Jessica and Robert, Engaged - McAllen, Texas

If you've been reading my blog for a while you may remember I briefly mentioned participating in a bridal/wedding fair back in October (2010). The decision to participate as an exhibitor, more commonly known as a wedding vendor, was truly last minute and a completely new experience for me. I had contemplated the idea of participating in a bridal fair for a while but I had no idea I actually would go through with it so soon. I found out about the October show on a Sunday afternoon and signed up by Tuesday evening. 

Gasp. I had a mere four days to get organize, prepare samples, and order tons of brochures. I was completely swamped with work in preparation for the bridal fair and was truly blessed to have the help of my parents, my brothers, Chris and his parents. Truly, without all of them I would not have managed, at all. I have been wanting to write about the experience as a whole but I completely overlooked writing that blog post. Perhaps I will sit down and reflect on the highs and lows from my first wedding show, perhaps. 

Well at this wedding fair, I had an engagement session giveaway and selected the winning couple from a random drawing back in November. The winners were a lovely couple who scheduled their session for mid-December and the weather was absolutely perfect that day. Jessica and Robert were complete strangers when I first met them. Within the past few weeks, however, I have learned a lot about them through text messages, phone calls, and our in person meetings. They are absolutely in love with one another and it was completely evident in their engagement session.

Jessica is quiet and somewhat timid. Robert complements his bride with a quite-ness about him while still being firm and talkative. Together they are two perfect pieces of a puzzle. I have certainly enjoyed getting go them through photographing them and meeting with them on various occasions for their ordering process. Their wedding is next month in February so I am eagerly excited for them to join one another in marriage. 

Jessica and Robert, thank you for allowing me to photograph you! I am delighted to have met you both and wish you a blessed and healthy marriage. May the Lord bless you both with many years together and an eternity of endless love. Enjoy the weeks leading up to the big day and have an amazing time on your wedding day!!!

To be in love, it's the best!

Happy Tuesday!!!

Please Note: Clients free to use these watermarked images on your social networking sites. Please refrain from altering the photo in any shape or form. Re-editing of images is strictly prohibited and infringes upon copyright law. Otherwise, please don't steal my images :) Thank you!  

Jennifer and Rodger, Engaged - South Padre Island, Texas

I was a bridesmaid at one of my friend's wedding last April. At the reception, next to my table was a group of people I went to high school with. It was really nice to see friends I had not seen in a few years and catch up with all of them. Some were married, some were expanding their families and there was a couple who was just engaged. 

There I was, in my bridesmaid dress, proclaiming my love for photography and the new business venture I had embarked on. So I told them, if any of you are getting married, let me photograph your wedding. So Jennifer and Rodger called me a few months later and hired me. 

Boy was I excited!!! I love building a relationship with all of my clients, especially my brides and grooms. Photographing Jennifer and Rodger's upcoming wedding served as a form to re-aquaint myself with old friends. 

Jennifer and Rodger have been dating for many, many years. I roughly estimate about 8 to 9 years. {Please correct me if I'm wrong Jenn!!!} High school sweethearts, they are the type of people who are so kind and caring that they make you fall in love with them when you meet them. Through our emails and appointments, I slowly remembered what Jennifer was like. Sweet, very sweet. She is truly kind and very caring. 

Jennifer cares about her fiance, her family, her friends and all of the wonderful details of her wedding day. Rodger is gentle with Jennifer and very caring as well. He is attentive to his beautiful bride-to-be and always nurturing. Photographing them together was full of laughs and tender moments. I witnessed Rodger's kind nature as he made sure Jennifer was happy and always taken care of. 

From looking out for her out on the scary pier for some photos to clearing the sand on the beach for her to walk on, I could easily tell Rodger is head over heels for Jennifer. And Jennifer, Jennifer is oh-so-in-love with him, too. 

Jennifer and Rodger, I am beyond delighted at your upcoming wedding. I am glad our paths crossed back in April once again and that I get to share on your wedding day as your photographer. I can't wait for April!!!! You and Rodger are beautiful and have such an amazing character. I wish you a relaxed few months as your wedding day approaches. 

Now let's take a look at what Port Isabel and South Padre Island has to offer....

Happy Wednesday!!! :)

Please Note: Clients free to use these watermarked images on your social networking sites. Please refrain from altering the photo in any shape or form. Re-editing of images is strictly prohibited and infringes upon copyright law. Otherwise, please don't steal my images :) Thank you!  

Mariana and Juan - Donna, Texas

Wowsers! The first week of November has almost come to its end... and I am still not quite sure I know what time it is. Daylight savings time has occurred and although I am definitely thankful for an "extra" hour of sleep, it is really going to be work trying to adjust. How are you adjusting? Well, I am a little behind on blogging and unfortunately I have been a little swamped and the daily blog post has been closer to the bottom than the top of the to do list. Fret not, though, because you my faithful reader have been on my mind all week :)

I really hope the fall is treating all of you exceptionally well and you are adjusting to the new time and the lovely fall weather. As October has come and left, the start of November brings about many happy memories for me and seems to put me in an extra happy mood. It could be due to my anniversary, pending birthday, and Christmas but I am most certain it is because God reminds me how blessed I am daily but I seem to pay extra special attention around this time.

This happy mood also makes me very spontaneous... So yesterday afternoon I decided I wanted to learn to shoot at night but I needed some fabulous models. Where could I find some last minute models??? Oh how handy my facebook has become in recent months... 

Mariana and Juan met over a year ago over the internet. They were planning on a 2011 wedding but decided the love they shared for one another needed to be expressed soon, way sooner so they happily wed a few weeks ago. The two of them fondly love each other and it was clear from the moment they introduced themselves. As luck would have it, there were two carnivals in my hometown and both were literally 2 minutes away from my house so I figured it was the perfect setting for a nighttime session. And it was, it totally was. 

Maybe it was the newly wed glow or the fact that they were in a carnival but Juan and Mariana were relaxed and natural in front of the camera. The environment made their session so colorful and fun but the two of them added the perfect romantic touch. Now the three of us together, we made a great team ;) Although we literally just met that day, we joked and laughed with one another the entire session. Ah, such easy going people, love them! 

The internet brought Mariana and Juan together and that same internet brought them to me. I asked for a loving couple to contact me as soon as possible for a last minute engagement/couple's session and Mariana jumped at the opportunity first. And I'm glad she did, I got to meet a wonderful and super fabulous couple.

Mariana and Juan, I hope you enjoyed your session. Thank you for letting me photograph you!

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

To view a slideshow from their session, please click here: Mariana ♥ Juan

Have a great week!!!

Engaged ♥ Cassandra and Joseph

I have a weird form of planning. Usually, I an idea will pop into my head and I will dwell on it for a period of time. Sometimes, the idea pops in way far in advance while other times it is last minute. If I have had a few weeks, sometimes even months, to execute the idea or event, etc., I will plan in my mind but execute at the last minute. I work best that way. For example, in college, I would write my 10+ plus papers the day before or day they were due. Granted, I would formulate arguments and the actual "game plan" in my mind weeks or days prior to actually writing it. In case you're wondering, I excelled at writing papers and thankfully always did extremely well.

Earlier this summer I met a young lady who was interested in having me as her wedding photographer. We chatted and the summer eventually dwelled into late August. I was actually writing a blog post one late August night when my phone rang and I answered it. On the other side of the line was Cassandra and, thakfully, I remembered her. Cassandra's wedding was in two days (well, one really) and she needed a wedding photographer. Gasp! Wedding, ranch, full coverage... I jotted quick notes on a blank sheet of paper. Then she said it, I almost cringed... Engagement Session... and she wanted prints to be displayed at the reception. Feel free to gasp once again, I did ;)

Cassandra is a planner and organizer, but she lives a million miles per minute. She knew she wanted a wedding photographer and she knew she wanted me. The actual process of hiring me , however, was placed on hold for a while. But, like me, she knew and had faith in waiting for the last minute. Funny how things happen, I was actually free her wedding day and happily obliged. Waiting to the very end worked out for the both of us. I had the opportunity to end the summer wedding season with one last fun one with a fabulous couple and Cassandra got a wedding photographer. :)

So we photographed her engagemetn session a mere hour prior to her rehearsal dinner at her fabulous venue. The evening was hot, humid, and HOT! But Cassandra and her fiance Joseph rocked their session. They are one hundred percent plus more in love and it was oh-so-evident in their photos and in general. I want to thank them for choosing me as their photographer and trusting me to deliver, not only for their actual prints at the reception, but for their entire wedding photography collection.

See the LOVE....

Go on with your beautiful self Cassandra... Tyra would call this fierce ;)

My favorite ♥

Have a great week! And stay tuned for photos from their fabulous wedding ;)

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner ;)

I decided a week and a half ago that I wanted to focus some attention on some sort of project to keep my mind moving forward rather than dwelling. There was an ad on the Valley Wedding Pages website (http://valleyweddingpages.com/) advertising a Wedding & Quincenera Fair and I thought about attending, not as a bride, but as a vendor. The idea seemed like the perfect project... but it was in less than a week so I had to put my brain on overdrive and prepare myself to show my photography. One of my brides said I should participate as a vendor because it really helped her, as a bride, narrow her choice of wedding vendors. So when the idea came across, I ran with it. And my mom did too, as a matter of fact every member of my family did as well as Chris and his parents. It was such a group effort for almost a week non-stop. But more details on the wedding fair tomorrow because today I wanted to announce the winners of the Engagement Session from Sunday's wedding fair.

Thank you to all the lovely couples and gals who signed up for the session. I was excited to see who the winner was and giddy about calling them later this afternoon. For all my other couples who attended the fair and happen to be reading this, Thank You! Thank you for taking your time to visit my booth and speak with me. I wish you happy wedding planning and a blessed marriage! I hope we get a chance to work together :)

Have a beautiful afternoon my dear friends :)

Engaged ♥ Krystal and Larry

In elementary school while everyone was growing taller I stayed the same. Being short was some type of oddity in my school... everyone else was taller and I was little. After fifth grade, elementary was over and I was moving on to the bigger school... MIDDLE SCHOOL! Still, I was one of the smallest students and now it was so much more obvious because there was a ton more tall people, great. Then I joined music class and in I sit next to this little girl with lots of curly hair. Her name, she said was Krystal. We both played the flute and we were both oh-so-little. Actually, I am almost sure Krystal was smaller than me. Regardless, we became absolute best friends and I fondly remember giggling and doodling during band class.

Krystal taught me how to draw Mickey Mouse on my sheet music and I taught her how to play scales, I think. As the years passed we grew centimeters and remained still shorter than others. But our friendship remained and then we hit high school. Krystal and I no longer had every moment to hang out with one another but we always remained friends. After high school graduation this amazing networking tool was created, you may have heard of it... Facebook anyone? and it became easily accessible to reconnect with many past friends. Krystal and I soon became friends again and I am ever thankful because I had missed her.

After so many years, different things have changed in our lives although our height remains the same. Krystal and I shared many things in common many years ago and it makes me smile that in a way we still do. We both have an amazing person to love and love us back... Krystal is soon getting married to her high school sweetheart. And I find it creatively fit that we both ended up with a heart on our left finger ;)

I am beyond thrilled to be photographing her wedding and very excited for all the great things unfolding in her life. Krystal and Larry share an amazing love that is evident in their quite, intimate and timid moments. The peaceful stares and glances they share evoke simplicity and love. It's perfect. I am more than sure they complement one another. Don't believe me, see for yourself...

 Have a lovely Sunday and always keep your faith. ♥