Gratuitous Bug-and-Flower Time!

After shooting a portrait session for Joey at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens, I did what I love to do-- ran around the place scouting for pretty flowers, lovely bugs, and all things tiny to capture with my fabulously wonderful macro lens.

Sweet like candy to my soul is the macro. There are literally tiny things EVERYWHERE that we never get a chance to see up close, and the macro lens allows me to find those things and share their beauty with you. I squeal inside with delight when I see a butterfly swirling around a bright flowery bush, because I know that with enough patience, that bug will land and I can get a picture of its fantastic wings. Dragonflies and bumblebees are worthy targets as well... or any other bug I happen upon that doesn't scare the daylights out of me.

Don't even get me started on flowers. I wish I had 900 frames, and could line my walls with macro floral shots... but alas, I don't live alone, and not everyone has the high bright-popping-color-tolerance I do...

So I keep on snapping away, and rotate the prints out now and then. One of these days... ONE OF THESE DAYS... I will have a room devoted to nothing but the insanely fascinating artistry of nature. God's hands at work.

Tracey & Ed's Wedding

You may remember Tracey and Ed from their bright popping colorful engagement portraits!

Their wedding took place on a warm summer evening on the Terrace at Moody Gardens. It was absolutely beautiful, with the ethereal music of a harp and nothing but the sky above them as they took one another's hands in marriage. The reception was full of dear friends, family, and fun! The couple had a table full of wedding portraits of family and friends who had been married for over thirty years (some of them incredible heirloom portraits), and gave guests seashell-handled bottle openers as favors. At the children's table, there were plenty of shimmering copper cupcakes to go around.

Tracey's florals were absolutely stunning-- not over the top tropical, but bright pinks and peaches (and even artichokes in the centerpeices!) were great with her cream/chocolate browns... and of course her gorgeous red hair and clear blue eyes. Also of note-- the cute cake-toppers! Ed's a golfer, folks ; )

Lucky for us, one of Ed's aunts left her pretty orange parasol at the ceremony, so we were able to grab it and use it for some together-pics of Tracey and Ed. The grand staircase reminded me so much of a cruise ship, with the bright evening sun shining in the windows behind it.

Lindsay + Kenny

Lindsay and Kenny were married at Ashton Gardens in Spring, TX on a bright and beautiful early summer day. The Christian ceremony was held in the light, airy chapel and the reception followed in Ashton's cheery window-lined ballroom.

Both bride and groom were absolutely beaming with happiness all day long! It was totally sweet to watch them in anticipation of seeing one another. Kenny had the bridesmaids present Lindsay with an incredible surprise-- he'd taken some family heirloom diamonds and had a pendant designed for her. She opted, of course, to wear it down the aisle.

I think it's also worth mentioning that the kids in this family are stinkin' adorable. The flowergirls were full of dancy-prancy personality but the ringbearers were certainly giving them a run for their money where "cute" is concerned-- they were SO darling in their tuxes, hamming it up for me and the camera. There were a couple of younger toddling boys as well, and they really were the beaus of the ball at the reception. They found a piece of furniture in the reception area near the dance floor and turned it into their own private playground for the rest of the party--- in one door, out the other, laughing and entertaining themselves. Everyone got a kick out of them!

You'll see Grandma Betty's beautiful patient hands, folded over her little pearl purse as she watched her Lindsay become a wife.

One more point worth mentioning...

Lindsay and Kenny were leaving for a honeymoon to the Riviera Maya right at the height of the Swine Flu hype. Kenny's stepmom, Sue, presented the bride and groom with a little surprise gift after dinner-- if you scroll down to the bottom of their images on this post, you'll see Sue's expertly crafted custom bride and groom breathing masks. Something blue!

Many thanks to Kelly Balfour of Eventology Weddings, not only for the referral of this fabulous couple, but for being such a wonderful person to have around on the day of the wedding. Kelly truly makes it so much easier to do my job on the wedding day (and so much easier for the bride to keep her mind off details and on the sheer joy of the day)!

The stunning florals were designed by Fresh Blooms of Houston.