Monday, October 26, 2009

Amanda and Jose - The Wedding!

I loved this wedding. Seriously. Amanda and Jose are just great people. It sounds so simple, but it's so profoundly true! Never in my life have I ever seen a more relaxed and easy-going bride and groom. The two of them were just all smiles and laughs all the live-long day. The whole day was overcast and chilly - and since we're Texans, anything below 85 is reason to start contemplating putting snow chains on our tires. It had been raining for the entire week before the wedding (much as it has been doing ALL MONTH), but the Heavens smiled upon Amanda and Jose and stayed dry until their departure that night! Amanda had her heart set on an outdoor ceremony, and the fact that her wonderful and hilarious bridesmaids stood in 60-something-degree (meaning freezing, in Texas) weather, in tea-length dresses, in heels, in the mud without so much as a wince speaks VOLUMES as to the kind of friends you get in Amanda. Jose's brothers had jackets, but I'm sure they're pretty nifty, too. Seriously, I can't get over what awesome people these two are, and what a wonderful (and good-lookin'!) family they make! Despite the weather, despite the cold, despite the mud, Jose and Amanda didn't complain a once about taking so many photos outside... they actually loved it! Because they were so easy-going we were able to get a TON (and I mean a literal ton) of photos of the two of them after the ceremony. Just a side note to all you other brides, if you're not planning on a First Look (seeing each other before the ceremony) or a Day After Session (gettin' all gussied up sometime - even weeks - after the wedding to get MORE awesome shots of you and your honey), then plan on having a wonderful attitude like the two of these kids. Their willingness paid off, fo shizzle! So as I said, they're fantastic people. The reception was a BLAST, oh it was awesome. And how loudly does this speak about the newlyweds: they took the time during the reception to make their way around and personally greet every. single. guest. All of 'em.
I spend a hefty chunk of the time gushing over Amanda and Jose about how fantastic they were and how grateful I was for such willing, loving, fun and easy clients, so I'll go ahead and get on with the sneak peek!













This was their ceremony site, and yes, those are horses casually grazing in the background. Just a little picturesque.




Wedding crasher.







Another sign of true Texans: the colors were silver and blue, a not-so-silent nod to their love for the Dallas Cowboys!







Jose and Amanda's daughter, Alecia, watching her Mommy become a princess.



And now it's her turn!




Yeah, I'm pretty good at knock-knock jokes.



LOVE these!



I promise this one didn't come with the frame.



OH I love this one!!!!






I took this photo of Christian, Amanda and Jose's son, so that Amanda could see what he looked like, but he's such a looker that it ended up being a keeper!




Oh yeah, he's that slick.






The Men's Wearhouse called. They want their ad back.




Again, I'm apparently quite the comedienne.




You thought I was kidding about the Cowboys?





Bling on the cake... Amanda loves me.



On his way to get married!





LOVE. I'm dying a little over the sheer fabric.



I was so lucky to capture this moment as Amanda and Jose walked away as man and wife... and I love it so much, you get it in black and white AND color!



Perez Family!
QUITE the excellent gene pool.



I love this photo.
A lot.
I loved it so much, I knew it would be my favorite the second I took it. I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I pulled it off the camera and edited it FIRST!









She hit the flo', next thing you know, shawty got loooooow.....



Noddin' my head like yeah, movin' my hips like... yeah?




Jose's brothers knew how to BOOGIE!



See?
And you KNOW it's your favorite part of a wedding when the Soul Train line breaks out.




This is called the unbearably stanky leg.



Yep, they got left behind for all the merriment.






CONGRATULATIONS, Amanda and Jose! You two were so much stinkin' fun. I had a blast the whole entire time... and I was WORKING! You are such a wonderful family and I love you to pieces. I am so honored that you chose me to capture this day for you. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed your wedding, you guys, all of it! And not just because I got to sing Selena at the top of my lungs without anyone batting an eye. You two are such wonderful people and are so, so blessed to have each other, and I know your marriage, your family, is going to continue to be blessed beyond measure!!!


Now for some news for the rest of ya.
As I've said in previous posts, I'm kinda busy. This is not a complaint, it's a praise report!!! I started this business as the economy started sinking, but God has blessed it exponentially, and as grim as the fiscal news looks each month, this little business of mine, of ours, gets bigger, better, and more successful each month!
That being said, in order to accommodate the growing demand, there will be a few pricing changes. If you've already booked a date, don't worry, you're still good on what you were quoted. But starting on November 1, there will be new prices for pretty much everything. I'm not getting greedy, just making investments to make the whole experience better for everyone!
Now that that's out of the way, I am so excited about everything that's going on, the incredible opportunities I've been given and the WOWerful images I can't wait to show you!!! I've got some amazing and unique families, a couple of brides that you have to remind yourself to breathe when you look at them, and of course, more weddings!!! Stay tuned!