Two Sisters, Six Daughters, One Photographer
For a decade, John Cain Photography has had the honor of being part of one family’s biggest days, not once, not twice, but six times over. Sisters Pam Brawner and Karen Clarke each brought their three daughters through our doors, trusting us with six weddings across two families who have become part of our own story.
We sat down with Mrs. Brawner and Mrs. Clarke in our newly renovated studio, dust and all, to talk about the weddings, the traditions that carried through each one, and what it has meant to have John Cain Photography along for the journey every time.
How It All Began
The first wedding with our team was Katie’s, Mrs. Brawner’s oldest daughter. Neither sister could remember exactly how they found us, but they knew Katie led the charge.
“I called Katie and said, how did we find John? She said, remember, he was a Highland Park boy. And after we met you, you were so friendly and organized.”
John graduated from Highland Park two years before Katie did, and he was already building his career. Katie knew exactly what she wanted for her wedding.
“Katie wanted young and fun. She told me, I want something different from all of my friends’ weddings. You were a breath of fresh air.”
Mrs. Clarke, who was there as Katie’s aunt, remembers that first wedding day vividly.
“It had just rained, and there were puddles all down the walk, and you were trying to clean them up and help them on the stairs. You were so young.”
What Sold Them
For Mrs. Brawner, one image made the decision.
“It was in your magazine, the spread from Katie’s wedding with all twenty bridesmaids standing in front of those azaleas. When I asked my daughter which photo she thought hooked me, she said, oh yeah, that was the best one.”
It was more than a single photograph, though. The sisters also looked at photographers with bigger national reputations.
“We heard about other photographers who were more nationally known, and they were intriguing. But when you looked at their work, it was no different. In my eyes, there’s no comparison.”
In the end, it came down to the team.
“Your personality sold you. You were so nice, so friendly, and so organized. From top to bottom, no other photographer has it together like that.”
A Tradition Six Weddings in the Making
Mrs. Brawner’s daughters are Katie, Sarah, and Meg. Mrs. Clarke’s daughters are Caroline, Ainsley, and Elizabeth. All six chose the John Cain team for their weddings.
Mrs. Clarke’s youngest, Elizabeth, is the most type A of the bunch, and she noticed the difference right away. Mrs. Clarke says the whole family did.
“Out of all the vendors, you were the most organized from the very beginning. The minute we expressed interest, we got a phone call. It was friendly from the start, with no pressure. You were the first vendor we signed.”
How much did it matter?
“If you had been booked, we would have changed the wedding date. I’m not kidding!”
Over the years, we got to know the whole family, and they got to know us.
“You knew all of our names, all of our husbands’ names, our sons-in-law, even the cousins. Y’all were our family.”
One of our favorite wedding events with this family was a horseback ride at Waldemar, a fun alternative to a traditional bridal luncheon.
“That was so much fun. We even put Matt on a horse!”
No Two Alike
Across six weddings, the goal was never to repeat. Each wedding had its own planner, its own look, and its own season, from spring weddings to a Christmas celebration.
“Each wedding was so different on purpose, so the girls didn’t feel like they were in a cookie cutter situation.”
Even when two weddings took place at the same venue, the feel was different.
“It’s hard to make the same venue look different three times, but we did it. You put it in a different light, you put up a tent, it always comes together beautifully.”
A Weekend at Waldemar
Caroline, whom Mrs. Clarke calls her “Waldemar girl,” had a wedding unlike the rest: a full weekend instead of a single evening.
“It was a lot of work and it was much harder, definitely, but I would say it was the most unique wedding we had of all six. You have your high school reunion, your college reunion, and family reunions on both sides, and everybody was sleeping in cabins. There really wasn’t anyone left out.”
The weekend format gave the mothers something they rarely get.
“At an evening wedding, as the mother of the bride, you leave and think, gosh, I didn’t get to talk to everyone, and they came into town for us. It was so nice to have a weekend with all of our people. A destination wedding is more work, but it’s definitely more fun for the guests.”
The Bond Between Sisters and Between Families
Mrs. Brawner and Mrs. Clarke grew up in Monroe, Louisiana, where weddings were big and nobody got left out.
“I had six or seven hundred people at my wedding, and so did my sister. Our church was the largest in town. You couldn’t leave anybody out. If you invited one person in a family, you invited the whole family.”
They carried that spirit into their daughters’ weddings, along with a few traditions of their own.
“We do the cake pull. That’s a Louisiana tradition. And we include our grandmother’s wedding ring. We tie it onto the bouquets, and all six of our girls did that.”
When it came to the guest lists, they didn’t hesitate.
“We wanted big weddings for our girls just because we had them. People thought we were crazy!”
With three daughters in each family, birth order has become a running joke.
“Six girls, three in each family, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. The oldest paves the way, and the youngest floats right in. Elizabeth has the best seat.”
How Weddings Have Changed
Over ten years, the sisters have watched weddings evolve. Pinterest arrived, then Instagram, and brides began pulling inspiration from everywhere.
“I feel like all these brides look at so much on the internet, and they want this spectacular, perfect wedding.”
Katie’s wedding, with its boxwood walls and framed family portraits at the entrance, landed right at the start of that shift. She knew the look she wanted: clean and simple, like the green Houston weddings she admired.
Even with all that change, two things stayed the same.
“The photographers stayed the same, and so did my taste.”
Why We Keep Coming Back
Asked what set us apart from other vendors, the sisters kept returning to the feel of the night itself.
“You didn’t stop the wedding for any of us. You got our family photos done beforehand, so the night just kept going. I can’t fully explain it, but that’s what I remember feeling so easy and seamless.”
A New Chapter for the Studio
As part of their visit, Mrs. Brawner and Mrs. Clarke got a first look at the studio’s new renovation. There was dust, there was construction noise, and there was the familiar reassurance that once it’s done, nobody remembers the mess.
The space has changed and expanded dramatically.
“You could do gymnastics back here,” one of the sisters joked.
“That’s the goal,” John replied.
Much of what this studio has become is thanks to families like theirs. Word of mouth from two sisters and six daughters has carried farther than any advertisement could.
Six Weddings and Counting
Looking back on six weddings, the sisters’ hopes for their daughters come down to one thing.
“After all the hard work and all the money, as a mother, I just hope they look back and say it was worth it. I really do think all six of the girls feel like it was the best night of their lives.”
Their favorite keepsake is the album.
“I love those books. You can open the album and remember the whole night, because you captured so much of it perfectly.”
Today, there are ten grandbabies between the two families, with another on the way. The weddings are behind them, but the family portraits will continue, and so will the friendship.
