Oh, Happy Day! You're Engaged!

You're engaged! You're going to be a BRIDE! You get to marry your BEST FRIEND!! This is a big deal, friends! You've been thinking about this moment for so long and it's here! YAY! Now a little time has passed and you're up to your eyeballs in wedding planning... Which, depending on your personality type, is either exhilarating or exhausting (or at times, both!). Well take a big, deep breath and a long exhale. Here are a couple tips on how to prepare for your engagement shoot!

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1) Relax! Sounds easy right? It can be! Start gathering your clothing well in advance. Give yourself extra time to get ready or even use your engagement session as an excuse to get your hair and makeup done professionally. Prevent feeling rushed by giving yourself ample time to get to the session location... traffic in Dallas/Fort Worth is just a way of life. All of these things will help to decrease stress so you can free yourself up to focus on each other. You won't be feeling stressed or rushed just excited!  Your excitement and genuine joy will shine through in your photos.

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2) Gather Multiple Clothing Options Feel free to gather 2-3 outfits for your session. Something more dressy and something casual. Keep the time of year and location in mind when picking out clothing. Try to stay away from being too "matchy-matchy". (ie: both wearing jeans and white shirts). Don't be afraid to mix patterns! One thing I've found helpful is, start by picking out your handsome hubby-to-be's clothing first. Most of the time, this is an easier place to start since they generally have less clothes than us ladies. ;) After you pick out his shirts, look for the color that appears least (i.e.Charlie's plaid shirt above), Amanda did a great job picking out the light teal color and finding something in her closet to compliment it. Don't over complicate this part, simple is ALWAYS best. If you get stuck, bring it all! I can totally help you pick out what to wear!

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3) Be Playful & Have Fun! This session is all about you as a couple. The highest compliment I have receive is, "Oh, this is so them!". My job is to capture your personalities so the more "you", you can be the better! Don't worry, I will guide you along and give helpful instruction. So this is me giving you permission to, let go of insecurities and nerves and just have fun! It's only a couple of hours, so enjoy them and enjoy each other before you have to go back to "real life".

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"Scarcely had I passed them     when I found the one my heart loves." Song of Solomon 3:4

Paul & Rachel : White Rock Lake Session

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Meet Paul & Rachel. I absolutely loved getting to spend time with these two. Paul used to work with my husband, Matt at The Village Church. I was so excited to finally get to meet his lovely wife, Rachel. She's a whiz with all things hair so if you're looking for a fresh new cut or color, let me know and I'll pass along her info! No wonder these two have the best hair ever, right? :)

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Ashley & Reed : Dallas, Texas Photographer

Allow me to introduce my best friend, my Ash-face! This girl and I have been friends for 13 years! We first met as awkward high school freshman and navigated first boyfriends, first jobs, college, roommate drama and so many more things together. Ashley moved from Fort Worth, TX to the Tacoma, WA area over a year ago. I was bummed to loose my queso and snowcone buddy but I soon saw what a good thing the move was... cue, Reed! As the best friend, it's my job to find something wrong with every single guy Ashley dates. Well, I can't find a single thing wrong with Reed. He's a gentleman in every sense of the word. He's a man after God's own heart which is one of the first things I noticed about him when we met. Reed is intentional, polite, full of integrity and respectful. He also happens to be head-over-heels for my best friend and she absolutely adores him right back.

I can't even express the joy I've had in seeing their relationship move from one level to the next. All while keeping the Lord first and foremost. The Lord is certainly glorified in these two and I can't wait to see all He does through their marriage. I CAN NOT wait to celebrate with you guys in October!