Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace and Nate Ballmann.
Grace and Nate, please share your story with us.
My interest in photography started when I got my first digital camera from a pawn shop. I was 14 at the time and I thought my new 3.1-megapixel digital camera was the best camera out there. I recruited our cats and dogs as my first models. I’m almost certain the cats loved being placed on the top of fence post while I tried to get that perfect shot! After graduating high school, I pursued an education in paramedicine. After completing this schooling, I started working on the ambulance for a local EMS company. It was a fun and exciting experience and I loved every minute of it. Though, I always had a desire to continue my pursuit of photography. I invested in a newer digital SLR camera and started teaching myself on my days off. Continually improving my skills by taking pictures of friends and family. I remember the first wedding I was paid to photograph. I hired my best friend and a second shooter to assist me. I was SO nervous. But afterward, I remember thinking to myself “wow that was exhilarating! This would make for an incredibly fun full-time job someday. I wonder if I could ever make that happen?”.
I continued to run a side business in photography until I met the woman of my dreams. She was a photographer as well and we had scarily similar passions and goals! I again thought to myself. “What if I marry this girl someday and we actually photograph weddings together full time as a husband and wife team. That would be the craziest and coolest thing ever!” Little did I know, that just over a year later, that would be a reality and a dream come true.
Grace’s Story
I was 13 years old when I picked up a digital SLR camera for the first time. My mom had just recently bought it and was moving from film to digital. The second I took my first picture, I was hooked! I would wake up, go outside and take pictures of anything and everything. I had met a young photographer in the area and she would let me hold her bags and learn from her on photo shoots. The first wedding I second shot with her was one of the most exciting and fun experiences in my life. I knew exactly what I wanted to do from that point on. I saved up my money and bought my very own digital camera at 15 years old and started charging a little bit here and there for family shoots, senior shoots, and baby shoots. It was when I was 17 that booked my first wedding for $500. I couldn’t believe my dream was coming true! Once I finished high school, I was at a crossroads. College was something that was expected because that was what everyone did. You graduate high school and then go to college. But I had never felt that calling. My heart and passion were set on being a wedding photographer. So, at 19 years old, I decided to go for it and start a wedding and portrait photography business. Little did I know, that’s what would lead me to meet my husband and business partner, Nathan Ballmann.
Our Story
It was a warm summer evening when we said our “I do’s” in the Texas hill country. Now, that we were husband and wife we made it our mission to turn the photography business into a full-time job for both of us. Nate was working full-time job during the week as Grace was building the business as much as she could. Nate would shoot with her on the weekends as much as he could. But we knew if we were going to make this business a full-time job for both of us, a leap of faith needed to happen. So! In 2016, Nate went full time with the photography business. It was a crazy, nerve-wracking and thrilling time in our lives. We completely rebranded our business to better reflect our value to our couples. We highly value marriage and have been so blessed by this amazing relationship we have. We get so excited when others decide to join the married club! We also value genuine and personal relationships. This is why we personally meet with each of our couples before they even book us. We love getting to know who they are as a couple and creating a new friendship. We even love to keep in contact with them after the wedding! We use our creative talent to tell the story of our couple’s wedding day with natural light, candid moments and a proven, organized system. We are truly honored to document those big, small and incredibly special moments that will forever remind them of the commitment they made to each other.
Has it been a smooth road?
A smooth road to a successful business is unheard of. There have been many ups and downs getting to where we are now. Two major things we struggled with in building Nate and Grace Photography. The first being that Grace had built her clientele in San Antonio, TX since that’s where she lived before we married. It was a hard first year trying to build and re-establish the business in the DFW area. But by reaching out and building relationships with others in our industry, we have been blessed with a thriving business. The second struggle was making the decision for Nate to go full time with the business. It was very challenging for many months not having that consistent income. Not knowing if we were going to be able to make our next month’s bills. But we kept pushing forward. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see that hard work and dedication pay off.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We specialize in wedding photography and the photographs that surround that big day, such as engagement and bridal sessions. We also LOVE anniversary sessions. Whether that be your 1st year anniversary or your 50th. Can you tell that we love marriage yet? A couple times a year, we will also offer family mini sessions. The compliments we most often hear from our couples are “Nate and Grace are fun and easy going” “Nate and Grace made us feel so relaxed and we actually had fun on our photo shoot” “Nate and Grace are efficient and organized throughout the entire wedding planning process” “Nate and Grace take such beautiful, creative and candid images”
We pride ourselves firstly on being real and genuine with our couples and not just being “another vendor”. We are often complemented by our couples on how much they love the dynamic we bring to their wedding, since we are married and understand what it’s like to go through the whole wedding process ourselves. They also love that they are getting two professional photographers instead of just a photographer and an assistant photographer. And two photographs who know how to communicate with each other really well!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
The DFW area has a booming economy! There will be a continual rise in demand for all types of businesses in this area. Dallas has definitely played a major roll in the success of our business and we would love to continue operating our business in this area. For someone that is looking to start a new small business in the Dallas area. The opportunity is there, all you have to do is go for it. There are thousands of people waiting for you to offer them something of value. There has never been a better time to start your own business in the history of America as there is now. Make a plan, act on that plan and if you fail, start over until you succeed.
Pricing:
- Wedding Collections Start at $3,500
- Engagement Session $400
- Anniversary Session (Includes Album) $700
Contact Info:
- Website: nateandgrace.com
- Phone: 210-296-6212
- Email: hello@nateandgrace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nateandgracephotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nateandgracephoto/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeKfTTaeAkZdyK4gaTLJRHQ
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
