1 Million Friends
1 Million Friends

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-001

I’ve been shooting weddings for 10 years now. One of the things that you quickly realize is that the day flies by. Most couples are bounced from person to person and moment to moment without even realizing it. That was not the case with Brooke & Justin. These two were so present on their day. It seemed like every time I turned around they were having a genuine conversation with someone new. I LOVED seeing their support group celebrate their day with them and I loved even more how much Justin and Brooke soaked up every second of it.

True story: I NEVER get tired of photographing weddings at the Villa di Felicita. This place is amazing. They make my job easier and your day so much more amazing.

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-002

CS Cutting Company out of Longview did some magic on hair & make up.
villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-004

A bit of First Look goodness.
(I also love when couples exchange little gifts during this time.)

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-005

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-006

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-007

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-008

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-009

La Bella Blooms crushed it with the flowers. Ashley and her team are super nice. You should totally get in touch with them if you want pretty pretty at your wedding.
villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-010

These fools had a bridal party of 30 people. I’m not sure what is more amazing, that I was able to get a photo of all of them at once before the kids melted down, or that Brooke & Justin had meaningful interactions with each of them. ;)

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-011

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-012

By the time we got back around to the guys, this little man was done. He wanted no part of the photos, but I was able to snag one of him as he bolted for an exit.

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-013

Designs by D’Anne. Keeping brides happy and wedding photographers chubby for many many years. Yummy.

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-014

(Also, if you like words on walls, floors, and other places, Tyler Uplights and CMB DJs are you jam.)

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-015

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-016

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-017

Hey remember that little dude. Guess what? Once he got a sucker, he was good to go.

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-018

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-019

Justin and Brooke both work for the SMU football program. He coaches and she recruits, so of course they had the film crew for the team film their wedding.

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-020

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-021

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-022

You know what else is fun at weddings? The Mug Machine!

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-023

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-024

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-025

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-026

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-027

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-028

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-029

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-030

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-031

villa-di-felicita-wedding-photos-032

Thank you for trusting me with your wedding. You two were such a joy to be around and anytime you want to get all of your friends together and dressed up again give me a call, I’ll be there.

read more
Kayla & David | year one
Kayla & David | year one

centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-00

Kayla & David were married at St. Peter & Paul Catholic Church last August.  (With a killer reception at Centaur Arabian Farms in Flint, TX.)  So now that they are total pros at being husband and wife I thought it would be fun to hear form them on what their first year of marriage was like.

1. What do you miss most about the single life?
What I miss most about single life is being able to sprawl out in bed.. That being said, we just bought a king mattress last week…haha.

2. Give us your best cheapo/fun married date idea.
Cheapo fun married date idea: garage saleing and thrift store exploring is one of our favorite pastimes, David is the bargainer and I am the treasure hunter. We always have a good time and laugh with odd things we see at garage sales.

centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-01 centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-02 centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-03 centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-04

3. What have you liked most about your first year being married?
The looks on peoples faces when they find out I’m married.. Their reaction is mostly..”aren’t you like 12?!” Haha! It happens, I’ll be really smokin’ when I’m 60 and look 45 ;) but my most favorite part of our first year of marriage is the companionship that you feel with your person. Nothing beats the feeling of someone who has chosen and is still choosing to be yours everyday.

4.What’s been the hardest part about being married?
I would say the hardest part about being married right now is making future decisions such as when should we have kids?, should we buy a house?, should we rent?, where should we go?, which insurance plan is best for us?, what is a mortgage?  (Okay I asked that one)… What we’ve learned so far is don’t try to go it all alone, our parents have been our biggest supports and counselors. We don’t have all the answers and probably never will, but we are up to the adventure of figuring it out!

centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-05 centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-06 centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-07

5. What have you fought about most and why?
What we fight most about with me is my phone habit. (Guilty).. What we fight most about with David is the he refuses to use the towel rack in our bathroom and will hang his used towel over the bathroom door so the door isn’t able to be shut, and I am not the tallest so it is difficult for me to get it down so I am able to close the bathroom door, also he is a nail picker..eww.

6.  What was the biggest thing you were nervous about? How has it turned out?
The biggest thing I was nervous about was the expectancy to be a “good wife” to cook dinner, have the house spotless, be dressed and picture perfect everyday for my husband and being able to maintain that. The reality is that I am not perfect and David realizes that he also realizes he is not perfect and this isn’t the Stepford Wives. I do however attempt to do these things for him because of course as his wife his happiness is extremely important to me, but also in turn he does things for me and helps around the house and cooks dinner and still calls me beautiful when I could pass for a gremlin. Letting go of that stereotype for me and figuring out what works best for us has really helped our relationship.

centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-08 centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-09 centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-10 centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-11

7. What do you wish someone had told you before you were married?
Your wedding will not turn out the way you imagined, things will go wrong: there will be a gathering at the church before your wedding and the floors will be covered is smashed brownies and you’ll walk out to see your dad and uncle on their hands and knees scrubbing the floor, you will get lost on the way to your own reception with no cell phone service, plan on not eating at the reception, your first dance song will get deleted off your iPod, and the forks you got personalized for the big day will go missing, but you can also count on the moments you never imagined happening such as: spontaneous bride and groom karaoke with the band to Don’t Stop Believing, you can count on a spontaneous break-dance dance off with your bridesmaid, husband, and usher so intense the usher will rip his pants (right in the crack..), and you also count on the band playing Miley Cyrus and all the guest on the dance floor surrounding you with a cup in the air and a smile on their face and singing at the top of their lungs, you can count on incredible photo booth pictures because your friends are awesomely weird like that.  oh and so is your photographer ;)) you can count on your bridesmaids and groomsman and family to go above and beyond their call to make your day one to remember, and most importantly you can count on going home with your newly wed spouse to start your life.

centaur-arabian-farms-wedding-photos-12

Thank you two for opening up to us.  Kayla you were super sweet to share your struggles.

And David…. come on man, use a towel rack, we are not animals.

PS. If you can’t get enough of these two, check out their super fun hot air balloon engagement session.

read more
top 10 2014 | the winners!
top 10 2014 | the winners!

Wow, last weeks Top 10 contest was the biggest ever. There were over 4,400 votes cast. (You people have a lot of friends.) The bridal category had close to 600 votes and was decided by only 1 vote. Anyway, here are the winners for this past year. Be sure and shake hands and say good game before you walk off the field. You couples that won, you can go to bed tonight knowing you are champions. You couples that lost…. you can go to bed tonight complain about the officials.

Engagement: Band
Marriage is tough.
Balancing marriage and work is tougher.
Balancing marriage and work when you work at the same high school is tougher-er.
Balancing marriage and work when you work at the same high school and both your jobs depending on how well the halftime performance goes is the toughest.

So glad that Katie & Joe trusted me to pull of this shot. I love it.

best-wedding-photos-2014-winner-01
Rings: Tweet
Nicole and Tyson met on Twitter. Yeah. Twitter. 140 characters at a time they fell in love. I would love to be there when one day they have to explain to their grandkids what Twitter was.

best-wedding-photos-2014-winner-02

Brides: Emily
I’m sure many an Aggie bride has dreamed of drinking a pitcher of beer at the Dixi Chicken in a wedding dress. Emily actually pulled it off.

best-wedding-photos-2014-winner-03

Mug Machine: Hair
Amanda and her friend had a KILLER wedding reception. It only makes sense that one of their Mug Machine images won.

best-wedding-photos-2014-winner-04

Random: Flower
This may honestly be my favorite “lucky” photo I’ve taken this past year. You can never predict what little kids will do. I never expected her to jump in the air as she tossed petals left and right.

best-wedding-photos-2014-winner-05

Wedding: Hug
It’s a bit ironic, but last year’s winning wedding image was also a hug that took place shortly after the ceremony. That’s such an unscripted time. It’s always full of so much emotion. I saw this moment unfolding and was so so glad that I was able to do it justice. Anytime part of your day involves the rebuilding of a family, I’m all in. Thank you Caleb & Sarah for trusting me with your wedding.

best-wedding-photos-2014-winner-06

Thanks again to everyone who voted. It was fun. Let’s do it again next year.

read more
Carny Love
Carny Love

Kaylan & Trent are my favorite kind of people.  The kind who don’t take themselves too seriously.  So when she proposed a State Fair engagement session I was all in.  When she said, she wanted to make sure and get some gross things like old corn dogs in the photos I knew we would be best friends.  AND.  When she told me she is going to have a carnival themed wedding I was like… let’s hurry up and get to the wedding.  :)  Consider this a practice session for the “real photos” to come next month.  You guys were a blast.

state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-01 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-02 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-02B

state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-03 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-04 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-05 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-06 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-07 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-08 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-09 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-10 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-11 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-12 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-13 state-fair-dallas-tx-engaged-photos-14

read more
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

ok so i know you are all excited about mlk day and the presidential inauguration, but let’s be honest.  the most important voting results are the ones i’m about to announce.  lots of great entries, lots of votes, 6 winners.  congrats to everyone and a special congrats to the winners.  i’ll get in touch with you each about your 16×20 print.

here are each of the winners starting with one of my favorites.
thanks again everyone for voting and thank you for all the kind words you left for each of the couples.  i know they loved reading them.

read more