I’m thrilled to finally be publishing these images, now that the feature has been revealed on Wedding Chicks! Holly and Shane’s wedding will forever be one of the most memorable things I’ve ever been a part of. When they told me they wanted to elope on a Thursday morning at a Houston ranch, I really had no clue what to expect. I know that the only people present would be them, myself, and the officiant, but other than that, I was clueless. Would she be wearing a dress? Would he be wearing a tux? Would there be dancing? Would they see each other before the ceremony? I arrived expecting nothing, and prepared to simply “go with the flow” (which is a crucial ability when you work in the wedding industry). What I discovered was an event that taught me what weddings are truly about – not the big fancy centerpieces, not the 20 piece band, and not even the room full of family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors – but about the love between a man and a woman, and the beginning of their lives together. I get a little emotional just thinking about it! Whenever I get caught up or stressed out with my own wedding planning, I just think back and remember this wedding, and I realize that as long as my beloved is there by my side (and the photographer, of course!), the rest is just details. Here are some of my favorites from their gorgeous intimate ceremony:

Jamie and Garrett are now officially engaged, so I guess that means it’s about time to show off their engagement photo session!   I’d never shot Discovery Green in downtown Houston before, but now I see why everyone raves about it – it’s absolutely gorgeous, and a great place to spend a warm, sunny day.  Here are a few of my favorites:

I’ve been holding onto this one for awhile because I felt like it would be the perfect wedding to bring me into the warmer Texas weather. The light at this wedding was absolutely unbelievable, and the venue was luxury at its finest. The Shadow Hawk Golf Club at the Houstonian Golf & Country Club is beyond words in terms of the beauty of the grounds, the classic architecture, the impeccable service (the staff fell all over themselves making sure that everyone was happy and well taken care of), and the general atmosphere. Having a beautiful venue is one thing, but having an incredibly photogenic couple at said beautiful venue with tons of etheral light – well, let’s just say I didn’t have to work too hard to make some gorgeous images that day! Here are some of my favorites:

Sommer is my complete kindred spirit, aesthetically speaking. Her style is so romantic, feminine, classic, with just a touch of vintage. Her wedding, which I just shot this past weekend at Butler’s Courtyard near Houston, had some of the most beautiful florals and general decor I’ve ever seen. I wanted to steal all of her centerpieces and bouquets and take them home! Sommer herself is such a classic beauty, it’s pretty much impossible to take a bad photo of her, so this bridal session was easy as pie. Here are a few of my favorites:

Leah and Bryan could put up a pretty healthy fight for the “happiest, funnest, most party-lovin’ couple” award. These two are all smiles, all the time, especially when they’re around each other. Leah is the quintessential happy-go-lucky girl who has a great time no matter what’s going on, and the love she and Bryan share is one of the most upbeat, enthusiastic loves I’ve ever seen. Spending the wedding day with them was a heap of fun, and you better believe they kept the dance floor going all night long. They also had some of the most unique ballroom decor I’ve ever seen. Here are some of my favorites:

There was such amazing light in the room that Leah and her bridesmaids got ready in, and as a result I think her pre-wedding shots are some of my best work. It’s amazing how much light can affect the quality of your wedding day photographs. If you’re engaged, make sure that on your wedding day you surround yourself with as much natural light as possible by getting ready in rooms with lots of unblocked windows!















Leah and Bryan chose to do a First Look, which I love them for! It allowed us to get some gorgeous photos of them before their ceremony (I’ll show more of those off later).















Leah told me that her design inspiration for her wedding was garden/forest theme, only ballroom-ized. The guys at Party Props Inc did a crazy job of bringing her vision to life, complete with a custom-made tree and personalized heart carving!

Ceremony: First United Methodist Houston
Reception:  Crowne Plaza Downtown Houston
Cake:  A Day To Remember
Lighting and Event Design: Party Props Inc
Florist:  The Flower Corner
Wedding Gown:  Sophia Tolli at Ocones
Bridesmaids Dresses:  Alfred Angelo

Sometimes being a little delayed on my blog postings is a blessing in disguise.. In this case, I’m currently shooting 3-4 sessions a week, and unfortunately, because of the cold weather most of them have a kind of dark, bare, wintery feel to them.  It was such a breath of fresh air to relive Jamie and Garrett’s engagement session, which is about as sunny and happy and summery as it gets.  I absolutely love the feel of this session, which was held at Discovery Green park in the midst of downtown Houston.  You just can’t look at all these bright colors and the big bold balloons and their adorable dog and not smile!  I also love that Jamie has quite possibly the most beautiful skin I’ve ever seen – flawless, people! – and that they were both brave enough to jump in the splash park at the end of the session! Here are a few of my favorites from their shoot:

For some reason I though that I had already blogged this, and I am so excited that I hadn’t because now I get to show it off to all of you! Stacy B is one of my favorite clients ever, and not just because she has a fantastic name. As I mentioned on her bridal post, her impeccable style, friendly personality, and of course her stunning good looks make her pretty much the ideal client, and John Matthew has treated me like an old friend from the day we met. I can understand why their wedding party was so huge – everyone wants to be friends with these two! Here are some of my favorites from the day:

Love this image that they used for their post-wedding Thank You cards!