my favorite part of a wedding day: father/daughter dance
my favorite part of a wedding day: father/daughter dance

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OK. It’s time again for that killer blog series: My Favorite Part of A Wedding.

One of the reasons I love shooting weddings so much is because of all the relationships involved. The longer you have known those people, the deeper the interactions with them will be on your wedding day. That’s part of why I am a sucker for the Father-Daughter dance. I know, I know. Typically, the bride and groom sharing their FIRST dance together as husband and wife is supposed to be the headliner. But let me tell you a little secret: that’s not the dance to watch.

A bride & groom’s first dance is just more of what you’ve already seen that day. It’s two people giddy, in love, and just smiling at each other because their happily ever after is just getting started. That’s great. Sunshine, rainbows, unicorns, everybody loves it. But, a good Father-Daughter dance is so much more. It’s 25 years of living and raising a human. There is so much going on just below the surface. I love seeing how they unfold. Sometimes they are full of laughter, and memories, and chatter. Sometimes they are planned out choreography and even though it’s a struggle, you know they had so much fun practicing. And every now and then, you get the full on melt down. Two people just laughing and crying for 3 minutes while they take in what the last quarter of a century was like.

Here are a few of my favorites:


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So next time you go to a wedding, don’t just walk over to the punch bowl when they call for the Bride & her Father to share a “special dance.”

Stop what you are doing.
Soak it in.
Be present.

It’s not just 3 minutes of swaying to “I Loved Her First.”

It’s softball practices, and dance recitals, and driving lessons, and prom dresses, and butterfly kisses, and coke dates, and science projects, and Disney movies, and painted toes, and boyfriend breakups, and fishing trips, and tea parties.
It’s knowing that it will never be like it was.

And starting to be OK with that.

But, it’s also knowing that it will never be like it was.

And getting excited about that.

Oh, one last thing about Father-Daughter dances… sometimes they don’t have to be a dance at all.  Because as dads, all we really want, is one last moment with our little girl.

Because you enjoyed this, I know you’ll want to see more in this series. Click here for more words and pretty pictures.

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It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s like rain on your wedding day

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The best part of my job is the people. I have the greatest couples, and documenting their story is the best because it’s unfolding along the way. Parts of it are already there, but much of it happens “live” and in the moment. This is especially true of wedding days. And, as far as wedding days are concerned, JoDee & Mike had an amazing one.
You may remember them from their super great cooking themed engagement session. (Mike is the Sous chef at Lucia. If you are in the Dallas area, you should go eat his food.)

 

These two decided to get married at the Inn at BK Ranch just outside of Palestine, TX. It’s a gorgeous location and perfect for a weekend of wedding fun and goodness.

 

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Check out all the wedding pretty.  Doesn’t it all just look amazing?  Every detail has been thought through and planned out.
Enjoy it while you can…. SPOILER ALERT: Not for long.

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When I first encountered JoDee on her big day, she was doing what every sensible bride does on a Sunday: picking the winner of NFL games.
(Her mother and sister were also making their picks with input from JoDee’s Grandmother.)

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Speaking of her Grandmother: JoDee wore her earrings because she is super sweet like that.  And TOMS because she is super sensible like that.

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I adore the faces brides make when they are getting their dress synched up in the back.  Always the best.

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Some First Look magic.

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Wait… what… no bouquet?

Why no flowers JoDee?

“No particular reason besides I just find them silly. Like really. Stop and think about it. Why would anyone hold flowers… I don’t even own a purse; let’s just say I’m not a fan of carrying things about. So I opted for the flower crown.”

Works for me. :)

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So it started to drizzle at this point. So I said to JoDee, “Do we want to head inside or go ahead and knock out the wedding party photos?”
JoDee looked at me like I was a crazy person and said, “It’s just a little rain, we’ll be fine.”

629 Cool Bride Points earned.

Hey look everyone. Beautiful people, in a beautiful place, wearing beautiful clothing.

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JoDee’s dog decided picture time was over.

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About an hour before the ceremony time, it became clear that the rain was not going to pass over. I’ve seen this scenario unfold dozens of times: the will it rain/it won’t rain/please don’t rain/oh crap it’s raining dance that everyone does around the bride. As people tiptoe around the subject ,they try to ask her what to do or what she wants done on her most special day in the history of days.

This was no different. People went to JoDee to find out what she wanted to do and she started thinking through options and opinions. I found Mike and asked him if he wanted to go talk with JoDee and come up with a plan and he said, “Just do whatever she says.”

The thing is, it was not like a typical dude, just deferring to “whatever she wants; it’s her day.”

It was more like:
She is capable.
She knows what to do.
I trust her.
Well the more people asked, the more it became an issue JoDee did NOT want to deal with. So, she passed the decision back to Mike.

Then, as soon as it was in Mike’s court, he took it and ran with it. We are moving it inside. The rain is coming, so let’s get ready.

And just like that, without even realizing it, they did it.

They did one of the hardest things in marriage.

They faced a problem, tossed it around a bit, and then solved it by leaning on and trusting each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Mike COULD have made the decision all along. Yet he was wise enough to respect and love JoDee enough to let the decision be her’s. When JoDee felt the burden of it become too much, she handed it off to Mike, trusting in him to work it out.

Talking through, juggling, and working out difficult decisions are what make marriages stick. These two put on a clinic on how to do it 30 minutes before they were married.

Well, eventually the rains came. In fact, it started to pour. All their friends jumped right in and started moving tables and place settings inside and up stairs. The rain had come and it was here to stay. The outdoor wedding had become an indoor event. A soggy indoor event. But no one seemed to mind. We were all making the best of it and they were still going to get married.

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Then something interesting happened. The clouds parted. (Well, more like it stopped raining.) For a moment, we were golden. We all ran outside and decided to try and do this thing as planned.

Here comes the bride.

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Mike’s father performed the ceremony. And being a basketball official back in the day, he even surprised them with a little wardrobe change.

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Then it started raining. Again. Right in the middle of their ceremony.

Someone tried to give JoDee and umbrella, but she refused it. I later asked her why and she said, “If the guests were willing to get wet, so was I.”
821 Cool Bride points earned.

Turns out, rainy wedding days are a bit of a tradition in Mike’s family. Both Mike’s siblings had rain at their wedding. A massive storm blew through the morning of his brother’s wedding and Hurricane Ike caused a ruckus for his sister’s big day.

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Eventually the party moved inside. (Sans table linens.)
The rest of the afternoon was spent full of laughter, memories, and toasts from family. Toasts that included a signed photo from Tony Romo. (Although the signature did resemble Mike’s brother’s handwriting.)

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Also, who doesn’t love the Mug Machine?

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Fun Fact: Dude in the jacket in the lower left, split his pants bending over for the photo.

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One million thank you’s to you two for letting me share in your day.

Thanks for trusting me with it.
Thanks for braving the rain.
Thanks for showing me how marriage is supposed to work.

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My Favorite Part Of A Wedding Day: Family Photos
My Favorite Part Of A Wedding Day: Family Photos

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The day you get married is really unlike any other day of your marriage. It’s packed full of moment after moment after moment of memories. There are huge swings of emotion and sometimes the most unexpected thing will end up being the highlight of your day. I’m often asked “What’s your favorite part of a wedding?” The reality is, I don’t have just one answer for that. It really depends from wedding to wedding. I can say, that having shot over 400 weddings, a few trends have emerged and I’ve seen some patterns bubble up that I always look forward to documenting and being present for. I’ll be writing about one of these per month and I thought I would kick it off with one you might not expect.

My favorite moment of a wedding day is…. Family Photos!

That’s right, baby. I LOVE family formals. (I even wrote about how to have great formals a few years ago.) These are your people. This is your tribe. These images are so full of history and depth it’s impossible to not love them. This is your chance to laugh and cry with those who have known you the longest. It’s the time all your people look their best and these photos are the ones that will be put in frames and looked at for years and years to come. These are the images that end up on the kitchen counter, in the hallway, and above the fireplace. The thing is, sometimes in all of our planning and prepping for the day, they get overlooked. They become an item in your 76-Things-To-Do-On-Your-Wedding-Day-Checklist.

[ ] 4:30 Bridesmaid Photos
[ ] 4:45 Family Photos
[ ] 5:00 Reception

Just realize that that little block of your wedding day is one that many couples are not present for. I mean, they are there. They show up. They smile, pose, and hug. But, really, they are looking towards the next moment. The reception, the ceremony, the alcohol at the reception. :) They are not fully present and aware of how special these moments can be.

Need proof? Take a look.
This is typically what you think of when you hear family photos.  Bride with parents.  Check. :)

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But, you’ll quickly realize there is so much more happening.

 

1st family photo where all the kids are married.

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That super tender moment you have with your dad.

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A mother who has raised 4 boys into grown men.

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Sometimes things get a bit more fun.
Example: A photo of what this family typically looks like. ;)

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Siblings are the best!

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Sometimes the photos are not even about you.
That moment when a grandkid spits up on your grandparents.

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I LOVE to pull the bride or grooms brother/sister and their family aside.  It typically takes about 30 seconds and BAM!  They get a new photo to hang on their wall.

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How about one of your parents. Who NEVER get dressed up. Who NEVER get photographed. Here they are, looking good and in love.

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Or how about that picture with your grandparents who have been married 57 years and you have not even been married 57 minutes?

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Let’s fast forward to 2020.

 

Six years from now when you go home for Christmas and you have a three your old little girl, she will be at PaPa & NaNa’s house looking at the tree. She will stare at all the gifts under it and then she’ll notice a photo hanging on the wall of her mom in a white dress. She will look at it for a while, then she will ask her NaNa about the photo. And then your mother will tell her all about how beautiful her mother was on her wedding and how wonderful the day was.

 

And THAT moment, in the future, will be magic. And it will all be possible because you took a few moments on your wedding day to be photographed with the people who love you the most.
Because you enjoyed this, I know you’ll want to see more in this series. Click here for more words and pretty pictures.

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10 Amazing Places to Get Married In East Texas
10 Amazing Places to Get Married In East Texas

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One of the best things about weddings here in the East Texas area is just how many great venues there are for brides to choose from.  Most of these places were build from the ground up with weddings in mind.  They have plenty of rooms to get ready in, multiple locations for you to have your ceremony and reception and some even offer a place for you to stay the night.  Many will offer catering and provide you with packages that include a few other wedding vendors as well.  A good wedding venue is totally worth the money once you factor in all these things.  Here are the 10 best East Texas wedding venues. (In alphabetical order.)

 

The Arbor
2215 Roy Rd.
Tyler, TX
903-534-4997
www.arborvenue.com

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The Belgium House
Longview, TX
903-720-6414
www.thebelgiumhouse.com

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Bella Sera Ranch
286 ACR 1400
Palestine, TX
903-723-0900
www.bellaseraranch.com

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Castle on the Lake
9110 US Hwy. 79 W.
Jacksonville, TX
903-721-3593
www.jacksonvillecastle.com

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Elmwood Gardens
680 ACR 446
Palestine, TX
903-549-2716
www.elmwoodgardens.com

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Lake Tyler Petroleum Club
15898 Eastside Dr.
Tyler, TX
903-566-4444
www.laketylerpetroleumclub.com

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The Legacy
Jacksonville, TX
903-571-9644
www.thelegacy-venue.com

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The Reserve
7725 Hwy. 259
Longview, TX
903-431-3496
www.bookthereserve.com

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Stone Oak Ranch
Murchison, TX
903-530-4201
www.stoneoakranch.com

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Villa di Felicitá
7891 Hwy. 110
Tyler, TX
903-597-0002
villadifelicita.com

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Bella Sera Ranch | Wedding Chapel Palestine, TX
Bella Sera Ranch | Wedding Chapel Palestine, TX

One of the easiest ways to make your wedding day a bit less stressful is by choosing to have your ceremony at a wedding venue.  These places are built to and designed with your wedding in mind.  I was super pumped when I heard a new one was popping up near me here in Palestine and a week or so ago Bella Sera Ranch had their open house.  I had a wedding that day so I was not able to attend but I did stop by and kick the tires around a bit before I rolled out of town.  Here are a few images I snapped.

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I LOVE LOVE LOVE this area in the back for ceremonies.  You and your wedding party will LOVE LOVE LOVE the giant shade the tree and porch provide. :)
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This is a view of the back porch.
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Bridal room.
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Check out this huge reception hall.
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Check out the cool vintage buttons.  (25 cool points for Barbra and the gang.)
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Also if outdoor ceremonies are not your thing, or if rain is not your thing, they have this great chapel on site.  It totally reminds me of the chapel in Runaway Bride.  In a good way. :)
undefinedundefinedundefined Well, there you have it.  A mini tour.  Now I just need a bride to book me to shoot her wedding there. :)  Lets get to it ladies.  Operators are standing by.  903.480.4011. :)  But, before you call me you’ll want to call them and see if they are available as well.

Bella Sera Ranch
http://www.bellaseraranch.com
903.723.0900

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