When one is a little girl she dreams many things concerning her wedding day. Naturally, the imagination is stirred from images of her own mother’s wedding day. It is a mysterious, delightful, celebratory thing that captivates the small mind like little else does. When I was small I imagined I would wear my mother’s wedding dress. Wear it I did, along with my sister and my dog, as my mother was gracious and casual with her gown. I am certain that by 10 I had already worn it to over a hundred wedding celebrations on our balcony. I realize now that even if one does not wear the actual dress that belonged to her mother on her wedding day, it is the presence and participation of one’s mother that completes the childhood vision of a wedding. It is a rare and lucky bride who is so blessed as to have her dress actually sewn by her wedding day hero. Elizabeth is one such girl and her gown was lovingly made from scratch by her mother. Yes, there are thousands of hand-sewn crystals stitched all over the dress. I was amazed by this feat and am so grateful I had the opportunity to see and photograph this incredible gift.

Russell and Kate and I had a most interesting evening together during their engagement session. First you should know that Kate is the sister of Meg, who was married a couple of months ago. It is such an honor to get to work with the same family for two such wonderful events as the marriages of their only daughters. I adore these girls’ family and how well they are loved.

It might be a simple description, but Kate and Russell are fun. They just are. Our locations varied from my neighborhood to Russell’s childhood home to his grandparents’ amazing house and all afternoon we just laughed about our dogs and families and college friends from years ago. We finished the evening at Ridgewood Country Club where all four of us (including my assistant) almost stepped right on top of a water moccasin (a very poisonous snake). I have never in my life been so certain that I needed to own a better pair of shoes. Thankfully no one was injured and Kate and Russell’s good looks were not interrupted. Also it should be noted that today is Russell’s birthday – Happy Birthday, Sir! Congratulations Russell and Kate!

“What are men to rocks and trees?” -Jane Austen. What a landscape we had to work with during Lexia’s bridals! I think perhaps only a bride could be taken seriously amidst such splendor. For Lexia’s bridals we took 3 gondolas to reach 11,400 feet and thankfully had a perfect evening. I wish I had the words to describe how fortunate I felt to be a part of this time in Lexia’s life. All I can say is that she is a woman who has been given beauty for ashes; to be with her in this time of such great joy is something I will never forget. I am honored and humbled to have heard and witnessed the testimony of God’s faithfulness in her life. Thank you Lex for taking me on this adventure – you are beautiful and a delight to my heart.

I laughed, I cried, I got new boots. Mark and Crystal are cause for anything and everything. I know this because I know them. Close to my heart for so many reasons, this session proved to be my undoing. You see, I have known these two separately from the moment each came to Waco. On the first night, or there abouts, of Mark’s freshman year at Baylor (my sophmore) I remember driving him back to the dorms after a welcome dinner in my ’95 Ford Taurus. They were glamorous times. Back then my speech was still thick with long a’s and Mark may well have thought my name to be Kiaaathryn. Thank you Chicago. Mark was fresh from Minnesota and I remember he smelled like mountains. Crystal. Well, Crystal. She has the voice of an angel if you didn’t know and came to Waco from some far off place called Seattle. It was while engaged in a music program of sorts that we got to know one another and worked the harmonies of my violin in between and all around her lovely melodies. Of course we talked of guys and laughed about the days ahead and one anothers’ most certain wedding days. How wonderful it was when Crystal and Mark first started dating. We all knew it would work out. But then it didn’t. Things ended as quickly as they had begun and we all still wondered at the mystery of Crystal’s wedding day. Of course, the holidays managed to come about and with them came a change of heart for Crystal. With a smile on her lips and wonder in her eyes Crystal stood with me and other gasping, sighing girls around the kitchen island as she proclaimed, “I suddenly realized I could not live without this man.” It was all any of us could do to not faint out of simple romanticism. Then Crystal and Mark fell in love. This is them, in love. I knew each before and I know them both now. Truly, they are better together than apart. Ha! I laugh, because, who knew you could find your beloved in Waco? (female college readers – I make you no promises.) The love, joy, and freedom these two have pours out of them like a great river and every moment I have spent working on their pictures I have been affected by an incurable smile. Mark and Crystal: who knew? Who knew we would be here? What a great delight. I am so glad for all of our past years and overjoyed at the weeks and months ahead. Oh, and the new boots – they were just for safety in the tall grasses. :)

Angela was married this past weekend in Salado, TX in the church her Grandfather designed decades ago. It was a perfect day to be married and she has to date received one of the most glorious sunsets I have ever seen on a wedding day. All of those fine images will be soon to come in the weeks ahead. For now, I have her bridals to share. Ang and I have known one another for what seems ages upon ages. We survived the gauntlet that is undergrad art school together at Baylor. Countless times we stayed up late into the night processing images – hovering over trays of developer and fixer and laughing about all of the wild things that make you crazy in college. This all the while trying to not get caught for locking ourselves in after hours – thank goodness photo labs are such caves. Critique after critique and photo class after class we finally split ways when Ang went on the get her masters in Fine Art Photography and I remained to, well, you know. I ran into Angela at a Coldplay concert a couple of years ago and she looked different – she looked in love. In that giggly, unbelieving way she told me of her boyfriend, her wonderful boyfriend. We both smiled and knew he would be much more than that. It was an honor to be a part of Angela’s wedding day and to take these pictures of her late one summer evening as we moved towards the wedding day. Congratulations Angela!