Kristina & Nick’s wedding was so of the chain, it is going to take 2 blog posts to chain it back up.
(I clearly have no idea how to talk like the cool people.)

4 Easy steps to an incredible wedding.

Step 1: Be beautiful.

Step 2: Make sure one of your bridesmaids is rocking’ an iPod mini. (circa 1994)

Step 3: When you write your own vows, tell your groom you are not a very good cook.

Step 4: Dance with your dad.

Come back tomorrow for more Kristina & Nick goodness.

Quick Disclaimer: I think Elmwood Gardens in November may be my favorite place. The colors are amazing, the weather is perfect. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.

On to the wedding.



The cakes were done by Designs by D’Anne. They looked great and tasted better!

I really enjoyed the back of the brides’ cake. :)

These two had one of my favorite First Looks. I think they just stood in silence for about 15-30 seconds before saying anything. Cameron was totally into the moment and soaked it all in.

I typically like to get couples alone for their First Look, but this ladybug snuck along for the ride.

Cheryl McKay did a great job on Lilli’s make up. (903.509.6556)



I loved Lilli’s wedding colors. Amazing!

A few guests had arrived early so the bridesmaids made a “wall” as they moved Lilli back to her room.

Sherman with CMB Music Productions was there keeping everyone on the dance floor. This shot of Cameron and his father both dancing with their wives is one of my favorites.

Fun fact about Cameron. He actually went to school with a super talented videographer based out of Tyler. (Jeff Heimer of JMH Pro) Since they were friends I tried to work him into a few of the shots. I always encourage couples to get their wedding filmed and Jeff is definitely worth the phone call if you are looking for a videographer.

One final cool thing these two had at their wedding were Sky Lanterns.





A quick note about the Sky Lanterns… Conditions have to be just right to be able to release them. (wind, burn bans, location, etc.) Be sure and check with your venue to see if it will work out.

Finally, a big thank you to Hollie Wells of Chic Weddings for putting this whole day together.

A little bit of background….  Our house LOVES Christmas.  We always have.  Even before we had kids.  Way back in 2002 right after we were married, Danielle and I bought our first tree together.  We were broke and could really only afford one from the Dollar Store.  We splurged and spent 10 bucks and brought home the saddest little tree you had ever seen.  We kept it all these years and passed it down to the kids a couple years ago.  It’s now their tree and they love getting to decorate it.  Putting lights on it is one of their favorite parts.  So, this year we tried to make it even more fun by answering this question:

Does a tree HAVE to be still when the lights go on?

I have been looking forward to Laura & Neil’s wedding since I did their engagement session. These two are a so much fun to hang around. They are relaxed and their chemistry makes my camera so happy every time it photographs them.

The other reason I have been eager for this wedding was it was my first chance to shoot a wedding at The Legacy Venue in Jacksonville. We did Laura’s bridal session there, but venues always seem to really come alive when they are decked out for a wedding. This place did not disappoint. You brides out there looking for a place to get hitched really should give them a call. On to the images….

Laura did ALL the flowers! Most brides can’t handle just sitting around getting ready for the day, much less getting flowers together but she pulled off this crazy fun yellow and black look and I loved it!

Laura had the following image enlarged as her portrait and it was on display. The flower girl came up to me and said. “I want a picture just like Laura in the window.” She hopped up and posed for it. :) I’m hoping to book that wedding in 2024. :)

More yellow goodness.

A bit of First Look fun! Neal thanked me 2 or 3 times during the day for encouraging them to do a first look. He just kept talking about how much “easier” it made the day.

Also big big props to Neil. During their First Look, out of the blue he said. “Let me see your shoes.” He, my blog reading friends, is what we like to call a “catch”.

The talented folks at Chez Bazan did the wedding cakes.

We even got to do some shots with their dog Duke.

This was Duke back at the end of May. He is now a large animal.

Thanks guys for a great afternoon. I can’t wait to get started on your album!

STOP! DO NOT IGNORE THIS POST!

It does NOT contain a beautiful image of a bride and groom by a palm tree at night, an opera singing bride, or a Marilyn Monroe-ish bride & groomsmen pose.  It DOES however contain information that can save your marriage.  Please.  Take 3 minutes and read it.  I promise it will be worth it.  Then when you are done you can click here, here, and here for super fun images.

So, today’s post is kinda a twist on what you typically get here. Usually it’s a couple who is giddy and in love, a bride who is giddy and in love or a bride and groom who are giddy and in love. (With an occasional post about my family sprinkled in. We too are also giddy and in love.) The reality is not everyone who is giddy and in love ends up that way. I’ve ben to weddings where parents of the bride won’t speak to each other, I’ve had couple call off the wedding because they broke up, and pretty much everyone seems to come from a blended family of sorts these days. That is why today’s Vendor Interview is one that is near and dear to my heart.

I can not say enough about the folks at We Vow Now. They do amazing work and help prepare you for your marriage. People literally spend tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours planning for the first 5 hours of their married life and assume that the rest will just fall into place. There is no way to describe just how how complicated and stressful marriage can be.

I absolutely am more in love with Danielle today than the day I married her but that does not change the fact that we have had bumps along the way. Fights have occurred, temper tantrums have been thrown, and rude things have been said, and that’s just on my end. :) Seriously, the premarital counseling we did BEFORE we were married prepared us so much for the first few years of life together. We did an 8 week course together with a counselor, read books about marriage and communication, went to conferences, and met individually with couples who’s marriages we respected and asked them to pick apart our relationship and give us warnings on what areas they saw us struggling in. All of these things gave us tools and techniques that we still rely on every day of our life together. (Sacred Marriage is by far my favorite marriage related book I have ever read.)

All of you brides who are planning a wedding know that those days don’t just magically happen. Time, money, and energy go into making them happen. The same is true of good marriages.

Before we get to the interview, I wanted to share a few images from the family session I did for Tonya and Justin the founders of We Vow Now.

Now ladies and gentlemen, give a warm Alex M. Photography welcome to the We Vow Now Interview. (clapping sounds)

How did you guys get started, how long have you been doing this?
We have tried to always be involved in something worth while and this particular adventure definitely seemed to be worth while.  To help couples and families find practical was to improve their overall happiness and health is just something that seems to be so very needed today. The VOW Healthy Marriage Initiative was officially launched in October of 2006 when a grant we applied for was awarded.

Where are you located?
We office at our main location in Longview, where Wellness Pointe headquarters is located.  We actually offer our classes at various community locations in Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Panloa, Rusk, Smith, Upshur and Camp counites.  In addition to the Longview location, we also have offices in Marshall, Gilmer and Tyler.

What is your favorite part about your job?
Our favorite thing is to see the difference the programming VOW offers work wonders in the lives of real East Texas families.  While we don’t have any magic bullets, fountains of youth, pots of gold or any other “quick fixes,” we do offer couples, married and unmarried alike, skills that very powerfully improve their ability to communicate their needs and to resolve their differences.  Again, there is nothing magical about what we do, and we are not perfect by any means either.  All the staff at VOW love families and help couples to learn things about themselves and their partners that most of us did not learn before we got married.  It is fun to see people change their lives for good!

Why should brides bother with your service.  I thought counseling was for people in bad relationships?
Great question!  First, one of the great things about VOW is that our program is a research based, time tested education program that has helped millions couples world wide.  While counseling is critical in many respects, we teach and facilitate the learning of practical “real world” skills that help in the home, work and in general life situations.  Brides should particularly come to our classes (with their grooms) to get a head start on their marriage.  We have had countless couples say, “I wish I knew this before I got married, we are so much better at talking without fighting” or something of the like!  Others say “We sure are glad that we went through VOW before we got married.  We thought we really knew each other and that love would just automatically get us through anything!”  Another great thing about coming to our program is that, upon completion they are eligible for a $60 discount on their marrige license.  As a Twogether in Texas qualifying/participating program, couples are given a certificate that will get the marriage license fee waived.  They are still responsible for up to $12 of filing fees!

What is something unique to your service that you are extra proud of?
We are extra proud to offer programming to couples that really makes a difference!  Literally hundreds of couples have increased their marital satisfaction as a result of coming through VOW.  In fact, according to our evaluation data, 85% of couples who complete our program come out leaps and bounds ahead of where they were when they started the program.

Anything else you wanna say?
We want couples to know that VOW is NOT just for couples on the brink.  In fact, if they are on the brink, they probably waited too long already!  Just as we get the oil changed in our cars and go to the dentist to have our teeth cleaned, our relationships NEED maintenance.  Society requires skills and practical learning for almost every line of industry or even to get a driver license, yet too many people just fall in love, hoping that they will just figure life out, only to learn that the stop at the bottom of the fall hurts!  Relationship Education is maintenance for people who are trying to love each other the best they possibly can.  Please call 903.232.1700 or navigate to www.wevownow.com for more information about how our 8 hour course can help make your relationship thrive!