I love these rewind posts.  It’s amazing to me that these images happened a year ago.  Many of them are still fresh in my mind and I feel like I took them 3 months ago.

Happy 1 year to Lindsey & Justin, Mindy & Dustin, and Davi & Jonathan.

Maybe it’s because Sara is starting to grow up.

Maybe it’s because I’ve seen too many weddings where brides rush through the day.

I’m not sure what it is, but lately brides and fathers have been on my mind at weddings.

I have a fantastic tip for you brides on your wedding day: Spend time with your dad.

This is the thing with most dads, they are kinda numb to the whole wedding thing.  You and your mom or friends have planned the day.  As guys, we clearly have little or no opinion on the colors you choose or the type of flowers you use in your bouquet.  The whole process is by women and for women.  There is one part of the day however that Dads are very, very clued into.  The part where they “give you away”.

Some dads joke about it, others cry through it, but all of them have a feeling about it.  Here is my tip to you: find a way to honor and thank your dad sometime the week you get married.  Maybe it’s by having that super traditional Father-Daughter dance.  But guess what, some dad’s don’t like to dance.  Especially with 283 people watching them.  Some dads like iHop.  How about taking him to breakfast the day of your wedding.  That’s right.  The morning you get married you CAN spend 30 minutes with your dad.  Trust me when I say that nothing will make him feel more honored and loved than you spending a few moments alone with him.

Here are a few things I’ve seen brides do.

It’s amazing how a simple 3 minute chat at the candy table before the day gets going can mean so much.

Lauren’s dad kicked everyone out of the bride’s room to spend a few moments alone with her and give her a gift.

I loved this moment between Amy and her dad.

Erika actually called her dad and talked to him for about 5 minutes before he came to walk her down the aisle.

And, if the only thing you can do with your dad is the Father/Daughter dance, dancing to “Thriller” is the way to go.  (Happy Anniversary Kim & Josh)

Here’s the deal, I WANT Sara to get married.  I’m sure that I’ll love the guy she is choosing and be thrilled to see her find happiness in him.  My “fear” is that I’ll be forgotten.  I see this in dads in many of the weddings I shoot.  They don’t want to take over the day.  They just want 10 minutes with their daughter to hug them and tell them how proud they are.  Give your dad time on your wedding day.  Even though he’s not your number 1 man anymore, he desperately needs to be reminded that he’s number 2.

Well, The Mug Machine has made it to 3 out of the 4 weddings I have shot this year and I’ll be honest, you HAVE to have this at your wedding. :) Heather called me a few weeks before her wedding to check on adding it and I was so glad she did. They have a great group of friends and it really let’s everyone get in on the photo fun.

If you are interested in having The Mug Machine at your wedding shoot me an E-mail and we’ll make it happen.

Here are a few of my favorites.

After their first shot. This guy asked for a “Prom pose” because they never got a prom photo done. How awesome is that? I kept having to re-shoot this. The bottle was full when we started. :) Mothers of the Bride & Groom.

I think Heather may have had the most fun in The Mug Machine. She kept coming back for more.
And finally, one more family portrait.

Heather & Blake had a great wedding at Castle on the Lake in Jacksonville, TX.  Those of you who have never been there, it’s really one of the more unique wedding venues in the area.  It’s really worth looking into and you’ll learn more in the next week or so when I run their vendor interview.

I overheard Heather tell someone that her favorite thing about her ring was how you could see the “whole” diamond.  She really has one of the coolest rings I have ever shot.

This was a wedding first for me.  The groom was getting his hair done while the bride got her makeup done. :)

Designs by D’Anne did the cake and Flowers by Janae did the arrangements.

Blake had his son to keep him company while he waited on Heather for their First Look.

I finally got a shot of him without hair in his face.  (I’m sure his mom will appreciate it.)

We grabbed their boys for a few family shots.  It was so stinking windy.  That top hat flew off on it’s own and probably traveled another 10 feet before landing.

Boys + Canes = Sword fight.

As they started their first dance, it looked like it would be your “typical” stand and sway dance.

At the end they broke into a little swing routine and impressed all of us.

Come back tomorrow for some Mug Machine goodness.  (It’s gonna be good.)

If you are still considering a venue for your wedding then you are going to love today’s post.  Here are some of my favorite venues in the area.  They are all slightly unique.  Some have things that others don’t and I’m pretty sure that if you take a look at each of these you’ll end up having a hard time deciding on just one. :)  Anyway, here are a few photos with links to recent weddings as well as contact info for each of them.  Happy Friday.

Villa di Felicita | (903) 597-0002 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)

Castle on the Lake | 903-721-3593 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)

The Legacy Venue | 903.571.9644 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)
The Belgium House | (903) 660-0125 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)
Elmwood Gardens | (903) 724-5619 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)
Roseland Plantation | (903) 849-5553 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)

Hunt Villa | (903) 597-0002 | (Click here for a recent wedding there.)