Jacob & Annie: engaged || dallas, tx engagement & wedding photographer

Though they both attended the same college, Jacob and Annie's paths didn't seem likely to cross each other since music and nursing majors rarely interacted.  But they did cross, thanks to a bible study they both started attending just a few years back.  Jacob first knew Annie as the sweet girl that every guy in the group was crushing on, though she was seemingly unaware of almost all of this ;)  And while he thought she was pretty and fun, he wasn't interested in becoming just another guy on that list, so he kept his distance, and didn't even attempt much of a friendship with her.
Things continued like this for months, during which Jacob even cheered a buddy on as he became interested in Annie and eventually asked her out.  Annie wasn't interested though, and when she turned the guy down Jacob realized that he was ...relieved?  glad?  Because Annie WAS sweet, and beautiful, and loved Jesus more than any girl he'd ever met, and he was suddenly ready to fight his way through the crowd of suitors that seemed to always surround her and win her heart.
Fight for her he did, and though the process was slow at times, he won her with his quiet confidence, compassion and love for people, and his ability to "make everyone anybody and everybody around him feel important and at ease."  One of Annie's first impressions of him even before they started dating was that he was "more like Jesus than any person I have ever met."  They read books together, drank coffee and cooked together, and quickly became the best of friends.  When Jacob asked Annie to marry him last December she said yes and they're getting married next month!
Congratulations Jacob & Annie, thank you for including me in this special time of your life, enjoy a few of my favorites from your engagement session!  Can't wait for your wedding day!
Much Love, Jessica Shae

one || arbor hills dallas, tx engagement & wedding photographer

"Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss...

but every once in a while, you find someone who's iridescent,

and when you do, nothing will ever compare."

// flipped.

William & Greta: engaged || ft worth tx, engagement & wedding photographer

For months (maybe even years?) people had nudged and hinted to each of them that they would be perfect for each other.  They were from the same area in East Texas and when they were home they attended the same church, but that wasn't often.  Greta spent most of her year at college in Virginia and William was busy getting his degree at A&M.  So while they both had a mutual admiration for the other it wasn't until Thanksgiving one year when they were both home on break William finally took serious notice of the soft spoken southern belle with clear blue eyes and started to think all the nudges and hints might have been right, because she all of sudden seemed perfect for him.
It didn't take long for Greta to realize that she wanted to spend the rest of her forever with this "strong silent type" of a man who lived life with conviction, ("Oh, and he has muscles!" she told me ;) so for a year they worked hard at the relationship despite the long distance between them.  And on their one year anniversary he took her out to the family tree farm and proposed in the same place that he had asked her to be his girlfriend just twelve months before.
William & Greta, I loved getting to know you two better during your engagement session and I can't wait to be a part of your beautiful wedding full of southern grace and charm and the love of Jesus Christ, just like the two of you.
Much Love, Jessica Shae

John & Courtney: preview || the tribute golf club, tx wedding photographer

This past weekend was the busiest I've had since getting pregnant: a bridal session, an engagement session, and a 9 hour wedding in barely more than 48 hours has made for one very tired and yet blissfully happy mommy with puffy feet and an aching back.  (very tired because, hello! apparently growing a baby is way more exhausting than expected! and blissfully happy because puffy feet and aching back are just happy reminders of the little love growing in my belly.)  So today I'm treating myself to staying in bed for as long as my legs and feet tell me is necessary  a pedicure, and a nap in the warm sun by the pool.  But I couldn't help but post just one from yesterdays beautiful wedding.  So much more coming soon!  (oh, and you can also see a few more from their wedding on my facebook page!)

Much Love,
Jessica Shae

Emily: senior 2013 || mckinney, tx portrait & wedding photographer

When I was ten I started taking piano lessons with grand visions of being able to play "Variations On the Canon" (George Winston's arrangement of Canon in D, and my absolute favorite piano song) and multiple other beautifully moving pieces on the piano in no time.  Those visions of grandeur were soon squelched when I realized that I had very little natural talent for the piano and it would in fact take years of hard work to get to the point where I could sit down and easily play whatever music was set in front of me.  Two years later I quit.

It wasn't until I was 22 and my 8 year old sister started taking piano lessons that I was re-inspired to try and take up piano again.  ("You're never to old to set another goal or dream a new dream..." right?!)  And that's where Emily comes in.  She was my sisters piano teacher and one of the pianists at our church, so though I knew who she was and had talked to her on several occasions I didn't know her suuuuper well.

I'm not going to lie, it's a slightly humbling thing to be an adult, taking piano lessons from a highschooler, and the oldest (by far) of all of her students.  But Emily made me feel so comfortable and like it was the most normal thing in the world for me to be there, fumbling through the most basic of scales and exercises.  Her quiet demure personality, sweet smile and constant encouragement makes her one of the easiest people to be around.  I loved getting to know her better throughout the year, finding out that besides teaching piano she also worked at the library, (helloooo childhood dream job!) was learning to play the guitar, and was taking dual credit courses at a nearby college while finishing highschool.  Basically she's a smarty-pants sweetheart all rolled into one :)  I was honored to take her senior portraits for her a few weeks ago, enjoy looking through them!

Much Love, Jessica Shae