I told part of the story about how Julie was the first person I talked to about Eric, my husband, when I first “met” him on Facebook over 4 years ago. She was there when I finally met him in person. She was there when I decided to “accept” his offer to court me. Julie is special to me and holds a very dear spot in my heart. It was such a honor for Julie to ask me to document her love story with John Mark this December. I had an amazing time capturing their day and enjoyed seeing all my old college cheerleading buddies!

This segment of Julie & John Mark’s wedding only the first half… just up until the reception (which will be posted tomorrow, so come back)! I’m so proud of Julie for marrying a man that loves her like she deserves. John Mark is a wonderful man and a great compliment to my sweet and wonderful friend. I pray that they have a magical marriage, full of life and blessings. Thank you again John Mark & Julie for asking me to create everlasting memories of your big day! I love you guys!

I’m accustomed to being given a hard time while shooting the portraits. Guys are usually a hoot and give me a hard time and these guys lived up to the expectations. Even though they were “too cool” for pictures, I think these turned out pretty good!

The girls were full of laughter all day. I LOVE catching laughter!

I think Julie’s mom’s face is priceless! This is just when she saw Julie in her dress!

My favorite part of the ceremony!

Look how happy they are!

This is my favorite part after the ceremony… when they are first alone as a married couple!

The girls were hilarious!

They happy couple…

Remember, tune back in tomorrow for Part II, which inlcudes a dancing entrance!

You never expect a high school romance to make it out of high school. Of course, you dream about marrying that person, or maybe just what your new name would sound like. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately…), most high school romances don’t make it through high school. Even less make it through college. Usually, because you are still just kids when you meet. You don’t know the parameters of a real relationship. You really don’t know that love is actually a commitment and not a feeling. High school romance is usually… usually just short-lived.

Not for BJ and Mikka. These two love birds got together when they were young in their high school years, made it through college, and lived to tell about it. Not just tell about it… they got MARRIED! Yay! I was so excited when I found out that they were engaged, and even more excited that they asked me to photograph their special day. I also got to capture their engagment session, so be sure to check those out, too!

BJ & Mikka’s wedding day was so so beautiful. Everything went just perfectly and they were so sweet together. I really enjoyed just being a part of their day. So thank you, BJ & Mikka, for including me in all the fun and all the love. Ya’ll are so kind and I wish you the very best in your marriage. You two are perfect for each other and I pray blessings over you both! And conrats BJ on being a certified State Trooper! Don’t pull me over though, k? Love you guys!

I think this is such a special moment between Mikka and her mom!

Are these not the most beautiful girls ever?

Once Mikka entered the sanctuary, she and BJ’s eyes locked. You could feel the love!

Mikka emailed me a few weeks before the wedding and asked if I would take some pictures on the boardwalk in Granbury where they took some of their engagement pictures since they were staying at a local hotel. Ummmm… ABSOLUTELY!! I tried a few new lighting things and think they turned out great.

I met Katie one afternoon when she came along with Micah and me for a bridal shoot. Micah and Katie are very close friends, so naturally (because Micah and I are practically sisters), Katie and I get along great. Micah, Katie, and I sat in my car until the late hours of the night talking about the joys and struggles of love and marriage. It was such an amazing heart to heart talk and I have no idea if either of the girls remember some of the things that we talked about, but I hold it closely to my heart. I thank God for real women who are strong in their faith and open in their strengths and weaknesses in order to encourage one another. These two girls are women of faith and I’m so glad I get to be their friend!

I’ve never seen a bride and groom SO anxious to get to their honeymoon. These two were excited about the wedding, but the honeymoon was the ultimate destination! Hey, I can’t blame them! I had such a great time documenting their day as it unfolded and I think they will be pleased with the outcome! So Casey and Katie, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your day! I hope to get to know you both more and more as the years go by! Blessings to you both and your marriage!!

She has purple in her ring! Is that cool, or what?

The handsome groom!

And all of his ‘men.

Cheers to a few guys who will let me do what I want with them for a few pictures!

The beauties! Micah (my friend and photography buddy) is the Matron of Honor to the bride’s left.

Now it’s the girls turn for a little fun!

Isn’t she amazingly beautiful?

I love how lit up and giggly she was all day! Such a sweet smile!

I LOVE this moment. Katie’s grandparents came to say hello before the ceremony started. Her grandpa wanted to smell the flowers and as he leaned down for a sniff, Katie let him know that the flowers were fake! So funny and sweet.

Don’t you love a couple of cutie ring bearers?

Such excitement in their eyes!

This is right before the kiss! I love the anticipation!

A private moment right after the wedding.

Isn’t that a studly wedding party?

Married!

Casey’s mom taking a picture during the first dance.

OooOo, I love this, too. Casey was so excited because he hadn’t seen his new wife’s bridal pictures yet. Can’t you just see how much he thinks the world of her? LOVE THIS!! Makes me smile every time.

I hope you guys had a wonderful time on your honeymoon!

A quick pictures with me, Casey, Katie, and Micah.

When Court emailed me to ask me about photographing her wedding, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. You might think I’m talking about something terrible or crazy, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Courtney’s personality makes her easily lovable and I was one who fell into a quick friendship with her. When Court and Bill came to their first consultation, it was easy to see why they had been together for so long and were ready to move on to the next phase in their lives. Bill was googley-eyed over Court and her sweet spirit and fun laugh. Court was swayed by Bill’s strong, yet easy going manner. No wonder they were in love. There sat two people who were confident in themselves and their love for one another. Marriage would solidify the commitment.

So, on September 26th, I got to spend the day with the both of them. Capturing each moment of their special day and joining into the laughter (LOTS of laughter) that everyone shared. What a wonderful day. It really couldn’t have been any more beautiful, either! So, thank you Bill and Court for picking me. Thank you for trusting me. I look forward to our friendship and the future it brings! Love you guys! Congratulations on your marriage.

Courtney and Bill chose to do a first look, which I explained here with a couple of preview pictures of Court and Bill’s day. It was such a sweet time for them as they shared an intimate moment before the guests arrived. And might I say, they both looked stunning.

I LOVE this moment!

During the ceremony, I could see so much love in both of their eyes! Check out the next two pictures…

Here are two pictures of the back of their house after the ceremony. Was it not just beautiful?

And of course, a wedding is not a wedding without kiddos. This little guy couldn’t stand the fact that there was a huge pool and no one swimming! Well, that is… not until he jumped in!

And to end the night, Court and Bill busted out with a little hoola-hooping! How great is this?

While looking through all the pictures, I was cracking up at all the hoola-hoop action! Even Nana joined in on the fun! Go Nana! Go Nana!

Court has been so excited to see some of her wedding pictures that she’s been emailing me hoping for a sneak peek. I’ve been super busy this week, but I decided to do a Mini-Sneak Peek to satisfy her desire for some eye candy! Love ya, court!

As for the rest of you: Take a look at this FABULOUS location for a wedding. It was in her parents’ backyard and WOW did it look amazing (you will see in picture #1). Courtney was also concerned about the kids that attended the wedding having fun, so she brought lots of toys for them to play with… so you will see a little bit of that in picture #2. Also, Bill and Court decided to do a First Look, which is when the bride and groom see each other before the wedding to allow for a special moment alone that they wouldn’t otherwise have once the ceremony has started, and also to allow plenty of time for portraits together, which they also wouldn’t have otherwise gotten. I 100% recommend a First Look to every bride. It was so incredible. The moment they shared was so sweet and they are SO in love (see some of this in picture #3). Hope you enjoy!