I’ve been slammed this past week with 6 different shoots.  Each of theses couples was so great and it just didn’t feel right to not give them at least a little bit of blog love.

First up, Sarah & Caleb.  I adore their story about how they met and will share it with you soon when their July 4th wedding rolls around.  I don’t often end up in a field at sunset but this tree near Sarah’s home was too great to pass up.

Tory & Brett are super perfect for each other.  They are both first year high school teachers & coaches.  They met at the start of school this year and are getting married at the start of summer. :)  They coach baseball, softball, volleyball, basketball, track, football, and who knows what else.  Brett played a bit of college ball at DBU as well as some minor league ball for the Normal Cornbelters. (click the link to see their AMAZING mascot.)

And finally we end our post with Jaime & Alan.  The only thing Jaime loves more than barrel racing is her fireman.  The only thing Alan loves more than fighting fires is his Jaime.  I am ALWAYS a fan when a guy seems big and strong enough to snap me in half, yet is tender and soft spoken to his bride to be.  (Nice find Jaime.)  Look for Alan in the 2015 Centerville Firefighters Calendar.  ;)

Get Excited!  It’s your chance to help someone win a 16×20 print!  Voting is open till midnight.  Tell your friends.

Today’s category: Wedding Rings

I always feel a couple’s ring photo should be a reflection of them.  You should be able to look at it and see a little glimpse into who they are and what they love.  Here are a few of my favorites form this part year.

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

1. Green: Blake works in visual effects, I wanted him to be able to drop his rings into any film he made in the future. ;)

2. Chop: Gabby & Kendal met in Hong Kong.  This one was too easy.

3. Meds:  Right before the ceremony Jaime got a crushing headache.  These were the magic pills that saved the day.

4. Bible: Travis & Heather’s whole life revolves around the words in this book

5. Knot: Shelly & Caleb used this rope as a part of their ceremony.

6. Shades: Thy & Jonathan entered their reception rockin’ these shades.

7. Baseball: Alex played baseball all through college so Lauren gave him one with their name on it.

8. Bling: Krystle’s ring was kinda blingy.  I put it with more shiny things.

9. Yoshi: Tara & Lee love to play Mario Kart and these are their favorite characters.

10. Sword: Joe is in the Air Force.  That means he has cool weapons.

If I had to pick a couple to get a bit of rain on their wedding day Lauren & Alex would be my 1st choice.  :)

Lauren totally has a go with the flow mindset and Alex played a few years of college baseball so he’s also accustom to rain delays.  I loved every minute of their day and I hope these images can give you a small glimpse of how amazing these two people are.

Lauren has a few nieces and nephews so there were plenty of great little people moments.  This may have been my favorite of the day though.  Everyone was getting ready and there were about 10 ladies in the room.  They start to look for one of the flower girls and can’t find her.  Turns out she was hiding in the corner eating candy.  Once she realized she had been busted, she stayed in the corner, finished eating, then ran out smiling.

I loved the small touches of personality they sprinkled throughout their day.  Alex had some cufflinks that made from MLB baseballs.  Lauren’s hairpiece had once belonged to her grandmother.  And the bouquet had photos of her with her mom who she recently lost to cancer.

This is the part of the wedding where Lauren’s niece tried to steal her shoes.

Such a great First Look.  Anticipation, followed by joy, then jumping and screaming, and ending with a hug.

Lauren’s nieces completed the flowergirl hat trick.  One was literally only up there for 2 seconds. (I somehow pulled off a photo.)  Another managed to fall and cry a bit. And the third was a tiny princess always ready to pose and smile.

It had been overcast most of the day and then finally 20 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start it really started looking bad.  We all ran outside in hopes of getting this wedding done and keeping everyone dry.

As Lauren was about to walk down the aisle…  The drops started coming.  Totally in stride, her father reaches over, grabs an umbrella and they keep going.  Lauren’s heart was bursting with laughter all the way down the aisle.

I don’t think I’ve seen two people smile and laugh so much during their ceremony.

Alex jumped the gun and got busted for stealing first and then got to kiss her again.  Officially.

On the the party.  Hey look, it’s Angela & Spencer.

This little man’s go-to dance floor move.

I really can’t believe Alex’s mom didn’t make us all buy tickets to the gun show.

That tender moment when you leave a little cake on his face and decide to suck it off in front of everyone.

If you can catch a bouquet while holding a small child, you make the blog.

I loved their last dance all alone.  Just perfect.

BOOM Mug Machine Goodnesss!!!!

Ok guys, let me be straight with you.  Your wedding day was the perfect example of what marriage holds in store for you.

There will be days filled with dancing & laughter.
There will be days when everything just seems perfect.
There will also be days when the storms come.

They always do.

Great marriages are not ones that avoid the storms or ignore them.  They are the ones that look at the rain, grab an umbrella, and march forward with their commitment to one another.

It was an honor to capture the very first storm your two weathered as husband and wife.

i met lauren & alex way back in 2010 when i photographed his brother’s wedding.  i love shooting multiple family members weddings and i can’t wait for this one.  speaking of love… i think these two may have one of the best “how we met” stories ever.  they were on the same campus at northwood university in dallas for a few years but did not meet until their senior year.  alex was a pitcher on the baseball team and lauren & him had started dating.  on game she was sitting in the stands and this lady asked her who she was there watching.  she pointed to alex and it turned out the lady also knew alex.  (she was his mother.)  alex had not yet introduced lauren to anyone in his family, so all he could do the entire game was watch form the dug out and mound as she “met” his entire family while he played his baseball game.

we knew we had to start the session in the stands where it all began.

it was such a great day for a baseball game we decided to play 2.  next up, the ball park in arlington.

thanks random ballpark employee for taking their photo.

are they really on the wall of fame?  nope.
will their great grandkids know this in 75 years when they see this photo?  nope. :)

meet the boomstick. 24 inches and 3 pounds worth of nolan ryan beef.
(you know a hotdog is a big deal when cnn money is talking about it.)

thanks for a great afternoon.  let’s hang out again…. how about october 5th? ;)

i hit it off right away with these two.  they are everything i love about my couples. casual, fun, and totally into each other.  sports played a large part in both of their lives growing up.  their first year or so of dating was spent watching texas ranger and frisco rough rider games.  lindsey’s parents also have season tickets to the riders so this seemed like the perfect backdrop to tell part of their story.

i hate to do this to you lindsey, but for the record jim was 2-3 on popcorn catching while she was 0-3

lindsey’s parents have been married 30 plus years.  they sit in these seats together.  want to stay married 30 plus years?  sit close to each other often.

thank you guys for a great afternoon.  the day was a blast.  in fact,  let’s play two.  (see you in june.)