I can’t tell you how excited I was in the weeks leading up to Jennifer and Jason’s wedding. I first met Jason at Jayna and Ben’s Cleveland wedding last summer, where he was best man; we bonded over my Pelican camera case. When he proposed to Jennifer a month later, they thought of me to photograph the wedding! They asked: “would you be willing to travel to Texas?” and without hesitation, I answered, “YES!” This was my first trip to Texas ever, and Jennifer and Jason couldn’t be sweeter or more accommodating. They made travel a breeze for me and my entire stay was a blast!
Elsewhere in the country, rustic weddings are the “thing.” It’s super trendy to have wildflower centerpieces, burlap runners and wear cowboy boots (at least, the closest thing we can find). But this Texas wedding, this was the REAL DEAL, y’all. Real cowboy boots worn by the bride and her bridesmaids, real Texas BBQ, drinks in mason jars, a gorgeous backdrop at the Hideout on the Horseshoe, and of course, a warm and sunny day in mid-April. And oh yeah, a beautiful tree from which I could hang Jennifer’s amazing dress! (with the help of some willing relatives, of course!)
Jennifer and Jason chose not to see each other before the wedding, and there were tears when Jennifer walked down the aisle with her father. Their ceremony culminated in a celtic handfasting, aided by Jason’s mother. The light was perfect for couples portraits after the ceremony. Normally I get to work with couples before their wedding during the engagement session, but because they live in Washington DC, we never had the opportunity to do that. But, you wouldn’t know it, because they were naturals in front of the camera! I even stuck around as they practiced their choreographed first dance one last time before heading to the reception.
Their reception ended with a sparkler exit as Jennifer and Jason rode off into the night on a decorated golf cart. I admit that after 9+ hours of shooting, I still couldn’t say no to a little bit of dancing! Congratulations to Jennifer and Jason! Thank you for inviting me to Texas to capture your big day!
