Oh boy, has it been difficult to keep this one under wraps!  I’ve been holding onto this engagement session for quite some time, and now that it has made its debut on Style Me Pretty, I’m thrilled to be able to publish it here on my blog!  This was hands down one of my favorite engagement sessions to shoot, not only because Shannon and Will are two fun, outgoing, beautiful people (which makes them extremely easy to photograph) but also because they really injected some of themselves into their session.  Shannon made it clear to me that getting a nice, posed, formal newspaper shot was a secondary concern to her – she was far more interested in capturing their personalities and the spirit of their relationship with each other.  To help make that happen, we took some of their favorite things – books they love to read together, their beloved beach cruisers, a picnic blanket and a bottle of wine – and we headed to a park right beside their home that they often spent time at.  I basically told them to just goof off, love on each other, and be themselves, and they were happy to oblige.  Here are some of my favorites from their session:

Follow the link below to see more!

Every now and then I stumble across an old session that I never got around to blogging, and I get the chance to fall in love with the photos all over again.  This is a perfect example of that – Ashley and Matt’s session was such a blast for me to shoot because these two are so relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera, and they pretty much can’t go more than 30 seconds without bursting into laughter with each other.  They are, hands down, the most upbeat, joyful couple I’ve ever shot, and working with them was an absolute blessing.  Looking through these photos I caught myself smiling and laughing with them – their happiness is infectious, even through photographs!  Here are some of my favorite engagement photos from their Highland Park session:

I wish I could take credit for these next few photos, but the truth is, this is 100% Ashley and Matt.  Often photographers ask me how I get my clients to look a certain way or do a certain thing (such as hopping in a creek wearing their Sunday best), and sometimes the truth is that I just have amazing (and hilarious) clients.

Caroline has been a friend for a long time, and since the day I met her I have always admired her unique beauty and style. Just look at that face! That girl should be a supermodel! I’m a lucky photographer for getting to put her in front of my camera, and especially lucky to be able to call her a friend. She and Todd are two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and the size of their wedding party should show you that they are two VERY likable people. Here are some of my favorites from their wedding day:

Ceremony Location: University Park United Methodist Church
Reception Location: Tower Club
Florist: Park Cities Petals
Band: Cuvee
Cake: Panini Cakes
Wedding Gown:  Pronovias
Bridesmaids Dresses: Vera Wang from Stardust Celebrations
Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse

It’s just a fact that SOMETHING will go wrong on your wedding day. For some lucky brides, it’s a late bridesmaid or a bouquet with the wrong type of flowers. For other not so lucky brides, it’s a power failure at the reception site or a best man who ends up in a jail cell with the wedding rings in his pocket. I’ve seen all of these situations firsthand, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the only thing that can truly ruin a wedding is the way the bride and groom react to these situations. If the bride panics and goed into hysterics or the groom goes on an angry rampage, then everyone is on edge, and the day becomes miserable for everyone involved. On the other hand, if the bride and groom allow these troubles to roll off their shoulders and stay focused on the real meaning behind the day, then the wedding becomes that much more special, and not even the worst emergency can ruin it. Zi and Gary are the epitome of the latter type of couple. They were so focused on enjoying their friends and family and loving each other that not even a freak monsoon could keep everyone at their (outdoor) wedding from having a blast.

The day started off smoothly enough..

























Both the ceremony and the reception were being held at Gary’s family’s home in Highland Park, near White Rock Lake.  Gary’s sister did an amazing job decorating their lovely yard, including both soft spring colors and infusing bits of Zi’s heritage, as well.  The ceremony was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, and the seating with guests on both sides of the gazebo made the whole ceremony feel intimate and open.














As Zi changed into her reception dress, the family prepared for the reception, transforming the ceremony area into a party tent.  Although it had been sprinkling occasionally, the sun had been peeking through and we thought we might be in the clear.

Then, as is wont to happen during May in Texas, the weather suddenly changed, and things started getting a little… wet……


We all waited and waited for the skies to clear, but the rain only got harder and harder, and the afternoon sky turned almost black.  A snap decision was made to move everyone into the living room and continue the festivities!



Finally the rain let up and we all resumed the party outside!














As evidenced by the photos, these two had smiles glued to their faces all day, even when the rain forced all the wedding guests into the living room.  These two, and their AWESOME families, made sure that no matter what happened in the skies, they were going to have a great party and start Zi and Gary’s wedding off with a bang.  Every bride should take a lesson from these two and remember that it’s possible to have a great wedding day even when the flowers aren’t right, the DJ plays all the wrong songs, the groomsmen get drunk, or the reception ends up happening in someone’s living room!

Special thanks to Scotty Perry for flying all the way out from Louisville to second shoot with me!

Simon and Autumn have one of the coolest how-we-met stories I’ve ever heard. Simon, who is British, is an amazing tennis player and played at an international level in college. Autumn, on the other hand, is a tennis fan herself, and was in an organization at Texas A&M called the Thirty Loves, an athletic support group that helped out A&M’s collegiate tennis programs in various ways. One day Simon just happened to play in a tournament at A&M, where he was promptly heckled by a few inebriated fans in the stands. Autumn decided to go over to him after the match and apologize for the not-so-hospitable treatment, and they struck up a conversation. As fate would have it, Simon was living and working in Bath, and Autumn was going to visit Bath a few months later. They swapped numbers and decided to meet up, and once they did, they knew they had something special. Several international visas, overseas plane flights, and long-distance phone calls, they were engaged! For the engagement session, we decided to stick to familiar territory and shot at a gorgeous public tennis court in Highland Park. Here are some of my favorites:

Caroline is one of those girls who just seems to have it all.  She is drop dead beautiful (her bone structure is to die for), extremely smart, comes from a great family, has impeccable style, and has a really solid set of morals and values.   When I first met her, I immediately pegged her as this beautiful, trendy, put-together PR girl who would take over the world in her pearls and high heels.  Now that I have had the pleasure of getting to know her a little bit better and seeing her make some huge life changes over the past couple of years, I realize that she is such a complex, interesting, giving person, and one of those rare individuals who actually lives their faith, rather than just paying lip service to it.  At her wedding this past weekend, one of her bridesmaids mentioned that Caroline would do anything for a friend, and almost instantly you saw every female in the room nod their heads in agreement.  I always knew that Caroline was a special person, but seeing how many friends she had at her wedding, and how much they all loved and cared for her, made me realize how lucky I am to be able to call this girl a friend, as well.  And I am uber lucky to have been able to get her in front of my camera for her wedding photographs!  Here are a few from her bridal session at the Park Cities Hilton in Dallas: