jeremy + kirby • wedding • lubbock, tx

I had been looking forward to this wedding since I booked it. A relaxed, intimate wedding at McPherson Cellars, a gorgeous bride who is in love with her groom, and lots of wonderful details. Besides being very cool people individually, Jeremy + Kirby are totally precious together. I loved getting to photograph them because in the midst of the crowd, they still had this silent connection between them. Throughout their wedding day, they got to enjoy each other- which, amazingly, is something of a rarity in weddings these days. I just love that they planned their day with purpose- and it was beautiful!

Here's what these two had to say about their first look:

Kirby: I was so nervous and I loved being able to see Jeremy for the first time alone, in a comfortable place to calm my nerves! We loved getting to finally just be together for a moment before everything began. It was a really sweet and intimate moment that I know we will both always remember! 

Jeremy: I loved getting to steal a few minutes of private time with her by ourselves. It was like the eye of a hurricane and it gave us a chance to reconnect and be on the same page before everything went into high gear.

Of course, I couldn't get enough portraits of these guys...so I hope you enjoy my indulgence!

Definitely one of my most favorite wedding party shots ever.

The ceremony and reception space had so many wonderful details- all coordinated by Kirby. One of the most unique things was the guest sign-in-- a thumbprint tree painted by the Maid of Honor, Amy. Everyone loved it!

The ceremony was simple and personal- Dusty, their pastor at Redeemer Church, did a great job inserting bits of Jeremy and Kirby and giving the glory to the God who made it all happen! 

Kirby found these adorable cake toppers from lovemonkey's shop on Etsy (of how I loooove Etsy). 

The best man's speech was definitely one of the funniest parts of the day. Nathan did such a great job. 

We also had a lot of Fancy Booth fun! More to come on that later...

A few words from Jeremy + Kirby looking back:

Any advice for future brides/grooms?

Brides- Enjoy your day! My MOH and I slipped away and got frozen yogurt between the busyness- and it was a great time to recharge! I also recommend that you get as many decisions made before the big day as you can. I tried to be as well thought out and organized as I could be, so when the big day came it was easy to delegate and trust others with any little things that needed to be done. I would also recommend to use the Fancy Booth- It was so much fun for our guests!

Grooms- Eat 1 hr before  (Lissa's note- Haha! This makes me laugh so much, mostly because like Jeremy, my husband forgot to eat on our wedding day. We got to the cake cutting and he was so weak and shaky! This is definitely good advice!)

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?

Jeremy: Nope, of course not!

Kirby: Maybe somehow had a rehearsal at the venue- we had to have it at our church the night before because McPherson was booked the night before our wedding. Other than that- not a thing!

Thanks so much you guys- it was an honor to capture your day! Congrats!

chris + ashley • lubbock, tx

Ashley called me a couple weeks ago asking if I could do a last-minute shoot. Chris is being deployed in a few short weeks and she wanted have some images that captured them together before he left. Of course we made it happen- and I'm so glad I got to hang out with them for a bit! We had a beautiful evening to enjoy as well. Chris- thank you for your service! Here are some of my favorites:

Haha- check out Ashley's pose in the back! 

finally...some time!

I've been telling myself I needed to sit down and write a personal post- not just to update you guys on what I've been up to (weddings, anyone? :)), but for myself. I look back at my old blog posts every now and then, and it's so awesome to see how God has responded to every one of my concerns and exceeded my expectations with so many things- this little business, our finances, my spiritual walk. 

So, I can't believe this summer is almost OVER! I have loved, loved, loved getting to spend every Saturday with my clients- they are all so special and unique, and getting to see their stories unfold is something I never take for granted. I also love getting to hang out with my second shooters- Shanna and Lauren- they have been my backbone during those moments I thought I might have a pregnancy-induced emotional breakdown, haha. 

Weddings are winding down, though not completely finished for 2010- get excited for what's to come- I know I am! I have had many people email me to ask if I will be shooting into the fall and winter, and the answer is YES! I will be focusing more on seniors this month and in October-November it will be all about families with my usual Mini-Sessions.

I will be 20 weeks pregnant (halfway) in three days. Getting out of that first trimester was like moving to a much happier, hungrier place! I have gained my energy back and am starting to see a bit of a belly. We are DYING to find out what the gender of this little one will be- and we'll know after August 27 when we have a Gender Reveal Party. (Haven't heard of this? I love a good party- and see almost any reason as a good excuse to have one. We have the gender of our baby sealed in an envelope that our ultrasound technician gave us. I'll take it to a bakery and have them bake a cake with either pink or blue icing in the middle of two layers. Then, at the party, along with our families- we'll cut the cake and find out if it's a girl or boy!) 

Here are some notes on this pregnancy so far:

1. I love a good pity party. Ask Shawn. He has been SUPER incredible at dealing with my "moments", and I can't wait to see him as Daddy.

2. I think I am feeling this baby move! Everyone has described it as a "fluttering" feeling...and lo and behold, I believe I've got a flutter.

3. DON'T buy this. I knew in my gut it was a cheap piece of technology when we purchased it. It truly is, folks. Don't waste your time.

4. I am a bit ashamed to say that one of the things I am looking forward to most is using these diapers. I have done probably too much research on the subject of cloth diapers, but I just love the concept and I know this kiddo is going to have one happy bum!

5. I wish Etsy had a registry feature. There are SO many cool baby items over there. 

6. I'm already amazed at the generosity of others. A friend sent me a huge box of maternity clothes one day, and I just cried when I opened it! I hope I will be able to give like that when it's my turn.

7. I did splurge on one maternity item- Isabella Oliver was having a major sale so I picked up one of their wrap shirts. It is cute and comfortable and makes me feel pretty, even. 

8. At my last doctor's appointment, I was told I needed to gain more weight. (WHAT? I have NEVER been told this in my LIFE!!!) Four weeks later, I am still technically underweight, and though I feel like I have been stuffing my face with food constantly, I am getting a little concerned. Of course, I want to have a healthy baby- so this has been a matter of prayer (and many visits to the grocery store.)

In other news, WE'RE DEBT FREEEEEEEEEE! I am SO excited about this. We've been working on our "debt snowball" for exactly a year this month and it's crazy to see how God's timing is absolutely perfect. The biggest hurdle has been trying to sell a motorcycle we purchased (on a whim = without using our brains) a few years ago. We started with an asking price of 5700.00 and eventually brought the price down (as we paid it off in chunks) to 4800.00, which is what we recently sold it for. I called yesterday for the payoff amount- and it was 4840.00. Really, God?!?! How did you do that?!?

I've learned so many things in this process. I know that money will never be in charge of us again. We CAN and WILL live within our means, and now we get to GIVE like no one else. Freedom from debt is so much more than not having a credit card bill. It means that we have more opportunities to use the things that God's given us in a generous way. 

I am so thankful for my business partner, Shawn. Without his help, we would not be here. He's put up with all my coupon clipping and crazy budget adjustments. Most of all, I have loved getting to dream with him- one of the best parts of this process has been setting goals for ourselves, and knowing we will achieve them if we just stick to it!

Hope I didn't bore you all! I am off to Dallas to shoot a fantastic bridal session and spend some much needed time off with good company. Have a great week!

jacinto + stephanie

You just can't help but love Stephanie + Jacinto. They are both so kind, so giving of their time, and so in love with each other. They were married at Garland Street Church of Christ in Plainview on a gorgeous (though HOT!) day in July. I was already booked on the original wedding date they had planned, so I was so honored when Stephanie called back to ask what I had available! Pretty incredible. Here are some of my faves from their day, along with some comments from Stephanie looking back.

The day began at Stephanie's Mom's hair salon. Petronila was all over the place- she did most of the girls' hair, made all the bridesmaids' dresses, and picked up any other small tasks that needed doing! 

These shoes were Stephanie's favorite purchase- instead of paying for the overpriced dyeables, she found a pair she liked on clearance- and scooped up all the other pairs from other stores in the region! 

This is Jacinto's daughter, Jazmyn. She is super adorable.

At their first look, Jacinto presented Stephanie with a new wedding ring. She was pretty excited!

The day got a little rushed before portraits, and so we had a total of 5 minutes with the bride and groom alone. It was SO WORTH IT. These guys have amazing chemistry!

I love how they incorporated Jasmyn into the ceremony. Stephanie said, "Our most memorable-new little family moment was when Jazmyn took our hands and gave us both kisses on our hands. She said she was so happy I was marrying her daddy! We both nearly cried up there!"

The reception was held at the Plainview Country Club.

Stephanie's advice post-wedding: "It is such a blurr of a day- you really want to spend the absolute most part of your time enjoying your new spouse, family and having fun with family and friends- not stressing. Also, it is so very important to stay organized- organization organization, organization- the earlier the better!"

Thanks so much you guys! Congrats!

dale + melissa • wedding • amarillo, tx

Dale + Melissa were married at Hillside Christian Church in Amarillo on July 10. The skies that day were SO beautiful- true West Texas. I loved getting to work with these two- Melissa has such a bubbly personality, but at the same time she was so intentional with the details of her day. They both said their favorite moment of the day was seeing each other as Melissa was escorted down the aisle. A meaningful ceremony and fantastic party followed! Here are some of my favorites:

I could feel it...these guys wanted to jump...so jump we did!

I don't usually do so much jumping at weddings- but with Melissa's volleyball background, and Dale's impressive ups, I was really feeling this photo...

michael + meredith • engagement • lubbock, tx

These two are not only perfect for each other, they are fun. I had a great time with them shooting their Engagement Session and can't wait for their wedding in October! It was nice to spend the morning with two laid back people who were up for anything! Here are some of my favorites from their session.

baby deborah • newborn • lubbock, tx

It's hard to believe you can see so much personality in a two month old, but Miss Deborah did not leave her spunk at home. This sweet little girl loves her mommy, and was even attempting to stand on those brand new legs! She was so aware, but so relaxed while we shot at Texas Tech, where her parents met and fell in love. I had such a great time enjoying the weather and my company- it was a fantastic shoot!

With a newborn, you have about 40 minutes before the inevitable food/nap need to happen. This was taken at 39 1/2 minutes. :)

We snuck in a few fun shots of Deborah with her cousins- James (just 2 weeks old) and Joseph (who just turned 1!). You'll be seeing more of these little guys shortly. :)

jeff + rebecca • wedding • sherman, tx

Everything about this wedding- from planning, to shooting, to processing- has been a total pleasure. Jeff + Becca are two incredible people who have some fantastic style and a lot of fun, too! I shot their wedding on July 3rd at Becca's parents home in Sherman, Texas. It was a day filled with lots of love and purpose...but instead of telling you about it, I will let the bride!

(I gave her a mini-interview post-wedding, and so I'll be including her thoughts here in their blog post, along with some helpful links to all the cool stuff she used- for the brides-to-be! Note: The interview idea if not mine originally- some of my favorite photogs- Bobbi + Mike- do this. I've always thought it was so insightful and helpful that I'd give it a try!)

So, here is Becca's perfect description of their day:

A week or so before the wedding, my mom started worrying about the weather (understandable, an outdoor wedding with no indoor alternative with 400 guests expected), but felt the Lord give her a message, that she needed to wait and He would "delight" her. That obviously gave her a huge peace, and we moved forward with preparations. 

The night before the wedding, a big rain rolled through, soaking the ground. It rained for most of the night, and my mom came and woke me up early on the morning of the wedding, saying we needed to talk. I went downstairs and out onto the porch where she and my dad were sitting, drinking coffee, and watching the rain. They told me the forecast called for more rain throughout the day. As a family, we decided that the Lord does not break his promises, so we had to move forward in faithfulness, or we would be missing out on something spectacular. 


About ten minutes before the ceremony started, a huge, dark cloud ominously filled the sky. Mom said she stood at the window and watched it grow until it consumed the entire skyline...and then the Wind blew. The cloud literally split. Thanks to a meteorologist friend, we have a copy of the radar just minutes before the start of the ceremony, and in a huge raincloud that stretched miles to the north, south, east, and west, there is a small hole in it--about five square miles, right smack in the middle of which was our wedding.

Now, if our wedding had been rained out, nothing would have been ruined, the day would have still been wonderful. Rain makes no difference. But the fulfillment of God's promises makes all the difference. 

It really was such a peaceful, perfect little weather bubble right over the ceremony. Little did I know at the time that it was literally evidence of God's presence there with us! 

Here are my favorites from the day...there are more, but these are the ones I could fit into a blog post!

 

Wedding gown, bridesmaids' dresses and suits were all J.Crew, except the fabric flowers on the bridesmaids' dresses, which Becca made herself. Veil by Fascinating Creations.

Becca wore Jeff's late grandmother's necklace on her wrist as a bracelet.

I asked Becca what their favorite purchase was and she said:

We had our groomsmen buy slacks and a dress shirt, then we gave them the tie and tie bar. We had our ushers wear clothes they already had, and Jeff bought his suit--so they got to keep everything they paid for, instead of spending $100+ on a tux they only got to keep for a day or two!

Jeff being totally GQ-

Jeff + Becca knew they would do a First Look before I even asked about it- here's what they had to say:

It was intimate, comfortable, and made the rest of the evening stress-free. We didn't have to worry about trying to avoid each other for the rest of the pre-wedding evening, and we got to take all of our portraits while we looked our best. It also helped us max out our time at the reception, because we were basically able to go straight from the ceremony to the party!

My favorite!

It was at this moment that Becca revealed Jeff's ring to him. She knew he had wanted something engraved on it- but this was totally amazing! Inside his ring is the engraving of her fingerprint! Here's where she got it. SO COOL.

This flower girl was adorable. You have to hear this story from Becca:

When I gave our flower girl her little "thank you" bag, she immediately put on the bracelets, makeup, and hugely-flowered headband, and, looking herself over, commented quietly, "I am so, really pretty." Now that's how little girls should always feel!!

 

Couldn't get over the ceremony details. The sign-in desk was Becca's great-grandmothers, and they borrowed the antique doors from the landscaper who did all of the landscaping on the property. 

I MUST give some serious props to my friend Stancy Higley of Stancy Higley Photographie, who not only was a bridesmaid, but shot some gorgeous images for their Engagement and Becca's Bridal Session. (You can see an image on the program).

Yes, those are twin boys, with curly blonde hair, in seersucker suits. I thought this only existed in the movies, haha! They were precious.

Jeff + Becca found themselves in Alaska a few days later- and said the Taku Lodge is not to be missed!

Here are a few more questions:

Q. If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
 

 A. We didn't take the time to walk through the entire tent during the reception, so we didn't see a lot of the beautiful decor or food, which was a bummer. (It's OK- I have plenty of pictures!)

Q. Any advice for future brides/grooms?

A. If you're on a budget, use your friends' talents. For example, our flowers were done by a friend, and we couldn't have afforded anything like them if we'd gone though a "professional" florist. Also, be as organized as possible and delegate EVERYTHING, literally. If you need to tell someone to be quiet, ask someone else to do it. Don't be the bearer of any bad news. Everyone wants to serve you on your special day, so let them! Try to plan for every situation, but when it comes down to it...just let it go. Make the most of it, have fun, and be all lovey dovey!! And hire LISSA ANGLIN!!!

 Promise I didn't add that last sentence in!

Thank you, Jeff and Rebecca, for letting me document your day! It was such an honor!

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baby tenley • newborn • lubbock, tx

What a perfect little family! I got to photograph little Tenley at just over a week old, and she was so precious. I was totally impressed with new parents Nick + Natalie- Natalie somehow managed to get herself and Tenley ready to go while Nick flew into Lubbock literally 30 minutes before we started shooting. Watching them watch her made me so excited to see what our little one will be like! Congrats you guys!

blake + lindsey • wedding reception • amarillo, tx

You might remember Blake + Lindsey from their fun Engagement Session a while back. These two had a destination wedding in St. Thomas in early June, and came back to celebrate with all their friends and family in Amarillo. The reception was so much fun- great food, lots of dancing, and an awesome cake fight! Here are some of my favorites from that night.

So many pretty details- the work of Parie at Parie Designs (formerly Secret Garden). She's the best!

Lindsey's family is of Russian heritage, so each guest left with some chocolate straight from Moscow! Yum!

I got to shoot a few pictures of Lindsey and Blake's wedding party for the evening. They made for a fun night!

I loved Lindsey's hairpiece and jewelry. It fit her perfectly.

Most cake-cuttings I photograph are nice and sweet. The bride usually gives the groom a "you-better-not" look, they eat some cake, and kiss. This time was different, though- Blake + Lindsey were already married! Looking back, I wish we would have just gotten messy at our wedding. It would have been a much more entertaining way to eat our cake!

Lindsey's bouquet divided into individual roses that each had a different fortune on it. I liked the one that said, "You will marry a rock star"!