Jeff & Julie are getting married.  Jeff has twin 15 year old girls.

So Jeff was all like:
“We are taking family photos.
They will be boring.
We will wear black & white.”

And his girls were all like:
“Fine dad.”

Then Jeff was all like:
“We will also create a family art piece. It will hang in our home as a family.”

And I was all like. (In my stern dad voice.)
“You girls need to be really careful with that paint.  My camera is expensive.
Don’t flick it near me and do small amounts and make sure it stays on the canvas.”

And in their heads the girls were all like.

Then Jeff was all like:
“Boom, I’m flicking paint on your face!”

Then Julie was all like:
“Paint Fight!”

Then everyone was all like:
“Paint fights are the best!”

Then as we were cleaning up I overheard one of the girls say:
“Dad that was really fun.”

Did you catch that?  A 15 year old girl just admitted out loud, in public, in front of others, to her dad, that she had fun with him.

Best. Session. Ever.

I was totally hooked on Haley & Mark 5 minutes after meeting them.
Here is all you need to know:  Mark flies an Apache chopper.  Normally that would be enough to impress me, but  wait… there’s more.
His fiancée flies a Black Hawk.

BOOM!  I’m sold.  Just like that.

These two met at West Point. (Like you do.)  And after a little back and forth, decided they are totally perfect for each other and are getting married next year.  They love all things science so we all headed to the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

This is totally how I picture them.  Always off on little adventures together.  Running towards danger together.

My favorite thing about Mark is that even though he could probably kill or paralyze me in 2.5 seconds, you would never know it by how he interacts with Haley.  Super sweet, extra tender,  a total gentleman.

I also was thrilled to finally meet people more excited about their rings than those Aggies tend to be.  West Point graduates.

Thank you guys for a great afternoon, letting me share part of your story, and most of all, your service to our country.

The best thing about my job is the people.  I love how different and unique each couple is.  Sure some of them get married at the same place and others have dresses that look similar.  Most of the dudes wear black but the reality is those “details” make up so little of the day, I rarely even think about them when I’m remembering a couple.

Lauren & Brent had flair.
Angela & Spencer were super lovey-dovey.
Jennifer & Brian were determined.
Ashley & Blake loved to laugh.

That is what I remember.  Not the tiny details that you picked out and I photographed.  Not the dress that someone spent an hour steaming right before you walked down the aisle.  Can I be super honest?  Sometimes I even forget what your “colors” were. (GASP!)

When I think back on Krystle & Kevin’s day, I know the only thing I’ll be able to remember is how much fun they had at their reception.   The whole day was pretty “normal”.  Girl gets fancy, walks down aisle, boy says yes, people clap, off to reception, people eat…. But then… POW!  Like a punch in the face, their reception took off and there was no stopping it.  I should have seen it coming…

Sometime during “dinner,” this couple just decided to jump out onto the dance floor.  All alone.  51 years of marriage strong.

People mingled and talked for a little bit longer then… around 9:21 CMB DJs started and didn’t stop until their 11:30 getaway.  Casey was a machine and the crowd loved it & kept wanting more.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  CMB DJs are the best around.  It’s not even close.  In honor of the best reception I’ve been to in a long time, I’m only posting dance floor photos.  Give it up for Krystle, Kevin, & their amazing group of family and friends.

Some of you are wondering… How do you keep the dance floor packed for 2 solid hours?  It’s easy…

I Gotta Feeling Sexy And I Know It Love Shack Twist and Shout Stayin’ Alive Lose Yourself To Dance When the Right One Comes Along One More Night The Humpty Dance Yeah Walk This Way Jump Around Blurred Lines Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough Get Lucky Ice Ice Baby Hollaback Girl Don’t Stop Believin’ Friends In Low Places One Woman Just Dance I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) Paper Planes Teach Me How To Dougie In Da Club Thrift Shop Funky Cold Medina Knockin On Heaven’s Door Cheese Burger Paradise Shout Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Another One Bites The Dust Aggie War Hymn Stanky Legg We Can’t Stop Baby Got Back When the Right One Comes Along Goodnight Moon

This is how you photo bomb.

Aggie War Hymn.

So technically this next image was not on the dance floor.  But come on… How could I not include it. ;)

Thank you guys for a great day and a heck of a party.

One more thing… If you don’t call and book CMB DJs right now, you’ll only have yourself to blame. 903-724-3192

What if you could choose the very first words you spoke to the person you were going to marry?  Would you scour Cary Grant movies in search of that perfect phrase?  Would you read every line Jane Austen wrote till you found that hidden gem?  Or… would you just roll with whatever popped into your head?  That’s what Emily did and you’ll love what she came up with.

Emily & Lucas first met in a Physics lab at ATM.  They then went on to fall madly in love while she stalked him at his job at Muldoon’s Coffee House.  They are getting married under the Century Tree next year.  They will live happily ever after.

Ready to meet them?  I thought so.

After a few cups of coffee we were of to the Physics building.   This is the class room they met in. And, on that very first day of class, while sitting at that desk, Emily leaned over and whispered….

“Not to make this weird… but you smell delicious.”

Another little story from their first day in class.
There was a tiny lady bug flying all around that just captivated the students.  Soon after Emily earned the nickname “Ladybug” from Lucas.
So major bonus points to Emily for her outfit choice. ;)

And, like all good Aggies, after class we headed over to the Chicken.

Hey, remember that time they carved their initials onto the wall back when they were dating?

Thanks for a great session.  Thanks for being so chill.  Emily, thanks for booking me.  Lucas, thanks for smelling oh so delicious.

If I had to pick a couple to get a bit of rain on their wedding day Lauren & Alex would be my 1st choice.  :)

Lauren totally has a go with the flow mindset and Alex played a few years of college baseball so he’s also accustom to rain delays.  I loved every minute of their day and I hope these images can give you a small glimpse of how amazing these two people are.

Lauren has a few nieces and nephews so there were plenty of great little people moments.  This may have been my favorite of the day though.  Everyone was getting ready and there were about 10 ladies in the room.  They start to look for one of the flower girls and can’t find her.  Turns out she was hiding in the corner eating candy.  Once she realized she had been busted, she stayed in the corner, finished eating, then ran out smiling.

I loved the small touches of personality they sprinkled throughout their day.  Alex had some cufflinks that made from MLB baseballs.  Lauren’s hairpiece had once belonged to her grandmother.  And the bouquet had photos of her with her mom who she recently lost to cancer.

This is the part of the wedding where Lauren’s niece tried to steal her shoes.

Such a great First Look.  Anticipation, followed by joy, then jumping and screaming, and ending with a hug.

Lauren’s nieces completed the flowergirl hat trick.  One was literally only up there for 2 seconds. (I somehow pulled off a photo.)  Another managed to fall and cry a bit. And the third was a tiny princess always ready to pose and smile.

It had been overcast most of the day and then finally 20 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start it really started looking bad.  We all ran outside in hopes of getting this wedding done and keeping everyone dry.

As Lauren was about to walk down the aisle…  The drops started coming.  Totally in stride, her father reaches over, grabs an umbrella and they keep going.  Lauren’s heart was bursting with laughter all the way down the aisle.

I don’t think I’ve seen two people smile and laugh so much during their ceremony.

Alex jumped the gun and got busted for stealing first and then got to kiss her again.  Officially.

On the the party.  Hey look, it’s Angela & Spencer.

This little man’s go-to dance floor move.

I really can’t believe Alex’s mom didn’t make us all buy tickets to the gun show.

That tender moment when you leave a little cake on his face and decide to suck it off in front of everyone.

If you can catch a bouquet while holding a small child, you make the blog.

I loved their last dance all alone.  Just perfect.

BOOM Mug Machine Goodnesss!!!!

Ok guys, let me be straight with you.  Your wedding day was the perfect example of what marriage holds in store for you.

There will be days filled with dancing & laughter.
There will be days when everything just seems perfect.
There will also be days when the storms come.

They always do.

Great marriages are not ones that avoid the storms or ignore them.  They are the ones that look at the rain, grab an umbrella, and march forward with their commitment to one another.

It was an honor to capture the very first storm your two weathered as husband and wife.