Cristie + Ryan's River Legacy Park Wedding

I had been looking forward to the day for a long time. Since August, I think when Cristie first reached out to me about photographing her wedding. My first impression was that of course, she had to be awesome because we have the same name and neither of us has an "h" in our spellings of our name. ;) More email exchanges solidified my hunch as I learned how easy and fun she was to work with! I got to meet Cristie and Ryan in person in the fall to shoot their engagement portraits in the Dallas Arts District, and it was such a great experience. Every time I photograph a couple, my goal is to tell their love story with each snap of a shutter, and Cristie and Ryan made it easy. They're proud of their love and you see it when they look at each other and when they laugh together. They fit together beautifully and naturally and it was an honor to watch. 

Enjoy a glimpse into their wedding day, which took place on the most beautiful spring day. I loved their outdoor wedding and the natural elements of River Legacy Park provided the perfect backdrops. :)

Danny's Rockwall Senior Session | Garland High School Senior Photography

Where do I even start? The tall, bright-eyed young man you see below is Danny, a senior at Garland High School. He's ambitious, funny, so much fun to talk to, and more than anything else, he's a kind soul. He's also the younger brother of a dear friend of mine. And before he became the 18-year-old 6-foot-something he is now, he was the goofy 11-year-old I remember as if it were yesterday. Seven years flies by! 

I know Danny's sister couldn't be more proud of the man he's becoming, and he deserves all of the success to come in his future. I had a great time at his photo session seeing this boy's happiness. Danny, I hope you continue to smile and laugh in college this fall. Cherish every memory and enjoy being 18! Because the rest of these years go by just high school did! 

Reflections on Spring Creek Wedding: Denisse + Jared

On Friday evening I had the honor of photographing the wedding of high school sweethearts. Denisse and Jared and I share an alma mater and as a romantic, I was happy to see their Facebook relationship status upgrade from "in a relationship" to "engaged" last year. Lucky for me, they let me photograph their engagement portraits and then asked me to photograph their wedding! One look at the couple and you'll see one reason why I was so excited. They're gorgeous! Denisse is beautiful and so charming and Jared is handsome and sweet. It's endearing to see them fit together so well, and it was heartwarming to see the masses of people who so obviously adore them. Not everyone is lucky enough to find love so young and to continue nurturing it throughout young adulthood. Jared and Denisse are the prince and princess at the end of your favorite love story and I was so charmed to be a part of their wedding day. 

To the newest mr. and mrs. I know, I hope that decades from now, you look at your wedding album and the photographs take you back to the way you felt on your wedding day. I also hope that on that day, you feel the same joy that you did on March 8, 2013 and that your love has grown each day since. 

Congratulations!

See the slideshow below for more images from Denisse and Jared's wedding at Reflections on Spring Creek in Plano. 

Lovely Dallas Arboretum Wedding

Happy Valentine's Day! A couple of months ago I got the chance to shoot an Arboretum wedding with the amazing Laura of Loewen Images! She's a photographer who used to shoot in the Chicago area but who is now living and working in Dallas! What made it even more special is that the groom is her husband's twin! I loved working with Laura, and both the bride and groom's families were sweet and great to talk to. I had a wonderful time working and getting to be a part of this wonderful family's celebration. 

We started out the early afternoon at Blow Salon in East Dallas. The salon is perfect-- vibrant and colorful.. plus, the stylists and other staff were incredibly welcoming and helpful. 

The ceremony and reception were at the Dallas Arboretum. 

I'm in love with the succulents in the bride's bouquet!

The bride and groom got ready in separate parts of the beautiful Arboretum house and were getting prepared for their big first look in the courtyard.

I love it when they get emotional during the first look! See the little flower girl peeking through the window?

Quick break for a BFF photo!

And a mother and son photo. :) The family was getting ready to take their places for going down the aisle.

One last portrait before the ceremony!

These flower girls were gorgeous and adorable! Am I right? Love the dresses!

And even with a first look, the bride still got emotional walking down the aisle with her dad :) So sweet.

I love stealing a glance at the family during a ceremony. You can tell how happy they are to be gaining a son and brother!

Love these shots with the Chihuly exhibit in the background. 

And ending the post with a sweet post-ceremony shot of the new bride and groom!