A Garland wedding -- Jonas and Jillian

Jillian and Jonas' story is a story of patience. The two of them dated for six years, while Jonas served in the Marines overseas for a period of that time.

All of it cumulating up to this day, August 14, 2010.

A sweet, sweet day it was.

I don't think anyone could possibly love these shoes as much as Jillian does, but I might have fallen pretty hard for them too . . . so I used them for a ring shot as well.

These are the verses Jonas and Jillian will read in their wedding ceremony.

Details, details.

This photo was taken right after Jillian (left) slipped into her wedding dress -- I adore Britny's reaction to seeing her dear friend become a bride.

Monogramed tissues = prepared bride

This couple did a first look, which gave us plenty of time before the ceremony to capture wedding portraits of just the two of them, pictures we wouldn't have time to snag after the ceremony. I love it when the couples I shoot choose to do a first look, because it gives me an opportunity to intimately capture their first moments together on their wedding day and helps the rest of the day to run smoothly and naturally.

So their wedding is in mid-August, right? It's dang hot. Jillian opted to take all the pictures inside, and who could blame her? Luckily, sun floods into the church foyer and gave us beautiful light to work with.

Jillian attatched her grandmother's brooch on her bouquet for her "something old."

Rawr.

Remember how it's incredibly hot outside? Well we had to get creative with our indoor shooting -- so how about a little baptistry stairwell action?

Jillian made all of the boutonnieres herself!

The bridesmaids gathered to pray around the bride in the last few minutes before the processional began.

No time for tears, Jillian! You're getting m-a-r-r-i-e-d!

Jillian and Jonas did something in their wedding that I had never seen before -- the pastor opened up an opportunity during the ceremony for any of the guests who wanted to, to gather around the couple and pray over them as they began their lives together. Jillian had confided in me before the wedding that she was worried it might be awkward for people to get up from their seats and come up on stage.

That wasn't a problem -- their guests immediately rose up and enveloped them. SO many prayers!

And this moment, this moment right before the prayer time ended, Jillian glanced up at her almost husband. And smiled. And it was beautiful.

I'll end this post where their lives as man and wife first began.