Khayla

Bridal Session
September, 2021

When Khayla came to me with the idea of taking her bridal pictures at the Cockrell Butterfly Center in Houston, I was ecstatic! This place is an indoor, human made, greenhouse/rainforest in which they release thousands of butterflies! Khayla had her heart set on a few butterflies landing on her and really making this moment magical. We envisioned in our mind a Disney princesses surrounded by all of the adoring animals. Unfortunately, we went almost the whole session without any butterflies landing on her.

Finally, as we were walking out the door, two butterflies landed on her at the same time! One landed on her wedding dress, and one landed right on top of her head. It looked like an old timey hat! She was actually so startled by the one on her head when it landed, she accidentally smacked it with her hand. Amazingly, it didn’t even care. It was so enamored by her, it stayed on her head until we were ready to leave. We actually had to shoo it away!

These butterfly bridals did have a touch of morbid horror to them though….We were about halfway through the session when we considered that we might never have that magical butterfly-landing moment Khayla dreamed of. That’s when we saw one of the museum workers holding a beautiful dead butterfly in her hands. She was showing it off to the other guests. Someone had found the poor thing dead on the ground, a few feet away in the flowers.

We asked the worker if we could use it for a few photos, and she was happy to oblige! We gently placed the butterfly’s body on Khayla and her bouquet for some photos. It’s wings were so vibrant, you would never know it wasn’t alive. Although I felt sad for this poor butterfly’s passing, it made for some beautiful posed bridal photos we probably wouldn’t have been able to get otherwise. When we were done, we handed it back to the museum worker to be observed and displayed elsewhere in the museum.

Khayla, you absoultely looked like a princess during your butterfly bridals (although you don’t need me to tell you that, do you remember everyone who stopped us to get a picture with you?!) Somehow, you were able to take an already amazing moment, and truly take it to Disney magic levels. There’s no one who deserves this princess moment more than you do, and I’m so happy you’ve found an amazing Prince for yourself in Connor! I hope you both love these photos as much as I do!

PS. If any readers missed reading about Connor’s proposal to Khayla, it’s an adorable story! Go check it out!

Vendors

Photographer: Savvy Leigh | Venue: Cockrell Butterfly Center | Dress: Disney Collection from Alfred Angelo