A charming country wedding in Texas
Jessica & Jimmie
Royce City, Texas
Every wedding has unique traits within broader cultural traditions. At first glance, Jessica and Jimmie’s wedding could seem to be a “regular” Texas wedding, but all the little quirks of their personal touch made their wedding one of the most memorable we’ve ever shot.
Jessica and Brandt (nickname for Jimmie) are the biggest sweethearts. They radiated love and positive energy all day, and had all the elements for a great party - good people, laughter, and even day time fireflies! The rustic beauty of their venue location and their chill attitude throughout the day made for a wonderful celebration.
Getting Ready
Jessica and Brandt got ready on site at Big Sky in Royce City, Texas. They each had their own suite to get ready with their bridesmaids and groomsmen. Everyone had very interesting stories about how they met, and you could tell their friendships ran deep.
First Looks
Jessica and Brandt had decided to do a first look before their ceremony, but Jessica had other plans for her hubby to be. Instead of showing up herself, she fooled Brandt by requesting one of the groomsmen to get in a wedding dress and surprise Brandt. The anxious anticipation that Brandt felt to see his bride transformed into a barrel of laughter.
Meanwhile, Jessica did a first look / dress reveal with the groomsmen, many of who were her friends.
Committed to not actually letting Brandt see her until the ceremony, they opted for a “first touch” instead where they stood back to back and read their private vows to each other. It was really special to take their first portraits together without them actually seeing each other!
Lastly, Jessica had a private moment with her parents and sister, who each offered her a symbolic gift to represent her “something old, something new, and something borrowed”.
Ceremony
The ceremony site was simply but elegantly decorated, against the backdrop of a pond. The guests took their seats and one by one the groom and the wedding party walked down the aisle. When Jessica appeared, escorted by her two parents, Brandt’s face showcased all the love he had for his bride and excitement to finally see her.
The ceremony was lead by one of their friends, and was short and sweet. They were pronounced Husband and Wife, and happily kissed to officialize their union.
Family & Bridal Party Portraits
Right after the ceremony, we gathered everyone to take family and bridal party portraits. We started with bigger groups so that people could be dismissed to move to the reception. We kept the bridal party around until the end so that they could get ready for their reception entrances.
Reception
With everyone gathered inside, the bridal party made their entrances with the bride and groom as the grand finale. Jessica and Brandt seamlessly flowed into their first dance, and handed each other off to dance with their parents. The bride’s father recited a blessing, and our newlyweds lead the line to get dinner. They hired a food truck to serve some classic Texas meals, sliders and tacos. After everyone was fed, some of the bride and groom’s favorite people gave speeches. Jessica and Brandt then cut their cake, did a bouquet toss for the ladies and a garter toss for the guys.
Golden Hour Portraits
At some point during the reception, we snuck out to take advantage of the beautiful light of golden hour to get some newlywed portraits.
Because we were out in the country, the air was filled with little (harmless) insects. To our delight, they reflected the sunset light in the most magical way and made for the best shooting effect (check out the trailer at the end). As a testament to how good spirited and trusting Jessica and Brandt are, they had no hesitation immersing themselves in the cloud of bugs for our cameras.
We finished the session and the last moments of sunlight by the pond, before sending them back to the party.
Dance Party
At the end of the evening, everyone hit the dance floor and absolutely killed it. Guests of all ages celebrated and let loose, filling the air with electrifying energy. Jessica and Brandt ended the night with a solo private dance, while guests gathered outside with LED sticks to prepare for the newlywed’s final sendoff.
Wedding Film
While the film is in progress, enjoy this teaser of their magical day.
Testimonials
It was such a pleasure getting to know Jessica and Brandt during this special chapter of their lives.
Here are some sweet words from the bride herself:
“Where do we even begin? From day one of speaking with Jasna, she has made the entire process so fulfilling. During one of my first conversations with her, it was extremely clear how much she cares about her clients and her work. She was flexible, communicative and wonderful during the process. She got our sneak peeks, photos, and highlight to us so quickly and we were absolutely blown away. I’ve ugly cried looking at the moments she was able to capture. Each picture beautifully explains our life and the people in it. Jasna was an absolute pleasure and went above and beyond for us and I could not recommend her and her team more.”
And we even received a testimonial from her mother!
“Jasna is an amazing person to work with. She made my daughter and fiancé (now husband) feel so comfortable at their wedding. She’s brilliant and insightful with her photography. She’s so kind and so respectful as far as what the day meant to us all and captured such perfect moments. When the wedding was over and we started clean up, she actually asked if she could stay and help… what photographer would do that? Jasna, that’s who! My dad had his camera there taking pictures and she walked up to him and set his camera on a certain setting for better pictures. Again, what photographer would do that? She really is one of the best out there. Anyone would be blessed to have her capture any and all special moments of their lives.”
We always strive to take care of our clients as if they are our friends and family. Feel free to get in touch and connect with us, we would love to capture the magic of your special day!