Lindsey & Jonathan had a small wedding at Elmwood Gardens.  It was such a great laid back day, I wish all weddings could be as fun and chill as theirs was.

So I don’t think I have ever started a wedding post with a shot of the bride without her makeup on…. but Lindsey’s expression when she saw her bouquet was too good not to show.  La Tee Da Flowers ALWAYS gets this reaction from their brides.  I love being in the room when Barbra walks in each wedding.

Jonathan’s father recently passed away so Lindsey surprised him with these cufflinks at their First Look.

Jonathan is a DEA special agent so these seemed fitting.

Lots and lots of First Look chatting, laughing, & smiling.

TC Makeup came down from Dallas and did a terrific job.  (She also finished on time.  A HUGE plus when considering a makeup artist.)

Designs by D’Anne did they cakes.  She also just got a new website so get over there and take a look.

I love love love these fingerprint trees couples are having at their weddings.
All The Single Ladies….

Reason 385 you need to hire a PROFESSIONAL DJ for your wedding:  About 5 seconds before the last dance was about to start Lindsey turned to Casey of CMBDJs and said, “can we change our last song to something fun and fast?”  (They had chosen a slow song a few weeks ago during one of their consultations.)

He asked her if she had a favorite and she said “uh…..”
1/2 a second later Casey suggested a song and had the whole place jumpin’
Every photo you see below happened because Casey knew just what to do and was able to react and make it happen in about 10 seconds.
The lesson?  Book a real DJ.

What song did he play?  You’ll have to call him to find out. 903.724.3192 :)

This is the last category of Top 10 images and it’s a good one.  Regardless of wedding venue, flowers, and all the planning that goes into a wedding day it’s ultimately about the two people getting married.  There is nothing I enjoy more than giving a couple a great photo of them on their wedding day.  Most of these came about because of them choosing to have a First Look.  It’s what allows us time to really have fun and capture some creative photos.

Since this is the last category I’m going to leave the voting open all weekend so get to work people.  check back Monday morning when the winners in each category are announced.  Each category winner will receive a 16×20 print of their winning image. So pick an image, vote, then get on your Twitter and your Facebook and make your friends come vote.

Here are the images.

While shooting my past two engagement sessions both brides commented to me how they are tired and slightly overwhelmed by everything they have been reading on the wedding blogs the frequent.

One bride mentioned that she can’t wait for “a stamp to just be a stamp again.”  (Rather than something she has to pick out, plan colors for, order hundreds of, and stick on envelopes.)  The other said she can’t wait for her wedding to be over so she does not have to keep checking them. :)

I have never planned a big wedding and I’m sure these sites contain a wealth of knowledge.  There really are so many little things that go into a wedding that it’s nice to get advice from those who have been there before.  Having said that, let me give you one tip.

Stop reading wedding blogs.

Even this one.

Seriously.  Take a step back.  Just be engaged.  It’s supposed to be fun.

There is a season and time for everything.  There is a time to plan and a time to enjoy.  I know that planning can be enjoyable, but if you find yourself getting frustrated of overwhelmed by what you “should” be doing then maybe it’s time to take a little break.  Try this.  Take a week off.  For one whole week don’t visit a wedding related site for any reason.  If and only if the world continues to spin, feel free to check back in after 7 days. :)

Happy planning and I’ll see you tomorrow. :)

Castle on the Lake is one of my favorite venues in the area and it’s located just outside of Jacksonville, Tx.  I love when brides choose to get married at wedding venues because they are well… wedding venues.  They are built and put together to help your day go smoothly and their on site staff help take care of so many things you did not plan for or expect.  Here are a few shots of it as well as a new promo video Vanessa McKellar just put together for them.

One of the coolest things about Castle is their HUGE bridal suite.  This thing just blows away every other location.  If you have ever been a bridesmaid you know just how crowded these “prep” rooms can get.  Not the case with castle.  I shot a wedding with 10 bridesmaids getting ready in this room and there was still plenty of room for moms, aunts, and grandparents to come in and visit.  It’s awesome.

They have a couple of options for your ceremony.  One is a big a big tree.

The second is a cool rock wall they just built.

Finally, here is a video that Vanessa McKellar just shot.  Brittan is the bride you’ll see.  (La Tee Da Flowers did the flowers.)She’s also the owner and runs this place day in and day out.  She is super nice and will totally become your BFF as she helps you put together your wedding day.  Give her a call and get this placed booked! 903.721.3593.

Castle on the Lake
http://www.jacksonvillecastle.com/
903.721.3593.

Warning:  Lots and lots of photos.  Don’t start looking unless you want to end up jealous of Jessica, Rob, and their amazing little Elmwood Gardens wedding.

We’ll kick it off with a shot of her bouquet.  Barbara & Thomas from La Tee Da Flowers outdid themselves on this one.  I don’t know what any of these things are called, but together they look amazing.  (I kept telling Barbara that I was going to eat the “little tomatoes”

Jess surprised Rob with these cufflinks.  She had me print tiny photos of him and his father who has passed away.  When he saw them for the first time it was a pretty intense moment.

Some First Look magic.

Some First Look tears.

Jessica got her dress from Weddings AtoZ Bridal Boutique.  They are located in Tyler and some of the nicest dress people I know.


The cake was done by Crumbs & Crayons and the decorations by La Tee Da Flowers.

Rob likes pirates.


CMB DJs was there and Casey kept everyone on the dance floor.

If you look near the back of the group you’ll also see my friend and videographer Jeff Heimer.  I LOVE working with great videographers at weddings.  I’ve said it a million times, but I’ll say it again.  Get your wedding filmed by a professional.

I adore this shot.  It’s one of my favorite moments at weddings.  Right before they run out for their get-away is a time that couples connect again and have one last “moment” before the wedding ends.

Thank you two for your trust and excitement about having me photograph your wedding.
You were a blast to shoot and I still have hundreds of photos to show you. :)
(I’ve already seen them and they are pretty good.)

Check back Friday for some Mug Machine goodness.