Matt Montalvo's Blog

Awards!!!!!!

2012-01-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

I have the best clients in the world!!! I won the Knot's "best of weddings" 2012 and the Wedding Wire 2012 Bride's Choice award (3rd year in a row)! Thanks to everyone who voted!!

Diana & Orlando at the Terrace Club on NYE!

2011-12-31T12:19:00.000-08:00

Diana & Orlando got married at the Terrace Club out in Dripping Springs on New Years Eve. I have shot there many times before but I have never covered a ceremony like this! Night ceremonies are always a little more challenging to photograph but the girls at the Terrace Club did a great job suspending lights so it was easy for everyone there to see. We did a first look followed by their portraits before the ceremony so we could take full advantage of the awesome sunset view the venue provides. Cori from www.CoriBethPhoto.com second shot for me and did a great job. The theme was a winter wonderland and it looked fantastic. Enjoy my favorite photos from the night!

Julie + Vinnie @ Villa Antonia

2011-11-28T09:22:00.000-08:00

Julie and Vinnie got married at the beautiful Villa Antonia on Lake Travis. This couple was so in love and it showed in every photo! They were tons of fun to work with and I am so happy for them. Joel the Greenbelt DJ did his thing during the reception and rocked the house. Enjoy my favorite photos from the day!

Maria & Adam @ Vista West Ranch

2011-10-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Maria & Adam got hitched at Vista West Ranch out in Dripping Springs. I actually went to college with both of them at Texas State so it was extra special to capture their big day. The weather was wonderful and everyone had a great time! I always say almost every wedding has something new that I have never seen before. His groom's cake was a bloody zombie head. Now that is a 1st! Enjoy my favorite pics from the day.

Haley & Ben at Nature's Point

2011-09-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

Haley and Ben got married at Nature's Point off of the lake. It was a warm day but that didn't keep everyone from having a great time. Joel the greenbelt DJ did his thing and the reception was rocking. Here are some of my favorite pics from the day!

Proposal at the Oasis!!

2011-09-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

So I have photographed guys proposing before but usually I am hiding behind a bush or tree. This time I was asked to take part in the action! So here is what the client planned... They were going to be having a romantic dinner and the client wanted me to pretend to be the restaurant's cheesy house photographer taking pics to sell in the gift shop. When I was taking pictures of them he wanted me to instruct him to get down on one knee for a photo. I told him to stick his hand in his pocket. He then would look confused as he finds a box in his pocket as he pulled out the ring for her. It went down perfectly! Congratulations Dennis and Tara!

Marla + Cole Duchman Winery

2011-08-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

Marla & Cole got married at the Duchman Family Winery. This was my first time working at a winery and I had a blast. We actually shot in 4 different spots out there for their portraits! Here are my favorite pics from the day. Enjoy!

Megan & Will @ Austin Club

2011-07-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

Megan and Will got married at St. Mary's Cathedral and had their reception at the Austin Club. Megan and Will didn't want to see each other before the wedding but they only had 20 minutes of light after the ceremony. So we ended up heading over to the Capital for their wedding portraits while the guest were exiting the ceremony and the timing worked out great. The Newsboyz played live and rocked out! They are one of my favorite wedding bands. After the reception we went to the capital and snapped a few photos. Enjoy my favs!

Ally + Brian @ Kali Kate

2011-06-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

Ally & Brian got married at Kali Kate in Buda. I was looking forward to this wedding for some time. They booked me 18 months before their big day! Brian surprised Ally with the military outfit so it made the walk down the aisle really great. Enjoy my favorite photos from the day!

Lisa & Mike @ The Terrace Club

2011-05-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

Lisa and Mike tied the knot at The Terrace Club in Dripping Springs! The same venue I got married at. It was a beautiful day and we got some awesome sunset shots. Enjoy my favorites pics from the day!

Jenny + Scott @ Kindred Oaks

2011-04-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

Jenny & Scott got married at Kindred Oaks in Georgetown. They had the Original Recipe band rocking out with lots of classic songs. Jenny had the biggest smile on her face all day! The weather couldn't be more perfect, and the whole wedding was so much fun. Here are my favorite pics from the day. Enjoy!

Tessa + Zach - Engagements!

2011-04-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

I don't usually post engagement shoots on my blog but I have had several couples ask about shooting out in Dripping Springs lately. I figured I would post what a typical shoot out there can look like. There is so much to offer out there for photos! There are usually tons of wildflowers everywhere this time of year, but since we are in such a bad drought we had to use what we could. Some of the photos were shot at the Terrace Club (one of the best venues in Austin). Enjoy!

Sarah + Justin @ Vista West Ranch

2011-03-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

Sarah & Justin got married at Vista West Ranch in Dripping Springs. This is a awesome venue for those brides really into the planning and the hands on details. I think Justin was the tallest groom I have had thus far. He was 6'8! Super cool couple and a super fun wedding. Enjoy my favorite photos from the night!

MMP is featured in Austin Wedding Day 2011!!

2011-03-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

For the second year in a row Matt Montalvo Photography has been chosen to be published in Austin wedding day!! The featured wedding was shot at the Oasis (Kathern & Derek). Check it out!

Krystin & Dustin @ Lost Pines

2011-02-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

Krystin & Dustin got married at the Hyatt Hotel in Lost Pines. It was my first indoor wedding at Lost Pines, and I must say I was very impressed. It was also my first time photographing a pair of real Louis Vuittons. Even though it was February, the weather was perfect. I got married this time last year, and I remember it snowing days before my wedding. You can never tell when it comes to Texas weather! By the time the wedding was over, it was dark outside, so we didn't get to do any outdoor portraits. However, I still think we got some great shots. Altared Weddings was playing the tunes, and Floral Renaissance took care of the floral arrangements. Enjoy my favorite photos from the day!

Bride's Choice award!

2011-01-31T09:02:00.000-08:00

I won the Bride's Choice Award for 2011 from WeddingWire! This means I am in the top 5 percent of Wedding Pros nationwide!

Tiffany & Clint @ The Terrace Club

2011-01-30T08:48:00.000-08:00

This was one of those weddings you didn't want to end! Tiffany & Clint got married at The Terrace Club in Dripping Springs. This is one of my favorite venues in the area. I actually got married there about a year ago! Joel the Greenbelt DJ did his thing during the reception and the crowd was going nuts! Due to the expected rain they ended up having the wedding indoors instead of outside. One of the reasons I chose this wedding to blog about is because of the creative solution I came up with to solve a common problem with some weddings. Here is what happened!

Usually, the newly wed portraits happen after the ceremony. That way the first time the groom sees his bride is when she is walking down the aisle. This particular ceremony was going to happen at night so outdoor portraits after the ceremony weren't really a option. Usually, in this situation we do a "first look" where the couple sees each other before the ceremony and we can do all the portraits while we have good sunlight. Tiffany really didn't want Clint to see her before hand but she really wanted them to have some great portraits. So, I came up with some cool poses where Clint would have his eyes closed or if they were open, he couldn't see his soon to be bride. So everything worked out perfect! They got some awesome portraits in good light and the groom never saw his bride. Enjoy!

Best of 2010!

2011-01-04T09:49:00.000-08:00

Wow! 2010 was a busy year for me. I was the primary shooter for over 75 weddings! I met so many great couples and friends along the way. With already 55 weddings on the calendar for 2011, it looks like it is going to be just as much fun next year. I posted some of my favorite images from 2010 below. Also, if we are not friends on facebook yet, find me and be my friend! I post new weddings on facebook every week. Enjoy!

Judy & John @ The Oasis

2010-12-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

Judy & John got married at the "Top of the Oasis"! A great place to get married with a gorgeous view of the sun setting. Judy and John were so in love and as nice as can be! They had a salsa band jamming out for the dancing and one of the biggest cake I have ever seen. Enjoy my favorites from the night!

Monika & Carmen @ Mercury Hall

2010-11-17T10:10:00.000-08:00

Monika & Carmen got married at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Austin and had their reception at Mercury hall. The first shots are from the Driskill where they both got ready. After the ceremony we hurried down to a pier that Monika knew about and got some great portraits before the sun went down. This was such a great wedding with a super fun crowd! Monika left me one of the nicest reviews ever on wedding wire. : ) Enjoy my favs from the day!

Amanda & Justin's Destination Wedding!

2010-10-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

This was definitely one of my top 5 favorite weddings! It was held at the RIU in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It seems every time I get the opportunity to shoot a destination wedding I am always booked. The same thing was going to happen here but luckily Amanda was willing to move her date so I could work it. I provided wedding coverage for two of the bridesmaid's so I knew many of the guests and felt like I was hanging out with friends all weekend. The weather and food was amazing! Enjoy my favorite photos from the day.

Jordan & Mike @ The Winfield Inn

2010-09-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Jordan & Mike got married at the Winfield Inn last Saturday. It rained a little in the morning but it stayed dry for us the rest of the day. Jordan designed everything from the flowers to her shoes and did a amazing job. It was probably my favorite bouquet ever! Here are some of my favorite pics. Enjoy!

Suzanne & Nick @ Green Pastures

2010-07-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Nick and Suzanne are such an awesome couple! They got married at St. Austin's off of Guadalupe and had their reception at Green Pastures (greenpasturesrestaurant.com). Joel the Greenbelt DJ (greenbeltdj.com) played his jams all night and brought his new LED up-lighting. In my opinion, up-lighting is the best money you can spend to make your venue look over the top. It is relatively cheap when compared to most decor and makes a huge impact on the photos and mood of the event. They can make almost any color as well. Enjoy the photos!

Valerie & Duane - After session!

2010-07-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

Lots of people have questions about After Sessions. There are different reasons why couples choose to have these done. Sometimes there is bad weather on your wedding day and the beautiful outdoor portraits you were hoping for never happen. Valerie and Duane had their wedding back in June and by the time their church ceremony ended it was night time. They knew this was going to be the situation and decided on an after session long before the wedding. They are a super fun couple! Here are some of my favs from the shoot.

Jessica & Darron @ Vista West Ranch

2010-06-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Jessica & Darron got married out at Vista West Ranch (www.vistawestranch.com) out in Dripping Springs, TX. Jessica planned every detail of this wedding with such a creative eye! The whole wedding was inspired by nature. They gave out "love trees" to their guest as well as seed bombs. They also planted a tree during their ceremony. Jessica is a big fan of my work with textures and vintage tones so I made sure my photo editing really fit the venue and theme. Enjoy my favs!

Jessica & Erik @ The Hyatt

2010-05-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Jessica & Erik got married at The Hyatt in Lost Pines (website). The weather was beautiful and ceremony setup was amazing! Ryan from Altared weddings rocked out and supplied the up lighting. Many of the guest were from Cali and were so much fun. Enjoy the photos!

Chris proposes to Sarah!!

2010-05-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

I had the amazing opportunity to photograph one of my good friends as he proposed to his woman. I hid in the bushes while he did his thing. He dropped to his knee on the hill next to the Mopac bridge. Congrats Chris and Sarah!

Cassidy & David E session

2010-04-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

I don't usually blog about engagements but these were so fun I felt I had to. The couple saw the "suitcase by the train track" idea on another local photographer's blog and went out and found some of their own. Pretty cool huh? Enjoy.

Staci & JP @ Barr Mansion

2010-04-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Staci & JP got married at the Barr Mansion in Austin TX (www.barrmansion.com).It was a beautiful day and the lighting was perfect! I must say, the food at the Barr Mansion was delicious. Some of the best food prepared by a venue I have had. The ballroom is a work of art and is so fun to shot at. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day. Enjoy!

MMP was awarded a Brides Choice Award!

2010-03-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you to those who voted!

MMP is in Austin Wedding Day 2010!

2010-03-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Matt Montalvo Photography has a wedding featured in Austin Wedding Day!!! Nicole & Matt from the Terrace club. Check it out!

Carolina & Nathan @ Thurman's Mansion

2010-03-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

Carolina & Nathan had their wedding out at Thurman's Mansion (www.thurmansmansion.com) which is part of the famous Salt Lick BBQ. Sean the ATX DJ (atxdj.com) mixed the tunes all night. Also, D&H lighting provided amazing up-lighting and the gobo (www.dhstagelighting.com). The weather was perfect and the food was great. Right after the formal dances ended it was a non stop party till the exit. Everyone in the bridal party either had on either red chucks or red high heels. Very cool! Here are some of my favorite photos from the wedding.

Katherine + Derek @ The Oasis

2010-02-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

Katherine & Derek's wedding was a blast! The wedding was held at the Smith Family Chapel at Riverbend (http://www.riverbend.com/chapel/) and the reception was at the Oasis, in the Starlight room (http://www.oasis-austin.com ). The Oasis offers one of the best views in Austin to catch a great sunset. Katherine & Derek really lucked out, it was snowing on 23rd .... and 4 days later it was around 70 and absolutely beautiful for their wedding. Enjoy my photographs!

Emilyn & Ryan at Star Ranch Golf Club

2010-01-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

Emilyn and Ryan had their wedding at Star Ranch Golf Club (http://www.starranchgolf.com) in Hutto TX. This is one of my favorite venues to capture sunset shots. The hills of the golf course offer some amazing perspectives. They used is Kayla with Kayla Knight cakes (www.kaylaknightcakes.com). She is actually the cake lady I am using for my own wedding! She has some great prices and delicious cakes. I love the lanterns they used for the ceremony as well as Emilyn's dress. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day. Enjoy!

Nhien & Emmi's Houston Wedding!

2009-12-29T11:11:00.000-08:00

Nhien and Emmi had their ceremony at St. Michael's Catholic Church and their reception at Kim Son in Houston TX. This wedding will go down as one of my all time favorite events! It was different than most weddings that I shoot and I am grateful for the opportunity to experience all of their customs. They had about 500 people at the wedding so naturally it took them awhile to say hello to everyone. Within 5 minutes of them arriving at the table with all of their friends...shots of cognac for all! Haha! As you can tell from the photos, everyone had a great time. Enjoy the photos!

Dora & Dominic @ The Waterford House

2009-11-29T13:20:00.000-08:00

The ceremony took place at Santa Cruz Catholic Church and the reception took place at The Waterford House in Austin TX( http://www.waterfordhouseaustin.com/ ). The lighting during the reception was great to work with. I love up-lighting! Dora was a bridesmaid at a wedding I photographed about 2 years ago, because of that I got to see a bunch of familiar faces which is always great. I think they had about 400 people at the reception and I'm pretty sure every single person was dancing. Dora & Dominic had a incredible time and it shows in the photos. Enjoy my favorite photos from the wedding!

Nhien & Emmi - After Session

2009-11-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

I usually don't post portrait sessions but since this was my first "after session" I thought I might as well. Nhien & Emmi are so much fun and were down for anything. Here are few shots from our afternoon together. Enjoy!

Give me a review on wedding wire!

2009-10-20T05:27:00.000-07:00

If we have worked together you can use the link below to give me a review. Thanks!

Review Matt Montalvo Photography at WeddingWire

Katie & Jonah @ Kali Kate

2009-10-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It is always hard to pick just one wedding to post every month, but this month was especially difficult. I had 8 weddings this month! The wedding I chose is special to me because it was my first Jewish wedding to attend! Katie and Jonah were so fun to work for as you can tell from the photos! They had their wedding at Kali Kate in Buda TX ( www.kali-kate.com ). I also did some wireless lighting due to the high ceiling at Kali Kate. I hope everyone enjoys the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Find me on Facebook!

2009-09-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

Be my friend on Facebook! I post blog updates and other current news.

Find ME!!!

Michelle & Will @ The Plantation House

2009-09-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

Michelle and Will had their wedding out at the Plantation house in Pflugerville, TX ( http://www.plantationhouse.us/ ). This was my first time out there and I must say the rumors are true.... it is very beautiful. I loved the lighting in the reception room! All week I worried it was going to rain but we got great weather and a great sunset. Everyone had a wonderful time and provided me the opportunity to snap some hilarious dancing shots. In a few weeks I am working a wedding where Michelle is a bridesmaid! So who knows ... you may see Michelle again in my October blog. Here are my favs!

Priscilla & Malek @ Villa Antonia

2009-08-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone and thanks for checking out my Wedding Of The Month - August! I have been looking forward to this wedding for sometime. Me and Priscilla went out awhile back and did her bridals. She was a dream to photograph! I knew her wedding would be great and I was right... what a amazing wedding! They had their ceremony and reception at Villa Antonia in NW Austin( www.villaantonia.com ). We got a little bit of rain but it was just for about 10 min and it kept the heat away. I had a hard time narrowing down my favorites. If you would like to view the entire event just e-mail for the password. Here are my favs... Enjoy!

MMP is featured on Oasis and the Terrace club's website!

2009-08-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

I just found out today that my photos are featured on the new wedding section for the Oasis. All three couples on the main page are from me plus the Alison & Donnie gallery! Also check me out all over the Terrace club's new website.

http://www.oasis-austin.com/weddings/gallery-1

http://www.theterraceclub.com/

Amanda & Cody @ Ruby Ranch

2009-07-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

This wedding was very special to me! Amanda is the youngest of three girls and I have now photographed all three of their weddings. This wedding was at Ruby Ranch (the same place the oldest sister Rachel got hitched). The website is http://www.rubyranchcelebrations.com . The venue is located in Buda TX. Amanda even came and shot a wedding with me last year. In the photo with the art texture there is a hidden heart. Can you find it? I got a cousin to take a photo of me and the family down at the bottom. Enjoy!