Joel + kassie // Midland, TX


Picking back up on blogging after moving to Tuscaloosa in August.

This wedding was a special one for me and therefore I am going to share a little more than I usually would for a wedding blog. It's been an INSANELY busy summer and I am only just now (in September), catching up on my blog from my summer weddings and sessions.


I am very close with the groom's family, where he is one of ten children. When I lived inMidland, TX for 5.5 years, this family more or less adopted me. They fed me, they introduced me to Crossfit, they even hosted me for 6 weeks amidst COVID-19 shutdowns. We sheltered-in-place in their home and it truly made the experience special for me.


Anyways, so Joel met his bride, Kassie, in the time since I had moved to Alabama. So I actually had not met her in person prior to this wedding. They asked me to shoot their wedding in Midland, TX, knowing I was newer to the wedding photography space. We had a couple calls in advance to discuss the timeline for the weekend as well as the extensive family portrait list (remember, the groom is one of ten kids + most of them are married and some have kids now). I also developed a color scheme guide for family members, knowing how large the family is and how it would help with color cohesion.


Since me and my family would be flying in, we decided to fly in on Thursday evening to ensure we made it for the wedding, in case delays pushed us to Friday. Our flights arrived on time so we had all day Friday to spend with the family, scope out the first look location and the venue.


Friday morning I ended up shooting an impromptu Boudoir session, which was extremely special. Kassie felt so empowered and comfortable in her own skin after the session and we were able to surprise to groom with some saucy images at the wedding. I won't share those here for the sake of Kassie's privacy.


Saturday rolled around and we were all running a little behind, but with how large the groom's family is, I baked in a TON of time for family portraits in their wedding day. Since it was an early start, we didn't do any getting ready images or detail shots. We started immediately with the first look.

A person in a white lace wedding dress shares a tender moment with someone wearing light blue outdoors.
A close-up view of a boutonniere with pink and purple wildflowers pinned to a light gray suit jacket.
A person in a light gray suit and pink tie poses under a wooden pergola in an outdoor garden setting.
A couple in wedding attire walks hand in hand along a desert garden pathway at an outdoor venue.
A romantic first look sequence between newlyweds under a wooden pergola with lush greenery.
Bride and groom share playful moments during their first look under a rustic wooden archway.
Couple shares a joyful moment under a wooden pergola covered in greenery.
A couple in wedding attire walks along a winding path surrounded by desert landscaping and trees.
A couple in wedding attire playfully dances together in a greenhouse setting with natural light filtering through.
Newlyweds embrace in a romantic moment beneath an arched garden tunnel walkway.
Couple shares a romantic moment in a sunlit greenhouse walkway with arched wooden beams and climbing vines.
Intimate wedding photos captured in a greenhouse tunnel with natural lighting and greenery.
A romantic wedding moment captured in a beautiful arched greenhouse walkway with natural lighting.
A romantic wedding moment captured under a curved wooden pergola with climbing vines and natural light.
Wedding couple poses with colorful bouquet in a greenhouse corridor lined with climbing plants.
A couple shares an intimate dip kiss under a rustic wooden pergola surrounded by desert landscaping.
A curved wooden arbor walkway with climbing vines creates an elegant garden tunnel at an outdoor venue.
A romantic garden wedding ceremony takes place under a curved wooden pergola covered in lush green vines and flowers.
Newlyweds share joyful moments in a rustic greenhouse tunnel with arched wooden beams.
Wedding portraits in a greenhouse featuring soft natural light and pastel floral bouquet.
Romantic greenhouse wedding photos with soft lighting and intimate moments between couple.

Then we moved into family & bridal portraits. This took time with the large number of people and portraits we had to take, but once everyone arrived, it moved along smoothly. This was also the most important part of the day for Kassie - she really has felt welcomed into this family and wanted fantastic family portraits and I wanted to do it justice.

A bride in a white wedding dress poses under a curved wooden pergola with natural lighting and greenery.
Wedding party poses in a curved garden archway with greenery and rustic wooden beams overhead.
Bridal party in pastel dresses and gray suits stand together under an arched garden trellis.
A bridal party wearing pastel dresses poses together under a curved greenhouse archway with climbing vines.
Groomsmen in light gray suits with coral ties pose together under a wooden pergola at an outdoor venue.
Wedding party poses under curved wooden pergola with greenery and flowers in soft pink and gray attire.
Wedding party poses under curved wooden pergola with greenery in outdoor garden setting.
Wedding party poses in an elegant wooden arched garden tunnel with lush greenery overhead.
Children and adults gather in a rustic wooden greenhouse walkway for a special occasion.
A group in light gray suits and burgundy ties poses together under an arched garden pergola.
Wedding party in pastel dresses and gray suits pose under a curved greenhouse-style structure with natural lighting.
Wedding party poses together under an arched garden pergola with wooden beams and climbing vines.
A large group photo of wedding guests and wedding party standing together outdoors under a wooden pergola.
Couple shares intimate moments in a greenhouse walkway with arched wooden beams and natural lighting.
Family group in coordinated outfits sits together under a curved garden arbor walkway.
Group photo of adults with small children gathered under an arched greenhouse structure.
Wedding party in coordinated blue and blush dresses poses together in a garden setting.
Wedding party poses together under rustic wooden arches in a greenhouse setting with soft natural light.
Wedding party members laugh together under a rustic wooden pergola with greenery.
A group of friends share a joyful moment together in a greenhouse, leaning in close and laughing candidly.
Two people in white dresses share a joyful moment together in a greenhouse setting with curved wooden beams overhead.
Wedding party members in light gray suits and pink ties pose in a rustic greenhouse venue.
Wedding party poses under a rustic wooden archway covered in lush green vines and foliage in an outdoor garden setting.

After portraits, we had a quick touch up then headed to the church. Kassie & Joel opted to have their wedding and their reception at their church. Their church was held at the time in a warehouse that was previously a poker hall - so the walls were grey, the ceiling black, and the floor brown. On its own, it doesn't scream wedding venue (or church for that matter), but I was so impressed with how well the family pulled everything together. Also in the front row was two reserved seats for Joel's late sister and brother-in-law. I've talked about Annalise in detail here before as her death greatly impacted me. If you want to read further about Annalise, check out my blog post here.  

A red church building exterior with signage for Midland Reformed Church and website URL displayed.
Indoor event space with rows of white covered chairs set up for a ceremony under exposed ceiling beams and string lights.
White chair covers with floral accents line a reception venue under twinkling string lights creating an elegant atmosphere.
Elegant wedding reception tables decorated with white linens and greenery garlands in a dimly lit venue.
Long wooden table set with rows of empty wine glasses and eucalyptus garland for an upscale event.
Colorful vintage glass bottles and candles line a white tablecloth creating an atmospheric glow at dusk.
Art installation with multiple orange frames mounted on white corrugated wall creating an optical illusion effect.
Black and white photographs of loved ones displayed on chairs at a wedding ceremony create a touching memorial tribute.
Wedding invitation suite with floral details, calligraphy, and decorative elements laid out on a green textured surface.

Their wedding was so love-filled. The fluorescent lighting was managed and the photos came out very sweet and representative of this precious couple.

Wide panoramic view of a modern event space with white chair covers and track lighting on dark ceiling.
A wedding reception dance floor with couples dancing in formal attire and string lights overhead.
Wedding ceremony in progress with guests gathered in an industrial-style venue decorated with white draping and rose petals.
Wedding ceremony in a modern venue with light gray decor and wooden beams overhead.
A guest in a floral dress and wide-brimmed hat enjoying a celebratory event indoors.
A stage performance sequence showing multiple scenes with performers in white outfits against a dark backdrop.
Wedding reception venue with white chair covers and scattered flower petals on dark floor.
A crowded indoor event venue with people seated in rows facing forward during a presentation or gathering.
An indoor wedding ceremony with white chairs and guests seated in rows facing a stage with string lights overhead.
Wedding ceremony with bridesmaids in pastel dresses and groomsmen in light suits standing before white chairs.
A wedding ceremony taking place under draped fabric and floral decorations with a couple and officiant at the altar.
A couple shares their first kiss as newlyweds under elegant white draping and floral decor at an indoor wedding ceremony.
A wedding party celebrates with dancing and joyful moments during a reception in a decorated venue.
A happy couple walks hand in hand at their wedding, with the bride in white and groom in a light gray suit.
Wedding ceremony setup in an industrial venue with white chairs arranged in rows under exposed ceiling beams and string lights.

After the wedding ceremony, the fluorescents were turned off and the flash was dawned on my camera. You honestly couldn't tell at this point that this was an old poker hall. The venue transformed.


The bride and groom had Chickfila for their dinner (um...YUM). There were several other sweet personal touches such as a bible

Hands reach for red and white peppermint candies scattered across a white tablecloth at a holiday gathering.
Guests gather around elegantly decorated dining tables under warm string lights at an indoor event venue.
Bartender pouring multiple cocktails simultaneously at a dimly lit bar counter with glassware lined up.
Wedding party members in mint green suits and coral ties sit at a decorated head table during reception.
Wedding reception guests seated at long tables in a dimly lit venue with string lights and festive decorations.
Wedding reception in a modern venue with white chairs, string lights, and floral centerpieces on round tables.
Elegant tiered display stands filled with frosted cupcakes decorated with flowers and greenery at a wedding reception.
A wedding reception in a modern venue with guests seated at decorated tables while a speaker addresses the room.
Wedding guests celebrate on the dance floor during a reception with their arms raised in the air.
A series of photos showing a wedding couple cutting their elegant white tiered cake decorated with pink roses.
A romantic wedding cake cutting sequence shows the newlyweds sharing a sweet moment at their reception.
A couple dances together at a reception, with the bride wearing a flowing white dress and groom in light blue suit.
A couple dances together at a wedding reception, with the bride wearing a short white dress and the groom in a light blue suit.
People gathered around a table displaying a collection of colorful vintage glass bottles and jars in various shapes and sizes.

What a special time. I had requested Joel's younger sister to help as my second photographer and she did fantastic and offered another perspective in the first look, wedding and reception.


I truly loved getting to spend a special weekend with my second-family and getting to document this special day for Joel and Kassie.


While this wedding was in Texas, I am a Tuscaloosa-Based Alabama wedding photographer and I would love nothing more than to support you in your needs for wedding photography. You can view my wedding packages here and contact me here.