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My story starts when I was in the classroom teaching elementary music. I bought my first camera, and photography was just a hobby. I spent my weekends going to parks to photograph anything and everything. 

Then, someone asked me, "Have you ever considered photographing people?" My answer - "Oh, I don't do that. I'm a nature photographer." Oh how naive I was! I soon found myself on the beach photographing a friend and loving every minute of it! Soon, people started asking me to photograph them, and I was shocked!

A year later, I photographed my first wedding, and I was hooked.  

Hi! I'm Joanna, your wedding photographer. 

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Before I knew it, I was running a thriving business, guest speaking at workshops and educating other photographers. 

I am incredibly passionate about wedding photography. I treat every wedding as if it were my own. I get excited over the little things...like when the wind catches your veil or when the light is peeking through the trees just right. 

Michael and I have been photographing weddings together for over ten years. We have been nationally published in Southern Bride Magazine, Weddings in Houston Magazine, Bride of Houston Magazine, Wed Society Magazine as well as in several online features such as Brides Magazine. 

While we're photographing weddings, we often hear something said during the ceremony that makes us reflect on our own marriage. Photographing weddings together has not only been a passion, but it has strengthened our own marriage! 

MEET OUR FAMILY

JOANNA

michael

james

The lead photographer, editor, blogger, emailer, mama and lover of online shopping.

The second shooter, professional dress hanger, gear carrier, veil tosser, filer of taxes and chai tea drinker. 

Our four year old boy who loves watermelon, cars, trains, watching cat videos and the color red. 

THE FACTS

how tall is michael?

6 foot 4 inches

Joanna: 9
Michael: 1

our favorite shows:

seinfeld & stargate

enneagram numbers:

our favorite restaurant:

gringo's tex-mex

who said "I love you" first:

joanna

currently on repeat:

Coldplay

THIS or THAT

eat in

eat out

coffee

tea

book

movie

mountains

beach

night owl

early riser

vanilla

chocolate

Joanna

THIS or THAT

eat in

eat out

coffee

tea

book

movie

mountains

beach

night owl

early riser

vanilla

chocolate

Michael

"Joanna and Michael went above and beyond on our wedding day!"

Micah + Joel

12

Years of
marriage

100+

Weddings photographed together

23

countries stamped in our passports

6

diy renovations in our house 

3

times I've been to Paris

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

A look back on the past decade

WE MET IN JANUARY AND GOT ENGAGED IN DECEMBER

2011

WE WERE MARRIED ON JULY 28, 2012 UNDERNEATH A 100 YEAR OLD OAK TREE

2012

i photographed my first wedding

2013

i quit my elementary music teaching job and went full time in my photography business

2015

we were published in weddings in houston magazine

2017

humble beginnings!

see, dreams do come true! crazy, huh?

we were published in southern bride magazine

2018

our son, James, was born on February 24, 2020, just a couple weeks before we all went into quarantine

2020

what a year!

we were published in brides of houston magazine

2022

2023

we were published in
Wed Society Magazine

MY FAVORITE THINGS

1

Sweet or unsweet

Iced Tea

2

watching it rain at home

thunderstorms 

3

loft, j.crew, & old navy

shopping

4

IT'S MY LOVE LANGUAGE.

ORGANIZING

5

i do it everyday

Yoga

6

IT'S MY FAVORITE DESSERT

BANANA PUDDING

7

around the pond with my family

going on walks

8

to europe or on a cruise

traveling

 CHRONICLES

THE KRUEGER

HOW WE MET

Michael and I met in January of 2011. We both have degrees in music education and originally started our careers as music teachers. We met while I was interning at the school where he was currently teaching! I chose to intern at Clear Lake Intermediate purely because my sister was already teaching there. I thought it would be so fun to eat lunch together! Michael was the very first person I met when I walked into the band hall, and we spent the next two months talking and developing a friendship. Let's just say, I didn't eat lunch with my sister as much as I thought I would!

On my very last day, Michael asked me out. I actually almost said no! But something inside me told me to say "yes", and we went out for pizza a few days later! On our first date, we sat and talked for hours. We were there until the restaurant closed! That's when I knew he was special. And a few dates later, when he kissed me for the first time, I knew he was the one. 

01

THE PROPOSAL

02

In December of 2011, Michael and I went to Washington D.C. on a road trip. We did some sightseeing around the city and toured the Smithsonian! Later that night, he spent almost an hour searching the internet for the best restaurant in Washington D.C. for dinner. I was clueless and figured he just wanted to splurge on a nice date night in D.C! Michael found a place called the 1789 Restaurant which was an old colonial house that had been turned into a restaurant!

We checked our coats, order dinner and I thought nothing of it. He excused himself to the restroom, and unbeknownst to me, he was asking the person who checked our coats to take my camera and snap a few photos while he proposed. He came back to the table with the coat check person and got down on one knee. I was not expecting it at all! It was such a sweet moment and one I'll never forget! 

THE WEDDING

03

We got married on July 28, 2012 at Oak Tree Manor. Photography was one of the most important things to me in our wedding planning. Two of my best friends from high school ended up getting married and started their own photography business, and I just drooled over their work. I knew before we were engaged that I wanted them to be our wedding photographers. We chose our wedding date based on their availability, and I was elated when we booked them! 

Our venue was an old bed and breakfast house with a massive, 100 year old oak tree underneath which we got married. It may have been 94 degrees on our wedding day, but the pictures are amazing! We shared a first look before it was really a thing, and it was my favorite part of the day. I was so nervous before seeing Michael that I was literally shaking! Getting to see him calmed my nerves so much, and I still cried like a baby walking down the aisle. Michael's dad officiated our ceremony, and I never stopped smiling all day!

04

THE HONEYMOON

We went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon! We traveled to the Manuel Antonio rainforest where we saw monkeys and sloths galore, and then we went to the Arenal Volcano area where we stayed at the world renowned Nayara Hotel. 

The second day of our honeymoon, we went on an "Adventure Tour". It consisted of horseback riding, a jeep ride through the rain forest, zip lining into waterfalls, rappelling down trees, a tarzan swing, and carabiner hiking. We thought it would be so much fun! Right after the horseback ride, we were hiking over a creek and Michael slipped and fell onto the rocks. He hit his tailbone so hard that he almost blacked out! Needless to say, he was incredibly sore the entire week! And the bumpy, 5 hour ride a couple days later to the Arenal Volcano on a bus with no shocks didn't help. Poor Michael!

Pro tip: Don't plan a crazy, full day adventure tour two days after your wedding. 

05

MARRIED LIFE

Right after we got back from our honeymoon, we packed up and moved across the country to Michigan. Michael was in the middle of getting his masters degree at the University of Michigan, so after the wedding, I moved up there with him! We lived there during our first year of marriage. 

We have been married for 11 years! It really does go by so fast! Before Michael met me, he had never been out of the country. He didn't even have a passport! We have been so blessed to have traveled the world together. So far, we have been to 23 countries together! Some of our favorite destinations have been Austria, France and Japan. 

In 2015, we bought our first house! I will never forget when we got the keys. Michael set out our welcome mat, hung up the front door wreath and carried me across the threshold. It was the sweetest thing and totally made me cry. Since moving in, we have completely renovated our master bathroom and four other spaces in our home!

06

PARENTHOOD

We had been married for five years when we decided to start a family. What we didn't know, is how long it would take for that dream to become a reality. It took us two years before we finally got pregnant. I broke down in tears when we got the positive test result. 

James was born on February 24, 2020! After 26 hours of labor without an epidural, my dream of becoming a mother came true. I never knew just how incredible being a mother would be until we had James. He has brought so much joy into our lives that I cannot even remember what our life was like before him! He is the happiest little boy and has a big fan club on Instagram! He has changed our lives and has reminded us of what is really important in life. 

Running a full-time business with a toddler is definitely challenging! But our home is filled with silliness and laughter, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Did we just become best friends?

INQUIRE

Copyright 2024 Joanna Krueger

WWW.joannakrueger.com

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joanna krueger photography

Wedding photographer in Houston, Texas serving the greater Houston area and beyond.