Around our house, the arrival of the daily mail always provides us with a little flurry of activity. It's a race - who can get it first?! On this particular day, its contents included a bright orange envelope, and we couldn't have been more excited! There it was! Elise and Robert’s invitation to our first Texas wedding! The colorful array of flags imprinted on the invitation only enhanced our feeling that there was a huge celebration in the making. And the best part! We would be there! So hope you enjoy your peek at a few of the images from their day! (You can tell we're telling the truth about being excited by the sheer volume of exclamation points in just this first paragraph!)
Robert and Elise opted to see each other before the ceremony for a First Look. Sure, not every couple makes that particular choice, but for the ones who do, it creates such a wonderful dynamic for fully enjoying the entire wedding day. And, with a few moments to themselves, a bride and groom are given the freedom to express their truest emotions ... laughter, joy, and yes, sometimes even tears. Priceless.
This was such a fun wedding party to work with!
The guys had soooo many fantastic ideas for the pictures.
And boy did they do a great job of standing by Robert through out the day - even when Robert let the stress get to him and took off running down the street. :) Way to bring him back, fellas!
So many of Robert and Elise's family and friends really made a commitment to be with them on their wedding day. Several of them came fifteen hours (and maybe more!) to be in Burleson. Watching them interact, you realize that the only space in their relationships is a mere physical distance. And even though we'd just met the bridesmaids - we felt like we'd been friends for much longer than a day. (And we found that one of them is our neighbor! Hi Jordan A.!) Also, it was fun to have Elise's brother, the other Jordan, on her side!
(Oh - I might add that you may have seen some of those friends before who traveled to be part of the wedding... Lindsey & Brett! We actually met Robert and Elise at the Martin's wedding!) ;)
If I am going to cry on a wedding day, these moments of prayer before the ceremony are the ones that bring tears to my eyes. Such a sweet time to rejoice and thank God for His guidance...
Robert and Elise’s choice of this song as they entered during their ceremony accented
their heart’s desire.
Let us come together
Walking in the Spirit, there’s much to be done
We will come reaching, out from our comforts
And they will know us by our love
We were made for kindness
We can pierce the darkness as He shines through us
We will come reaching, with a song of healing
And they will know us by our love!
The time is now, come Church arise
See with His hands, see with His eyes
Bind it around you, let it never leave you
And they will know us by our love!
("By Our Love" | Christy Nockels)
("By Our Love" | Christy Nockels)
It
is always such fun for us to find out how our bride and groom first
met. So we did what all good Texans do... we ordered up a sopapilla (with a
little honey, chocolate, ice cream and extra spoons) and listened to the
hilarious account of their first meeting and thoughts of each other.
It was in an early morning class - 8 o’clock - which according to
Robert, “Elise didn't even come to class for the first couple of days.”
And then from Elise her first thoughts of “who was this brown boy in
blue shorts?! I want to know him!” (And according to Elise, those shorts were not
part of the dress code... especially not blue ones!) The funniest thing was Elise’s determination to
make Robert a coffee drinker: “I started bringing him coffee to class
in red solo cups every morning ... a different flavor each time.” The
one apparent and continuous refrain from them both was how the Lord had
brought them together then ... and now, for a lifetime.
"Hold with both hands ...
Each precious, glittering moment of your lives."
We would not mind photographing a wedding here again!
The lighting was gorgeous coming through the trees. [And we won’t soon forget
the power of prayers that moved the dark, rainfilled clouds and brought in blue skies ...
Amen!]
Splashes of detail everywhere! The elegant doors with “R” and “E” accent letters for the ceremony. Hydrangeas mixed with votive candles and tall glass vases filled with brown branches. Bright red festive photo booth offering props for FUN group pictures. The Mariachi band. (I can still hear the reactions from the wedding goers as they heard the beginning sounds! So great!) Handmade cookies by Robert and Elise. Twinkling of the nighttime outdoor lights. Mexican buffet. Cupcakes piled high with icing to finish out the celebration! Elise and Robert, you thought of everything!
Is it just us, or do you think there's a celebration happening?!
As you can tell by Robert and T.J.'s state of "rest" on the floor in the bottom left of the next image... the bride and groom and their guests danced for hours at the reception. And had an absolute blast!
We are thankful, Robert & Elise, for such a privilege to be a part of this day with you and so appreciate your friends and family who made us feel like we belonged.
We'll end with this ... such a reflection of your love for each other and those around you!
“You show that you are a letter from Christ …
written not with ink,
but with the Spirit of the Living God.”
2 Corinthians 3:3 (NIV)
but with the Spirit of the Living God.”
2 Corinthians 3:3 (NIV)
Jill & Kay
P.S. By the way - we've decided to adopt Robert. He's the middle brother we never had. Partially it's cause we look so much alike. :)
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