Sarah & Thomas had a gorgeous wedding.  Beautiful.  Breathtaking.  Seriously.  Check out the pretty at North Market Venue.

True story: Sarah’s shoe bling kept snagging on her dress. So she bought some orthodontic wax and “fixed” them.

The florals from Adcock & Associates were beautiful.

They had a perfect First Look.  Filled with laughter, talking, and hugs.

These guys were surrounded by so many friends and family.

I told you this was a beautiful wedding.  Sarah even manages to eat a chicken nugget from Wendy’s with grace.

Ah that time honored tradition of the post wedding selfie.

This was by far my favorite photo of the day.

Sarah’s grandparents have been married for 59 years. When I mentioned to her and Thomas that they won’t reach that milestone till the year 2075, she closed her eyes in amazement, and Thomas wiped his brow.

Think about that. These people were married on June 14, 1957.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was president when these people started their marriage.

Sleeping Beauty was not a Disney movie.

Sputnik had not happened.

Nat King Cole was a new singer.

We had 48 states.

These two have been married since then.

Ok, on to the reception.  Lots and lots of dancing.

I LOVE chicken & waffles.  These by Maison Louisiane Catering were extra tasty.

I may have eaten 19 of them. (or 24)

I want to come back to MeMaw & Pappy.  Because the decision they made in June of 1957 is what made today so beautiful.

When they took this photo together, Sarah & Thomas had been married for exactly 15 minutes.

MeMaw & Pappy had been married for 31,180,320 minutes.

They  made a covenant and stuck with it.
They instilled that commitment in their daughter.
And now their granddaughter can look back on generations of people staying married.

That is beautiful.
That is worth cheering for.
That is worth celebrating.

One of my favorite things to do when shooting an engagement session is to make the photo relevant.  Not just for a save the date card, but relevant for your grandkids.  I love the idea of documenting a couple in their everyday life and space.  Telling a story of this very real season of life.  Not an imaginary, made-up, stylized season that you kinda feel out of place in.

Kally & Kishan love to cook and they were so generous to invite me into their home to tell this little story.
(Bentley was also very nice to me.)

While we waited for the pizza, they did what every couple does while waiting on the pizza they just made…

They went out onto the porch and drank coffee.

PIZZA TIME! Cowabunga!

One of the things I loved about these two is how expressive they both are.  Kishan is great at saying and asking just the right questions, and Kally’s facial expressions are the best.

These two met at a pharmaceutical conference while in school.  One evening, they were in a group hanging out and everybody had “paired up” and was talking to someone.  Kally was very eager to pair up with and talk to Kishan; so she made her move.

“OK. Everybody rotate!” she yelled, as she instructed people to move in the direction that would partner her up with Kishan.  It seems to have worked because here they are all these years later still partnered up.

I had them whisper the generic names of meds into each others ears.  It was both super funny and slightly uncomfortable as Kally started to enjoy the process a bit too much.

You couples at home, feel free to steal this idea.
Next time you are alone, slowly walk up behind your spouse and whisper acetaminophen.

(You can thank me later.)

Thank you guys for sharing your day (and pizza) with me.
Thank you Kally for letting Kishan wear his super cool Apple watch.
Thank you Kishan for remembering to shut the cabinet doors.

And a HUGE thank you to both of you for sitting on that bench and talking marriage with me for 10 minutes.  It was my favorite part of your session.  The fact that you guys are ALREADY actively working on your marriage fills my heart.

Because many, many years from now, no one will care that you had pizza for your engagement session or how beautiful your wedding was.

All that will be left is your marriage.

(Well, your marriage and a bottle of sildenafil citrate.)

The past 5 years our family has gone on mission/humanitarian trips overseas. The thing with going to these places is that you always go intending to help someone and the reality is that you come back changed. Little by little, year by year, OUR hearts have changed. They have grown more and more open towards others and specifically towards those less fortunate.

One of the things we decided to do this year was not spend money heading “over there” but instead look for ways to help right from where we are. We’ve found ways to serve, give, and grow our hearts without having to take a plane ride. One of the ways we are doing that this year is by partnering with Charity Water.

Charity Water is an AMAZING organization that just celebrated 10 years. Every single dollar you give goes towards clean water. Not one penny goes towards payroll, paying rent, maintaining a website, or donuts for their break room.

To understand just how important water is watch either of these videos.

If you have 2 minutes, watch this one.

If you have 20 minutes and a box of kleenex watch this one.

So today is my birthday and I am turning 39. And here is what I’m asking you to do:

I’m asking you to give.

It’s that simple. I’m asking you to give a one time donation of 39 bucks. (That’s like buying two Blu-rays.)

39 bucks gives someone clean drinking water for 1 year.

39 bucks give a woman her dignity back.

39 bucks gives a young boy a chance to go to school.

39 bucks gives a young girl her future.

All of these things and so much more happen when people have access to clean water.

It literally takes less than a minute to go online and give.

I’m convinced every single person reading this has 39 bucks they can spare.

Maybe you wait another month on that grill you’ve been eyeing.

Maybe you don’t buy those “essential” oils.

Maybe you don’t go out to eat this week.

Maybe you dip into that wedding account.
(Trust me, you can’t buy anything wedding related for 39 bucks, you ain’t gonna miss it.)

Maybe you are a college kid and your parents gave you a credit card.
Use that bad boy without even asking!!!! (I’m looking at you Beckie.)

I’m daring you to give.

I’m daring you to change a life.

I’m daring you to do the one thing this week you can look back on and be absolutely sure it was the best thing you could have done with 39 bucks.

Go give. I dare you. https://donate.charitywater.org/alexm/best-birthday-ever

Oh yeah… about those mini sessions…

Anyone who donates $150 bucks or more gets a mini session. You can’t beat that.
(Once you donate, send me a copy of your receipt and you’ll be signed up.)
Donate here: https://donate.charitywater.org/alexm/best-birthday-ever

You get amazing photos of you and your people…

5 people get clean water because you decided to get your picture taken.

Mini Session locations & dates:
Austin: October 8th
Dallas: October 15th
Tyler: October 16th

One more thing…
My beautiful bride has a birthday coming up 2 days from now. All of you people who are always telling me how amazing and how wonderful she is… this is your chance to let her know that… by donating 74 dollars.

Nothing would fill her heart more to see this campaign reach our goal of $5,000 bucks.

Give 39 bucks. Change a life. It’s that simple.

It’s always an honor when I’m asked to document someone’s wedding day.  But for some reason, when there are only 10-12 people attending… it turns into a super honor.  That’s how I felt all day long at Leah & Jordan’s Lake Tyler Petroleum Club wedding.

I LOVE this next photo.  It may be my favorite of the day.

What if you could only have 12 people sit and watch you get married?
Could you do it?
Would you want to?

There are so many misconceptions about what having a small wedding or ceremony might mean for your day.  Leah & Jordan proved that if you decide to have a small ceremony…. you can still have just as much fun. :)

You can still get your toe nail painted as your something blue.

You can still get photos laughing with your bridesmaids.

You can still have La Tee Da Flowers CRUSH your bouquet & arrangements.

You can still have your grandfather perform the ceremony with his super old manuscript.

You can still get yummy and delicious cakes from Designs by D’Anne.

You still get to walk down the aisle.

You can still have your grandmother tell your grandfather “Take a picture! Take a picture!”

You can still have a pretty great ceremony that ends with man & wife.

You can still take photos of the two of you looking gorgeous.

You can still have awkward photos of you saying “I once caught a fish this big.”

You can still get a killer ring shot on the book your grandfather has used to perform wedding ceremonies for over 50 years.

Leah & Jordan didn’t choose a smaller ceremony because they didn’t have any friends.
(They just finished med school and residency. They actually have like a billion friends.)

They didn’t choose a smaller ceremony because they don’t like people.

They didn’t choose a smaller ceremony because they could not afford a bigger one.
(Remember, they are doctors.  Wait… They just FINISHED med school.  So yeah… never mind.  Still broke.)

They chose it because it was a good fit for them.

That is the takeaway.  Plan your wedding how YOU want your day to go.  If you want 500 people to watch you get married.  Fine.  Invite 800 guests.
IF you want 12, then invite 12.

Weddings have become a circus, and I don’t think they were ever intended to be that.

So my advice to you guys is this… The next time you get in an argument over a planning detail.  Don’t ask yourself “Do we really need 12 elephants or will 6 be enough?”

That’s not the question.  The question is…

Do we want any elephants at all?

The story of Sara’s recent haircut actually starts back when she was 7. When I would take the boys outside for their haircuts, I would often ask Sara if she wanted me to buzz her’s as well. She never really went for it. (Surprise)

From time to time through the years, I would bring it up and ask her if she would shave her head for 100 bucks. Again, no. How about 500? Nope.

Fast forward to earlier this month, when it hit me. I knew what magic carrot I could dangle in front of her. Back in 2013, Sara saved up her money to go on a cruise and LOVED it. She’s been wanting to go back ever since. :)

“Sara, I’ll make you a deal: If you shave your head, I’ll take you on a cruise.”

Her eyes lit up. I had her.

She spent the next few days thinking about it. Should she do it? Would she like it? Would she regret it? Would people think she was a boy? She made a list of pros and cons which included items like “faster showers”.

We also encouraged her to talk to other people and get their advice.

After doing all this, she was pretty set on moving forward. But still was not 100%.

The last time Danielle and I talked to her the conversation went something like this:

Danielle: So what are you thinking?
Sara: I really, really want to do it but every time I think about what other people will say, I get nervous.
Danielle: (Silence)
Sara: But that’s not really a good reason not to do something. Is it?

What Sara didn’t not know is that right then and there I would have taken her on that cruise.

You see, the point was not for her to cut her hair. The point was for her to be willing to try something different. Something unconventional. Something that might make her feel left out. Think back to when you were in 11 years old. 5th grade. When all you wanted to do was NOT stand out. Danielle and I wanted to push her towards her strengths.

I know Sara is strong. I know she is fearless. I know she is a leader.

But I also know those muscles need to be stretched. They need to be worked.

I wanted her to learn at this younger age that she decides who she is. And start living it out now. It’s only hair. She is still herself.

She is not defined by a haircut.

Sara will spend the next 10 years learning and discovering who she is, but that journey should be built on the foundation of confidence in herself and her identity.

The sooner she learns and grasps that, the better off she will be.

It’s a concept we all need to learn.

You are not defined by a haircut.
You are not defined by how pretty your wedding is.
You are not defined by a job.
You are not defined by how well your kids behave.
You are not defined by your GPA.
You are not defined by how many likes you get. (Follow me on Instagram here.)
You are not defined by how big your house is.
You are not defined by if your newborn sleeps through the night.
You are not defined by a ring.

You have value and worth regardless of what your circumstances or what others may say about you.

This idea is one that I need to be reminded of daily. And it’s a truth that Danielle and I want Sara to lock onto as early in life as possible. Even if that means I need to take her on a cruise.