Sarah & Caleb were married 1 year ago on July 4th.  They were kind enough to drop some knowledge on what being a newly wed couple is like.  Read on if you want to make your first year of marriage a bit less bumpy.

What do you miss most about the single life?
Scheduling things on my own time. Having more options to do things I used to when I was single, work out, have a girls weekend, spend the weekend at my parents, or simply to go shopping for “wants” without feeling I have to consult with another’s schedule or consider our budget.

What’s your best cheapo/ fun date idea?
A campout. Could be after a long hike, or driving to a really cool location and setting up tent for the night or simply having a picnic with the tent set up for shade, we even set our tent up on the front porch in record low temperatures and spent the night out there – and just to live on the wild side it was a weeknight! Wherever you set up camp, make sure to stay long enough to star gaze and having a fire with s’mores is a MUST! This date can be done all year round, but my favorite time is during the fall.

What has been the best thing about your first year of marriage?
The best thing about the first year of marriage has been coming home to my best friend every night. Having that person to share frustrations with, get angry at, bounce ideas off of, share joys and encouraging each other through life’s ups and downs. Being married is just another example of God’s love for us.

What’s been the hardest part about being married?
The hardest part of being married for me has been a lack of “me time”, so very similar to what I miss most about being single. I lived on my own for 5 years, independent and financially stable. I didn’t need anyone to do anything for me. I could pick up and have a weekend with girlfriends at a bed and breakfast in a fun town, or sleep in until 7:30am (yes, that’s late for me!) Being married, is a give and take, and for all the things my husband and daughter add to my life, I’m happy to give up some of my girls weekends and sleeping late occasionally.

What surprised you the most?
It wasn’t so much that I was surprised by it than it was a huge realization. After a particularly difficult discussion (one of our first since being married) we headed to bed and I recall thinking… “He’s not leaving… I need time to process this conversation…he’s not going home…this is his home… Oh my gosh!” When we’re dating we had the luxury of our own homes. When we had discussed something difficult, there was time and space in between the next time we saw each other… Now that we’re married, it’s a little different. Still learning.

What have you fought about most and why?
Expectations I had about being a wife and mother. I have a wonderful example of what that looks like in my mother. I failed to realize that before she became the awesome mother and wife I witnessed while I was growing up and that I know today, she had to go thorough the first few years of marriage as well- figuring out who she was as a Mrs. and as a mother. I fight with myself about not meeting preconceived expectations which I place upon myself, which in turn effects our communication.

What was the biggest thing you were nervous about? How has it turned out?
A friend of mine just reminded me of one of the things I was nervous about before getting married: making lunches for my husband during the week and planning the week of meals for our family.  It seems so funny now to think about how worried I was, but I wanted to make sure I was taking care of my family and doing a good job of it by the way of cooking meals which I enjoy and keeping a warm, inviting and clean home. My husband and daughter help out so much and even without me asking them to do it. From doing the dishes, to making the beds, vacuuming, helping me cook, washing, drying and folding the clothes, they make being married and family life easy and enjoyable. I feel so blessed!

Do you have any advice for couples who are about to blend a family?
My husband always went on “Dad and daughter dates” before he and I got married. I encouraged them to continue these dates afterwards as well so that they can have one on one time and further their bond without me in the picture.

I am an educator and have seen many of my children from divorced households and the gambit of relationship dynamics pass through my classroom. Remaining positive and complimentary of the child’s parent(s) is essential. Nothing negative should ever be discussed in front of the child/ children.

I read many books about blended families and even books about the specific role in which you are about to take on. Read books about the your children/ stepchildren and the emotions they could experience. (The five Love Languages of Children is also a great book!)

Lastly, the biological parent needs to be sensitive to their spouce’s, the step-parent’s emotions. It is important for the husband and wife to continue to go on dates. The spouse/ stepparent needs to feel validated and a respected part of the family. This can be very tricky. Communication is key and it also requires the spouse (stepparent) to be sensitive and very understanding.

Happy 1 year of marriage guys.  Thanks for opening up and giving us a little peek into your life.

I still remember the first call I had with Liz & Jeff. Danielle and I were in the car, and I called Liz to go over their engagement session plans. Since I was driving, I had the phone on speaker, but Danielle was just being her super, quiet self. (She’s a creeper.) Anyway, Jeff had not said much as Liz and I kicked ideas around. After hearing all of her suggestions, I kinda formed a little plan and said, “I think we should do this, this, and this, etc.” “Sound good?” There was a bit of a pause and then Jeff jumped in and said,

“How do you feel about that Liz?”

She said she was good with it, we finalized the details, and the call was over. I turned to Danielle and smiled and she said something to the effect of “That’s impressive.”

Seriously. I was floored. That little question said so much to me about their relationship. Months before they are getting married, Jeff has already realized what it took me years to understand and flesh out in my marriage.

Feelings Matter.

We all know they matter. But sometimes we tend to overlook or skip past them. We assume the other person is wrong to “feel” a certain way and they’ll get over it. We think we know best and eventually, they’ll come around. This is not a good plan. Trust me. ;)

Jeff and Liz have figured out that the more they communicate and talk through things, the stronger their relationship will be. The better you are about talking through something as unimportant as your engagement session location and time, the better you will be when it’s time to talk through a career change or move.

I adore their sense of humor.  I said, “Go stand on the bridge and hold hands with just a bit of space between you.”

Sit on the bench like you would if I was not here. :)

While shooting their session, I started to understand how and why these two seem so comfortable and secure in their relationship. I think it’s because they have been through and seen a lot. They met while serving in the Peace Corps, and together have traveled all over the place.

Singapore
Malaysia
Kenya
Canada
Jamaica
Mexico
London
Kenya
Uganda
Tanzania
England
France
Germany
Spain
Mexico

Not a bad list right? If you have ever been to another country, you know that sometimes the cultural or language barrier can be a tough thing to overcome. If you stay there long enough though, you find ways to make things work and figure the place out. That’s a skill Liz & Jeff have acquired. That’s a skill that will serve them well in the strange and exotic land they will find themselves in soon enough.

The land called Marriage.

I seriously loved you two as much as possible without being super weird about it.
I can’t wait to hang out on your wedding day and know you two are gonna be great at it.

Natalee & Josh met while they were at SMU.  They are totally getting married.  Their engagement session consisted of two locations.

Location 1: Give the parents photos that they will like.

Location 2: Give Josh a reason to tackle Natalee.  (Did I mention that Josh played football for SMU and is a super huge dude that could crush me with his left arm?)

Thank you guys for a fun afternoon and for sneaking/getting me into the stadium. ;)

Wow, last weeks Top 10 contest was the biggest ever. There were over 4,400 votes cast. (You people have a lot of friends.) The bridal category had close to 600 votes and was decided by only 1 vote. Anyway, here are the winners for this past year. Be sure and shake hands and say good game before you walk off the field. You couples that won, you can go to bed tonight knowing you are champions. You couples that lost…. you can go to bed tonight complain about the officials.

Engagement: Band
Marriage is tough.
Balancing marriage and work is tougher.
Balancing marriage and work when you work at the same high school is tougher-er.
Balancing marriage and work when you work at the same high school and both your jobs depending on how well the halftime performance goes is the toughest.

So glad that Katie & Joe trusted me to pull of this shot. I love it.

Rings: Tweet
Nicole and Tyson met on Twitter. Yeah. Twitter. 140 characters at a time they fell in love. I would love to be there when one day they have to explain to their grandkids what Twitter was.

Brides: Emily
I’m sure many an Aggie bride has dreamed of drinking a pitcher of beer at the Dixi Chicken in a wedding dress. Emily actually pulled it off.

Mug Machine: Hair
Amanda and her friend had a KILLER wedding reception. It only makes sense that one of their Mug Machine images won.

Random: Flower
This may honestly be my favorite “lucky” photo I’ve taken this past year. You can never predict what little kids will do. I never expected her to jump in the air as she tossed petals left and right.

Wedding: Hug
It’s a bit ironic, but last year’s winning wedding image was also a hug that took place shortly after the ceremony. That’s such an unscripted time. It’s always full of so much emotion. I saw this moment unfolding and was so so glad that I was able to do it justice. Anytime part of your day involves the rebuilding of a family, I’m all in. Thank you Caleb & Sarah for trusting me with your wedding.

Thanks again to everyone who voted. It was fun. Let’s do it again next year.

It’s that time again. It’s time to look back at some of the best photos from 2014. Everyday we’ll be taking a look at a new category. Voting is open till midnight and the winners will be announced Monday. The winning entries will each receive a 16×20 print.

Today’s category: Engagement Sessions

Take a look at the entries then vote at the bottom of this post.

1. Bike: Calley & Will love to bike together.  Calley is faster than Will.

2. Sunset: Nothing beats a sunset together.

3. Cook: Mike is a killer chef. JoDee is a killer wife.

4. Wood: Nothing like making out on the family business.

5. Bridge: You know what’s cool? Bridges. (And Breelyn & Tyson.)

6. Carnival: Who doesn’t like going to the State Fair?

7. Vineyard: Nothing says we are engaged like going to a vineyard.

8. Balance: These two love to slackline together. (Google it. It’s awesome.)

9. Beer: That time your favorite bar put your wedding date up with all their custom beers.

10. Band: Sometimes Drill Team instructors fall in love with Band instructors.