I’ve been shooting weddings for 10 years now. One of the things that you quickly realize is that the day flies by. Most couples are bounced from person to person and moment to moment without even realizing it. That was not the case with Brooke & Justin. These two were so present on their day. It seemed like every time I turned around they were having a genuine conversation with someone new. I LOVED seeing their support group celebrate their day with them and I loved even more how much Justin and Brooke soaked up every second of it.

True story: I NEVER get tired of photographing weddings at the Villa di Felicita. This place is amazing. They make my job easier and your day so much more amazing.

CS Cutting Company out of Longview did some magic on hair & make up.

A bit of First Look goodness.
(I also love when couples exchange little gifts during this time.)

La Bella Blooms crushed it with the flowers. Ashley and her team are super nice. You should totally get in touch with them if you want pretty pretty at your wedding.

These fools had a bridal party of 30 people. I’m not sure what is more amazing, that I was able to get a photo of all of them at once before the kids melted down, or that Brooke & Justin had meaningful interactions with each of them. ;)

By the time we got back around to the guys, this little man was done. He wanted no part of the photos, but I was able to snag one of him as he bolted for an exit.

Designs by D’Anne. Keeping brides happy and wedding photographers chubby for many many years. Yummy.

(Also, if you like words on walls, floors, and other places, Tyler Uplights and CMB DJs are you jam.)

Hey remember that little dude. Guess what? Once he got a sucker, he was good to go.

Justin and Brooke both work for the SMU football program. He coaches and she recruits, so of course they had the film crew for the team film their wedding.

You know what else is fun at weddings? The Mug Machine!

Thank you for trusting me with your wedding. You two were such a joy to be around and anytime you want to get all of your friends together and dressed up again give me a call, I’ll be there.

Sometimes my job is way, way too easy.  Seriously.  All I did was follow these two around all day while they looked amazing, dressed amazing, and acted amazing.

The amazing started at the The Dry Bar in Dallas.

That monopod you see belongs to Matthew Lee Moore.  Killer videographer based in Colorado.  Check him out.

We then all headed over to Chapel Creek Manor in Waxahachie.  A gorgeous little venue where Bree & Tyson had perfect weather. (Of course they did.)

Tyson even looks smooth when he leaves his shoes 1 hour away from the venue.

First Look magic.  Yes.  Magic.

I LOVE when guys do the spin around look.

Slow clap for Platinum Petals.  They knocked it out of the park.

Tyson & Bree even have perfectly awesome little people at their wedding.

You may remember from her bridal session that Breelyn wore her mother’s wedding dress.

Here is what she had to say about the dress.

It’s true that there is something ineffably fascinating, magical almost, about stepping inside a gown that has been worn and loved in the past… Especially by your own Mom.  When I was really young I used to stare at the picture my Mom had hanging in the hallway and dream about the day when I would look as beautiful as her.  When my time came to “dress shop” my mom took me in her room and told me she wanted to show me something.  There’s this old cedar chest that my parents have always kept at the foot of their bed that is filled with hundreds of heirloom from our family. She had jewelry, handkerchiefs, pictures, and newspaper clippings from my Mimi’s day along with her own items already placed in a bag for me to have.  I was in total disbelief that she still had these items considering we didn’t have much of Mimi’s things.

Then she pulled out her own wedding dress.  We both are teary eyed at this point and she said, “You don’t have to wear it – I just wanted you to see it.” – I immediately put the dress on and as she’s zipping me up it fit like a glove.  I walked around her room for a few minutes and looked at my Mom as she was smiling so big at me… I knew it was the one.  I told her right then I didn’t need to look for a dress, I had it.  A wedding dress symbolizes so much about marriage, and I couldn’t imagine anything more special that carrying on the legacy of love that my parents have for each other.  I love my Dad with my whole heart – they have fought for their marriage of 29 years and I admire them so much for that.

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Breath.
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Are we ready?
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How about now?
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Who needs a drink?

No matter how amazing your day is… someone will always think it’s kinda boring and has gone on too long.

Brides often give a little giggle when they put a ring on their groom.  It’s like they know.

They won.

Who doesn’t love to flaunt their wedding ring?

Every wedding I try and get a shot of the bride looking stunning while the groom is shoving food in his face.

Mission accomplished.

Your toasts should always include you bending over backwards in full gut wrenching laughter.

Let’s just say all of the paper lanterns didn’t make it into the sky.  Some may have fallen down in flames and been used to light other lanterns.

As if their day was not great enough, they also had a killer Mug Machine.  Here are some of my favorites from the booth.

Breelyn and Tyson. I love you.  Thank You for letting me creep on your day.

If I had to sum up Shelby & Logan’s wedding day in one word, I would choose “relationships” as their word.  Every time I turned around, it seemed as if these two were deep in conversation or a moment with another person from their story.  Weddings are often a time when the bride and groom are surrounded by their friends and family, but they rush and events of the day make it easy to overlook the people they love the most.  Shelby & Logan spent their day fully present and soaking up every moment.

They were married at the historic and gorgeous Astin Mansion in downtown Bryan.  This place is amazing.  They are also home to Carriage House Floral who brought their A game.  Take a look.

The ladies spent the morning like all good Aggie bridesmaids… Watching football.

Right before she started getting ready Shelby’s mom gave her a few small gifts from herself and other friends.  Then they sorta broke down.  Just for a minute. :)

Shelby’s maid of honor loved me getting this shot of her brushing her teeth.

I love toasts.  They are super great.  I also enjoy finding the creation of the toast.  So many times I come across that moment, when a mother or father sit down to try and put into a few sentences, what a lifetime of raising and loving a child has meant to them.  It’s rarely an “amazing” or “stunning” image, but so many times they end up being my favorites from the day.

Shelby’s dad was super sweet when he saw her for the first time that day.

I love how Shelby went all creepy on Logan during their First Look.

So, somewhere along the day, we got news that the cake had been dropped on it’s way to the venue.  Not cool right?  Of course Shelby responded how every bride should.  She was like, “No big deal, I’m sure it will all work out.” :)

And just like that Shelby earned 387 Cool Bride points.

Can I tell you a little secret?

Everyone knows you are supposed to look at the bride when she comes down the aisle.  (It’s her day BLAH BLAH BLAH.)

And… all you professional wedding go-ers also know that looking at the grooms reaction is also a golden moment.

The thing is, and due to the angle and location, this is so hard for most of you to see: the mother of the groom is sometimes where it’s at.  :)

All mothers ever want is for their kids to have a fulfilling life.  It’s never about them being successful, rich, or even giving them grandkids.  They just want them to be full.  To know they have a teammate.  So when a mother can see her son, looking at the woman who will be his partner in life, his biggest fan, the one who will hold him, give him comfort, joy, and the security that she has given for all these years, it’s a special moment.  I love that moment.

Right after the ceremony I heard Logan say, we should take a selfie.  Then Shelby said, I don’t have a phone.  Then Logan said, I don’t have a phone.  Then I said, I have a phone.  Then they selfied on my phone while i photographed them selfieing.

You’ll be surprised to know that Logan’s grandmother is a fan of watching her grandson dance with her daughter. :)

Sometimes I think the only reasons Aggies get married is so someone will photograph their rings.

Hey, hey.  Guess what showed up?

Not only was Shelby cool about the whole thing, she went over and gave the cake lady a hug and thanked her for making her another cake.

274 Cool Bride points earned.

So many people shared so many great stories about growing up and raising these two.  I would love for you to hear them, but guess what?  I was only there to take photos.  Good news though!

Matt Johnson of FilmStrong was there.  He is a killer videographer based out of Dallas.  You should book him.

Towards the end of the night, Logan surprised Shelby by playing and singing a song for her.  He also made all us other guys look like chumps.  :)

These two ended the night how I believe every couple should end their night: with the dance floor all to themselves.  It’s totally a thing that feels right out of a movie.  I love it every time.

Thank you guys for an amazing day full of laughter, friendships, and all around Aggie coolness. ;)

P.S.  You know what else was at their wedding?  The Mug Machine.

Check out my 10 favorites from the night.

Natalie & Jason had such a chill wedding at Noah’s Event Center in Plano on a cold cold day in December.

I promise I’m not exaggerating when I say that during their First Look Jason kept repeating the this phrase over and over.

“You are so beautiful.”

He must have said it 20 times.

I may have teared up.

The guys took their portrait time very very seriously.

Some people spend months and dozens of Pinterest hours looking for the perfect cake toppers.

Natalie told me they got theirs from a toy store about a week before the wedding.

I love smaller weddings because it really does feel like everyone is family.  This is them with all the “guests” from the day.

How should we end the day?
Last dance?
Flower petal exit?
Fireworks?

All too boring.

80’s movie High Five?  Yes!  Roll Credits!

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.