes and just ready to marry the love of her life. Alex was the same way. There's something that you feel when you see true love, and they have it. I didn't have to ask them to smile or laugh, because they couldn't stop doing those things when they were around each other anyway. Which made my job a lot easier!
​

Their wedding was at the beautiful Central Christian Church, which is actually the church I grew up in, where I was first baptized, where we dedicated my little sister, and unfortunately where my dad's funeral was. I have a lot of history in this church, and it was very special to attach such a lovely memory with it again. Rachel and Alex did something during their ceremony that I thought was so cool. They, planted a tree to show their love and to watch it grow and get stronger through the years. The cool thing about the church, was that they had a beautiful prayer garden in the middle of the building, there we saw a beautiful tree which coincidentally was the same tree they planted during their ceremony. It was such a special thing to have, and to be able to give that symbol to them with their photos. 
​

When I heard the reception was at Adelaide Hall, I was very excited. There are amazingly beautiful windows surrounding the building, and a lot of space there. I knew that Rachel and Alex were a fun couple, but I was very pleased to see how much fun they had at their reception. 
​

Overall, this wedding was absolutely stunning. The love they have for one other and the tacos they had at their reception, made this wedding one of our favorites! Congratulations Rachel and Alex, so glad you trusted us with your special day. 
See all photos from that day here. 
​See you soon, 
​Annie

I decided to use this session as my first blog post because it means a lot to me. I had wanted to do an elopement styled session for a long time, but I wanted to make sure that it showed my personality and my style in the best way. Sam never ceases to amaze me, and she was completely up for my crazy idea. Ya'll should be there when I am in the middle of putting a styled shoot together, I talk a mile a minute and I blurt out 50 ideas before I even follow through with one, but somehow it all comes together. 

I found the location from my mom and her boss/friend Camille Breeden. I went to her home and fell in love with all of her land. Camille, being the generous soul that she is, let me use some of it for the shoot. I'm not sure if she knew what she was getting into, but all I can say, is now I know how to use a Kubota (don't look for a video of me riding it, it's under wraps). 
Mike and Sam thought I was crazy when they saw me down a hill and across a stream with 2 pallets, a teepee, misting rain, a ton of rugs and breakable glass...maybe I am a little crazy when it comes to this stuff. 
I remember setting everything up in the misting rain and all of a sudden stopping, praying to God that the rain would stop and taking 10 seconds to reevaluate my life. My prayers were answered and the rain finally stopped. Once I got Sam and Mike down the hill and set them up, they did there thing and I stood in awe. 

Sam is definitely what I would call my muse. I pick out shoots that I know she would look good in and I get excited to ask her to collaborate with me. I can put her in front of the camera and not say a word for 5 minutes. She just knows what to do and our minds click. She's going places and I loved that I was able to shoot with her a second time around. 
Mike was a guy that I sought out after getting to know him for a few weeks at my sister's work. He was super nice, very charismatic and absolutely loves the camera... so of course I snatched him up for Sam's groom. 

The look I was going for was a bohemian elopement. Nothing that you would probably see at a regular wedding. At first, I wanted her in a sheer cream dress and him in a white long line, but unfortunately those items came in a nice little package to my house a week after this session. I think that was a blessing in disguise. 

I could not have done this session without everyone who helped me make this possible. Thank you so much to everyone who trusted and believed in me. These types of sessions give me great joy and I will definitely keep doing them. See this session featured in Babetown Collective this Thursday! See all the photos from this session here. 

See you soon, 
​Annie