Alyssia initially contacted us last year and three snow storms later….here they are! I’m so glad we waited because the weather was wonderful. Alyssia & Eric are getting married in the wonderful Hawaii so we won’t be there…..(sigh) :)

Congratulations guys!

Katie made this session so easy for us, with her gorgeous red hair (red heads always photograph well), and then to her tall, slender, model figure! She really wanted some classic bridal shots, nothing to contemporary or crazy, just classic, simple, and beautiful. One of our favorite places to go for this type of shoot is Arlington Hall in Dallas. What a great day, getting great shots, of a great girl! It was fun Katie!

By the way, as you will see below, Chavvon and I just couldn’t resist getting a few “not so traditional” shots! Here are some of our favorites…

I just couldn’t resist getting this one, the lighting and shadows were perfect with the columns behind her…

Here is Chavvon with that 85mm! Great shot babe!

So, what do you think it means if it is torrential downpours and flashflooding, and to go along with it, some tornado sirens? This couple is so genuine, and so in love, I’d say it means they don’t need any luck! We brought our “cute umbrellas” to get some cute rainy shots, but there was no chance of that! I must say though, for our first wedding with Tornado warnings and flooding, everything still turned out great, and through it all, Julie and Lance really remained calm and relaxed through the day.

Throughout the day it was obvious what 2 things were most important to the bride and groom, their love for each other and their love for God. So many friends and family to be a part of such a special day, and then the most awesome party to end the night! The reception was at the Adolphus in Dallas, with entertainment being provided by Signed, Sealed, and Delivered, an 8 piece live band. Chavvon and I decided that if we renew our vows in 5 years, (15 year anniversary), we are hiring this group! From 80′s songs to current music today, they were awesome!

What do you get when you have a bride, a groom, 10 bridesmaids, 7 house party guest, 10 groomsmen, and 300 friends and family? A big wedding day! Sorry for the long blog post everyone, it was just too hard to cut it back any more than I already did, we had so many great moments from this day! Congratulations Julie and Lance, it has been so wonderful getting to know you both!

8 piece band Signed, Sealed, and Delivered!

The band brought all of the props, hats, glasses, gold chains, etc. It really got everyone going! Hilarious!

“If you like it then you should’a put a ring on it!”

We had a great time with Julie at the Dallas Arboretum taking her bridals! Really, when you have a beautiful bride, in a beautiful dress, in a gorgeous location like the Dallas Arboretum, there is no way not to get some great shots! Here are some of our favorites!

After a difficult loss, Kim and James decided to adopt a baby. In February of this year, they came to Chavvon and I and asked if we would do the pictures that they would provide to the adoption agency that provides the pictures of potential adopting families to the birth mothers. We were thrilled when they called and said their new baby was here, and we were so excited to do their baby pictures. Congratulations James and Kim, you are wonderful parents, and Levi is so blessed to have you! Here he is at 8 weeks old! What a great model!

Tracy and Jim got married at the Richardson Women’s Club, which by the way, despite its name, was very charming! We were so pleasantly surprised by the charm of this place, with creaky wood floors, gorgeous old lead bay windows, and the cutest antique furnishings. It really set the tone for the perfect intimate setting that the couple was wanting. Congratulations Tracy and Jim! Thanks for allowing us to be a part of it!

As photographers, we love “first look” sessions before a wedding. Believe me, I can understand why a bride would not want their future husband to see them before the ceremony, but as photographers we LOVE it! It allows us so much time to take some great shots of the bride and groom seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day, which we otherwise could not do. When we do a “first look” session, we can choose the location based on the best lighting, which enables us to get the best pics! Not to mention, we can get plenty of close-ups which we can not do during the ceremony. Now, I said all of that to say this, when Tracy and Jim said they wanted a “first look” session, we were really happy. :)

We found the perfect lighting to grab this shot, she looks amazing!

These girls were troopers! Chavvon and I wanted to get some shots by a small wooded area by the lake, so they walked through the grass with no shoes, that way no mud would get on their heels!! Thanks ladies!

By the way, if you didn’t notice, the father of the bride is also the pastor. So sweet. He did such a wonderful job, one of the best weddings I have ever heard.

The staff at Paradise Cove was awesome!!! They are some of the the most organized, and prepared venues we have ever worked at! They truly go above and beyond, for example, they brought the wedding party coctails to enjoy before and during the photographs.

One of our favorite moments of the day, was when we were with all of the ladies in the master bedroom getting the “getting ready” shots. Ari’s family is from Lithuania, and his parents do not speak English, so there was a language barrier between the families. It was inspiring to me to see, even without speaking to one another, the mothers of the bride and groom showing each other so much affection toward each other. Helping each other get ready, telling each other they look fantastic, hugging – it was so touching. Without saying a word, the groom’s mother was a big part of getting her new daughter-in-law ready to marry her son, and you could tell she was so happy that they were getting married.

We knew this house was going to be nice. The bride had told us just a few details of the home, and we were really excited about this wedding! As we rounded the corner and the house was in sight, we realized, we had no idea just how nice! We looked at each other and smiled, then went ahead and parked. We have been in some huge houses, but we have realized that just because a house is big, it does not mean that it will be decorated nicely or have an interior to match the exterior. Hoping that the interior was equally as beautiful as the outside, we walked to the front door and boy were we in for a surprise… it was better!! Antiques, chandeliers, and hand painted murals, gold moldings, stone floors, and magnificent furniture, this home was better than any venue anywhere!!

You know, in a way, I am thankful that it is so normal for you to be such a great husband and father that we CAN take it for granted. It is not a “once in a while” thing for you to make us all laugh, be encouraging, or surprise us with bringing home cupcakes. :) You always show us how much you love us. For that, I am the luckiest woman in the world. God must really love me to bless me with someone like you.

Happy Father’s Day Chavvon, we love you!!

Oh my goodness, to see Brayden’s robot! He is very serious about his moves, not cracking a smile while performing, but as soon as he is done….. CHEESE!!!!! During this session I learned a new trick from Jasmine ( Brayden’s mother) which I must say I do not know why we never thought of it before! We were trying to get Brayden to put his hand in his pocket, and he continued to give us that popular 2 year old answer of “no”. Plain and simple, “no”. Jasmine went to the car, got some money, put it in his pocket, and that was it!! He left his little hand in there just long enough to get a couple of perfect shots!!!

What a great time we had with them! Thanks Jasmine for calling us, we had so much fun with you two!

When we first heard from Emily and Tyler, which was only a couple months ago, we were so excited that they just wanted a beautifully simple wedding, and they were not into formal shots as far as the photography. They are so in love, and they wanted the day to be about just that, love. No huge, gaudy flower arrangements, no special lighting packages, just two people in love. With help from friends and family, they were able to pull this day together in just a few months! They wanted us to capture the day, which was so simply beautiful!

I must say, we really did enjoy this wedding. From the relaxed jam session in the men’s bathroom where the “fellas” were getting ready, to the young, contemporary pastor who gave the most practical and inspiring words, and even the little ring bearer who was so disappointed when he found out that the rings on the pillow were fake, this wedding just “felt” so good. Tyler is a singer/guitar player, and all of the musicians at the wedding and reception were his friends. How nice is that! When I asked if they do many weddings, they said that this was their first one! The music was perfect for the day, and they did a really great job!

What a great day, it really was nice to be a part of it. :)

This post is just a little tribute to the casual family photography that we love, of the kids we love, and doing what we love the most…. just playing with our babies!!! Thankfully, because of them and our desire to remember their lives, we get to do what we really enjoy!

Every year we make and decorate Valentines Day cookies! Yummmm!! This is really fun and really messy!! Here is a glimpse into our home.

First you must make and decorate the cookies… We always buy extra cookie dough, it seems to disappear for some reason!!  ;)

“Jaenin, let’s get de wittle weeper to cween dee table. Wook Jaenin!” – Brice (He didn’t know that while very efficient, it is soooo NASTY!!!) “Brice, you are doing so good, but that is dirty, let’s do that on the floor!!” – Mommy.


Kids have a really hard time waiting for the candy coating to harden. They just can’t resist sticking fingers, and yes, tongues into them!!!! UUUGGGGHHH!!

It is such a blessing to get to know so many different people, hear their stories, and spend some time with them. Wow, and to think this is our job… we just love it… we are so incredibly honored. Thank you all for choosing us to make these memories for your family!

Ever since we heard of this idea, we just thought it was so cute!  I remember our guest book from our wedding, but now, it is no where to be found.  Maybe it is in the attic stuffed into a box, but it definitely is not something to keep out, even though I think it may have had some ruffles on it!  Funny how things have changed!  If we would have thought to make an album out of engagement pictures to form a guest book, where our guests could write a note of encouragement or just sign their name, it definitely would have been something to keep forever.

What a great idea!!

Here are some facts on this book quality for you…

This is a custom album, therefore, pricing is determined by how many pages, size, and finish.

Covers

Book covers are made with masonite to give the books a smooth, substantial feel. Eight cover material options are available including black, chocolate brown and tan fabric; black, dark brown and dark red leather; and a custom printed photo cover in lustre or metallic. Photo covers are made with a photographic print that is laminated and adhered to the masonite cover. The photo cover allows for complete customization on the front, spine, and back of the book using your own images and designs. Additionally, enhance the cover of your book with a photographic dust jacket or cover foil stamping. A dust jacket is a photographic print laminated and creased to wrap around the cover of the book. It protects the cover and provides another option to personalize your book by using images, text and graphics. Cover foil stamping allows you to place three lines of text on the front cover in one of three places: the center of the book, the lower right corner, or the bottom center. Foil stamping is only available on leather covers.

Papers

Press printed books are printed with the same HP Indigo printing technology with liquid inks. Book pages are printed on 110# hinged paper in semi-gloss or pearl. The hinged paper allows open pages to lay flat a as well as provides a thicker, more upscale paper option.  Book pages are stitched together to create the book block that is adhered to the cover using black cardstock end sheets.

This book had a metallic photo cover that looks incredible!!  As you can see, the hinged paper allows the book to lay flat.

This book is so perfect for bridal portraits, or a book for your child’s portraits!  We are updating our samples with current work that we have recently done, and we filled this one with a variety of bridals that we have done recently.  The linen cover makes this book slightly more casual, but you can still feel the quality of how it is made. Very nice!!

Here are some facts for you…

Covers

Book covers are made with masonite to give the books a smooth, substantial feel. Eight cover material options are available including black, chocolate brown and tan linen fabric; black, dark brown and dark red leather; and a custom printed photo cover in lustre or metallic. Photo covers are made with a photographic print that is laminated and adhered to the masonite cover. The photo cover allows for complete customization on the front, spine, and back of the book using your own images and designs. Additionally, enhance the cover of your book with a photographic dust jacket or cover foil stamping. A dust jacket is a photographic print laminated and creased to wrap around the cover of the book. It protects the cover and provides another option to personalize your book by using images, text and graphics. Cover foil stamping allows you to place three lines of text on the front cover in one of three places: the center of the book, the lower right corner, or the bottom center. Foil stamping is only available on leather covers.

Papers

Press printed books are printed with the same HP Indigo printing technology with liquid inks. Book pages are printed on 110# hinged paper in semi-gloss or pearl. The hinged paper allows open pages to lay flat a as well as provides a thicker, more upscale paper option. Hinged paper can also be UV coated for added protection and a glossy look and feel. Book pages are stitched together to create the book block that is adhered to the cover using black cardstock end sheets.

Here are some pictures of the album we just got in!  You can see how the pages lay flat, they are stiff and firm, and the difference in the cover material compared to the others.

Parent’s Album: 8 x 8 press printed w/photo cover
* Parent’s Album w/hand made leather cover also available

Covers

All parent book covers are made with a custom printed photo cover in lustre or metallic. Photo covers are made with a photographic print that is laminated and adhered to the masonite cover. The photo cover allows for complete customization on the front, spine, and back of the book using your own images and designs. Additionally, you can enhance the cover of your book with a photographic dust jacket.

Papers

Press printed books are printed with the same HP Indigo printing technology with liquid inks. Book pages are printed on 100# text weight semi-gloss paper.

The pictures show you how the pages are soft, and do not lay flat, more magazine style.  Here are some pictures of the album we just got in!  We love it!