Mike & Michelle: married love || mckinney, tx engagement & wedding photographer

Last week Mike & Michelle were the fabulous couple that jumped in last minute to help me with a secret project I'm working on ;)  (cue the drama..)  It's a long story (and I would have to reveal details about the secret to explain it all) but it wasn't until about 10AM Friday morning that I even realized I needed a couple to model for me so I sent out txts to several people and posted on FB about it...and within an hour a photographer friend of mine had sent me Michelle's number and we had it all set up!
They were darlings to work with, and I had to post just a few of my favorites.
















p.s. the secret project?  oh man...I really can't wait to share it with you ;)
Much Love.Jessica Shae

A forever kind of love || dallas, tx engagement & wedding photographer

I'm a bit of a romantic.  If were to ask my family they would actually tell you that I'm a-whole-lot-of-a-bit-of-a-romantic :)  And while I guess it's nice to have a specific day of the year to remind those around you how much you love and appreciate them, it's sometimes feels a little bit forced and cheesy.  Don't get me wrong, I like flowers and chocolate as much as any other girl, but it's the day to day servant love that always catches my eye and makes my heart flutter.  In a world filled with hollywood kisses and breathtaking love stories, it's easy to forget what love actually is.  We been taught to scorn simple love that serves selflessly, loves tirelessly, and sticks with you through all the gritty messiness of life, because it doesn't always have the flash and make-your-heart-skip a beat kind of feel to it.

And so on this "day of love" I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite love stories.  Not hollywood, or Kardashian kinds of love stories, (thank goodness theres something more than that!) but little peeks into what was obviously a life of committed selfless love for their best friend.

A letter from Ronald Reagan to Nancy on their 20th anniversary.

In case you can't read the small print and curly handwriting, I've written it out here for you to read:

My Darling Wife

This not is to warn you of a diabolical plot entered into by some of our so called friends --(ha!) calendar makers and even out own children.  These and other would have you believe we've been married 20 years.

20 Minutes maybe -- but never 20 years.  In the first place it is a known fact that a human cannot sustain the high level of happiness I feel, for more than a few minutes -- and my happiness keeps on increasing.

I will confess to one puzzlement but I'm sure it is just some trick perpetrated by our friends --(Ha again!) I can't remember ever being without you and I know I was born more than 20 minutes ago.

Oh well -- that isn't important.  The important thing is I don't want to be without you for the next 20 years, or 40, or however many there are.  I've goten very used to being happy and I love you very much indeed.

Your Husband of 20 something or other.

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I've posted this video before I think...but I just keep coming back to it.  It is an excerpt from Robert McQuilkin's resignation speech, when he resigned as president of Columbia Bible College so that he could stay home and take care of his wife.  I tear up every time I hear it.

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"They say there is a young lady in [New Haven] who is beloved of that great Being who made and rules the world, and that there are certain seasons in which this great Being, in some way or other invisible, comes to her and fills her mind with exceeding sweet delight, and that she hardly cares for anything, except to meditate on him—that she expects after a while to be received up where he is, to be raised up out of the world and caught up into heaven; being assured that he loves her too well to let her remain at a distance from him always. There she is to dwell with him, and to be ravished with his love and delight forever…. She has a strange sweetness in her mind, and singular purity in her affections; is most just and conscientious in all her conduct; and you could not persuade her to do anything wrong or sinful, if you would give her all the world, lest she should offend this great Being. She is of a wonderful sweetness, calmness and universal benevolence of mind; especially after this great God has manifested himself to her mind…. She loves to be alone, walking in the fields and groves, and seems to have someone invisible always conversing with her."

--A love letter written from Jonathan Edwards to his wife-to-be, Sarah.

Happy Valentines Day!

Much Love,

Jessica Shae

Celebrating firsts: personal || dallas, tx engagement & wedding photographer

I've always been a great lover of "firsts."  I dream about them, sometimes for years, and when I finally experience a "first" I want to remember how it felt for a million years.  Playing it over and over again in my head, looking at pictures, journaling every memory...  And I'm not just talking huge kinds of firsts--I pretty much celebrate them all.  First pair of cowgirl boots.  First mac computer. First wedding booked and first wedding shot.  First time driving a huge truck.  First time holding his hand.  First time out of the country, and first time shooting a gun.  First 3D movie, and first time riding the train.  I have an endless list of them.  Realizing and thinking about the little day to day accomplishments and firsts in my life makes it a continual celebration of sorts.  And I'm all about celebrating. :)

Last night The Boy and I celebrated a birthday together for the first time.  Dinner and dessert downtown, walking around in the cold laughing, talking, and celebrating the fact that 23 years ago the handsomest boy in the world was born :)

So those last two weren't taken last night...but I just couldn't resist throwing them in.  He's really the funnest person ever :)  Oh, and one more thing, we've made it to 1,300 on the Facebook fan page, hooray!  Thanks to all you lovely people I'm looking forward to another aweeesome year of photography adventures!  

Much Love.

Jessica Shae

Best of 2011: part II || dallas, tx engagement & wedding photographer

"To find the universal elements enough: to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed

by a morning walk or an evening saunter...to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated

over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring--

these are some of the rewards of the simple life."

john burroughs

For those of you who haven't seen part I of this two part series, you can go here to check it out.When I got my very first camera and my interest in taking pictures began, it had nothing to do with people, and everything to do with flowers, mountains, rivers, skies, forests and fields.  My family was living in Colorado at the time and we spent a lot of time in the mountains hiking, skiing, camping, etc.  And so, for about the first year of taking pictures, 85% of them were of nature and landscapes.  And I loved it.  Obviously my tastes and preferences in photography have evolved a bit since then.  But every now and then I look back at old pictures and wish that I took more time to take pictures, sans people.  This year I tried make a point of doing more of that as I traveled and shot weddings and portraits.  So these are just a random assortment of favorite pictures from the last year, that don't really fit in anywhere else.  And a majority of them are people-less :)
Hope you enjoy!















































Much Love.Jessica Shae