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.

One of my favorite things to do when shooting an engagement session is to make the photo relevant.  Not just for a save the date card, but relevant for your grandkids.  I love the idea of documenting a couple in their everyday life and space.  Telling a story of this very real season of life.  Not an imaginary, made-up, stylized season that you kinda feel out of place in.

Kally & Kishan love to cook and they were so generous to invite me into their home to tell this little story.
(Bentley was also very nice to me.)

While we waited for the pizza, they did what every couple does while waiting on the pizza they just made…

They went out onto the porch and drank coffee.

PIZZA TIME! Cowabunga!

One of the things I loved about these two is how expressive they both are.  Kishan is great at saying and asking just the right questions, and Kally’s facial expressions are the best.

These two met at a pharmaceutical conference while in school.  One evening, they were in a group hanging out and everybody had “paired up” and was talking to someone.  Kally was very eager to pair up with and talk to Kishan; so she made her move.

“OK. Everybody rotate!” she yelled, as she instructed people to move in the direction that would partner her up with Kishan.  It seems to have worked because here they are all these years later still partnered up.

I had them whisper the generic names of meds into each others ears.  It was both super funny and slightly uncomfortable as Kally started to enjoy the process a bit too much.

You couples at home, feel free to steal this idea.
Next time you are alone, slowly walk up behind your spouse and whisper acetaminophen.

(You can thank me later.)

Thank you guys for sharing your day (and pizza) with me.
Thank you Kally for letting Kishan wear his super cool Apple watch.
Thank you Kishan for remembering to shut the cabinet doors.

And a HUGE thank you to both of you for sitting on that bench and talking marriage with me for 10 minutes.  It was my favorite part of your session.  The fact that you guys are ALREADY actively working on your marriage fills my heart.

Because many, many years from now, no one will care that you had pizza for your engagement session or how beautiful your wedding was.

All that will be left is your marriage.

(Well, your marriage and a bottle of sildenafil citrate.)

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.

JoDee & Mike’s story began like any great love story.  It began with him putting a glass slipper on her foot.  Well, technically it was a cleat. And, technically it was not made of glass, but who’s really keeping up at this point.  Mike had just moved back to Dallas after serving in the Air Force and one day while playing kickball with his buddies he came across this girl with a busted cleat.  He offered to tape it up and they lived happily ever after.  Mike is now a Sous chef at Lucia.  This super great Italian food place located in the Bishop Arts District in Dallas.  These two kept me laughing their whole session.  Take a look at how great they are together.

I thought it would be fun to use the Japanese handmade knife that Mike will keep for the rest of his life as a prop when shooting the ring JoDee will keep for the rest of her life.

let me start by saying i can’t believe that this is my job.  i get to hang out with wonderful people, totally in love and take photos of them.  that’s amazing.

amanda, clayton, and alexis were just perfect.  (alexis may be my favorite 6 year old on the planet.)  they love to cook, so this was the perfect setting for their engagement session.

i’m not sure clayton understands the “proper” way to taste things.

thank you guys for a great session and for sending me home with a bag full of cookies.