Love In the Time of COVID

January 30th, 2021 was a windy day in downtown Waco, Texas at the First Baptist Church. The sun was shining brightly through the stained glass windows and dome on the ceiling. It was beautiful! As I continued down the hall to the bride’s room, I entered and saw a stunning bride. I knew this day was going to be spectacular! The day Sami and Steve became Mr. and Mrs. Tyra.

“Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be.”

— unknown

The Love Story

Dating during COVID can be tricky with all the social distancing, mask wearing, sanitizing and time in quarantine. None of this stopped Sami and Steve!

On January 24, 2020, Sami and Steve had their first date at Moroso’s and they both had a great time! Steve asked Sami if she’d like to continue the date. Sami agreed and they went to Heritage Creamery for ice cream. Sami thought Steve was funny and interesting and hoped to spend more time with Steve. Steve must have felt the same way because he asked her on a second date a few days later.

Valentine’s Day arrived and the two enjoyed dinner at 1424 Bistro. This place would later be the location of the proposal…and Sami had NO idea! After flying to California to meet Steve’s family, they once again enjoyed dinner at 1424 Bistro. This time Steve handed Sami the sweetest card with the proposal inside! She said, “YES!”

Love In the Time of COVID. Quarantine Romance. Call it what you want, but COVID helped these two become a close, strong couple. After all, there is no way they could be this close without spending almost every day together in quarantine! They met and dated less than 2 months before COVID hit. Steve and his daughter, Meli, were the only two people in Sami’s bubble. They fell in love. Meli and Sami created a strong relationship during quarantine as well.

During this time they enjoyed dinners, desserts, talking, laughing and planning their future together. They had lots of time to enjoy each other’s company during times of quarantine. This time together helped them form a strong and caring relationship full of understanding, forgiving and communication.

Steve says that he loves Sami because she’s so nice and she’s great with Meli. Sami says she loves Steve because he is calm, thoughtful and an amazing father to Meli. Their dream vacation would be having fun as a family (#teamtyra) and they’d love to take Meli to Disney one day.

The Wedding

Sami and Steve planned a simple, yet thoughtful, wedding. Sami and Steve asked to do a First Look before the ceremony and requested that this time was only for the two of them. It was so sweet to see them interact with each other without distractions of the buzz of the wedding circling them.

Sami also asked to do a First Look with her father. Again, this was a private time for Sami and her father with no spectators. The look on her dad’s face was priceless as he admired his daughter as a beautiful bride. Such a special time for the both of them.

It was finally time for the ceremony! Meli is such an integral part of the relationship so it was only fitting that they included her in the ceremony with a candle lighting ceremony.

After the ceremony, the guests - along with Mr. and Mrs. Tyra - would enjoy a simple reception with some of the most delicious cupcakes ever! The highlight of the reception was the slideshow and words spoken by their family members.

The send off was breathtaking! Flower petals were tossed in the air and the circled around the newlyweds! Meli was so excited for this part of the day!

“Take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can’t help falling in love with you.”

— Elvis Presley

Vendor Credits

Venue: First Baptist Church Waco

Florist: Wolfe Florist

Cake: Simply Delicious

Bridal Gown: David’s Bridal

Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal

Groomsmen and Groom Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

Wedding Planner: Lois Ferguson

Music Services: Andy Muskrat (pianist)

Hair Artist: Sonya Guerrero

Invitations: Minted

Officiant: Matt Snowden

Special thanks to Kaitlyn Pagel with Kaitlyn Pagel Photography for assisting me in capturing the memories for Sami and Steve!

Just the Two of Us

Sarah and Antone became Mr. and Mrs. Portillo on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at Leatherberry Oaks Weddings on a sunny day in Aquilla, Texas. The weather was so amazing - especially since Central Texas has recently had record breaking high temperatures and inches upon inches of rain!

These two are always fun to be around as they have so much love to give each other and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. During their engagement session, the love these two have for one another was contagious. They both have gorgeous smiles that can light up a room and bring a smile to all those around them. Their wedding day was full of love and support from their family and friends. Everyone enjoyed the wedding festivities!

I loved every bit of their wedding day, but my favorite part was the first look. Sarah really wanted to have a first look portion of the day and felt strongly that it was going to be just the two of them enjoying each other for a brief moment during their busy day. We decided that Sarah would be in the barn and Antone would be on the front step just outside the front door. Sarah would slowly push the doors open and walk up to Antone, cover his eyes and slowly turn him around so he could see her in the dress as his gorgeous bride. As she slowly spun him around and he looked at her, his eyes began to swell with tears. It was truly an emotional moment shared between the two of them.

Afterwards they moved onto family and bridal party portraits before the ceremony. This would allow them to be a part of their reception from the very beginning. These two put so much thought into the flow of the day. Everything was planned with intention.

I have no doubt that these two will live a life of happiness with one another. They truly put each other’s needs before their own and understand the importance of taking time for just the two of them - especially when things get busy.

Vendor Credits

Venue: Leatherberry Oaks Weddings

Florist: Texas Sun Weddings

Cake Artist: Antonieta Gonzalez

Catering: Eddie Ray’s Smokehouse

Band/DJ: Wall of Sound Productions

Make-Up Artist: La Bella Salon

Hair Artist: La Bella Salon

Bridesmaids Dresses: Kennedy Blue

Bridal Gown: Terry Costa

Groomsmen and Groom Attire: National Tuxedo Rental

Officiant: Ray Jones

Stationary/Invitations: Vista Print

Photobooth: Priceless Events

Special thanks to Kaitlyn Pagel with Kaitlyn Pagel Photography for assisting me in capturing the memories for Sarah and Antone!

The First Look

“Love is when you look into someone’s eyes and see everything you need.”

— unknown

A wedding day can be described as beautiful, timeless, romantic, fun, exciting, precious, emotional, traditional, and memorable.  Some might add that a wedding day can be chaotic, stressed, busy, frantic, and nerve-wracking.  And for that very reason, some couples choose to partake in a First Look Photograph Session either before their wedding day or on the day of their wedding.  

On October 1, 2016 I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Kenley Crowe and Joanna Richardson at Common Grounds in Waco, Texas.  They opted for the First Look Session before their wedding...and it was an amazing experience!  Seeing the look on both of their faces as the anticipation built as Joanna slowly walked to meet Kenley was priceless - almost as priceless as seeing the look on his face when he saw Joanna in her beautiful wedding dress for the very first time.  So much emotion.  It was just those two...at that moment...on a day when so many others would be around them on their special day.  

Some might say that a First Look Session ruins the anticipation of the groom seeing the bride for the first time as she's walking down the aisle.  However, I can attest that this is not the case.  Even if the groom sees the bride at a First Look Session, he is still overcome with emotions as he watches his bride walk down the aisle on her father's arm.

I decided to compile a list of the five reasons couples would choose a First Look Session.  Keep in mind, these are just a few of the reasons why some choose this type of session.  Ultimately, each couple knows what they want on their wedding day.

1.  Convenience and Time.  Traditional weddings usually do the bridal party photos, as well as bride and groom photos, right after the ceremony.  They are often rushed as they don't want to keep their guests waiting too long to begin the reception.  The First Look Session allows the bridal photos to be taken before the ceremony so guests do not have to wait for the bridal party to arrive at the reception.

2.  Alone Time.  Wedding days are filled with friends and family members surrounding the bride and groom.  The First Look Session gives the bride and groom a small amount of time to just be with each other before the ceremony begins. 

3.  Reception.  First Look Sessions allow the wedding to run smoothly from the ceremony to the reception.  There is not any downtime due to bridal photos.  This is more pleasant for guests.  Traditional weddings typically have guests waiting an hour or so while the bride and groom are having bridal portraits taken.  

4.  Better Photos.  As a photographer, I feel that First Look Sessions allow me to spend more time with the bridal party.  Therefore, the photos are not as rushed which in turn makes for better portraits.  

5.  Family and Friends.  The First Look Session allows the bridal party to spend more time with family and friends during the reception since they aren't missing out on this precious time after the ceremony taking bridal photos.  

I'd love to hear from you!  What are some other pros of having a First Look Session?

- Special thanks to Kaitlynn Phillips with Kaitlynn Phillips Photography for assisting with the Crowe-Richardson Wedding -