Wedding Album Photography | Aggie Style
Wedding Album Photography | Aggie Style

So, I’m sure most of you will remember Kim and Josh from their amazing wedding at the Villa di Felicita a few months ago. I had a bit of fun with her album before I shipped it to her and when she received it, she returned the favor and sent in pictures! Any other brides out there who think you can top Kim taking her album tailgating feel free to send in some photos and I’ll show them off as well.

aggie photography tyler tx

aggie photography tyler tx

aggie photography tyler tx
aggie photography tyler tx

aggie photography tyler tx

aggie photography tyler tx

(Let’s hope someone remembers to cover the album’s eyes before the Oklahoma State game tomorrow.)

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What We’ve Been Up To…
What We’ve Been Up To…

It’s been a while since I posted family photos, so what better time than today. :) These next two images were done by my friend and rock star photographer Matt Hogan. He shoots lots of bands, models, and sometimes the occasional MMA fighter. That pretty much covers the gamut of my family so he seemed like a great fit.

photography tyler tx

photography tyler tx

Most of you know this, but we homeschool out kids. (by “we” I mean Danielle) Anyway, she has managed to teach Jo how to read and do 2 digit addition and subtraction and Sara is pretty close to having her whole alphabet down. I am amazed at how great she is at teaching them and she could not image doing anything else. She’s an incredible mom and the kids are super lucky to have her.

photography tyler tx

Jo is slowly turning “cool”. The only way I could convince him to model for me when the carnival came to town was to promise him he could just play on his iPhone AND I had to give him 5 bucks.

photography tyler tx

Luke has discovered the art of dressing up.

photography tyler tx

We have also decided that 4 kids is probably it for us. I mean, come on, it would just be rude for a kid to not have their own swing right?

photography tyler tx

And what about Sara? Well, Sara is proving to me that girls spend WAY too much time thinking about their wedding.
(I’m already trying to talk her into having a First Look.)

 

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Wedding Photography Tips: First Look Part 4
Wedding Photography Tips: First Look Part 4

Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4 )

As we finish up First Look week here on the blog I thought it would be great to get some feedback from some recently married guys and see what they thought about the whole First Look process.  First off, here they are, don’t they look good?  (You ladies who are married to these men should post a comment about how great your husbands are for filling out my little survey.)

wedding photography tyler tx

An opinion from a man about a wedding? Really? Ladies, you should jump all over this.

OK, in all seriousness, when considering doing a First Look, the first person you should talk to about this is your fiance’. Not your mom, not your planner, not even your photographer. I know that often times guys will just give the standard “whatever” answer to some of your wedding questions. The fact is, we are sometimes pretty clueless. When you say wedding tulle, we grab a hammer. The last time we thought about flowers was when our mom made us get one for a high school homecoming game, and if you ask us about what time we want to do the getaway, we’ll say “as soon as humbly possible.” (you can probably figure that one out.)

However, this does not mean that we necessarily want to be absent from the planning process. Just because it’s confusing, does not mean we want to be left out. Certain guys will be more into specific decisions. Your groom may really care about what car you leave in, someone else might care about the color of the tuxes, but one thing EVERY groom wants is to not be stressed out and to spend time with his bride on the wedding day.

So, how can we make that happen? I’m so glad you asked. :)

The one thing I hear grooms say over and over is how glad they are they choose to see their bride before the ceremony. It calms everyones nerves, makes the photography process something they enjoy, rather than something they are exhausted for.  And, it gives you two quality time alone on a day when hundreds of people are pulling you in every direction.

wedding photography tyler tx

wedding photography tyler tx

wedding photography tyler tx

wedding photography tyler tx
Did you catch the theme there girls? He WANTS to see you on your wedding day! He wants to spend time with you, hold you, and he wants to do it in a “safe” environment; one without strangers, your mom, or even his groomsmen staring at him. If you have ever seen wedding photos where the groom looks scared to death, it’s because he is. He’s not scared of getting married. He’s scared of saying the wrong thing, stepping on your dress, or what his college roommate would yell if he leaned over to whisper something sweet in your ear.

Since this is about the guys, why don’t we use a football analogy. :) Think of your First Look as “halftime”. It’s super romantic, I know. Stay with me. The first half of your day is the first half of the game. You are each figuring out the day, the flow of the day / game, it’s basically a free for all. Having a First Look is like a time to stop, slow down, and catch your breath. Then you guys go out TOGETHER and take on the rest of the day. Suddenly everything is a bit easier. You have each other to help stay relaxed, you both know what’s happening and where to go. It’s almost like the wedding becomes “real” at that point.

Way back in 2002 when I was married, I WISH someone had told me about First Looks. I remember hanging out with my groomsmen, and I remember bits and pieces of the ceremony and reception, but as far as Danielle coming down the aisle or quiet moments together…. I don’t have any memories of those. The first time we were alone and I had a chance to talk with Danielle was as we were driving away. Now, our wedding and marriage has not been ruined because of that, but would I go back and change that aspect about our day? ABSOLUTELY!

Before we finish up, here a a few more thoughts from the guys.

What were you thinking as she walked down the aisle?:
“Holy bajeezes, our wedding day is finally here. We are totally getting married! SWEET!” – Brent

“Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out. It’s game time.” – Jacob

“When is my forhead going to stop swetting and man my feet are getting tired of standing. (I need a Drink!!)” – Steven

“I could say all the “right” things like “how beautiful she looked” or ” how in love I was with her” and I was thinking those things; but a ton of my focus was on trying not to cry.” – Jonathan

If your First Look had cost you Monday Night Football for one season would you still do it?
“There is no way I would have traded that first look for anything, especially Monday Night Football. If it had been the Stanley Cup Finals though, I might have thought about it because lets face it, Hockey is a real mans sport.” – Brent

“For me, yes. Unless the Cowboys are playing every Monday night.” – Jacob

“I think either way I have DVR so I’ll still get all my favorite games on time so definitely would still do it.” – Tong

“Questionable but as long as I still get Duck season we might be ok.” – Steven

“Will Davi ever see these answers? j/k……..of course I would. It was honestly one of my favorite moments of that day.” – Jonathan

Like I said earlier in this series. Learn from others about how to make your wedding day the best it can be. Here is a bit of homework. Find 5 friends who were married without doing a First Look and ask them about the alone time they shared with their spouse at the wedding, then try it with a few First Look couples. I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to tell a difference.

Trust me when I say this, although weddings are often portrayed to a slow motion song with birds chirping quietly in the background, that sometimes is not the case. Sometimes they turn into hair appointments taking longer than expected, missing jackets that have to be picked up, and running from table to table to greet your anxious guests. Having a First Look ensures that no matter what your day is like the two of you will share some quiet moments together and soak in just how incredible your love story is.

Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4 )

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