If I had to describe Alissa & Michael’s relationship in one word the one I would use is Respect.  Instantly I saw how much they value and respect each other’s opinions and thoughts.  I love when I meet couples who can’t wait to let the OTHER person share a story or point of view.  These two are a delight.  Also, shoutout to Houston for the skyline.

So I asked them if they were ok sitting at this cool little corner spot. It was early in the morning and we had just had so much rain, part of it was still damp.  Of course they were game and hopped right down.  As it turns out, that’s not rain.  It was dog pee.  Because of course I asked my couple to sit in dog urine 10 minutes into our session.

These two met on Bumble and I adore what each of them and to say about each other. Alissa liked how all of Michael’s profile pics were of him out an about “going places”.  “It looked like he liked to travel, and I wanted to travel.” (So good.)

Michael told me that she didn’t have any selfies on her profile so he took that as a good sign.

Lesson:  It’s all about the profile pic.
In unrelated news…. have you guys visited my new website?

http://www.internetdatingserviceprofilepicsguaranteedtogetsomeonetoswiperight.com

They told me about their cat named Oscar who is constantly staring at them.  So while a bit stupid, this photo is a perfect representation of their life.

Thank you two for being amazing.  See you in a few months.

When you walk into a bridal suite and there are homemade bagels to match the shoes… you know you are in for a great day.

Style + Pop Culture (Best type of bride.)

Lauren chose to wear her late Grandmother’s watch.

Lauren pretending to be a model, while she put on perfume, was everything.

So.. technically this a photo of a bride walking to the bathroom. But I prefer to think of it more as a snapshot into Lauren’s personality.

Most brides end up “needing” 48 bridesmaids to help them move around on their wedding day.  Lauren is the type of lady who just figures things out on the fly and rolls with the punches.

First Look magic.

My favorite things about Sean is his ability to be fully present.  (Like how he stopped and noticed all the details of her dress.)

Or how he noticed the flower girl on the floor and sat down to play with her.

We all put our pants on one leg at a time…. except this guy.

Everyone always behaves and smiles and looks perfect on a wedding day.

No one EVER just decides to leave mid photo because the whole process is super long and boring.

Sean once again being super present.

Another example of Lauren’s totally chill attitude.  When the flower girl wanted to stand on her super nice shoes.  She just laughed it off.

Lilium Florals and Fringe Hair and Makeup Studio doing their thing.

I mean come on….

Little preview of what’s to come at the reception.

Everything about Ashton Depot in Ft. Worth is fabulous.

Also the reason everything looks AMAZING, and the day ran so smoothly, is because Kristyn Hall of Event Elements CRUSHED all the planning that went into this day.

I loved this little moment they had when no one was paying attention to them.

OK, ceremony time.  Guess who was super excited to walk down the aisle.

But wait…. what could change his mind?

Candy? Toy? Screentime?

Grandpa for the win!

My most favorite thing I have heard in a couple’s vows in a long time:  Lauren & Sean talked about how they were both going into this marriage not looking for the workload to be 50/50, but rather 60/40.  Each being willing to give just a bit more than half.  In an effort to “out serve” each other, they would make the commitment to always try to give more than they took.

Sean looks pretty excited.

Lauren’s parents look pretty excited.

Sean’s father looks thrilled beyond belief that someone would marry his son. I love it.

“Maybe Sean should have spent 60% more money.” – Mother of the Groom.

Custom t-shirt printing from Trust Printshop for all the guests!!!

Stir Crazy Baked Goods makes cakes that look amazing and taste even better!

So. Much. Dancing.

You will never convince me that a last dance alone is a bad idea.

Thank you two for trusting me with your day.  I love your story and how generous you are with your time, attention, and love.

OF COURSE THE MUG MACHINE WAS THERE!!!!

BOOM BABY!
It’s that time of year again.  Mini Sessions are back.  Get em while they’re hot.
These sessions are painless, fun, and no one will leave crying.  (Unless you count tears of joy.)

What you get:
Killer images | High Resolution Digital Files | Epic Memories

What I get:
$150 bucks

I’m offering two dates, with limited space.

November 3rd (Tyler)
November 11th (Palestine)

Email or call to book your spot:
alexmphotography@gmail.com / 903.948.9282

Lauren & Sean wanted their session to be a little snapshot of what their lives are like these days.  We started out by doing what they do almost every weekend:  walking around their neighborhood.

I LOVED all the random faces Sean makes.

#jetsons FTW.  Seriously.  How great is this mural?

They also spend a lot of time cooking together.  I was totally game for them fixing me brunch.

This is a photo of Sean trying to figure out why they paid someone to take his photo filling up a pot of water.

At this point, the three of us were all ready for them to feed us.

I loved the playfulness these two have.  Marriage is a forever long day-in, day-out grind at times.  Being able to joke and poke fun at each other goes a long way to making it last. (Being able to cook delicious food also really helps.)

You two were so kind and generous with your time, stories and laughter.  Thank you for the yummy food, and I’m looking forward to the next time you feed me.

Kitalou Gin in Lubbock was the PERFECT setting for Kylee & Colton’s day.  It was my first time out there, and I can’t say enough good things about this place.  So much pretty everywhere and their staff was insanely helpful the entire day.  West Texas brides should jump all over this venue.

I’ll be honest. Every now and then, on a wedding day, I forget a couple’s name.
Yep.  It’s true.  You are all kinda the same bride.

And to make matters worse, all your cool new fangled names sound alike anyway.
Kylee, Kaylee, Kinsey, Kelsey, Kasey, Kinzie, Kenzie, Kayleigh, Kaylee, Kaylan, Kayla, Katy, Katie, Katelyn, Kallie, Kaitlyn, Kaitlan.  True story.  Those are all real names of real brides I have photographed on their wedding day.

Thankfully.  Kylee did me a HUGE favor by sticking her and and Colton’s name EVERYWHERE.  Any hesitancy on my part was quickly resolved by a quick glance in any direction.

The bridal cottage is totally adorable and full of gorgeous light.

The girls spent their morning practicing for the dance off, looking beautiful, and laughing.

The guys spent their morning standing around in their underwear eating Chick-fil-A.

Here is a delightful photo of Colton’s mother pinning on his boutonnière, while his sister pretends to not cry.

First Looks never disappoint.

Kylee and Colton had 3,678,926 people in their bridal party.  Here they are.

House of Flowers made all the pretty happen.

Almost exactly 2 years ago, I photographed Colton’s sister’s wedding.  Cassi and Justin had an amazing day.  The thing about Cassi and Colton is that they LOVE to compete.  They have always competed and will always compete.  While editing Colton’s wedding, I realized that they might even turn in their wedding picture count into a contest.  I support this idea.  I can’t wait to give him his full gallery so that they can compare the stats and see who comes out ahead.

Colton’s parents apologized that they no longer had children for me to photograph.
Now that all your kids are out of the house, you have no excuse.
Get to work right away on that problem, and in July of 2040, we could be doing this again. (I’ll even knock 10% of my standard rate.)

Absolutely.

#uglycry

I’m not crying; you’re crying.

Remember that time 2 years ago when Cassi got married?

Kylee, already ashamed of the decision she’s made.

Colton imitating Justin.

Dance off.

Guys pulled off a backflip.

Girls showed us their pits.

Seriously this dance off was amazing.  Watch the video.

Anyone who doubts Kylee’s ability to choose a groom, should need no further evidence than this photo of Colton on the dance floor. Case closed.

Thank you two for sharing your day with me.  I love you both, and it was an honor to be there.

P.S. The guys totally won the dance off.