Anna Caroline & Scott met while in college.  He was a working at Pine Cove (Crash & Burn) and a mutual friend made sure they both went on a spring break trip together.  Soon after that, they started dating while they were finishing up school. They spent so much time studying in coffee shops that the Strada Cafe seemed like the perfect place to start their session. (Shout out to Strada for being super nice and accommodating and letting us shoot there.)

Scott said the thing he likes most about Anna Caroline is how laid back and chill she is.  How she just goes with the flow and is so transparent.  I saw that right away and I loved seeing the two of them interact. My Bride also possesses these traits, and trust me, they are great traits to have in someone you plan to share your life with.

I always try to get a photo of my couples just walking and chilling.  Getting a nice clean background can sometimes be a problem.  At first glance that red car is ruining the photo.  That shows how little you know.  The red car is actually MAKING the photo better.

Meet Wally.

Wally is the car Scott has had the past few years.  They have been through a lot together.

One time Scott hit a deer.  When he went back to check on it, it had gone back into the woods.  Totally to run back to it’s family to live a long and happy life.  (Definitely not to die cold and alone.)

One time one of the hubcaps fell off.  So Scott pulled the other three off because he wanted Wally to look symmetrical.

They have gone on trips, adventures and best of all, Wally is how Scott would go from Fayetteville to Little Rock every weekend to visit Anna Caroline. (3 hours one way.)

Yes, the windows still go up and down.  (Although the buttons sometimes fall down into the door.)

I think it took both of them by surprise when I insisted that we feature Wally in their photos. But to me, he is central to who they are.  He is a part of their story.  I loved working him into the session.

You know what else Anna Caroline likes besides Scott?  PLANTS!
Breedlove Nursery & Landscape was super generous for allowing us to crash their place.

These two fit together so perfectly.  I think it’s Scott’s magical hair.  I wanted to run my fingers through it, but I felt that might be inappropriate.  Maybe I’ll work up the nerve to ask about it on their wedding day.  (Totally normal right?)

Anna Caroline told me her favorite thing about Scott is how thoughtful and considerate he is.  How he is always thinking of others and looking for a way to meet their needs.  This jumped out at me right away as every time we were going somewhere, he would rush around to open the door for her.  He kept checking on me to see if I needed help with any of my camera gear and had enough room in the back of Wally.  (Riding in Wally was a joy and may have been the highlight of my day.)

Seriously though, this girl is nuts about flowers and such.  I can’t wait to see what La Tee Da Flowers does for her day.

I can’t tell you how much I loved hanging out with you two.  I loved your personalities and sense of humor.  I love that Scott drives a car that looks like it should be on fire, and I love that you, Anna Caroline, are ok with it. I love it because you two already seem to value the things that are worth valuing.  People.  Relationships. Community. Experiences.

What’s funny to me is that you two spent time thinking and planning what to wear and where we would go take photos, but didn’t once even consider Wally as part of the day.  Instantly I knew though that he would MAKE the session.  Because in 2067 when you have been married for half a decade and have piles of grandkids running around your house hunting eggs on Easter, one of them may ask about your story and how you fell in love.  I don’t know all the details you’ll tell ,and all the stories that you’ll remember, but I bet you’ll talk about how generous Scott was even as a young man. And I know Scott will tell of your gentle spirit and how attracted he was to it.

And I wonder if just maybe, you’ll pull down a picture off your shelf where the two of you are sitting in front of a beat up red car. And you’ll talk about how Scott drove for hours every weekend in a car that didn’t look like it could go 10 minutes, just to win your heart.

And right then in that moment, your kids will smile because they’ve heard the tales for years. And your grandkids’ eyes will be filled with wonder at how magical your story is and how a little car named Wally played a big part in it.

When it came time to decide where to do their engagement photos, Rachael & Briley knew the perfect spot.  The spot where their story started, and they have shared so many moments along the way.  Let’s go to the movie theater!

Their first movie together was a friend outing to see one of the 82 Twilight movies that were made.  They were not a couple at the time, but it’s fitting that their story began watching two people also on their journey towards eternal love.

Fast forward a couple years (and hopefully improved taste in movies), Briley started to take notice of Rachael.  She worked at UT Tyler gym and he was working out “2-3 times per day”. (That’s what she said.)  I’m thinking part of him wanted to get swole and the other part of him wanted to get noticed; he figured the getting swole would help the getting noticed.  That’s what us dudes call a win-win.

A few months ago, they went back to their theater to see another movie.  They arrived a bit late and it was already dark and they ended up sitting on the front row. Because they had not had a chance to eat, Rachael began stuffing her face with popcorn. Commercials were pre-rolling and when the commercials ended, a video came on telling their story together and ending with “will you marry me?”

Then the lights came up and the theater started cheering and when Rachael turned to look, she saw that Briley had invited their friends and family to be there.  They all went out to eat and Rachael never got to finish her popcorn.  The end.

These two both have such a tender spirit and personality to them.  I LOVED Rachael’s big giant laughs.

Rachael said she is so attracted to how committed Briley is to his faith.  She “loves that he is a leader and knows that will give them a strong foundation in our marriage.”

Briley said that at first he thought that Rachael was just like a “super-basic, white girl”.

Full stop.  He said that.  Swoon.

Anyway.

Once he got to know her, he realized she is “goofy as all get out” and she has been surprising him ever since.

“Body and soul, I am marvelously made!” I think Briley would agree.

Thank you guys for spending your morning with me.  Can’t wait for your super-basic, white girl wedding.

I love Chloe & Tyler so much I woke up early on Thanksgiving to blog their images.  True story.  Typically I would write all about a couple and how they met and how great their journey towards each other is, but I also don’t want my wife to hate me because I’m spending Thanksgiving at my computer so all you are getting on this post is short unspellcheked quippy remarks.  You’ll have to wait till their wedding photos to hear their story.

How great is Tyler State Park in the fall?

How good am I at my job?  The Best.  The Best.

These two love to Kammok and read together. I love how much of a gentleman Tyler is that he checks the Kammok to make sure it’s safe for Chloe.

I love a lady who is smart enough to read the book Tyler is holding, yet wise enough to choose the one that she did.

Of course they journal.

It only took 73 gummy bear tosses till he caught one.

You guys were too much fun.  Happy Thanksgiving.

The past few weeks have been pretty busy so I have not had a chance to blogs as much as I would have liked. Here are a few little peeks at some of my rad couples.

(Yeah, I said rad. What of it?)

Ashley & Chadd are super chill and total “country folk”  I love people like them.  The Stockyards in Ft. Worth were the perfect location.

Caitlin does not play golf but Jared does.  She comes along and watches him play.  That makes her a good catch. :)

Ericka & Justin were so kind.  I love their personalities and their session con sited of being outdoors in amazing places like this one…..

… to maybe violating a city code and jumping in a fountain in the middle of the afternoon.
 I am amazed that I am blessed with such great couples.  A HUGE thanks to all my couples who trust me to peak into their lives during this season of their lives.

Ashley & Jay are my new favorite engaged people.  From the moment we first met I felt like I “got” them.  They are so so comfortable with each other and that comfort  just jumped right though into our  session.  It’s funny because Ashley kept saying she was super nervous, but I could never tell.  Jay does such a great job of making her feel secure that she just seems at home anytime he’s nearby.  These two love to read and Ashley grew up in a state park so we basically planned a session around books and trees.

Take a look at at these images and tell me you don’t wish these two people were in your life.

It’s faces like this, that keep Ashley smiling & laughing.

And finally, here are a few from the park.