Disclaimer: I use any excuse I can to post a photo of my bride and I on our wedding day.  Today is no exception.

Because today’s bride….

Wait for it…..

Today’s bride’s mom…….

Wait for it…….

Today’s Bride’s Mom was MY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER!!!!!

(Rare behind the scenes, archived photograph of said wedding.)

Give it up for Mrs. Mosley who photographed my wedding for a grand total of about $300 way back in 2002.

That’s like 8,475 dollars in today’s money, kids. Don’t skimp on the photos.

Elyse and Jack are my favorite type of people. They are the type that after spending 15 minutes with them, you feel like you want to be their best friend. We started their session at the coffee shop where they met. Jack was working at The Tipsy Bean, and after seeing Elyse come in a few times, he told her she should apply for a job there. She did, and soon he became her boss.

“Technically he was my boss, but everyone knows I was in charge.” – Elyse.

There is something timeless about being able to document a couple’s story at the exact place it began. The Tipsy Bean is the best, and you should all go drink coffee and wine there.

Spoiler Alert: Jack is a bit taller. He kisses her head a lot.

Of COURSE, Elyse has been training to be a yoga instructor since she was like 17.

My favorite thing about Jack was how he talked about not taking Time for granted. A few months ago, he unplugged his Xbox, and ever since then has had so much more free time. “It’s amazing how much free time you have if you really are intentional about things,” he told me. I asked, “What do you do with all your free time now?”

“I guess I’m a wedding planner.”

Which led to him and I spending the next 10 minutes talking about our favorite romantic comedies. I mentioned The Wedding Planner, he mentioned Return to Me. I said My Best Friend’s Wedding, he said The Princess Bride.

It’s obvious Elyse knows how to pick them.

You two are the best. Thanks for a great afternoon.

One last thing… If anyone is wondering what the cool kids are wearing for their engagement sessions in 2019…

It’s the same thing the cool kids were wearing for their engagement sessions back in 2002.

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.

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.

Callie & PJ are the chill, laid-back type of couple that I adore hanging out with.  They are such honest souls and getting to tell part of their story is the best job ever. #truth

These two met their final years at SFA. They were both in the band program and knew of each other, but had never dated.  Callie had previously been engaged and it ended in a break up. PJ mentioned that after he saw Callie go through that break up, he made sure that they started to cross paths more and more. ;)  They spent the next few years dating and are now about to get married; all while being band directors at different schools. (How impressive are these two?)

I casually asked PJ what he played and he said….

“Flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, french horn, baratone, trombone, tuba & percussion.”

Then Callie added… “And piano.”

You know.. like you do.

I hate people who play instruments.

And by “hate” I mean “I am jealous of them and wish I was them so that I could look down on people like myself who do not play instruments”.

I asked Callie what first attracted her to PJ, and she talked about how funny he was, and how he was the president of his fraternity.

I took this to mean Callie is a Gold Digger and is only attracted to his status.  (Little known fact: high school band directors make BANK.)

She then went on to talk about how he “made me feel worthy of having my own opinion. He supported me and let me be my own person”.

Which makes it seem like a much healthier relationship and makes me love them even more.

I think it’s obvious which one they will choose for their Save the Date mail out.

PJ said his favorite thing about her is that “there is just not a lot of guessing with her.  She tells you what she is feeling or thinking.  There is no hidden agenda or manipulation”.  Anytime I hear couples talk about how their partner’s honesty and support is what draws them towards each other, I know that they are on the right track.  Thank you guys for a swell afternoon and I still hate you for all the instruments you play.

I have known Colton for a few years and have spent time with his family. I love Colton.  He reminds me of myself in so many ways.  He is confident, cocky, charming, funny, good looking, and is always pretending he has everything under control.  Like me, I knew he would be able to marry way, way up.   15 seconds into meeting Kylee, I knew this was 100% true.

OK. So technically, they are not sitting in a tree, but they ARE  k-i-s-s-i-n-g.

When I first talked to Colton about how they met, he mentioned that they were introduced via a mutual friend.
“I saw a great opportunity, so I took advantage of it.”  GOLD.  Solid gold.

“The whole time I was a thinking… this is a super good idea.  She’s like 50 times out of my league.”  He eventually started to tell me about how he loved being able to have spiritual conversations with her, and how that is what is at the core of their friendship.  Kylee had listened to a podcast that encouraged her not to throw out “I love you” early in a relationship.   That led them to make the agreement to hold off on that. (Which led the them saying “Man. I’m just so crazy about you” quite a bit.)  She wanted to make sure he felt the same way and was waiting on him to say it first, even though she knew that “he was the one”.  About 6 months in, the first “I love you” was spoken. And if you are around them today, it’s pretty evident they are in love, without either of them needing to mention it.

In all seriousness, these two are perfect for each other.  Kylee does a great job of keeping him in check, and he is constantly pushing her just a bit outside of her comfort zone.  Like the time he encouraged her that it would be ok to sneak into a closed amusement park for a few quick photos.  (Wait, what?)

Were we eventually kicked out/asked to leave? Yes.  Was it worth it?  No doubt.

Last thing I’ll tell you about Colton–he thinks he’s a baller.  He’s basically like Steph Curry.  If Steph went and played in a 8 year old league.  Colton always seems to look for the toughest competition around.  (True story.  He missed that jumper.)

You know who didn’t miss? BOOMSHAKALAKA!

And if I may speak to you, Colton, personally for just a moment.  As a young groom, the first few times my bride dunked on me in any situation in life, it offended and frustrated me.  I soon realized this would be a common occurrence, and I have learned to take joy in it.

It’s going to happen a lot.
Get used to it.
Embrace it.