I don’t even know where to start when it comes to Kayla and Trent. I can honestly say I have never had a couple that was as full of life as these two. Constant laughter, constant energy, constant joy.

Before we get started… there is one detail you should know about Kayla: her mother owns a wedding venue. Not one of those “we have a big house, so we let people have weddings here at times” wedding venues. But, a straight up, legit, killer wedding venue. It’s called Stone Oak Ranch and it’s amazing. I love shooting there and I will link to it like 10 times in this post in hopes of giving them a little extra SEO goodness. Also, when your mom owns a venue and your coordinate weddings out there, you probably have seen and worked with over a thousand photographers. It was a HUGE honor when they asked me to shoot their wedding. Thanks for making me feel good about myself.

On to the day.
Step One: Party Animals.

Look at all the shiny, shiny-pretty, pretty at Stone Oak Ranch.

Check out their custom made, super fun invitations made by the Rifle paper Co.

2 weeks ago I shot a wedding with a tattoo station.  I demanded more brides do this.  BOOM!  I show up and Kayan and Trent have this.  Well played.

Someone stopped bride-ing and started coordinating as she put her topper on her yummy Chez Bazan cake.

Hello, my name is Kaylan, and Von Criswell did a killer job with my makeup.

You know a wedding is good when they have a First Look….

and they loved it so much they decided to do ANOTHER FIRST LOOK!!!!
(they blew my mind.)

That super sweet, tender moment, every outdoor bride shares with her groom as he picks bugs out from her dress.

Wait what….?  This seems out of place…. Why would anyone have a random carnival cut out at their wedding???

A Touch of Nature did a fantastic job with all the flowers.
(I just love the shot of Kaylan blowing her bang back into place.)

These two are not only super full of life, but their siblings are as well.  Trent’s sister kept pretending it was her big day, while Kaylan’s brothers made the most of their “formal” photos with her.

Licking your finger and wiping things off.  Such a baller move from Trent’s Grandmother.

Is it ok if I think this is my most favorite photo ever?
This is how you Flower Girl. Maximum extension. Petals high. Feet off the ground. Clear eyes. Full heart. Can’t lose.

Their ceremony at Stone Oak Ranch was full of laugher, stories, and joy.  As every ceremony should be.

Of course they exited to “Come and Get Your Love” and had an impromptu dance party.

I adore moments like this one.
No one around them.
No one posing them.
No one coordinating them.

Just two people who have been married 15 minutes.

That carnival cut out makes a whole lot more sense when you realize that they had A FULL BLOWN CARNIVAL for their cocktail hour.  (Like you do.)

Everyone does the mamba for their first dance, right?

I don’t even know where to start for this reception. It was perfect.

Let’s do this… Let’s start with Otis and the Metro Band. They sang, played, and kept everyone dancing at Stone Oak Ranch for 4 hours.

Everyone loves tattoos.  Buff brides, couples, super cool Grandparents.

What’s left…. Oh yeah… a clown.  Give it up for Kornpop and his perfect balloon animals, hats, and mistletoe.

You know a reception is great when the flower girl grabs on to a post and holds on tight as she is being carried out.

There are no words.

Who doesn’t love a face full of lavender?

Thank you guys for a perfect evening at a perfect venue.  Let’s give it up one last time for Stone Oak Ranch and for Kaylan and Trent.

When I got home from this wedding, I Instagramed a photo of these two and said this: “I have photographed hundreds of weddings. I have never seen a groom be more tender towards his bride than Tim was towards Beth.”

As I edited and looked over every image I captured that day, I still feel that to be an absolute truth.

The depth and richness of their relationship seeped through every aspect of their day.  I felt so honored to be there.  I felt like I should be paying them.  Then I was all like… wait.  My kids need to eat.  Nevermind.

Beth and Tim were married at Stone Oak Ranch in Athens.  It’s a Top 10 venue and I love shooting there.  Also Moss made the whole day explode with floral goodness.

Beth knew exactly what she wanted in a dress.  But, unlike her groom, she could not find it in one place.  So she had one commissioned, that combined 3 different dresses on Etsy. :)

Every time I turned around, these ladies were laughing.  About everything and nothing, all at once.

Tim wrote in a little journal for her and as she was reading it she was tearing up, and then chuckled a bit.  I later asked her and she said that he had misspelled a word. :)

Beth and her mom shared a super sweet prayer before the day really got rolling.

I told you Moss killed it with the flowers!  Call and book them! 903.787.8821

This is when I started noticing Tim’s attention to detail.  When he opened the gift Beth had for him, he looked over every part so carefully.  The card, the box, the small stuff we tend to glance over.  He even flipped through and read every page in a photo book she had made for him.  I was standing there photographing him, waiting for him to go to the next gift, but he just kept looking at the photo book.  Page by page.  After a minute or so, I began to worry because I saw that there was another book.  A longer thicker book.

Sure enough, he opened this one to the table of contents and started looking over it.
(At this point I kinda freaked out in my head.  We are on a schedule bro.  I only allotted 5 minutes for “gift exchange” and you are making me nervous.)

Then he went to this pose.  He settled in.  He got comfortable.  I think he forgot I was there, and we were there, and he was getting married.  He was so engulfed with the perfect gift that Beth had selected that it was threatening to ruin my day!!!

He finally put the book down and we moved onto the business of this ever important “formal photos.”  This is Tim and his brother being “formal”.

Tim also picked out bow ties for each of his guys.  (I’m scared to know how long that process took.)

Boom!  Tim’s brother strikes with a perfect photo bomb.

Beth’s sister made these.  Because she is awesome.

Wedding time rolled around and I was waiting for it to start, when all of the sudden preacher man started talking.  I figured it was the usual, silence your cell phones, no flash photography announcement.

Wrong again, Alex.

Beth and Tim asked him to speak for about 5-10 minutes on what marriage is.  What it means.  What we strive for and commit to when we enter into this covenant.  And they asked him to do it BEFORE they came out because they didn’t want any of his words to be missed by the distraction of them, and their closest friends being up there.

They just wanted a not so subtle reminder for them and their guests that marriage is legit.

You don’t jack with marriage. (My words, not his.)

Beth finally came out.  Tim cried.

When she got to the front, they spent some time just hugging and holding each other.  Because why not. :)

While at the back, I saw this.  It has nothing to do with covenants, or marriage, or the sacredness of the moment.  But you can’t NOT photograph dinosaurs.  Right?

This is Tim’s “I CAN’T BELIVE WE ARE FLIPPING MARRIED YOU ARE SO GORGEOUS” face.

After I finished their photos, I encouraged them to just take some time alone before heading back towards the wedding party and reception.  I looked over and found this.

Hello perfect moment.

I love it so much.  It totally captured their day and relationship.  It wasn’t a kiss.  In fact, I would not even call it a “hug.”  It was more of a “hold.”

As in, I’m here for you.  I’m supporting you.  I’m committed to you.  I’m in this moment with you and will be in so many more moments for years and years to come.

Marriage is hard.

Mortgages
Kids
Budgets
School
Work
In-laws
Holidays
Bills

All of these things are a part of it.

None of them are inherently bad.  But boy, do they sometimes feel like they are pulling you apart.

Knowing your spouse is committed.  Knowing they are there to lean on.  Knowing that you can always walk into a room and hold each other, regardless of whatever is spiraling out of control around you, is what keeps marriages together.

I loved getting to capture their first “hold” as a married couple.

I always like when this happens during a First Dance.

And just when I thought I had seen it all…..  They go and give me a Marriage Monday quote on the side of their car.

“It is not your love that sustains the marriage, but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Thank you two for an amazing day.  I love you.

The day you get married is really unlike any other day of your marriage. It’s packed full of moment after moment after moment of memories. There are huge swings of emotion and sometimes the most unexpected thing will end up being the highlight of your day. I’m often asked “What’s your favorite part of a wedding?” The reality is, I don’t have just one answer for that. It really depends from wedding to wedding. I can say, that having shot over 400 weddings, a few trends have emerged and I’ve seen some patterns bubble up that I always look forward to documenting and being present for. I’ll be writing about one of these per month and I thought I would kick it off with one you might not expect.

My favorite moment of a wedding day is…. Family Photos!

That’s right, baby. I LOVE family formals. (I even wrote about how to have great formals a few years ago.) These are your people. This is your tribe. These images are so full of history and depth it’s impossible to not love them. This is your chance to laugh and cry with those who have known you the longest. It’s the time all your people look their best and these photos are the ones that will be put in frames and looked at for years and years to come. These are the images that end up on the kitchen counter, in the hallway, and above the fireplace. The thing is, sometimes in all of our planning and prepping for the day, they get overlooked. They become an item in your 76-Things-To-Do-On-Your-Wedding-Day-Checklist.

[ ] 4:30 Bridesmaid Photos
[ ] 4:45 Family Photos
[ ] 5:00 Reception

Just realize that that little block of your wedding day is one that many couples are not present for. I mean, they are there. They show up. They smile, pose, and hug. But, really, they are looking towards the next moment. The reception, the ceremony, the alcohol at the reception. :) They are not fully present and aware of how special these moments can be.

Need proof? Take a look.
This is typically what you think of when you hear family photos.  Bride with parents.  Check. :)

But, you’ll quickly realize there is so much more happening.

1st family photo where all the kids are married.

That super tender moment you have with your dad.

A mother who has raised 4 boys into grown men.

Sometimes things get a bit more fun.
Example: A photo of what this family typically looks like. ;)

Siblings are the best!

Sometimes the photos are not even about you.
That moment when a grandkid spits up on your grandparents.

I LOVE to pull the bride or grooms brother/sister and their family aside.  It typically takes about 30 seconds and BAM!  They get a new photo to hang on their wall.

How about one of your parents. Who NEVER get dressed up. Who NEVER get photographed. Here they are, looking good and in love.

Or how about that picture with your grandparents who have been married 57 years and you have not even been married 57 minutes?

Let’s fast forward to 2020.

Six years from now when you go home for Christmas and you have a three your old little girl, she will be at PaPa & NaNa’s house looking at the tree. She will stare at all the gifts under it and then she’ll notice a photo hanging on the wall of her mom in a white dress. She will look at it for a while, then she will ask her NaNa about the photo. And then your mother will tell her all about how beautiful her mother was on her wedding and how wonderful the day was.

And THAT moment, in the future, will be magic. And it will all be possible because you took a few moments on your wedding day to be photographed with the people who love you the most.
Because you enjoyed this, I know you’ll want to see more in this series. Click here for more words and pretty pictures.

I almost didn’t blog this wedding.  It was beautiful.  It was full of Pinteresty things.  It was at one of my favorite places to shoot.
(Shout out to Stone Oak Ranch in Murchison, TX.)

So why not blog it?  Simple.

Nicole is a super young bride.  I’m not a huge fan of young people getting married.  The odds are never in your favor.

Marriage is hard.

Very hard.

Nicole is 21.  A child.

You know who was 20 when she became a wife?

My bride.  That’s right.  Danielle was 20.  Even more of a child!

Seeing Nicole and Tyson interact throughout the day brought back so many memories.  I watched them interact and saw their commitment to each other.  I can see how Tyson respects Nicole.  But it’s not just them.  I saw their support system.  I met their families.  And when I saw their families… I knew these two will do great.

We’ll get to the good stuff later, for now though… how about some eye candy.  Take a look.

These two met on twitter.  Yeah, that’s right.  Twitter.  Welcome to the future.

They had a super sweet First Look.

Sometimes I let the moms creep during the First Look.

This is where this post starts to get good.

These are Nicole & Tyson’s parents.  They have each been married 25 years.

25 years.

The ring bearer was great, but when your Aunt gets to be your flower girl… it’s hard to top that.

Nicole’s grandfather married them.  He opened by telling Tyson that he will stay committed to her or “the hunt might not be over.”

I love when couples write their own vows.

“I promise to be the best hunting and fishing partner you ever had. I can’t promise I won’t catch the bigger fish.” – Nicole

For so many brides this is the goal.  The finish line.

When you kiss and are “husband & wife.”  Nicole & Tyson are one of the few couples that realize this is the starting line.  This is where the race begins.

Papa & Mimi 48 years of marriage.

Pa & Granny 50 years of marriage.

Papa & NeeNee 44 years of marriage.

Tataw & Nanaw 57 years of marriage.

I’m telling you right now.  It’s up to Nicole & Tyson to stay married.  Their grandparents’ and parents’ marriage will not keep them married.  They will have to do the work.  It’s on them.

But, I’m also telling you to stop and think about that legacy.  These two have grown up in homes where healthy marriages have been modeled for 25 years.  Their parents grew up in homes where marriage is something to be cherished and committed to.  That is a HUGE head start for them.

Take a look at these photos….

They are standing next to 249 years worth of marriage.

Those people have 90,885 days of practice living with another human.

Nichole and Tyson have about 4 days worth of practice.

This is a challenge to them and to all of us.

Find people who have been married a long time.

Befriend them.  Ask them for advice.  Learn from them.

Then go and stay married a long time.

I know Nicole & Tyson plan to.

One of the best things about weddings here in the East Texas area is just how many great venues there are for brides to choose from.  Most of these places were build from the ground up with weddings in mind.  They have plenty of rooms to get ready in, multiple locations for you to have your ceremony and reception and some even offer a place for you to stay the night.  Many will offer catering and provide you with packages that include a few other wedding vendors as well.  A good wedding venue is totally worth the money once you factor in all these things.  Here are the 10 best East Texas wedding venues. (In alphabetical order.)

The Arbor
2215 Roy Rd.
Tyler, TX
903-534-4997
www.arborvenue.com

The Belgium House
Longview, TX
903-720-6414
www.thebelgiumhouse.com

Bella Sera Ranch
286 ACR 1400
Palestine, TX
903-723-0900
www.bellaseraranch.com

Castle on the Lake
9110 US Hwy. 79 W.
Jacksonville, TX
903-721-3593
www.jacksonvillecastle.com

Elmwood Gardens
680 ACR 446
Palestine, TX
903-549-2716
www.elmwoodgardens.com

Lake Tyler Petroleum Club
15898 Eastside Dr.
Tyler, TX
903-566-4444
www.laketylerpetroleumclub.com

The Legacy
Jacksonville, TX
903-571-9644
www.thelegacy-venue.com

The Reserve
7725 Hwy. 259
Longview, TX
903-431-3496
www.bookthereserve.com

Stone Oak Ranch
Murchison, TX
903-530-4201
www.stoneoakranch.com

Villa di Felicitá
7891 Hwy. 110
Tyler, TX
903-597-0002
villadifelicita.com