Killer shoes.
Killer shoes can start a wedding day off right faster than the roadrunner can beep-beep.
You know what else helps? A couple as in love with each other as Jacklyn and Matt.
(And just so you know, I blame my mother for the roadrunner being the first fast thing I could reference just now.)
I love coming in on the wedding day from the very beginning, right as it begins to unfold.
I love seeing the nervous-giddy look in a bride’s eyes.
I love catching her remember from time to time, to herself, Today is my wedding day.
Jacklyn and Matt got  ready at their reception venue, the YWCA, which was right across the street from their ceremony site, The First United Methodist Church in downtown Fort Worth.
One could tell that Jacklyn really poured herself into the reception details and decor, so I loved being able to integrate some of those pieces into various detail shots throughout the day.
In the next room, James documented the finishing prep stages of Matt and his groomsmen before we headed to the church for their first look.
Matt is a talented videographer and both he and Jacklyn highly valued photography as an essential part of their wedding day. A couple after my own heart.
They chose to do their first look in the courtyard of the FUMC and I could not have selected a better setting myself.
After they had soaked up their glorious first look moment we moved into some bride-groom portraits.
Jacklyn and Matt are the type of people who are equally sincere and kind as they are beautiful.
This basically equals a whole heckofalotta sincerity and kindness.
Love.
Did I mention the church was, oh, yeah, uhh-mazing?
Um, yeah, and did I mention yet that Matt and Jacklyn are  amazing?
Models, human beings, clients, all of the above.
We finished with plenty of time for family portraits and some moments of stillness before the ceremony.
Before the ceremony, Matt had surprised Jacklyn with a new ring! I was delighted to get to my hands and camera on the brand new bling for the ring portraits. Way. to. go. Matt.
This bouquet toss was one for the record books. Keep your eyes on the one with her arms stretched out in front of her. She had her eyes on the prize.
The night ended as perfectly as it began — birdseed, a yellow dune-buggy and a sweet, sweet couple driving off into the Fort Worth skyline all in love and married and stuff.
I barely even had time to look forward to Christina and Jeff’s Old Red Courthouse wedding. Within three months of Christina’s initial e-mail to me we had met up at a coffee shop, taken engagement pictures and were now meeting back up together the morning of their wedding for the big event!
These pictures of Christina getting ready all-smiles are a true reflection of her sweet, cheery disposition.
The getting ready process finished up just in time to squeeze in a few pictures of Christina with her bridesmaids and Jeff with his groomsmen before the ceremony began.
I love these emotion-filled images James captured of Christina and her dad right before the doors opened to the ceremony.
Sweet, sweet just married smiles.
After wiping away some happy tears, we took some time for some bride-groom portraits before heading into the reception.
Because Christina and Jeff’s venue was just crawling with photographic opportunities, they opted to take a few minutes to sneak out of the reception for a few more bride-groom portraits around the Old Red Courthouse.
 Christina and Jeff, it was nothing but a pleasure to work with y’all.
James and I don’t have a single doubt in our minds that y’all are
absolutely.
perfect.
for each other.
There’s nothing quite like some sweet morning light.
And that is just what we were gifted at this early morning family session with the Mahaffeys!
The plan was to get some portraits of the family before the newest member was added . . . and baby Mahaffey #2 was coming soon!
Mahaffey family, thank you for choosing me to document such a sweet season in your lives and I know this new season y’all are in now will continue to be even sweeter!
Juli and Jared’s beautiful wedding was set at the McKinney Cotton Mill — a venue I always love photographing. I could not get past Juli’s great attention to detail in every single piece used in her wedding decor. All it it came together so seamlessly and fabulously! I could have spent the entire day photographing each individualized table-setting.
Confession: Juli had two DARLING sisters by her side helping her throughout the entire wedding day process, only I kept forgetting one of their names! Finally Forgotten-name-sister looks at me dumbfounded (with legitimate reason) and says, “It’s ‘Jillian.’ It’s YOUR name.”
I didn’t forget it again after that.
Juli and Jared chose to go the route of a first look — this allowed them some intimate moments alone in the midst of all the wedding day hustle and bustle and also allowed us to take all of the formal portraits before the ceremony because Juli was adamant that she did not want to miss out on their reception that she had put so much effort into. So miss out they did not!
SERIOUSLY, JULI!! THE DETAIL!!!!
One of my most favorite moments from the reception was when Juli’s father and his college a cappella group serenaded the couple with their soulful crooning.
Jared was even lucky enough to get pulled up on stage with the quartet for a special song!
And Juli just sat there and smiled. Oh, that Juli-smile. So, so beautiful.
Best wishes to Juli and Jared and a lifetime full of attention to all the sweet details along the way.
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