Amy and Casey were married last August.  They had a gorgeous wedding and I loved shooting every little detail of it.  There was so so much eye candy at their wedding it was almost hard for me to pick what to shoot. :)  Like most couples they had a great/tough 1st year.  Amy was kind and honest enough to share with you all what that has been like.  Enjoy a few images from her big day then listen to a bit of their story from their first year of marriage.

What do you miss most about the single life?
-probably not having to worry about anyone but myself and what i need to do.

What have you liked most about your first year being married?
-spending time with my new family (husband and two step sons) and im currently pregnant with my first!!! Soooo exciting!

Any advice for couples blending a family?
-well i have two new stepsons that live with us and its hard at times but it definitely is fun and you learn a lot about each other.

What’s been the hardest part about being married?
-the hardest part has been adjusting to automatically living with not only your husband but his two children right away. we have all had to learn to share with each other and not be selfish.

What surprised you the most? (Either good or bad.)
-taking on an extended family has surpassed my expectations of how easy it woud be…..it definately takes village!!!

What have you fought about most and why?
-probably saving money and putting it to the best use possible for our growning family.

What was the biggest thing you were nervous about? How has it turned out?
-raising stepkids probably the most. but i have realized i am doing whats right for them and taking care of them like a great mom does…..its been a learning experience for all of us. A GOOD ONE!

Do you have any advice for couples about to take the plunge?
-life is a journey with ups and downs…..so live it everyday and enjoy each others company!!!

Thank you Amy for being so open about your marriage.  What about the rest of you out there?
What tips or advice do you have for anyone blending a family in that first year?

hey remember when we were all in high school and we had a prom.  yeah that was fun right?  that prom didn’t just drop in at your high school.  there were a group of students (mostly girls) who made that night happen.  they slaved away for months to make it happen.

so, knowing that a prom takes a committee of people.  why on earth would you think you could plan a prom/church service/vacation/family reunion all on your own.

i am a pretty good photographer.  wait, scratch that.  i’m the best photographer ever.  but what i am not very good at is being a wedding planner or coordinator.  guess what?  your mom, aunt, bff, or cousin who is a sophomore in college is probably not the best either.  that’s why i always love it when brides hire a professional to help them plan and run their day.  it’s some of the best money you can spend when planning a wedding.

good planner make your life easier.  they are worth the money you pay them and then some.  maybe you don’t think you need one.  maybe you think you can handle planning this all on your own.  maybe you are right.  but i think a little help might be just what you need.

i asked super planner extraordinaire taryn coffey of event & company to maybe point out some signs that you may need a planner.  here is what she had to say.

So I’m sure it’s crossed your mind if you don’t have a wedding planner already- “Do I need a wedding planner?” It crossed my mind when I started planned my wedding, but I didn’t act on it, then…it was too late, which is the case SO many times.  So, here are some signs that you might need a wedding planner…

1. You already have full time job and so does your fiancé.

2. You don’t have time to research, read blogs, look for inspiration, and email all day every day.

3. You’re planning a wedding at a place that you nor any of your willing-to-help family members live.

4. You’re relying on another vendor (PHOTOGRAPHER) to handle your wedding day- one who is NOT a wedding planner.

5. Your fiancé is getting mad at you for not spending enough time with him and spending too much time looking at/obsessing over wedding stuff (ok, you might still do this even when you have a wedding planner, but it’s a legit reason).

6. You’ve booked your venue and date, but it’s been a few months and you haven’t done anything else beyond that.

7. You have no clue about what amount to budget for things.

8. You’ve developed ulcers from the stress associated with wedding planning.

9. Family tensions are starting to develop because of the wedding (WARNING: often occurs with female family members!).

10. Panic sets in when you start thinking about your wedding day.

Of course, there are many, many more reasons! Ultimately, you DESERVE to not be stressed about your wedding. You DESERVE to enjoy your wedding day!  Let a planner handle all of your stresses-you deserve to have fun planning your wedding! (And to be as happy as the bride in all the lovely photos Alex takes!)

seriously ladies.
call her: 903.521.9050
email her: Taryn@EastTexasEventandCo.com
make it happen.

I think Carrie & Aaron laughed more than any couple I have photographed in a while.  They just seem totally at home with each other so I am thrilled that  they are willing to share a little part of how their first year of marriage went.  Here are a few images from their wedding last year and then we will dive into what they have to say about being married for 365 days. (and counting)

What do you miss most about the single life? 
Being able to make plans or choosing to have no plans at all without checking with someone first.

GIve us your best cheapo/fun married date idea.
Cooking a fun meal and watching movies at home, going to random small county festivals whenever we see one, taking short weekend vacations just to get out of town.

What have you liked most about your first year being married?
Knowing that whatever kind of day I have had, I will get to come home to my husband/wife and everything will be ok.

What’s been the hardest part about being married?
Learning and accepting the other person’s living habits.

What surpassed you the most? (Either good or bad.)
We both knew that marriage takes work and that is certainly true. However, I think we were both surprised at how much easier and fun life is when you have a constant partner. Even a Tuesday night trip to
the grocery store can feel like a date when you are with someone who simply makes you happy.

What have you fought about most and why?
Deciding who will be responsible for what on a daily basis. We had not really thought about that before getting married and we have had to really work on determining who is in charge of each task in order to
make things go.

What was the biggest thing you were nervous about? How has it turned out?
We both knew that living together 24/7 would be a major adjustment and it has been. When we were dating, I did not notice that Aaron leaves little whiskers all over the sink when he shaves and Aaron did not
realize that I was “psychotic” about the house being spotless when there is even a chance of company coming over. We both have had to learn that we can get annoyed with these little things or just accept them.

Do you have any advice for couples about to take the plunge?
Do whatever you can to really prepare for marriage. We have truly benefited from taking a VOW class prior to getting married. The class gave us the chance to talk about things that we would never had addressed on
our own. It is easy to stress out about whether the tablecloths are the right shade of blue or if the bridesmaids all really like their dresses (they won’t) but try to stay focused on what really matters.

Thanks again you two for sharing some of your awesomeness with the inter webs.  And seriously people.  Take their advice.  Get on the WeVowNow website and take a class.

If you want a bit more of my opinion on the topic you can read this.

I’m sure no one reading this ever fights with each other.  I’m sure all you lovely engaged people can’t imagine fighting over anything.  (Except who loves each other more.)  Trust me though, the day will come when one of you does something wrong.  It may start out over how you fold the towels.  The next thing you know you are screaming at each other about who brought the worst in-laws to the family.  Conflict is normal.  How you handle it though can have a HUGE impact in what your marriage is like.

Not long after we were married Danielle and I found out something about each other.

We don’t always agree. (Shocking right.)

At first we had “normal” fights.  The kind where you say things you don’t mean and do your best to win.  Little by little we realized this may not be the best way to resolve conflict.  Over the years, we have practiced fighting and are now actually pretty good at it.  I have learned not to spout every thought that pops into my head.  Danielle has learned to be brave and say the things she is thinking.  Most importantly, we have realized that neither one of us is “out to get” the other.  Disagreements in marriage SHOULD happen.  They show that you are still capable of forming your own thoughts from time to time.  If you are in a relationship that NEVER has conflict, then more than likely, you are in a shallow relationship.

Listen.  Marriage is hard.  Really, really hard.  I know right now you may be neck deep in guest lists, mason jars, and overwhelmed with the amount of options your florist is providing you.  The thing to keep in mind is that you are starting a marriage.  Marriage is a constant balance of being yourself and being whatever your spouse needs you to be.  The longer we are married, the more we understand when to give and when to take.  We have learned that disagreements are normal.  How we handle them though will determine how long we stay married.  AND… the longer we stay married, the more we can argue about who loves each other the most.  :)

 4 AWESOME books on how to resolve conflict.

How to Fight Fair in Your Marriage and Win (Kindle)

The Book of Romance: What Solomon Says About Love, Sex, and Intimacy

Sacred Marriage

From Anger to Intimacy: How Forgiveness Can Transform Your Marriage

Buy them.  Read them.  Become a better fighter.