I have been looking forward to this wedding for a long time.  I knew Kristi & Kiley would be great but I was also super excited about getting to shoot at Stone Oak Ranch for the first time.  All 3 did not disappoint!  Kristi & Kiley were totally into each other the whole time and Stone Oak Ranch jumped into one of my Top 5 favorite places to shoot!  This place is fantastic.  It’s straight out of a movie.  I was describing it to another photographer friend of mine yesterday and the best explanation I had was… “If Julia Roberts were getting married in a movie somewhere out in the country the it would look exactly like Stone Oak Ranch.”  Not a bad place to get married right? :)  OK, on to the images.

One of the great things about Stone Oak is that they are able to provide you with flowers for your day.  They are done by A Touch of Nature.  These came out great.

Thank You Kristi & Kiley for trusting me with your day.  I loved sharing it with you.

When I first met with these two Lindsay was so excited. Booking me was her 1st “official engaged thing” that she did. :)

I LOVE when I’m first on the wedding planning list. I just met with a “bride” yesterday who is not engaged yet. (You know who you are.)

Anyway, these two were just a blast to shoot. I am looking forward to their 09-10-11 wedding!

Meet Sally.  The other love of David’s life. :)

Thanks for a great session.

It seems like every time I look up there is a new wedding venue in East Texas.  (We already have The Villa di Felicita, Elmwood Gardens, The Belgium House, Castle on the Lake, Roseland Plantation, Hunt Villa, and The Legacy Venue.)  I have not had a chance to shoot at all the new ones but still wanted to make you aware of them.  Here are just a few of the newer places.  Most are already open, some are opening soon.  The good news for brides is you should be able to find a place to get married practically any day you want. :)

Arabella Manor (Gilmer, TX)
http://arabellamanorevents.com/
903.746.5461

Bella Sera Ranch (Palestine, TX)
http://www.bellaseraranch.com/
903.723.0900

Centaur Arabian Farms (Flint, TX)
http://www.centaurarabianfarms.com/
903.561.6926

Kiepersol Estates Bushman’s (Bullard, TX)
http://www.kiepersol.com/bushmans/index.html
903.894.7505

Stone Oak Ranch (Athens, TX)
http://www.stoneoakranch.com/main/
903.530.7947

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.