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Alexis + Edric | Engagement Session | McKinney, Tx

Posted on by Amanda Alexander in Engagement

It was a windy Sunday morning in January at the gorgeous McKinney Cotton Mill and I was sitting in my car enjoying my breakfast. A Lara Bar and bottle of water. Don’t judge, it was 8am and I’m pretty sure stoves don’t work before 8am.

Sitting in front of the beautiful building was a little daunting and exciting. So many possibilities!

Alexis and Edric arrived not too long after I did and we went on a little tour with the grounds man. This amazing venue hosts weddings and parties and even some pretty neat office space. I have to admit, I was a little jealous of the accommodations! The two engaged love birds seemed to love it as much as I did and we got started with the engagement session.

Alexis first contacted me last fall and it wasn’t long after that, that we got together with her fiancé, Edric, to discuss their October wedding. Still a year away, I could tell right away that the future Mrs. Ayala was just as organized as I am. Needless to say the meeting went fantastic and I will be shooting their beautiful wedding later this year.

Back to The Cotton Mill, well…it was gorgeous and everything my little photographer heart could have imagined it to be. Not to mention I had an adorable couple that made my job ridiculously easy.

Here are some of my favorites from this session…

 

I can’t wait for October y’all!

The Mode Wedding | Diamond H3 Ranch | Weatherford, Tx

Posted on by Amanda Alexander in Weddings

Let’s start from the beginning here, Shana contacted me early this summer for her wedding photography. She was sweet and asked a lot of questions, which was fine because it’s a once in a lifetime day. You want it to be perfect and I want to do everything I can to help with that. I want to  make sure you feel like you’re making the best decision when it comes to your wedding photography. After a few emails back and forth, we were set! All booked for October 15, 2016 for Shana and Cameron, the soon to be Mr. and Mrs Mode.

The engagement session was perfect. Bright and early on a Sunday morning in July. Aren’t they adorable?

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Before we all knew it, it was the big day. The weather was beautiful, just a little windy but nothing could ruin this for these two love birds. The wedding venue was to die for. A beautiful rustic location in Weatherford called the Diamond H3 Ranch set on top of an amazing hilltop with a view to match. Shana got ready with all of her ladies upstairs and Cameron was downstairs with the fellas.

The wedding went off without a hitch. The bride smiling and laughing all the way down the isle. The ceremony was short and sweet and then it was off to party! Well…first we had to get some epic sunset shots because who could resist that view and that sky. It was a tight schedule but those photos are so important and always magical. Finally…the reception which was fantastic! Everyone there was so full of joy for this genuine and loving couple. I was so happy to be a part of it that I was actually sad to say goodbye at the end of the long day.

I wish the new Mode family a wonderful and happy life together. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of it!

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P.S. – Look who it is!

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Jeffrey + Deanna | Couples Session | Lubbock, Tx

Posted on by Amanda Alexander in Couples

When I was 12, I lived in Lubbock with my dad while I was going to Cavazos Middle School. That’s where I met Jeffrey. We hung out after school with our group of fellow mischief makers at the McDonald’s next door to the school. We all rode our trays down the slides and doodled our names in the tunnels. That’s what being 12, almost 13, was like back then for us.

Jeffrey and I always stayed in touch after I moved from Lubbock to Irving. We wrote letters, we emailed, and we talked on the phone about the new Korn CDs out. After some time passed, we fell in and out of touch here and there. When I heard that he found his soul mate, I couldn’t have been more happy for him. Deanna is the piece to his puzzle, the jelly to his peanut butter, his everything. They met at work and, according to Jeffrey, he knew he wanted to with her from the first moment he saw her. Their first date was a wonderful disaster. Jeff cooked her dinner, a bad dinner, but she ate it anyways. They shared their first kiss that night and from that moment Jeffrey knew he wanted to grow old with Deanna. Now he will. They were married on May 4, 2015 in a sweet little ceremony in Lubbock. I was happy to take some photos for them (and finally meet this sweet lady) during my trip to Lubbock this past summer.

Here are some of my favorites…

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I wish the 2 of you safe travels and so much love on all of your adventures in the future!

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Baby Martinez | Maternity Session | Dallas, Tx

Posted on by Amanda Alexander in Maternity

Okay I want to confess something. This never happens, I swear, but I was running late to this session. Forgetting every memory card I own, I had to haul butt to the closest CVS to pick one up. Luckily the had some! Overpriced but my saving grace! Let me tell you, my checklist is on point just because of this day. Haha!

This was my first time meeting Madeline and her adorable baby bump. She was a sweet heart of course. Just like her mama, Patti, who I also had the pleasure of meeting at this session. Maddy was a beauty like no other. A mix between Kylie Jenner and Rachel Weisz, she was a dream to shoot. Every little pose and movement, perfection. Her round belly, carrying baby boy Mateo, was like an accessory she was always meant to have. Of course, we had to take some photos of her in overalls. She said they were basically her entire wardrobe during her pregnancy. When she talked about being a mother and her son, you could see the overwhelming love and maternal instinct that was so natural to her. This maternity session is probably my absolute favorite to date. There’s something about a beautiful pregnant woman in a lace dress and the perfect creek setting.

Here are some of my favorites from that day…

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Mateo was born on August 1st and is loved unconditionally by his amazing mommy and family. Congratulations Madeline!

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The Kline Family | Newborn Session | Little Elm, Tx

Posted on by Amanda Alexander in Lifestyle

Lifestyle sessions have a special place in my heart. I think it’s something about photographing people in their home, their natural environment, somewhere they feel the most comfortable. It brings out their joy and spirit in such a special way. This blog post will be a double whammy because not only did I get to photograph the Kline’s maternity session, I was blessed enough to capture Baby Jaxon’s homecoming as well!

I came to see Elizabeth and Ray for their lifestyle maternity session on a beautiful sunny June morning. I was greeted at the door by a sweet little fur ball named Riley and a happy father to be, Ray. Their home was beautiful, warm, and so inviting. The session was amazing!

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It wasn’t very much long after the maternity session and Jaxon Ray Kline made his debut into the world. You could just feel the overwhelming happiness in the home. Jaxon did such a great job during his newborn session. He was so sweet and calm and loved all of the snuggles he got from mommy and daddy (and even Grandma was there too). Here are some of my favorites from the time we spent together…

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Welcome to the world Jaxon Ray! I can’t wait to see you again!

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