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It’s that time again. It’s time to look back at some of the best photos from 2014. Everyday we’ll be taking a look at a new category. Voting is open till midnight and the winners will be announced Monday. The winning entries will each receive a 16×20 print.
Today’s category: Wedding Rings
Take a look at the entries then vote at the bottom of this post.
1. XY
2. Map
3. Popcorn
4. Cork
5. USA
6. Tweet
7. Burn
8. Rain
9. Whoop!
10. Dart
I don’t even know where to start when it comes to Kayla and Trent. I can honestly say I have never had a couple that was as full of life as these two. Constant laughter, constant energy, constant joy.
Before we get started… there is one detail you should know about Kayla: her mother owns a wedding venue. Not one of those “we have a big house, so we let people have weddings here at times” wedding venues. But, a straight up, legit, killer wedding venue. It’s called Stone Oak Ranch and it’s amazing. I love shooting there and I will link to it like 10 times in this post in hopes of giving them a little extra SEO goodness. Also, when your mom owns a venue and your coordinate weddings out there, you probably have seen and worked with over a thousand photographers. It was a HUGE honor when they asked me to shoot their wedding. Thanks for making me feel good about myself.
On to the day.
Step One: Party Animals.
Look at all the shiny, shiny-pretty, pretty at Stone Oak Ranch.
Check out their custom made, super fun invitations made by the Rifle paper Co.
2 weeks ago I shot a wedding with a tattoo station. I demanded more brides do this. BOOM! I show up and Kayan and Trent have this. Well played.
Someone stopped bride-ing and started coordinating as she put her topper on her yummy Chez Bazan cake.
Hello, my name is Kaylan, and Von Criswell did a killer job with my makeup.
You know a wedding is good when they have a First Look….
and they loved it so much they decided to do ANOTHER FIRST LOOK!!!!
(they blew my mind.)
That super sweet, tender moment, every outdoor bride shares with her groom as he picks bugs out from her dress.
Wait what….? This seems out of place…. Why would anyone have a random carnival cut out at their wedding???
A Touch of Nature did a fantastic job with all the flowers.
(I just love the shot of Kaylan blowing her bang back into place.)
These two are not only super full of life, but their siblings are as well. Trent’s sister kept pretending it was her big day, while Kaylan’s brothers made the most of their “formal” photos with her.
Licking your finger and wiping things off. Such a baller move from Trent’s Grandmother.
Is it ok if I think this is my most favorite photo ever?
This is how you Flower Girl. Maximum extension. Petals high. Feet off the ground. Clear eyes. Full heart. Can’t lose.
Their ceremony at Stone Oak Ranch was full of laugher, stories, and joy. As every ceremony should be.
Of course they exited to “Come and Get Your Love” and had an impromptu dance party.
I adore moments like this one.
No one around them.
No one posing them.
No one coordinating them.
Just two people who have been married 15 minutes.
That carnival cut out makes a whole lot more sense when you realize that they had A FULL BLOWN CARNIVAL for their cocktail hour. (Like you do.)
Everyone does the mamba for their first dance, right?
I don’t even know where to start for this reception. It was perfect.
Let’s do this… Let’s start with Otis and the Metro Band. They sang, played, and kept everyone dancing at Stone Oak Ranch for 4 hours.
Everyone loves tattoos. Buff brides, couples, super cool Grandparents.
What’s left…. Oh yeah… a clown. Give it up for Kornpop and his perfect balloon animals, hats, and mistletoe.
You know a reception is great when the flower girl grabs on to a post and holds on tight as she is being carried out.
There are no words.
Who doesn’t love a face full of lavender?
Thank you guys for a perfect evening at a perfect venue. Let’s give it up one last time for Stone Oak Ranch and for Kaylan and Trent.
I almost didn’t blog this wedding. It was beautiful. It was full of Pinteresty things. It was at one of my favorite places to shoot.
(Shout out to Stone Oak Ranch in Murchison, TX.)
So why not blog it? Simple.
Nicole is a super young bride. I’m not a huge fan of young people getting married. The odds are never in your favor.
Marriage is hard.
Very hard.
Nicole is 21. A child.
You know who was 20 when she became a wife?
My bride. That’s right. Danielle was 20. Even more of a child!
Seeing Nicole and Tyson interact throughout the day brought back so many memories. I watched them interact and saw their commitment to each other. I can see how Tyson respects Nicole. But it’s not just them. I saw their support system. I met their families. And when I saw their families… I knew these two will do great.
We’ll get to the good stuff later, for now though… how about some eye candy. Take a look.
These two met on twitter. Yeah, that’s right. Twitter. Welcome to the future.
They had a super sweet First Look.
Sometimes I let the moms creep during the First Look.
This is where this post starts to get good.
These are Nicole & Tyson’s parents. They have each been married 25 years.
25 years.
The ring bearer was great, but when your Aunt gets to be your flower girl… it’s hard to top that.
Nicole’s grandfather married them. He opened by telling Tyson that he will stay committed to her or “the hunt might not be over.”
I love when couples write their own vows.
“I promise to be the best hunting and fishing partner you ever had. I can’t promise I won’t catch the bigger fish.” – Nicole
For so many brides this is the goal. The finish line.
When you kiss and are “husband & wife.” Nicole & Tyson are one of the few couples that realize this is the starting line. This is where the race begins.
Papa & Mimi 48 years of marriage.
Pa & Granny 50 years of marriage.
Papa & NeeNee 44 years of marriage.
Tataw & Nanaw 57 years of marriage.
I’m telling you right now. It’s up to Nicole & Tyson to stay married. Their grandparents’ and parents’ marriage will not keep them married. They will have to do the work. It’s on them.
But, I’m also telling you to stop and think about that legacy. These two have grown up in homes where healthy marriages have been modeled for 25 years. Their parents grew up in homes where marriage is something to be cherished and committed to. That is a HUGE head start for them.
Take a look at these photos….
They are standing next to 249 years worth of marriage.
Those people have 90,885 days of practice living with another human.
Nichole and Tyson have about 4 days worth of practice.
This is a challenge to them and to all of us.
Find people who have been married a long time.
Befriend them. Ask them for advice. Learn from them.
Then go and stay married a long time.
I know Nicole & Tyson plan to.
Happy December Everyone!!! We are starting a new “Rewind” tradition. Each month I’m going to do a little quick interview with a couple celebrating their 1 year anniversary. This will give you up and coming married people a little peak into what your world might look like in a few months. :) I knew Kristi & Kiley would be the perfect couple to get the ball rolling.
What have you liked most about your first year being married?
Building a home And life together
Give us your best cheapo/fun married date idea.
Going swimming on the lake
What’s been the hardest part about being married?
Learning each other, what not to do and say :)
What surpassed you the most? (Either good or bad.)
The love we have for each other.
What have you fought about most and why?
Little things (what way to put the toilet paper on the holder)
So if I remember right, you guys don’t Facebook. Why is that?
We stay in touch with friends other ways and everyone else doesn’t matter.
Do you have any advice for couples about to take the plunge?
Have fun with each other laugh and love through everything.
This past December I was able to shoot out at Stone Oak Ranch for the first time. It’s a fantastic venue and knew right away that I wanted to run a little interview with them. Rhonda was nice enough to answer a few of my questions. They do a fantastic job taking care of their brides so if you are looking for a place to get married in the Murchison area then you have to consider them.
How did you guys get started, how long have you been doing this?
We got started when I couldn’t find my sister a place to get married. I joke I was having a mid-life crisis & needed a boyfriend, a motorcycle, or a new job. A new job won out & we opened in April 2010!!
What is your favorite part about your job?
The creativity is by far my favorite part. Every wedding is as unique as the bride & groom. I like to try new ideas & “think outside the box!”
What is the craziest thing that has ever happened at your venue? (This of course does not mean that you were responsible for the crazy.)
we are in the country & our neighbors have a bassett hound that likes to visit during weddings….we normally are on the lookout & catch him on the way over, but one time he slipped by us & joined in on the father-daughter dance.
What are some things brides should look for when looking for a venue?
A place that fits her & her fiances’ personality! Where do they feel comfortable, weddings should be fun, you are hosting one of the biggest parties of your life! Next, the not so fun part, is budget, the villa in Southern France may not work! Finally time of year, inside vs outside, inclement weather plans, packaging, most of all….be flexible.
What is something unique to your venue that you are extra proud of?
I love our outdoor chapel. The one thing I told everyone was “I’m not a gazebo girl…” my best friend’s husband came up with the design & built it for the ranch!
Anything else you wanna say?
Just remember no wedding is perfect and the things that “go wrong” will make the best stories on your anniversaries! Most of all, it’s truly about marrying the person you love & starting a new life together, ….even if the cake is not perfect, or it rains, you still have each other through the good & bad.
Also, here are about 3.2 million photos from a recent wedding I shot out there. :)
Here is all of their contact info.
Also, look for this spread from Kristi & Kiley’s wedding in the next issue of The Wedded Bliss.
