I don’t think there is a single thing I would change about this photo — not one hair, not one branch — even if I could. I love the mood the light sets and the warmth the smiles radiate.
Nope, I wouldn’t change a thing.
More to come from Charlotte and Taylor’s McKinney engagement shoot soon!
Meet Casey and Grady.
I’m not gonna lie. These two are almost too cool for words.
James and I had been looking forward to this shoot for a while now because it was innnnnnn (wait for it . . . ) Georgetown, TX! We love to travel and it’s even more fun when you have an excuse — like meeting up with two awesome people and taking awesome engagement pictures. Casey and Grady live in New Braunfels, which is where they’ll have their wedding this November (yay for more travel!), but we met halfway for their engagement session.
Perhaps you’ve noticed that in these first three images, Casey is laughing, laughing, laughing. She oooozed laughter from start to finish, which made this shoot particularly fun. Not even five minutes into shooting Casey stopped and looked up at me and said, “Is EVERYONE as awkward as us?”
I furrowed my eyebrows and tilted my head a bit. “You are not being awkward. Like, at all.” I told her that most people need about 15 minutes to warm up to me and my camera before starting to feel comfortable (which is tooooooooootally okay) but she had just waltzed right in as her fabulous self.
I almost feel like light can’t get any more perfect than the light in this picture above. I looooooooooooove it.
Oh my gosh. This couple. LOOK AT THEM. All laugh-y and sweet and PRECIOUS!!!!!
When Casey first got out of the car she said, “We have lots of ideas . . .”
I laughed so hard when Grady explained it further. “I think she’s been looking at your blog and is beginning to feel a little competitive with the other couples to have the best ideas.”
ONE of their ideas was to print off calendar pages leading up to their wedding day, November 5th (the one in green). When showing me she had said she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do with them, but they had just brought them in case we got inspired. Well, with this pose we got inspired and I’m incredibly pleased with how these turned out – GREAT idea, Casey and Grady!
“IS THAT YOUR RING?!?!?!”
I believe that was my blatant, shameless initial reaction to seeing Casey’s left hand. This was immediately followed by me looking up at Grady, still holding her hand in both of mine, and raising both of my eyebrows in approval.
I’m not sure if the hat was Grady or Casey’s doing, but I fully support guys accessorizing in my sessions.
Seriously guys, y’all are as stunning as they come.
For this portion of the session we had wandered inside an in between space. We weren’t in a store, but between several stores. All we knew is there was air-conditioning, a stairwell, and beautiful light.
Your smile has so much life, Casey. I watched Grady just eat it up.
At about this point we hear James, out in the hallway, go, “Uhhhhhh . . .”
Grady, Casey and I all looked at each other. It had not been a good “uhhh.”
We were locked inside. Like, “Buh-bye George, see you next Thursday,” no-one-left-in-the-building locked inside.
We all looked at each other and laughed nervously just long enough for one of us to notice someone walk by the store next door (which THANKFULLY had a glass door) so that we could get someone’s attention to LET. US. OUT. OF. THERE. Close call.
I had already been running through scenarios in my head if we really were locked in there hopelessly: “Call 911? . . . Call the city of Georgetown? . . . call my mom?!?!”
Idea #2: Letters to represent their first names. Cute-like.
Idea #3: A DOUBLE play on the phrase “Tie the knot” and the practice of tying a string around your finger to remember something important.
So I tied them up together in yarn and we tried some different ways of expressing the two “knot ideas” for a potential save-the-date.
I thought their “escape” was too good not to share with all you lovely blog followers.
So much cuteness, I could barely handle it.
They wanted to end their session at the water. It makes perfect sense — New Braunfels is known for the Comal River.
“Would you consider getting IN the water . . .?” I asked hopefully. They didn’t hesitate a second.
They live in NEW BRAUNFELS for crying out loud!! Â Of course they brought their own, personal inner tubes!
I am in. love. with Casey in this next picture. I can’t even help it.
They are so fun . . .
I look at Grady and I see Matthew McConaughey. And yes, I totally had to google his last name to know how to spell it correctly.
As we finished up the session Casey said it was time for us to take a photo all together to commemorate. We tried the old hold-the-camera-out-and-aim trick but the new camera is a LOT heavier than my old gear and my aim was apparently a lot worse. Thankfully a little old woman was passing by and we asked if she’d mind taking a picture of us. I’m so, so glad she did!
I can’t even express how much I enjoyed this session, Casey and Grady.
James and I got back in the car and the first thing I said was, “They’re so cool.”
The first thing James said was, “They’re so in love.”
And I think that’s a perfect summary of the two of you.
Dear blog readers, meet Laura and Matt.
Laura and I had talked about working a bit of travel flair into their engagement session, as both Laura and Matt had individually served as missionaries overseas before they met AND they are planning to serve overseas as missionaries TOGETHER after their wedding this July.
I love connections. I really just do. Laura is the cousin of the boyfriend of my good friend Ashley. Connection.
So we’re walking along together to the first location and this is when I first find out that Matt had actually served overseas in Nepal specifically. I asked him when he was there and he told me the years and I say, “I think that’s when my cousin was a journeyman in Nepal . . . “
“Who’s your cousin?”
“Josh Daniels.”
“Josh was my missions partner!”
Talk about connections. My instant reaction was to punch Matt in the arm out of sheer excitement, but I can’t be sure what I did. It all happened so fast. So, um, sorry if I punched you, Matt.
Get it, girl.
They’re not quite sure yet where they want to live once they’re married, but they’re considering Madrid, Spain.
This next photo is a depiction of what Matt does when Laura breaks out her sweet dance moves.
BUT if we compare face from the last photo to this next photo, I’d say he’s probably pretty okay with whatever Laura decides to do.
Just look at that smug grin. He knows he’s holding something precious.
Love those lines.
It’s really not my fault that I couldn’t choose between the above photo and this next one . . .
And so what if this spot inspired me to get on a black and white kick? (Fred Armisson:Â “So what. Who cares?” Anyone? Anyone?)
Just beautiful, Laura.
One last outfit change and then it was on to downtown Fort Worth to add a bit more of a city feel into the mix.
I was told that Laura and Matt both have, er, obsessive tendancies with their beverages of choice. For Matt, it’s Coca-Cola. For Laura, Starbucks does the trick.
And we ended it all with a game of speed scrabble — Laura and Matt’s favorite.
I loved this super-personalized session, Laura and Matt. Thank you for bringing it all to the table!
It is my pleasure to introduce you to Kimberly and Christopher.
She was sitting at the front of the bus on the way to her choir concert before she worked up the nerve to go back and talk to him.
He was a senior and she was a sophomore. And a friend had told her that Christopher had a crush on her.
He was an older guy, and, what can Kimberly say? He dressed well too. How could she possibly resist?
Thankfully she didn’t resist it. She walked down the bus aisle to where Christopher was sitting and introduced herself. And now, several years later, that trip is leading her back down an aisle to where Christopher is — but this time it’s down the wedding aisle.
When we first met up and Christopher stepped out of the car I said something about him looked really spiffy for his engagement pictures. He looked down at his clothes a little confused and said, “I dress this way all the time . . .”
I love that big Kimberly laugh in the background. I love a laugh that won’t even let you stand up straight it’s so uncontainable.
Kimberly and Christopher’s wedding next March will include vintage bicycles and lots and LOTS of home-made pinwheels.
Christopher is involved in SGA at the University of North Texas, which is why he knew that UNT is powerd partially by a wind turbine farm in Munster. And really, wind turnbines are just like really, really massive pinwheels, right?
That little nose crinkle that Kimberly does gets me EVERY. TIME. Probably does a little number on Christopher’s heart too, I”m just saying.
Looooooooooooooove this photo. It breathes hug and holding and closeness.
For the last leg of the session we brought out the box of pinwheels that Kimberly had made herself to create ourselves a pinwheel field.
It just seems to me that there probably isn’t anything quite like sitting in your own personal pinwheel field in the arms of the one you love.
Kimberly’s ring is from 1933 and the stlye fits her perfectly — she and Christopher both leave the “old soul” impression.
I treasure the time I got to spend with you, Christopher and Kimberly. Time spent learning about your lives and documenting your love, your sweetness, and your engaged-ness.
I’m so excited for your FABULOUS Off the Grid wedding in March!
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