Today is a super fun posts for all you brides to be out there.  I know you are all looking for cool things to put in your hair.  I even did a post about this a little while back. (Click here to see my thoughts on it.)

Today I wanted to give a HUGE shout out to HOUSEofLOVELY.  Lauren is the mastermind behind everything there and she is based out of Dallas.  Her work is fantastic and it’s just the type of thing I know my brides would love.  Take a look at some of her work.

She has plenty more on her Etsy site and even has started doing some flower girl designs. :)

This is the coolest part.  Because she is so cool, and because you are so cool, and because I am so cool she is hooking you all up with a discount code!

Enter the code “alexmphoto” to get 15% off anything at HOUSEofLOVELY!!!  Not bad eh?  She’ll even let you pick it up locally so you can save a bit on shipping!
You can put all that money you are saving towards something else. (Like upgrading you SuperSquare size. :)

Today is our 9th anniversary.  Rather than reflect on all the good times we have had over the years, I thought I would take a different approach and fill you in on all the things Danielle & I did wrong on our wedding day.

1. Kept Moving The Date Up: The more we “planned” the wedding the less fun it became.  Rather than drag the whole process out for 36 months we decided to get it on the calendar and get it done.

2. No Bride/Groom Side: We liked everyone there and let them all sit wherever they wanted.

3. No “Here Comes The Bride”: Danielle didn’t walk down to that song.  (We went with How Beautiful instead.)

4. No unity candle/ sand: We wanted to be united, but just didn’t want a candle or sand.

5. Uneven  number of bridesmaids & groomsmen: One of my friends could not make it. Rather than just add a fill in to “make it even,” we left it odd.

6. No garder/bouquet toss: Many of the single people at the wedding still found a way to get married.

7. Didn’t cut or look at my cake: I had one, we just forgot to go over there.

8. Didn’t leave for our honeymoon right away: Our friends were starting a church that night.  We wanted to be there.

9. I’m sure I left something out: Seriously, I have no idea, but I’m sure we did or did not do something at our wedding that someone may or may not have taken offense to. (It will happen at your’s too.)

Now this list may seem silly, petty, or not even a big deal, but in the course of planning a wedding THOSE are the things that turn into big deals.

Every.
Single.
Detail.
Gets.
Analyzed.
(over & over)

The reality is many of those details just are not important at all.  My advice to you as a crotchety, old man who has been married all of 9 years is this:

Plan your wedding YOUR way.  Do what you want.  Tell everyone else to take a hike.

P.S.  Happy Anniversary Wifers.  I love you.

One of the easiest ways to make your wedding day a bit less stressful is by choosing to have your ceremony at a wedding venue.  These places are built to and designed with your wedding in mind.  I was super pumped when I heard a new one was popping up near me here in Palestine and a week or so ago Bella Sera Ranch had their open house.  I had a wedding that day so I was not able to attend but I did stop by and kick the tires around a bit before I rolled out of town.  Here are a few images I snapped.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this area in the back for ceremonies.  You and your wedding party will LOVE LOVE LOVE the giant shade the tree and porch provide. :)

This is a view of the back porch.

Bridal room.

Check out this huge reception hall.
La Tee Da brought their flowery goodness and dropped some everywhere.
Check out the cool vintage buttons.  (25 cool points for Barbra and the gang.)

Also if outdoor ceremonies are not your thing, or if rain is not your thing, they have this great chapel on site.  It totally reminds me of the chapel in Runaway Bride.  In a good way. :)
Well, there you have it.  A mini tour.  Now I just need a bride to book me to shoot her wedding there. :)  Lets get to it ladies.  Operators are standing by.  903.480.4011. :)  But, before you call me you’ll want to call them and see if they are available as well.

Bella Sera Ranch
http://www.bellaseraranch.com
903.723.0900

A few days ago I got this perfect E-mail from Lindsey.  She sent it to me about a week after her wedding when she saw her album sneak peek.  Take a look.

“You know, I have to admit, I was VERY nervous that I would not like ANY of the pictures of me.  I am SUPER self conscious, and pretty much hate every picture I see of myself.  However, I am not claiming that I now think I am a super model or anything, but, I do love how you captured the way I felt in each picture you took.  Thank you! ” – Lindsey

E-mails like this totally  make my job worth doing.  I love that I was able to make her feel that way, but even more I love that Lindsey “gets” it.  My photos are not designed to make you look like a Cosmo cover.  They are not retouched to the point that you confuse them with something form glamor shots.  They are a reflection of who you are right now.  Of course I try to capture and document you from flattering angles and in ways that make you look your best, but at the same time as a bride, you need to come at this expecting realistic results.

You are are who you are and that’s fantastic.

The most ironic part is this whole day is about someone committing to you and saying I choose you above all else. But even then in the midst of all this, for many girls the insecurity about how they look still make them feel “ugly” or “not perfect”.   Your groom is choosing YOU.  He is standing up in front of everyone, in an uncomfortable suit you have chosen no less, and declaring YOU as his most favorite girl in the planet.  Stop and think about that.

You have being chosen.

You have been declared a perfect fit.

You are his super model. :)

What up party people?  Today’s post is a smorgasbord of goodies.  1st off, last week I had a little contest.  There were tons of great entries on what Danielle & I should do for our 9 year anniversary.  I think we’ll mix and match some of the ideas for dates later on, but the winning entry totally nailed it.  Both Danielle & I “picked it” without talking to each other.  Here is the entry we chose.

“Take a blast to the past! If your memory serves you well, and it should relive your first date. Where did you meet, what restaurant did you go to (is it still around?), what did you do afterwards?
Remap this special moment, and do your best to make it the same way it was when it first happened. Is this romantic? ABSOLUTELY, it also shows that you care, and most of all, you remembered your first date!!! Also have your favorite DJ make you a cd to play in the car on the way of your favorite songs during that time 
Happy 9th Anniversary Alex & Danielle!!!!!!” – Andrea Brown

This date idea fits us perfectly and we are really looking forward to it.  Also, bonus points for Andrea working her husband Casy Brown’s kick butt DJ skills into the idea.  Apparently CMB Music not only does wedding, but also 9 year mix tapes. :)  Congrats Andrea.

Next up is our little Mini-Cation we took as a family this past weekend.  I had a wedding in Galveston as well as a day after session and an engagement session in Houston so I figured we should all load up and head that way.  Here 9 photos and 1 run on sentence describing our weekend.  Sometimes we jump on the hotel beds when mom is not around, astronaut ice cream is fun, feeding sea gulls is more fun, Eli can stay awake for desert but not space ships, Jo found a big stick and Sara conquered her fear of the ocean, but above all brochures in hotels lobbies are the coolest.

AND FINALLY…. I got this little question from a bride and thought I’d toss it out to all you blog-stalkers out there.

Dear Mr Wedding Expert,

Do u have any suggestions for sleeping through the night the week b4 ur wedding? Wedding nightmares & wide awake @ 3 am…

Thanks,
Sleepy but Sleepless

So what of it ladies?  What did you do to combat the Wedding Week Sleepless Night Syndrome? (WWSNS) Leave your solutions and remedies for WWSNS in the comments and help this girl out.  She needs her sleep.