We met the future Mr. and Mrs. Lane exactly one month ago today – on our first day in Houston. With my frizzled hair ruined by the Houstonian humidity, we sipped tea and made chit chat. Of springtime weddings, custom designed engagement rings, and the Texas heat. Of course.. Always the heat. We planned a Hermann Park engagement shoot, survived torrential rains from whichever hurricane was most recent, and had a good laugh at the parking ticket we found pinned to our dash. (For the record.. Yes, I told Dylan to park there.) And one jalapeño, tempura, tiger-eye and spicy yellowtail roll later, we were no longer just photographers and clients. We were friends. And I am so thankful.

Rachel and Travis: Thank you for welcoming us to share in your love story. And thank you for welcoming us to our new home. XOXO!!

Just look at how he looks at her. :) And Rachel thinks I’m funny. Or something..

Ordinarily, wet grass and feet don’t go together. This time, it’s a little different.

Love, love, LOVE this sequence.

Couldn’t you just eat these two?

Rachel – You’ve GOT to be kidding me with those eyes.

Modern art win. :)

Rachel and Travis came prepared. Complete with hott zebra-print dress and brown leather shoes. Classy-brassy!

My FAVORITE.

Halfway through shooting in front of this big black “triangle thingy,” Travis had to outsmart us and point out, “It’s a sundial!” Neat, right?

Rawr and a half.

When I say “Work it!” Travis knows what’s up.

Happy Thursday!!

Dearest Heather Potts: Thank you for living here before we moved in. It means I get to enjoy J.Crew, Pottery Barn, and Nordstrom catelogues on a daily basis. Ya know? I feel like we could have been really good friends. P.S. We have mail waiting for you from Germany. Looks important. Was going to read it, but Dylan said that’s illegal..

Four thumbs up for Despicable Me, people! I swear I’m older than I blog, with Toy Story last week and now this.. ;)

HUGE announcement: Dylan and I are now the proud parents of a Netflix account. What’s your favorite show/movie we’ve just GOTTA see?! I wonder if they have Arthur on Netflix. Ya’ll know I’d be down.

I just can’t get over it. People are SO nice here. You see, I come from NY. Where John the hitch-hiker flips you off if you don’t pick him up. Where the car to your right just won’t let you over and won’t let you over and WON’T let you over. But here? People ask you how you are in the elevator and it’s almost like they really want to know! Oh Texas, you inspire me!

Song of the week: On the Mend by the Foo Fighters. So not their typical sound, but it’s totally my new jam. Check it!

Dylan is amazing and handsome and smart and funny and great. :) That’s all I have to say about that! Well, that and the fact that he would make a superb travel agent. That guy has basically scheduled my whole life out for the next year! Next month holds three destination weddings in store. Three weekends. In. A. Row. Come on old luggage, we can do this!!

Rochester, NY peeps! Alyse is comin’ to town! I have a couple of open shoot slots Sunday, August 8th. If interested, send an email to alyse@alysefrenchphotography.com for details and a little something special!

I AM IN LURVE. I just ordered this gaw-geous rug for my office space from Dash and Albert. But this purchase was no easy task. You see, I debated on about 17 rugs for an entire week. But this one quite obviously stole my heart from the beginning. You like?

I leave you with a really sneaky sneak peek of our home. You know, just to hold you over until I get to painting that wall that’s been half finished for about a month now. :)

Happy Tuesday! Remember to come back on Thursday for sweet Rachel and Travis’s engagement!!

I don’t recall a single morning my family didn’t gather to pray. Sure, as we got older and could check for vestibular oatmeal ourselves, our prayer time was hurried by homework left until the last minute or crazy bus driver Dan arriving at our house five minutes too early. But still, we prayed.

As I find myself in the middle of grownup-ism (I know I could have said adulthood, but that word’s nowhere near as fun), I’ve started thinking about what traditions I want to start. Not just for when Dylan and I have a family, but for the here and now. So while I’m working on convincing Dylan to bring home ice cream every Thursday night, I want to know..

What are some of your favorite family traditions? Silly, serious, ice cream related, or not – I’d love to hear ‘em! And maybe, just maybe steal them. :)

And because blogs without pictures are dumb, here’s one of my new orchid, Sally. Dylan gave her to me for our one month wedding anniversary. Now that seems like a nice tradition. :) But, maybe not the whole naming-my-plants part.. That’s weird, I’m told.

Happy Thursday!!

Disses to Apple. I’m almost positive they manufacture their chargers to die just when their customers need power the most. I purchased two chargers this past week in hopes that they’ll last me twice as long as my previous one, whose lifespan was a mere 8 months. Boo, Apple. Boo!!

Hollaaa! My half-birthday is in TEN days. Just sayin’! :) Maybe Dylan will get me a baby turtle named Atticus to hold me over until Sullivan comes along. (Hint, hint!!)

No. 31 of my 101 in 1001 list reads: “Try a new hairstyle.” And while there are plenty of tasks on that list I’ve still yet to muster the courage to complete (i.e., No. 37: Drink 8 full glasses of water a day), I can now cross off No. 31. Last Tuesday, I chopped off approximately 10 inches of hair. And.. I didn’t tell Dylan beforehand! I thought about canceling my appointment about seven times before that fateful morning, but I did it! And now, I am a bona fide newly married woman, short hair cut and all.

When life slows down, I want to read more. I am the queen of books half-read. And there are still so many books already on my shelves (yes, we have shelves!) that I want to get through. But I’d love some fresh suggestions! Hit up the comment section with your fave reads!!

So, what’s up with our favorite sitcoms switching up actresses who play the same character? Take Vivian on Fresh Prince and Harriet on Family Matters. Excuse me, Hollywood, but I need some stability when it comes to my TBS mother-figures.

Song of the week: World Spins Madly On by The Weepies. It’s the perfect song for pretending you’re the star in a music video. Tell me I’m not the only one. :)

I leave you with a taste of next week. Meet our new clients and friends, Rachel and Travis, who are engaged to be married in April. :)

But on Ryan and Molly‘s wedding day, something else became so apparent. This day was so much less about a champagne colored dress, calla lilies, or tea lights. And so much more about Molly spending her life with her best friend.

Wellman’s: It was an absolute honor to photograph this most important day in your lives. No blog post could quite accurately express how joyful we are that you’re so happily promised to each other. We love you!!

Molly’s shoes were to DIE for.

This girl oozes beauty. Am I right?

Ryan’s face is always so expressive. It says: Pure. Joy.

As Molly walked herself down the aisle, Ryan met her halfway. For a second I was about to be all, “Ryan! That’s not how it goes!!” But when I realized what was happening, I cried. Duh. :)

Molly’s singer/songwriter sister performed the most beautifully raw and meaningful song. This is the couple’s reaction.

Again, Ryan with his face. :)

Making it Oh-FISH!!

Before the rains came, we were able to sweep Ryan and Molly away for some fun. As you can see, I mean FUN.

Synonyms of RAWR anyone?

Let me be blunt. Molly, you are STUNNING.

My absolute favorite from their day!

The first dance of Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Wellman. I’m so thankful my friends are so happy. :)

Just about the only instance I was thankful for a guest’s camera flash. Ryan’s brother, tearin’ it up!

And the party continues!

To see a few more of the Wellman wedding, visit my second-shooter Stephanie Hart’s blog!

So the other day Dylan and I were in Starbucks. After we both downed our usual fraps – green tea for me, double chocolate chip for him – Dylan turned the corner to order a regular coffee. As I looked around sheepishly to see if anyone was looking at me, I of course started licking the inside of my cup clean. (Ew, right? So. Worth. It.) Suddenly this insanely handsome guy turns the other corner. He was wearing a black sweater and facial scruff. After .5 seconds, I started feeling badly for noticing him while Dylan was right there. But at the .6 second mark, I noticed it WAS Dylan. :) That’s right! My husband is a hunk of burnin’ looove.

We now have two white sofas AND a white shag rug. I’m hoping to blog our place sometime next month, provided Dylan doesn’t spill pad thai on pretty much any surface in our living room. (FYI, Dylan comes home from work with an average of three food/coffee/dirt stains on his shirt each and every day.) I’m not sure what I was thinking.. Oh right, it’s gonna look HOTT!

Little known fact: July 13th is a national holiday. It is both my momma’s birthday, AND my father-in-law’s birthday! We love you two so much and hope you can somehow find happiness on your days of birth although Dylan and I are gone. The  good news though? Chances are we will never forget about either of your birthdays! :)

Song of the week: World News by the Local Natives. Dylan turned me onto this band and they are just incredible! (Not gonna lie, it’s pretty sweet having a spouse with good taste in music.)

One of my favorite photogs writes regular blog posts on the ridiculous things his wife says in her sleep. I think Dylan should be a guest blogger and do the same thing!! Two nights ago he said I sat up in bed extremely excited about something, grabbed his shoulder, and exclaimed “WEIRD THINGS ARE HAPPENING!!” And that was that. Then last night, I was giggling in my sleep. I can only imagine Dylan trying to coax it out of me, “Ooooh, what’s so funny, huh? What’s so funny?” :)

And these lovely people are dropping on the blog later this week, so stay tuned!

Happy Tuesday, ya’ll!

And so, Ukraine waits for her. With its 100,000 orphans living in sewers underground, 10% of which will commit suicide before their 18th birthdays. With 70% of its orphan boys living a life of crime, and 60% of its orphan girls turning to prostitution. The orphans of Ukraine wait. Eighty percent of them abused and recklessly abandoned by their parents. One hundred percent of them seeking hope. Seeking somebody to love them.

With James 1:27 as her anthem, Lorae departs for Klavdievo, Ukraine on Sunday. There, she will work alongside fellow volunteer Jonathan Adams at the Eastern European Outreach‘s summer camp for at-risk youth, after which Lorae will volunteer at Sunshine Children’s Center just outside Kiev from mid-September through mid-November.

Pray for Lorae and Jon. That they would be used and stretched and humbled and grown. That they would be strengthened as they defend the cause of the fatherless. And pray always for the orphans. That they’d realize the joy that is theirs in the Father’s love.

Lorae will be a regularly contributing columnist for Relevant Magazine’s RejectApathy.org over the span of her trip, and will also be keeping a personal blog about her experiences. I invite you to read along here and here!

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27

We spent two nights at a Marriot before flying to the DR. And this? THIS was the most amazing room service banana split of my entire life! (As if I’ve had a thousand room service banana splits, hah!) I kid you not when I say, I still daydream about it.

And who passes up a monster dish of sushi the day after getting married? Not me, Internet. Never, ever me.

Welcome to La República Dominicana! This was our toilet bowl upon arrival! Thank GOD they put petals in our toilet, or else I would have refused to use it.

We stayed at BlueBay Villas Doradas Resort. This place is God’s beauty made obvious!

Our beach! La Playa Dorada!

All-inclusive is THEE way to go! Look at this restaurant!

When I read the reservation card on our table, I realized I was married. :)

Dylan and I were so glad to be able to venture off and see the countryside! So many beautifully-intricate textures and colors there!

So, I have this weird affection for lizards. This one is named Gully. Which rhymes with Sully.

I didn’t even realize this other little guy in the picture below until just now!

A typical Dominican house.

A little rum and coke for the road. No open container laws here!

The children of the Dominican Republic absolutely stole my heart.

I. LOVE. THIS. PICTURE!

My mama knows this face all too well. Zoning like I do. :)

Oh, hey!!

Classic Dominican foot shot!

This sweet little boy was crying because his brothers kept kicking his ball away from him. Meanies! :(

Mama Juana. Don’t try it.

Freshly-ground cocoa! SO scrumptious!!

Dominican version of a Dunkaccino! A little cocoa. A little coffee!

So many details! I wish I could have captured them ALL!

Motorcycles are ev-er-y-where in the DR! You’d see 70-year-old women riding these things!

Before:

After:

BAM! Married! (And I chip my nail polish one nail at a time.) :)

And finally.. Dylan made me work it for the camera. Or maybe he didn’t. Maybe this is just me. :)

Happy Wednesday!

I’ve noticed something about myself. Life changing really.. I tend to eat a lot of things upside down. Think about it. Toaster Strudel, chocolate-drizzled granola bars, crackers with cheese? All the real flavor is on one side. The only solution for optimum flavor consumption is turning said strudle, granola and cracker with cheese upside down so it hits your tongue before anything else does. Challenge! Next time you eat pizza, wear a bib, and eat it upside down. You’ll never be the same. :)

Band/Song of the week: Light Outside by Wakey!Wakey! And let me tell you, it’s a good thing I work from home and Dylan doesn’t, because I played this song about 30 times in a row the other day. And he. Hates. That. :)

So for the first time EVER, I have reason to purchase a sofa, a love seat, a dinette set, and 17 uniquely awesome pillows! I think I could shop for accent pillows all day long. But who am I kidding? That’s pretty much what this last week has been for! I can’t wait to blog it all once our place is done!!

Houston is an incredible city. In what other city can you go to FIVE Marshalls Stores in ONE day? Some other interesting facts about Houston? It’s the fourth most populous city in the nation. It has ELEVEN THOUSAND restaurants. (Yes, please!!) AND it has a 17-block theatre district, which is totally my thang. Side-note: Dylan loves to make fun of my knowledge of all show-tunes in existence, as opposed to my complete ignorance of any music from the 90′s. I was sheltered. What can I say? At least I know almost every Michael W. Smith song from that decade. ;)

I’ve always loved design, and with decorating our new home, I have gone design blog crazy. One of my absolute FAVES is Design Sponge. Oh Grace Bonney, be my best friend? Readers – what are some of your favorite design-inspired blogs? Hook a girl up!

So there we were, heading down McGowen St., when I told Dylan, “I think I’m going to get my hair cut this week.” “Oooh, mhm. Okay,” says a skeptical, but nonetheless studly Dylan. He doesn’t think I have the guts! Which of course automatically makes me want to prove him wrong. Internet, I do solemnly swear (if my nerves hold up!) that I WILL be sporting a new do by the end of the week. Words of encouragement and pep are welcomed in the comment section! :)

I haven’t blogged a photog spotlight in a while. :( But this one hits close to home! Mabyn Ludke, everybody! Mabyn (and the incredible Tim Hunt!) shot our wedding nearly a month ago, and we couldn’t have asked for better photographers to capture our day. Mabyn is a dear friend, and her mastery of the art of photography is in-freaking-credible. She’s always, always pushing herself to grow, and it shows in the strength and creativity of her images. If you haven’t clicked on her name already, DO IT. Also! A little birdy (coincidently named Mabyn) told me our wedding is soon to be blogged here!

I’ll leave you with a hint of what’s to come tomorrow! Dun, dun, DUN. HONEYMOON!

Happy Tuesday!!

Mama’s missed you so!! You’ve been neglected for far, far too long. But I’ll be making it up to you in BIG ways these next couple of weeks. I’ve got two weddings, a honeymoon, and a new home to cover! And for today, a scrumptious little day-after session with none other than the Jause’s!

Day-after sessions are my FAVEEE-orite! Being the smartypantses that they are, Bekah and Jonny booked their session because they knew their wedding day timeline would be pretty tight. And fo’real? Who doesn’t like more pictures?! So on a Sunday just as loverly, Dylan and I spent three unrushed and fancy-free hours documenting the love and hottness that is Jonny and Bekah. And watch out world.. There IS hottness.

To our sweet friends: You are a joy to shoot, know and love! Thank you for letting us in on your life together! And thank you for the chocolate chip cookies. If my memory serves me correctly, they were gone by the time we got home. Which of course, shouldn’t be that hard to believe. :)

We all ventured back to the Hall of Springs for the afternoon. Seriously, how can you go wrong with Saratoga? Or Bekah and Jonny for that matter?

I just love seeing clients’ reactions to their photographer laying on the dirt, bug and whatever else-infested ground to get that one shot. This is after telling them they’d better look serious for this one! ;)

Bah’s glorious attempt to toss her train in the air so it would catch the wind. :) Couldn’t decide between these next two. You pick!

To the Jonny, Bekah, and yummy bokeh below. RAWR.

Bekah, you are beauty defined. I can’t get over you! Sorta like Jonny in that way. :)

“Don’t be fooled by the rocks that I got. I’m still, I’m stillll..” Bekah from the block?

Bekah, Jonny.. You melt me.

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles! No?

Bam. Foot shot!

These two were such good sports! My favorite part of this photograph is the title of Jonny’s book, which you can’t really see, but is nonetheless fitting: So Brave, Young & Handsome. Just look at him workin’ it.

Dylan scouted out this location. When I saw it, I asked him to marry me and be my business partner. :) He said yes.

Oh how I absolutely LOVE love. ‘Tis written all over them.

Happy Thursday!