Let me start by saying how TRULY blessed we were with having amazing and talented photographers for our engagement and wedding.  The cost of a wedding is stressful as is and when we were looking up photographers, it blew our minds the costs some were charging.  Now, that is not to say that their time and art is not worth it, but when you are paying for the majority of your own wedding, it can be hard to swallow.  Just like everything else, we prayed on it and knew God would take care of it, no matter what the costs would be. 

First up - enter the talents of Ashley Eubanks.  She recently graduated from the Art Institute of Houston for photography.  Carlos has known since she used to go to shows dating back to his Yetis and FF5 days.  I met her at some point, although sadly I cannot remember when.  Regardless, she always has a smile on her face and is so much fun to be around.  She had posted how she wanted to take some engagement pictures for anyone for her portfolio for school.  She needed the pictures; so did we.  She takes some amazing photos (check her out here: http://ashleyeubanksphotography.com/blog/) Our Save-the-Dates turned out amazing and we received so many complements on them.  Thank you SOOOO much Ashley once again – you were a blessing in disguise!

So, back to our search for a wedding photographer.  We still were looking and looking.  I have family that are amazing - I mean AMAZING - photographers, but I wanted them to be able to enjoy the wedding and not work it.  That's for another post though...

I realized a friend of ours (enter Shane), who was recently married to Stephanie, was starting to shoot more and more weddings.  Carlos met Shane 6 years ago when they worked together and he has always been a joy to have in our company.  He is such a fun-loving and goofy guy, I just had the right feeling inside and we knew it was a perfect fit.  Him and his wife work together purely for their passion and love of photography - I think it is so cool to see a husband/wife duo share a mutual passion.

They went above and beyond for us from shooting our engagement party, to our engagement pictures, to the big day.  Point-in-case, we decided last minute...like A WEEK BEFORE THE WEDDING...that we wanted a particular portrait taken to place at the reception.  We did some shots in Hermann Park the Sunday before our wedding, and he edited and delivered these amazing pictures by Wednesday.  It was so hard to choose just one picture, and I am still in shock that it is us!!  They are some of my all-time favorite pictures of us.  We cannot thank you two enough! Please check out Shane and Stephanie with Impact with Images Photography - http://www.iwiphotography.com - you will NOT regret it with these two!!!

I love having our pictures to look back on and see the happiness and love captured in each picture. I would say if you splurge on one thing, make sure it is a great photographer! Those are the moments that you can cherish forever once the wedding high is over!

Our Short and Condensed Story.

I know I mentioned my wedding briefly in my last post...I am indeed newly married.  My husband and I dated for 8 years until we decided to make the big commitment of marriage to one another.  It did not take us so long because we were hesitant. We knew we wanted to get married.  We also knew we needed God to grow us from the inside until we were ready to grow together. Let me tell you - there is not a better feeling in the world like when you get to marry your best friend and love of your life. 

So a little of our story - We met in the summer of 2005 after I graduated high school - Carlos played in a local Houston ska band and knew my brother from playing at the same shows.  I was in a very lost state like most at that age - I just graduated high school, ended a high school relationship, and enrolled for college at UTSA for fall.  I was NOT trying to make anything permanent.  I was just in Houston for the summer visiting and the plan was to go back to SA in August.  That was the plan.

Carlos contacted me first via MySpace (remember 2005 - Facebook was only for college students - shocking I know!).  I had been helping his band book a show in SA and that is how he found me.  It actually took me 2 weeks to respond back.  He, of course, responded back the same day, and it took me ANOTHER 2 weeks to respond to his second attempt.  I probably crushed all hope he had inside.  Anyways, after about 2 months of corresponding, we finally went on our first date. 

It was horrible. 

Were you expecting something different? 

He showed up to pick me up - He argues to this day that before I ever said "Hi" when opening the door, my first words to him were "Oh, you look nothing like your MySpace picture.”  There is probably some truth to that.  What he did not let me explain was that what I did see, I liked.  It was better than any picture.  

We went to dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant Mai's, where he hardly talked to me and then to a local show at Fitz'.  At some point throughout the night, we ran into two of my brother’s best friend – (coincidence or not?!).  While I was in the bathroom, they proceeded to tell Carlos not to date me because I was crazy – okay so that is only partially true, but he has learned to accept it.  Then, some girl who Carlos was friends with, interrupted our date and whisked Carlos away to watch some band play upstairs.  I was not going to chase after him.  I thought he had abandoned me, but he showed up not even 5 minutes later apologizing profusely.  I gave him the benefit of a doubt and accepted his apology.  

We ended our night with me introducing him to a Wendy’s frosty and French fries concoction.  He dropped me off at a reasonable time and he did not try to kiss me.  (I was horrified at first but realized it was worth it to wait in the end.)  He called me as soon as he left, and we talked on the phone ‘till about 5 am.  Okay, so maybe our first date was not so horrible after all...

Flash forward 3 months later – I am still living in Houston.  I did not attend UTSA like planned. Rita hits Texas and Carlos went to Mexico for about 2 weeks like majority of Houstonians.  Carlos asked me to be his girlfriend when he came back – time away makes the heart grow fonder, right?

Flash forward to today – I am still living in Houston.  I am attending the University of Houston.  I am married.  That is exactly where I should be.  Plans change.  My plan changed – the past 8 years were nothing I could have predicted or planned. As much as I plan the next 8 years of my life, maybe half of it will not happen.  That is okay.  However, no matter how much my plans changed and continue to change, my goals have always remained the same.  I am exactly where I want to be even if it went a little off the path or it took a little longer.  I plan to graduate college, start a family, buy a house, and take as many trips as I can with my husband, just to name a few. In what order and how long it will take,  I do not know - and that is okay!

I did not want someone just to love me – God had a better plan for me - I have unconditional love.  We have our share of ups and downs.  Life is not always roses and sweet gestures, but I am lucky to have someone by my side willing to adapt with me as we figure it out together.  I have someone who is willing to put up with the good and the bad. We laugh together (A LOT!) and we cry together - I love that my husband is not afraid to show any of his feelings.  It shows that he is human.  We finish each other’s sentences and we read each other's mind...that is actually more scary than normal at times.  We share each other’s passions and dreams, and we lift one another to reach them.  We want to become the best we can together and want to love as much as we can.  I know he will continue to bless those around him as he has blessed my life. I am lucky to have a man who has such a strong faith in God and is passionate about living up to that faith. 

So I leave you with this, whether you are have been married for years, recent newlyweds, engaged or not even thinking about marriage.  May this serve as a reminder or as a manifesto for the future.