Hey hey, the people have spoken and here are the winners for this years contests.

Engagement: Natelee & Josh. There is something super timeless and perfect about a couple hugging while the dude makes his girl giggle.

Rings: Melanie & Aaron used these drinks during their ceremony. I’m glad their ring photo was able to include them as well.

Brides: Liz braved the stupid hot afternoon June heat for her bridal session. It was worth it. (Right Liz?)

Random: I LOVE this shot of the bride’s sisters and mom documenting their day.

Mug Machine: Hair makes the best prop.

Wedding: Breelyn & Tyson had the most perfect outdoor wedding ever. It’s only fair that their perfect outdoor photo win.

Each year it’s so hard for me to narrow down the categories and pick only 10 photos per section. This year I’m giving you a little peek behind the curtain at some of my other favorites that were not able to make the cut in wedding related categories.

Lots and lots of eye candy below. Enjoy.

Thanks to everyone who voted and a HUGE thanks to all my 2015 couples. You guys are super generous to allow me into your lives on these intimate days. You are the best.

It’s that time again. It’s time to look back at some of the best photos from 2015. Everyday we’ll be taking a look at a new category. Voting is open till 8am and the winners will be announced Monday. The winning entries will each receive a 16×20 print.

Today’s category: Wedding

All the other stuff is great, but really, when you get to the bottom of it, weddings are all about two people getting married. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of photographing couples on theirday. Here are a few of my favorites form the past year.

1. Talia & Andrew (Stonegate Mansion)

2. Stephanie & Max (Lake Tyler Petroleum Club)

3. Breelyn & Tyson (Chapel Creek Manor)

4. Katie & Trevor (THE SPRINGS Event Venue)

5. Kallie & Chase (Pecan Springs Ranch)

6. Shelby & Damon (The Arbor)

7. Chelsea & Ryan (Stone Oak Ranch)

8. Melanie & Aaron (Le Beaux Chateau)

9. Chasity & Adam (The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception)

10. Heather & Austin (Castle on the Lake)

OK. It’s time again for that killer blog series: My Favorite Part of A Wedding.

One of the reasons I love shooting weddings so much is because of all the relationships involved. The longer you have known those people, the deeper the interactions with them will be on your wedding day. That’s part of why I am a sucker for the Father-Daughter dance. I know, I know. Typically, the bride and groom sharing their FIRST dance together as husband and wife is supposed to be the headliner. But let me tell you a little secret: that’s not the dance to watch.

A bride & groom’s first dance is just more of what you’ve already seen that day. It’s two people giddy, in love, and just smiling at each other because their happily ever after is just getting started. That’s great. Sunshine, rainbows, unicorns, everybody loves it. But, a good Father-Daughter dance is so much more. It’s 25 years of living and raising a human. There is so much going on just below the surface. I love seeing how they unfold. Sometimes they are full of laughter, and memories, and chatter. Sometimes they are planned out choreography and even though it’s a struggle, you know they had so much fun practicing. And every now and then, you get the full on melt down. Two people just laughing and crying for 3 minutes while they take in what the last quarter of a century was like.

Here are a few of my favorites:

So next time you go to a wedding, don’t just walk over to the punch bowl when they call for the Bride & her Father to share a “special dance.”

Stop what you are doing.
Soak it in.
Be present.

It’s not just 3 minutes of swaying to “I Loved Her First.”

It’s softball practices, and dance recitals, and driving lessons, and prom dresses, and butterfly kisses, and coke dates, and science projects, and Disney movies, and painted toes, and boyfriend breakups, and fishing trips, and tea parties.
It’s knowing that it will never be like it was.

And starting to be OK with that.

But, it’s also knowing that it will never be like it was.

And getting excited about that.

Oh, one last thing about Father-Daughter dances… sometimes they don’t have to be a dance at all.  Because as dads, all we really want, is one last moment with our little girl.

Because you enjoyed this, I know you’ll want to see more in this series. Click here for more words and pretty pictures.

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.

Do you remember that time that Breelyn showed up for her bridal session and made my job super easy?  I do.

Of course she’s wearing mud boots.  What else would she be wearing?

Speaking of wearing… She’s wearing her mother’s wedding dress.  BOOM.

This outdoor shoot in a slightly muddy field was made possible by Breelyn’s awesomeness and by Roma, makers of fine mud boots.  (Giving poverty the boot.)  You should go buy some.