Handfasting Ceremony: Joseph & Florencia

With gloomy skies and freezing rain outdoors, Joseph & Florencia held their handfasting in Florencia's parents' home in Allen one day in early February. I befriended Joe and Flo (as most of us call them) while working with them at Starbucks back in the day. They started dating about six months after my husband Opie and I went on our first date (Opie was one of our regular customers). Opie and I didn't waste any time getting married and will be celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary this year. Joe and Flo are heading to the altar at their own pace, and took a big step this year with this Handfasting ceremony. The ceremony binds the couple together for a year and a day. Though initially booked for a wedding a year and a day after the handfasting, I now look forward to photographing their wedding in 2016! They're my first ones on the books for that year.

Don & Mary's Intimate Wedding near Lewisville Lake

I was excited for several reasons when Don asked me to shoot his wedding. He and Mary are a ridiculously great couple, and a couple who have been very good to my husband and me. I was excited to hear that they were getting married, and honored to be let in on the secret - they hadn't announced any sort of engagement to anyone outside their immediate family.

They secured my time just a few days before, and gave me directions out to the property they recently purchased out near Lewisville Lake, where they'll be building a home together. What better place to have your wedding? Other than myself, the only witnesses were Mary's daughter and Don's son and daughter. Their children were more than witnesses too; Don's son officiated, and everyone participated.

I absolutely love shooting intimate weddings (seriously, so send more my way), and this one was no exception. Their down-to-earth approach to the day and the heartfelt vows had me feeling very sentimental. There was a bit of comedy too though - their neighbor's dog came bounding over to join us right at the beginning of their ceremony. She supervised the entire wedding proceedings and the portraits after, jumping in where she felt it appropriate. You'll see a few cameos from her in the photos. Congrats again, Mary and Don!