Jessica & Daniel are Married {Burnett, TX Wedding}

Airy white paper lanterns floated over the dance floor as a cool Texas breeze drifted through the trees.  Across the lawn, the stage was set for a beautiful Hill Country wedding.

Jessica and Daniel got married on a ranch in Burnett, TX about an hour outside of Austin.  This wedding was the perfect blend of country sophistication with just a hint of Pinterest.  They tied the knot under a huge old tree adorned with hanging mason jars bearing coral flowers.  Before the wedding started, the bride had only one request.  She wanted me to capture Daniel's face as she was walking down the aisle.  When she stepped out from behind the screens, his face lit up with joy and awe.  The look on his face was all it took for me to see that they will be very happy together.  They are crazy about each other, and it was evident in every gesture that they made.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of such a joyous occasion!


Jessica touching up her make-up before the ceremony.



Since their wedding was outdoors at a ranch, I wanted their ring shot to match the theme.  I found an Austin stone with a flat ledge and snapped away.



Out of the three flower girls, only one wanted her picture taken.  With a pretty smile like this, it is easy to see why!



Jessica's mom laced up her dress.  It was a very sweet moment for both of them.



The bridesmaids were giddy with excitement as they prepared to leave for the wedding.



Since the ceremony was outdoors, they had to get creative to hide Jessica from the crowd (and Dan) until the big moment.  The solution was two sets of screens set up about 15 feet away from the back of the aisle. 

The flower girls dropped flower petals to get the aisle ready for Jessica.



Here is Dan's face as he see's her step out from behind the screens.  It is so amazing how you can see so much expression on his face.









The ceremony was very quick.  I was about to make my way to the back to get a full picture of the ceremony and guests when they started saying their vows.







I think the first kiss is one of my favorite parts of a wedding.  Although it is a nerve racking time for the photographer (you must get this shot), it is such a beautiful moment for the couple.  The nervousness has passed, and they are ready for the next part to begin.







Their moms came to the front to sign the marriage license as their witnesses.



They filled a frame with coral and gray sand to depict the melding of their two families into one.



They were both beaming as they made their way back down the aisle.



Dan and his mom shared a sweet moment as she offered him congratulations.



Dan and his younger sister posed for a picture.



I really really love the colors the wedding party wore.  It was so cheerful and fun...just like them.







The boys tried too late to take their friend back.  Jessica's hold was already too tight.


These guys were so funny and spontaneous.   I asked them to act silly and they went from punching him to hoisting him on their shoulders in 30 seconds flat. 



The ladies decided that they didn't want to get Jessica's dress dirty, so they let her stay on the ground.





Jessica with her mom and sister. 



After all of the wedding party and family pictures were completed, everyone else went over to the reception area to eat, and I took a few minutes with Dan and Jessica to get photos alone.  This is starting to be one of the parts of the day that I most look forward to.  It is such a calm a peaceful time for the bride and groom.  They can just talk and be together without everyone looking and talking to them.















I wanted to make sure that I got a picture of just Jessica in her dress.  It was simply stunning.





So of course we needed a picture of Dan as well.



For the next picture, I took Dan aside and asked him to walk over to Jessica and kiss her.  She was standing over to the side getting a drink of water out of earshot. Once she put the bottle down, I gave him the green light, and this happened.  I love it!







A couple of Jessica's friends wanted a picture with her as well.  Aren't they a pretty trio?



I love cupcake towers.  It is so pretty and perfect for an outdoor wedding.



There was a small lake situated behind the tables at the reception.



One of my favorite details was the candy bar.  I love the chalkboard labels.



The flower girls got the party started with a little dancing.



And finally the happy couple made their way out onto the dance floor for their first dance.  It was sweet wathcing them together because they didn't seem to notice that everyone was watching them.  They had eyes only for each other.





After this, the party really got started and lasted into the wee hours of the morning. 

Congratulations Jessica and Dan!  May you always keep the happiness that enveloped everyone on your wedding day.  Cheers!

Amanda & Shaun Are Married {Clear Lake, TX Wedding}

The best man told the story beautifully.  A confident young man meets a beautiful and vivacious girl.  The two become friends.  The young man begins to like the girl.  The young man asks the girl out.  The girl waits two months to accept his offer.  The two go out.  They realize that they are perfect for each other.  They get married, and they live happily ever after.

This is a much simpler version of his story, but the meaning remains the same.  Anyone at the wedding could testify to how in love these two are.  In addition to this, they are both full of life and laughter, and (most importantly) they know how to get down on the dance floor!

This wedding was a blast to photograph, and I could tell that the guests were having a great time as well.  You know you are photographing the joining of two great families when the dad tells you to make sure you eat, have a drink, and take a spin on the dance floor.  Although I had to turn him down on most of those counts (because we were busy busy all evening), I did get to spend a lot of time on the dance floor capturing memories in the making.

Amanda and Shaun, I am so very happy for the both of you, and I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness.  Enjoy your photos!


We arrived at the reception hall early to take photos of the details before the wedding.  Everything was beautifully arranged, and I knew it might not look that way after people came in and sat down.



Each place setting either had one of these or a personalized bag of tea.  So cute!



Every good wedding needs a hashtag!



I loved Amanda's shoes.  Rhinestones make everything better.



The rings were not taken down the aisle on a traditional pillow.  Instead, they were carried in a personalized wooden box, so I wanted to make sure to get that detail in the shot.



I love that couples are moving beyond the idea of a groom's and bride's side of the church.  I love when the families are interspersed and can get to know each other before the reception.



Amanda stopped at the end of the long aisle to take a deep breath before taking her last walk as single girl.





The held hands through-out the entire service. 









If you hadn't caught on before now, Amanda loves to laugh.  These two will definitely have a happy home.





The Kiss!





We took some pictures at the church.  The groomsmen wanted to show us how "strong" Amanda and Shaun's marriage would be.



The ladies smiled sweetly as they exclaimed about how well the service had gone.



Once we reached The Admiral, we headed down to the docks to take some outdoor photos while the light was still good.



They were definitely one of the funnest wedding parties that I have ever worked with!



Side-note: These ladies were champs about trekking out onto this pier.  It is not as easy as one might think to walk out onto uneven boards in your wedding heels.  They held hands a few times for support.



Such a pretty group of girls.





I love this shot of Amanda, her brother, and her sister.  You can tell that they are all crazy about each other.



We made sure that we took the time to get some shots of Amanda and Shaun alone.





It really isn't even fair how pretty their future kids will be.  Watch out Heidi, Gisele, Tyra, and Kate!





Shaun's victory pose!



We let the ladies go inside to freshen up before the reception, and we got a few more pictures of just the guys.  I love that a sail boat happened to pass through while we were taking these.



They wanted to show off their manliness.





And then I started to worry that the ladies might have left too soon!



Amanda's cake was an excellent example of the beauty in simplicity.



Shaun's family has a history of baseball, so his cake was destined to be a mitt and ball.



Amanda's Bouquet.



I don't care what people say; I love when the bride and groom smash the cake in each other's faces. 



The best man made an excellent speech and saluted the bride and groom.



These two really knew how to dance.  They glided effortlessly across the dance floor.



Amanda's grandparents were the last couple standing during the Anniversary Dance.  I believe they had been married for 53 years. Just. Amazing.



After that the DJ started pumping out party songs and swing music and the dance floor quickly filled up.



Thank you Amanda and Shaun for allowing me to be a part of your day!