Downtown McKinney Family Portraits: The Boltons

I love watching this family grow! I've been working with them a few times a year since their eldest turned 1. This was my first time to meet the newest addition, and I'm smitten. He's not camera-shy at all at 6-months-old, and was certainly more on board with the session than his two-year-old big brother! It may seem odd, but toddlers are actually my favorite age group to photograph. Their personalities are huge, and I love capturing that stage. It requires lots of running around in a crouched position and playing peekaboo. This little guy wasn't exactly won over by my charm, but I love the photos of him Not Having Any of This.

Extended Family Portraits in Plano: The Hoffmans

The Hoffmans have graced this blog many times in one way or another over the years. Allison's bridal portrait session was my very first. I've also captured Hoffman senior portraits, birthday parties, and family portraits. We've done one other big group family session, back in 2012. Their family has seen a new grandbaby, a marriage, engagements, and several high school graduations since then. Needless to say, the "kids" are no longer little! There are a few new faces since the last session as well, so the group has grown. I love doing big sessions like these. They can be crazy, but I enjoy the challenge. Allison is a costume designer, so I know I can always count on her family to have outfits that coordinate well. This session is definitely going in my folder of inspiration for clients who need a little help deciding what to wear.

Nisa's Austin College Bridal Portraits in Sherman, Texas

Nisa was a joy to work with! She planned her wedding from California, but we still managed to fit in a bridal portrait session on the campus of our shared alma mater. I worked toward my undergraduate degree at Austin College, though I ultimately transferred and finished elsewhere after switching degree programs from business toward art. Nevertheless, AC was always the school where I felt most at home. It felt like a homecoming to wander around campus with Nisa and her mother, and see how much looked exactly the same, and how much had changed! It was an incredibly hot Texas summer day, so we made use of as much air conditioned space as we could. Nisa holds her PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, so it made sense to start the session in the IDEA Center, Austin College's fancy new science building. I look forward to sharing Nisa's wedding -- the science theme continued there, with an experiment taking the place of a unity ceremony, and beakers and test tubes used throughout their decor. Nisa's a pretty awesome gal, if you haven't already figured that out.

Historic Collin County Courthouse Wedding in McKinney, Texas: Joseph & Florencia

It's always an honor to document the weddings of my friends! I've known Joe & Flo for about nine years now; we worked together as baristas many moons ago. You may remember that I photographed their handfasting a few years ago. These two were married in a sweet and quirky ceremony officiated by one of their close friends at the Historic Collin County Courthouse in downtown McKinney, Texas. I particularly enjoyed the game of rochambeau for the privilege to say their vows first! Joseph won.

The first thing you'll likely notice about this wedding's aesthetic is Florencia's *amazing* purple and turquoise hair. It was every bit as awesome in person, and coordinated beautifully with her backpiece dragon tattoo. Also, what can I say about that champagne wedding gown? It basically combines all of my favorite wedding dress features. While Flo's dress, tattoo and hair do their best to steal the show, there are many other great details too: handmade bouquets and boutonnières, an adorable dragon cake topper, celestial paper bag lanterns, hot cocoa and coffee favors, a coffee groom's cake (coffee-slinging brought them together, after all), a potluck supper, and an herb & floral toss for their grand exit. The couple's friends from many walks of life -- fellow Scarborough Renaissance Festival actors, haunted house employees, Irish step dancers, family, and long time family friends -- all came together on the dance floor for the Time Warp and other fun. I'm so glad I was present to witness their wedding day!