… and we begin:

After the flowergirls have made their entrance, Cody is stunned by his stunning bride

Yay!!!

It’s on to the reception

The decor in the ballrooms at the Holiday Inn were gorgeous:

This little guy was ready to get the party started!

Great day!

Here, in the words of the bride and groom, are a few personal memories from their day:

What was your favorite memory of the day?
Cody: My favorite memory was watching Jana walk down the isle. She was breathtaking
Jana: My favorite memory was the moment I finally became Cody’s wife

What was your favorite detail?
Cody: My favorite detail was my grooms cake and decorations. I had a nature theme for my table and my tent and backpack was there from my travels I took across the United States. The cake was a tree stump that was very detailed with a heart with mine and Jana’s initials on the cake. The table had many pictures from my travels and my mom made bags with smores ingredients for the guests to take.
Jana: My favorite detail was the vision that I had for my wedding and reception came true. We decided not hire a wedding planner and plan the whole event ourselves. I didn’t know it then, but it actually made the whole wedding experience more special. The whole day was perfect and it was more beautiful than I had imagined.

Do you have any advice for future brides and grooms on the big day?
Cody and my advice to future brides and grooms is that they should enjoy the experience and take in every moment. Don’t worry about the minor details because in the end, everything will work itself out and turn out wonderful.

Funniest moment from your wedding day?
The funniest moment from our wedding was our flower girls. Before we got the video back from our wedding, we heard that one flower girl fell off her step trying to see what we were doing on the stage. The other flower girl was waving at everyone she knew in the audience and then became bored, sat on her step, and played with her basket. We got a kick out of our flower girls once we saw the video.

Would you change anything if you could do it all over again?
Jana: I would change the all the stress I felt with planning the wedding. I worried about little things that in the end never really mattered. I wish I would have stressed a little less and enjoyed the whole planning experience a little more.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We went to Costa Rica on our honeymoon. We stayed in an all inclusive resort which we would highly recommend to any honeymooners.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
Well…once Cody and I were on stage listening to the preacher, I was so nervous that I was shaking. To calm me down, Cody began a thumb wrestling match which completely changed the mood. Cody helped me relax which made me calm for the rest of the ceremony.

The scene is set for a whirlwind morning of teased hair and hairspray, let’s get started!

“Mom! Jaclyn is sticking her tongue out at me again!

“Jaclyn, if you don’t stop, your face is going to stick like that!”

:p

Aaawww! It’s actually happening!

I loved this quiet moment toward the end of our salon time with the two sisters Jana and Jaclyn:

A quick lunch at McAlister’s and we head to the church:

Getting ready on your wedding day is a process for all brides, usually requiring a lot of help from your friends:

Meanwhile, Marius is with the guys – Cody and his men are looking very dapper:

Formal portraits with his men done, Cody spent a few moments in quiet reflection waiting for the time:

Jana is finishing herself, and the moment is arriving:

More coming soon!

We’ll be back to our regular routine (more or less) next week – we’ve got beautiful weddings with Jana and Sheila coming, an engagement session with Mandy, exquisite work by Stepanie Do of La Belle Fleur, Tamara from Tamara Menges Designs… Behind the scenes I’m working on wedding albums, yes yours They’ll be ready for you to view this coming week as well

Introducing Audrey Kate

*Beautiful* dress, bouquet and veil, it didn’t hurt the bride was having a particularly stunning day herself!

Very nice detail in her dress and red bridal shoes:

After an afternoon of looking amazing, it’s a real relief to dip your toes in the nearest fountain…

Their wedding photos are coming next week!

This little flowergirl started off behaving perfectly…

…but soon tired of that as curiosity got the best of her

Yay!

From there we were off to the Neches Room where a winter-themed reception by Tamara Menges Designs awaited:

The newlyweds arrive!

The little ones anxiously await their turn on the dance floor

Jonathan Martin is the best DJ in the area, he will keep things hopping your whole reception:

I love the look of anticipation! Oh, and Marius is a ninja when capturing these moments

A little something different – a cookie for those who spot the bride and her groom

Great day with one great family, congratulations again Amy and Trey!

Venue: First United Methodist Church – Beaumont
Wedding Reception: The Neches Room – Beaumont
Floral and Decor: Tamara Menges Designs
Catering: Beaumont Catering Company
Cake: This Cake’s For You
DJ: Jonathan Martin

Thanks to the hard work by Marius and I, Glenda Little of Dressy Designs, and Stephanie Do of La Belle Fleur Designs and Events, SMP has published our recent “Sea Glass Estates” beach wedding:

You can see the post on SMP by clicking on the picture above or this link: BellaFotografica on Style Me Pretty.

If you’d like to see our blog post here with the photos in a larger (prettier) context, check us out here: Sea Glass Estate Beach Wedding.

There were many local Southeast Texas wedding artists involved in the huge project, thank you to everyone for their tremendous contributions:

Floral ~ Stephanie Do of La Belle Fleur
Stationery ~ Glenda Little of Dressy Designs
Cake ~ Dawneen Hebert of Artistic Confections
Jewelry ~ Leigh Ann Smithy Brittain of Ooh-la-leigh’s
Makeup Artist ~ Erica Strazz
Table Decor ~ Fred Miller’s
Hair Stylist ~ Kati Killebrew
Venue ~ Swedes Real Estate – The Sea Glass Estate
Bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses ~ Suki’s Bridals, Formals, and Tuxedos
Tuxedo ~ Tuxedo Junction

Beautiful rings, one from her grandmother, one from her man

I love my little daisy’s splash of color

Here we get to know the loving couple a little better:

- Where did you meet?
We first noticed each other at a halloween party at a mutual friends house.

- What was your first impression of him?
“Who is that goofy guy wearing a sheet ghost costume?”

- What was your first impression of her?
“This girl in the yellow dress is lookin’ nice! Better go talk to her.”

- What did you do for your first date?
Our first date was a double date with another couple. We went to Marble Slab, and then to a movie.

- When did you know he was the one?
When my grandmother passed away a few months after we started dating. He was so wonderful and caring. I knew he was the man I wanted to spend my life with.

- When did you know she was the one?
I always knew she was the one.

- How did he propose?
We were going to Austin for the Austin City Limits music festival in September and while we were there he took me up to Mount Bonnell and proposed at the peak.

- What do you love the most about him?
His caring, fun loving nature. He is so good at finding the humor in almost every situation.

- What do you love the most about her?
She keeps me from acting a fool while being sweet about it. Lord knows I need the help!

- What’s the secret to your happy relationship?
We talk about everything!!!

Stay tuned for their upcoming wedding!

If you’ve followed BellaFotografica for a while and met us in person for a wedding consultation, you know we’re all about making these lasting memories all about you and your loved one – sure we could line up behind the 20 other couples at a particular local park but these memories mean so much more to you when we’re able to incorporate something special to you. Little is more unique and special to you than the home you grew up in. We even photographed a few in Amy’s old bedroom, where more than a few times I’m sure she dreamed of growing up to marry the man of her dreams…

We even spent a little time in her full wedding regalia swinging on her childhood swing in their front yard

Great afternoon! Stay tuned for the rest of their wedding coming up!

Pleasantly full and ready for the big day ahead, everyone met over at Trey’s mother’s gorgeous home in Old Town – where puppies were underfoot, hairspray was thick in the air, and light curls of smoke could be seen over a flat iron or two:

Properly coifed, we made our way downtown to First United Methodist Church – beautiful historic building, where the bridesmaids and bride applied the finishing touches:

I love this moment between Amy and her mom:

Wow, you’ll never see a more gorgeous bride.

Oh, and Trey was there too!

The Fabulous Tamara Menges of Tamara Menges Designs fastens one of her signature boutonnières to Trey:

Everything perfect, the moment has arrived:

More next time!

This year we wanted to make the blog posts a little more personal, so we’re including some questions and answers from Mr and Mrs Trey:

What was your favorite memory of the day? Of course marrying my honey was the best part. Next to that, my favorite memory was getting ready in the church dressing room with my moms and bridesmaids. The girls and I made a deal that if one of us fell during the ceremony, all of us would fall, that way no one got embarrassed…. Luckily no one fell.

What was your favorite detail? My favorite detail was my “Something Blue”. It was my nephew, Christopher’s, favorite blue binky and it was placed in my bouquet. He passed away from cancer a few years ago and he is sorely missed. It was important to me to have his memory incorporated into the ceremony and I know he was there in spirit.

Do you have any advice for future brides and grooms on the big day? Stay calm, it’s just a wedding.

Funniest moment from your wedding day? It would had to of been during the ceremony when my niece, Prudence, asked me why I was dressed like a princess.

Would you change anything if you could do it all over again? Yes. I would’ve tried the food at the reception. I was running around the whole time and I didnt stop to eat.

Where did you go on your honeymoon? Las Vegas, Nevada and Pagosa Springs, Colorado!

More next time!

After their first look, Kati takes a few moments to write a love note to her man

Soon the string quartet begins playing, signaling the beginning of the festivities:

There’s not a lot showing of the bride here, but that’s the point, as her expressions speak volumes:

Yay!

Since we’ve had the first look before the ceremony and finished the formal portraits then, we move quickly to the Holiday Inn Atrium for the reception – one of the most fun I’ve ever attended

The Mr and Mrs arrive!

A few moments with toasts and cutting the tasty cakes and then the dancing begins!

One MILL-yun YMCA fans in the house!

Since Texas A&M played such a HUGE role in Kati and Andrew meeting and falling in love, obviously it played a big role in their wedding reception:

Success!

Yay again!

Great day!