For the past 10 years or so Danielle and I have had a little Christmas tradition of going heading down to College Station, eating at Freebirds, getting some Marble Slab, and then doing the Santa’s Wonderland drive through.

This year was extra fun because my favorite wedding videographers Vanessa & Brent McKellar came along and filmed a family video for us. Our kids have already watched it over and over and I know the older they get the more this video will mean to us. I have tons of photos of my kids but there is something extra cool about capturing them on video. You really get a feel for their personality, how they walk, their tiny hands struggling to hold a huge burrito. It’s perfect. (The same is true for getting your wedding filmed. You absolutely MUST do it.)

Grab some popcorn and enjoy the flick.

(This is a service they offer to anyone so hop on it parents!)

It seems like every time I look up there is a new wedding venue in East Texas.  (We already have The Villa di Felicita, Elmwood Gardens, The Belgium House, Castle on the Lake, Roseland Plantation, Hunt Villa, and The Legacy Venue.)  I have not had a chance to shoot at all the new ones but still wanted to make you aware of them.  Here are just a few of the newer places.  Most are already open, some are opening soon.  The good news for brides is you should be able to find a place to get married practically any day you want. :)

Arabella Manor (Gilmer, TX)
http://arabellamanorevents.com/
903.746.5461

Bella Sera Ranch (Palestine, TX)
http://www.bellaseraranch.com/
903.723.0900

Centaur Arabian Farms (Flint, TX)
http://www.centaurarabianfarms.com/
903.561.6926

Kiepersol Estates Bushman’s (Bullard, TX)
http://www.kiepersol.com/bushmans/index.html
903.894.7505

Stone Oak Ranch (Athens, TX)
http://www.stoneoakranch.com/main/
903.530.7947

While shooting my past two engagement sessions both brides commented to me how they are tired and slightly overwhelmed by everything they have been reading on the wedding blogs the frequent.

One bride mentioned that she can’t wait for “a stamp to just be a stamp again.”  (Rather than something she has to pick out, plan colors for, order hundreds of, and stick on envelopes.)  The other said she can’t wait for her wedding to be over so she does not have to keep checking them. :)

I have never planned a big wedding and I’m sure these sites contain a wealth of knowledge.  There really are so many little things that go into a wedding that it’s nice to get advice from those who have been there before.  Having said that, let me give you one tip.

Stop reading wedding blogs.

Even this one.

Seriously.  Take a step back.  Just be engaged.  It’s supposed to be fun.

There is a season and time for everything.  There is a time to plan and a time to enjoy.  I know that planning can be enjoyable, but if you find yourself getting frustrated of overwhelmed by what you “should” be doing then maybe it’s time to take a little break.  Try this.  Take a week off.  For one whole week don’t visit a wedding related site for any reason.  If and only if the world continues to spin, feel free to check back in after 7 days. :)

Happy planning and I’ll see you tomorrow. :)

One of the things that couples planning a wedding tend to forget is that they might want to plan for their marriage. :)

Today’s post touches on that a bit.  Who better to teach us about marriage than The Huxtables. (Danielle & I LOVE us some Cosby Show.  We have all of them on our AppleTV and have mini dates once or twice a week where we fix a desert and watch an episode once the kids have gone to bed.)  Take a look at this clip. (The sound does not work for the 1st few seconds.  Stick with it.)

A big part of marriage is planning for situations BEFORE they happen.  Knowing how much money you are going to spend on a vacation.  Your method of buying a car.  How you plan on splitting up family time during the holidays.  These are just a few things that sneak up on a couple and can turn into huge issues.  When we were first married Danielle and I had talked through some of these but other things caught us off guard.  Over the years we have learned to not commit to anything without checking in with each other and it has saved us from many “discussions”.  Take some time to plan for these things now so that when they come up you are both on the same page.

Katie’s wedding is just around the corner and we had perfect weather for her session last week.  She met her fiance at Texas University where he played baseball for the school.  Here are a few of my favorites from her session at the Villa di Felicita.