Our Story
In 2013, shortly after beginning a career in photography; I was enamored with the idea of having my own creative space. Fast forward to the fall of 2016; I had just returned to the area after living in Corpus and my parents informed me of their decision to move further out into the country and put their home (my childhood home) on the market. I hated the thought of losing the property as I was still very attached to the house and the memories I created there. Jeremy and I decided to take a chance and renovate the home into a photography studio as I was transitioning out of photographing weddings. I knew there was nothing like this in our area and hoped to create a space where other creatives would have an opportunity to further their talents. We have now expanded to host intimate events and workshops and I am forever grateful for the support the city has shown us.
Our Name
A lot of thought went into naming our space and years later I am so happy with the decision we made. Our name is special to me as it represents a small piece of both Jeremy and I. I truly enjoy nature and loved growing up on this little plot of land that is surrounded by gorgeous towering trees. I knew that was definitely something I wanted to convey with our name. The name of our street is also "Pin Oak" which I thought was perfect to tie into, so I decided Oak would be a lovely fit. Jeremy was born and raised in France and we thought it would be sentimental and unique to use "Atelier," which is French for Studio. The word also conveyed the elegance and old world sophistication that I wanted the studio to embody. Thus "The Oak Atelier" was born!
Our Team
Melissa
Leighanne
Jeremy
Studio manager
owner
owner
I have a deep love for design, am a textbook introvert and adore my 2 rescue dogs. I started pursuing photography when I was 18 and became very well acquainted with the wedding industry. Transitioning into venue ownership has been a dream come true and I absolutely love being able to channel creative expression into making this space a place where other creatives can thrive.
Melissa is genuinely one of the friendliest people you will ever meet. She makes you feel at home and goes above and beyond to make sure your time at the studio is exceptional. She enjoys spending time with her family and traveling. We could not ask for a better manager and are so thankful to have her on our team.
Jeremy is truly my other half and the one that brings all of my ideas to life. Thankfully he is very passionate about carpentry/woodworking. He is also a very talented artist and enjoys playing disc golf and soccer in what (little) spare time he has.
Our Path
Approaching our 5 year anniversary and I can't wait for everything we have in store!
Acquired my childhood home and began renovations
2023
2016
2013
2018
Opened in the Fall of 2018
Envisioned the concept for the space
