Citywide

Sometimes only a live band will do. And sometimes that live band must be a thirteen-piece, three-horn band that can keep the energy up all night long. Emerald City’s repertoire is varied enough to appeal to everyone on the guest list, however the band is always happy to adapt the playlist to your specifications. Primarily located in Dallas, these guys are in high demand year-round, so book well in advance for weddings.

Kyle Branch is a young Dallas multihyphenate splitting his time between working at TenOverSix and creating unusual, retro-looking flower arrangements at Peaches.

Steven Visneau developed an appetite for photography as a child, habitually thumbing through his mother’s magazine collection. After a stint as a touring musician, Visneau purchased an old Nikon camera from a friend, started shooting, and never looked back. The photographer is comfortable capturing every situation—portraits, lifestyle shots, fashion editorial, you name it. But it’s Visneau’s images of the Texas Ballet Theater that are some of the most beautiful we’ve seen.

Steven Karlisch has been shooting weddings for close to twenty years. A childhood spent traveling with a photography-loving father piqued his interest, but it was only after a year studying architecture in college that Karlisch changed majors. While his wife was moonlighting as a photographer for a small wedding company, Karlisch decided to become a wedding photographer, and their photo studio flourished from there. His specialty is timeless, classic photography and the emotion behind the first look or the speeches. And he always tries to incorporate an architectural component, which lends dimension to his work. Karlisch is available to shoot both local and destination weddings.

Cherry is an on-demand platform that offers classic and gel manicures and pedicures throughout Dallas. It’s the brainchild of time-short Texans, Bumble’s Whitney Wolfe Herd and rewardStyle’s Amber Venz Box, both of whom craved the convenience of an at-home manicure. Services are waterless, and technicians come armed with ten popular Essie shades, though you’re welcome to provide your own. (Basic treatments start at $15.) Everything, from the choice of service to the location and tip, is handled through Cherry’s user-friendly app.

DJ Jason has had a long career playing music; he’s been DJ'ing for more than 15 years, including playing on several radio shows and a long-time residency at Whisky Bar in Dallas. Couples say he’s particularly adept at reading the room—while he thoroughly questions the bride and groom on their tastes and vision before the event, he’ll never use a pre-made track. P.S. When drunk guests request the Wobble, he’s always in your corner.

Photography is much more than a weekend hobby for Preston Smith; when he’s not shooting weddings and engagement photos, he’s shooting editorial work for clients like Reebok and RVCA. For weddings, he works with his wife, Heather, to capture every special moment—he has an uncanny knack for hidden candids, like facial expressions at key moments, or intimate hugs between guests when they least suspect to be photographed. Importantly, his turnaround is astonishingly fast; you’re likely to have photos back before the honeymoon’s over.

Adria Lea and her husband Colt handle weddings as a team, so your photographer can (literally) be in two places at once—for example, the bridesmaids and groomsmen can both be photographed getting ready without any rushing back and forth. More than that, Adria’s a genius with natural light, so you won't catch her carting around too much equipment. Clients also love that that there’s very minimal photo-shopping involved in the entire process.

Amy Karp’s photography business is a family operation—Amy takes the photos, and her husband, Jon, handles the business side behind the scenes (though he does take some gorgeous photos of his own, too). What the clients get is the feel of a small one-man show with the professionalism and speed of a larger outfit. Side note: Amy’s side passion is underwater photography, should the occasion ever call for it.

A Sea of Love, a small team of photographers helmed by Morgan Chidsey, comes highly recommended for stunning photos that feel natural and easy. Morgan skips expected posing in favor of capturing intimate moments—the only time she’ll art-direct is when it comes to picking a romantic, gorgeously-lit setting.