Patrick and Sarah: wedding!! :D {rio cibolo ranch, marion, tx wedding photographer}

Last month I captured one of the best wedding days ever: Patrick and Sarah White’s 😀 :D. The weather was perfect, the day went smooth, fun abounded, and Christ was given the glory 🙂 :). And yeah, Patrick and Sarah KILLED it during their portrait time at golden hour 😀 😀 :D. So, let’s dive into their happy day, shall we? 😀

First off, I just wanna rave about Rio Cibolo Ranch: there were SOO many beautiful, unique settings outside, my photographer and natural beauty loving heart was just over joyed 😀 :D. And SO MUCH LIGHT! HURRAH!

Yellow was one of her main wedding colors which perfectly suited her sunny personality :D. And it really makes a fun wedding style! Remember Caleb and Jenny’s wedding?

Speaking of sunny 😀

And this special little pearl ring on her bouquet belonged to her grandmother! Her grandfather gave it to her grandmother and her grandmother passed it down to her mom :). This was her “something old” :). Also! Her grandmother’s name was Annaliesel Willoughby and Sarah’s middle name is Annaliesel after her! As Sarah says…Hehe 😀

And here’s their rings :D.

Love the silver :D. For some reason their color and style kinda remind me of Lord of the Rings (which they LOVE, so perfect! Haha).

So, down at the Zuehl Haus Bridal suite, we find “the bride” getting ready. Hehe 🙂

Recognize her stunning makeup artist/bridesmaid? That’s my friend Stephanie Trosclair whose wedding I photographed last summer! Sarah was one of her bridesmaids! 😀 She was Sarah Koger then ;).

Gorgeous, happy girl. Hehe :D. This is her thoroughly enjoying the make up brush. Haha 😀

I met Sarah through Stephanie’s family when I was little and I’m almost 3 years older than her, so I’ve known her most of her life. We played as kids, but it wasn’t ’till after the Lord saved her in her teens that we started to be real friends. To see her now love the Lord, humbly accompany the singing in her church with her voice and guitar, help others as a personal trainer at a local fitness center, all of that and more with such joy and glory to God, it makes my heart rejoice :). True beauty, joy, and peace come from Jesus alone and she has it :). Praise God :D.

And here’s Sarah’s maid of honor, sister, and best friend: Nina Harper :D.

She’s just so adorable, right Patrick? 😀

And wow. She’s that too.

Then Sarah’s lovely, happy mom arrived! With food! Hehe :D. Mrs. Diane Koger :D.

Sarah admiring her grandmother’s ring before we put it on the bouquet :D.

Lunch 🙂

I didn’t notice ’till later that her water bottle has Star Wars on it! Another fandom she and Patrick love :D.

Getting the dresses ready! 😀

Hehe 😀

When Sarah first saw this wedding dress at David’s Bridal, she actually laughed at it thinking the pale pink flowers all over it looked funny, so she tried it on as a joke, but then ended up loving it! Yay! And the robin’s egg blue (my favorite color. Aaah) bridesmaid dresses were a lovely compliment :D.

Her mother’s dress :).

Wedding dress time!! 😀

Her excited face is just too precious 😀 :D.

This is her “Praise Jesus!!!” after her sister in law mentioned it not raining. Haha. Yes, indeed!!

Oh! And Stephanie is pregnant!! That’s why she’s hugging her belly, the closest she can get to her baby right now. Hehe :D.

That’s my hand tucking in her tag. Hehe :D. Once again, Mom was my faithful assistant and captured extra pictures for fun :D.

Emotions and excitement. Hehe :D.

Love it. Haha 😀

More arrivals! 😀

Bridesmaid gift time 🙂

They all got necklaces with their initials on them :D.

😀

Trying not to cry. Hehe :).

Time to drive down the road to take some portraits! 😀

I hitched a ride in the back.

The very back with the flowers and bags. Hehe 😀

But before we took portraits outside, Sarah and her girls set out the desserts for the reception! You don’t see that very often, but it was really sweet to capture :D.

🙂 🙂

patrick&sarah'sweddingmarch4,2016-8734

The girls were a little behind us, so I went ahead and got some shots of Sarah :D. What a joyful, lovely bride!! 😀

Oh! And the ring on her right hand (to your left 😉 ) is her “something blue.” She borrowed it from her sister in law Jessica Koger :D.

There they are! 😀 Man, they were stunning.

Their little Sarah was getting married :D.

Aren’t these colors, this light, and these flowers such a happy combination?!

Add happy, beautiful girls to that combo and you’ve got dynamite 😀 😀 😀

Yay for these women :D.

Now introductions :). But you met Nina earlier ;).

This is her sister in law she borrowed the blue ring from: Jessica Koger 😀

And y’all know Stephanie 😀 (and baby! Baby’s just hidden at the moment. Hehe :D)

Love 😀 😀

And this is her other sister in law: Anne Elise Koger :D.

And this is Erica White :D. She’s married to one of Patrick’s older brothers Joshua.

Then her mom had to get one too! 😀

Stunning 😀

😀

Hehe 😀

😀

She’s just too cute 😀

They love her so much 🙂

And she loves them <3

Then Sarah wanted to have a time of prayer and they brought me right into the circle with them. I felt so honored <3 <3

Then we had to get some more of Sarah now that she had her bouquet :D.

Hehe 😀

I love how this turned out 😀 😀

SO stunning, Sarah!!

Then we were done and it was time for me to go find…

…the guys! 😀

I found them chillin’ at the R.C.R. Corral and we HAD to get some cool shots with this awesome bar 😀 :D. Way to rock it, y’all.

Then they wanted to do this. Haha.

Now I’d like to talk about Patrick. I know him the same way I know David and Hannah and Josiah and Sara: from Community Baptist Church of Elmendorf, TX‘s annual spring Bible conference I’ve gone to ever since I was a kid. His dad is actually the pastor of the church! Like Sarah, we played as kids, but as he grew up, he hated the things of God. He was very bold about it. I remember Facebook debates he’d get into with our friends (I got in on one once) and it just made me so sad to see how opposed he was to Christ. We cared about him and wanted him to see the truth! But only God had the power to save him, not us. All we could do was pray. And then fast forward to fall of 2014 and I see a video on Facebook of Patrick White getting baptized!! What?!!! Praise the Lord!!! Then a little later I see that he and Sarah started dating!! Then I get to see him in person at David and Hannah Willette’s wedding and the change in him was evident 😀 :D. He was still funny Patrick White, but he had a joy I’d never seen before and a love for God’s people! (especially Sarah Koger. Haha. I remember him sitting down to talk to me about her and how you just can’t find a girl like her. Haha. It’s was adorable 😀 ). Then a few months later I saw them together at the Bible conference at his church and I finally got to hear his full testimony and wow, it was just so encouraging. God is still working, folks and it’s incredible :).

When I told the guys to surround him, this happened. Haha. So great :D. It gets better though. Haha. Seriously, I laughed ’till I cried the majority of the time during their portraits. You’ll see why. Hahaha.

One of their normal moments. Haha. Nice, guys :D.

Love this one 😀

Then this was the result of me telling them to tackle him. Oh, man. Hahahaha.

Best. Haha.

😀

Patrick was a happy man and had all his closest guys to hang out with and support him :D.

Thinking of their most embarrassing memories. Haha.

Josh just being fabulous. Hahaha. (that’s Erica’s husband!)

Here I am above. Hehe :D. Then I told them to say “hi.”…

“Hiiiii.” Haha

The laughter rarely stopped. Haha.

And if it did…

…it wasn’t for long :D.

Oh, man. Hahahahaha. Right before this shot, Patrick said “Let’s do a ‘stretchy pants’ picture!” Hahahahaha. Moving on…

One of Patrick’s older brothers I introduced earlier and Erica’s husband: Joshua White. I actually mistook him for a groomsman for the first group shot. Haha. He said “I’m not a groomsman.” But then Patrick said “You’re my brother. Come on!” Yay :D. And he made the grouping more symmetrical, so double yay. Haha.

The hilarity continues. Hahaha.

Then there’s John Tagawa. Brother of Josiah!

Patrick: “Let’s pretend we’re in a Halo coma!”

Haha.

Then there’s Patrick’s cousin: Mark Matthews.

Haha

And this is Patrick’s other older brother: Jay White.

Hahaha

And this is William Drewa. He was a groomsman in Josiah’s wedding!

Haha

And then Patrick’s best man (who was also David’s best man): Caleb Mussulman.

Patrick: “Let me hold you like a toddler!” Oh my goodness. Hahahaha.

I was definitely crying again at this point. Oh, man. Hahahaha.

And then the man himself :D.

Ya looked nice, Patrick.

Then we went over to where the reception was going to be, the Lazy Lily River House, and I captured it before the guests arrived :).

Sarah was so excited the sunflowers on top were edible too. Hehe :D.

Patrick’s favorite baseball team :D. Made a fun grooms cake!

There’s the bridesmaid shot my mom got of Sarah at Stephanie’s wedding! Still love it 😀

And this is the picture I got of them at Josiah and Sarah’s wedding when they were still dating :D.

One of their engagement announcement pictures. Hehe 😀

Cookie bar for the wiiiiin! If you know me, you know I love cookies. Haha.

Their favors were packets of sunflower seeds! So fun :D.

Back at the bridal suite waiting :D.

Sarah’s an aunt :). This is Nina’s daughter Eleanor who was also a flower girl :).

And the rest of the family and guests started to arrive :).

Stephanie’s dad (and Sarah’s pastor) Bro. Jimmy Downing performed the ceremony :).

And there’s my dad! 😀

Doesn’t this look like they’re on a golf course? Hehe :D. Also: outdoor ceremonies foreverrrrrrr <3. Seriously, they’re just the best.

Bro. Jimmy is also my dad’s best friend :D. Love this shot Mom captured of them dying laughing :D.

It’s happeniiiiing! 😀

Here she comes!! 😀

Love this one 😀

They threw those petals down. Hahaha.

This is Sarah’s other niece, Jessica’s daughter, Constance :).

And then there’s Bones. Haha.

His real name is Malekai Griggs, but he goes by Bones; it’s the best. Haha :D.

It’s time! 😀

Yay 😀

🙂

Beautiful <3

Aaaaaah.

Just such a perfect spot and day <3.

🙂 🙂

😀 😀

Yaaaaaaaay! Husband and wiiiiife!

And this song from Pirates of the Caribbean played as they exited as Mr. and Mrs. White. It was fantastic :D. I told them right after how awesome that was, and Patrick said “Yeah! It’s’ cause we’re goin’ on an adventure!” Haha, so great :D.

Gettin’ into it. Haha 😀

Then it was time for more portraits. This picture of Mark and Bones cracks me up: tall man, tiny man! Hehe :D.

Also: family portraits outside for the win!! Turned out beautiful :D. What a beautiful place!

Dismissing the siblings. Haha.

This ring shot is always hard to explain. Haha.

There we go :D.

They’re a fun bunch. Hehe :D.

Heeeey, everybody! Looking good! 😀

Mark. Hahaha

Love this one :D.

Then everyone was free to scamper away…

Except for the new husband and wife :). Now it’s time to hear their story in Sarah’s words :)…

“Patrick and I have always lived apart from each other. Shortly after my family moved from San Antonio to Louisiana [yes, she lives in Louisiana, but they chose to have the wedding here in Texas ’cause she has a lot of relatives in San Antonio! And now they’re living back in her hometown in Louisiana! Anyway, back to Sarah] , his family moved to San Antonio and his dad began pastoring at Community Baptist Church. For as long as I can remember Patrick and I have known each other from church visits and conferences and we always got along. In April of 2014, my family and I took a trip to Texas for Easter. We spent a lot of time together and with some of his friends, and I think it’s safe to say that Patrick and I both felt an attraction to each other. However, at this point I knew it couldn’t turn into anything more than friendship. I was ultimately following the Lord, and Patrick was not. Even though we could talk about our beliefs without fighting, our differences meant that a relationship was not possible. Over the summer we somewhat kept in contact through Facebook and the occasional text. The most amazing thing was when Patrick sent me a text in November telling of how the Lord had saved him and his life was changed. After he shared his testimony with me, we didn’t really talk again until Thanksgiving. I was trying to figure out a way to strike up a conversation, and thought a ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ message was harmless enough :). That’s when we started talking on the phone everyday. At first, neither of us wanted a relationship, but God had other plans. I was very hesitant of anything more than friendship, and I’ll never forget the day Patrick asked to take me to dinner. I’m pretty sure I told him he was crazy, because how could we go on a date when we live over 500 miles apart? But Patrick wanted to prove he really cared about me, so in December he drove all the way to Ponchatoula, Louisiana to take me to dinner! Actions really do speak louder than words, and when I realized he wasn’t just all talk, I decided to give this long distance dating a try. Little did I know how quickly I would fall in love with Patrick White! Our relationship hasn’t been an easy one. It’s a lot of phone calls and Facetime, and we’ve both gotten really good at road trips. It’s never easy, but it’s always worth it because we truly love each other and believe that God brought us together! On April 25th 2015, Patrick again proved that actions speak louder than words when he asked me to marry him <3. We are so excited to begin our new life together, and our hope is that our marriage will be a picture of the love of Christ!”

Yaaaay! Praise the Lord for what He’s done in these two’s lives and for bringing them together :D. They’re a fun pair 😀 :D.

Pretending to throw her off. Haha.

Ooooh, man. One of my favorites <3 <3 They were so easy to photograph.

Hehe 😀

I asked Sarah to tell me about Patrick :).

“What I first noticed about Patrick is that he’s the most driven and hard working person that I know. He doesn’t ever settle for ordinary, but always strives to be his best at whatever he does. Once he sets his mind to something, there’s no stopping him! I love that Patrick is a strong and confident leader in our relationship, while ultimately following God. He is such a kind and thoughtful man who honestly cares for me. We have so much fun together, and I love that he is just as goofy as me (maybe even more 😉 ). It’s amazing to see how God brought us together. Patrick really is my better half! He points me to Christ, and makes me want to be a better person. He is my best friend and the love of my life, and I feel so blessed that I get to marry him 🙂 <3.”

And she did :D. And don’t they look awesome here?!

Sweet <3

I liked that this turned out looking kinda swampy like Louisiana. Hehe :D.

Haha 😀

So them 😀

Happiness 😀

Patrick: “Can I pick her up?”

Me: “Yeah!!”

Always a good idea. So fun 😀 😀

I also asked Patrick to tell me about Sarah :).

“Sarah is single-handedly the most loving, caring, fun, beautiful woman I have ever had the pleasure to know. She is the kind of girl that loves to dress up but would just as soon wear some Chucks, jeans, and one of her Star Wars t-shirts. She loves to nerd out on some Harry Potter, LOTR, or Star Wars and isn’t ashamed of the fact I own movie quality Harry Potter robes. She is the kind of girl that you can just ‘wing it’ with and have a blast. She is down to earth, smart, hilarious, driven, dedicated, and I think we can agree she is pretty much the most beautiful woman in the known universe. Her love for our Savior mirrors what a Godly woman should be and I believe that the work God has done in her is why she is simply amazing. She is my partner for life: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I can clearly see God’s hand in our lives and the way He has brought us together and I can’t believe I get to marry my best friend. The End.”

And he did. Huzzah :D.

Aaaaah. Dreamy :D.

Haha :D.

Just casting a spell on them. Haha.

Doing the Titanic. Haha :D.

Oh, love <3

Hehe 🙂

They’re just so comfortable with each other, like true best friends :). Well, it’s what they are :). And now they can live and serve the Lord side by side 🙂 <3.

I asked them what they love to do together :).

“We love to just do life together! It’s the simple things that matter most, like drinking coffee and cooking breakfast. We love to watch movies, especially Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter :). We’re both pretty easy going, and can pretty much have fun no matter what is going on. We can always make each other smile and laugh :). And we love to hang out with friends and family!”

Aaaah <3

🙂

Haha 😀

They’re adorable.

Again, aaaaah. And this was my first time to take bride and groom portraits at sunset!! WHAT a blast it was! So glorious!

Just so cool :D.

Me: “Go get her.”

Hehe 😀

Aaaaaaah, cannot take it.

Just talking :).

😀

Brown eyed beauty <3

Hahahaha

They’re great :D.

Spinning in the warm light? Yes, please.

😀

They have found the one whom their soul loves 🙂 :).

So fantastic, y’all.

Swooooon.

Hehehe 😀

Mmm 🙂

Such great expression. Haha :D.

“You’re my unfathomable, precious, unimaginable joy.
And you’re exceedingly exciting and abundantly more than I can ask for.
With your hand in mine we will pass through time and space.
And every second, every minute, every hour of every day I’ll say…

My unfailing love for you will not be moved
For you will not be moved
My unfailing love for you.
And though the mountains be shaken
And the hills be removed
Yet my unfailing love for you…

He tells a story of a King coming in glory and He is.
And that same Man who devised that plan united ours with His.
And so hand in hand we will walk with Him as our two become as one.
And all the promises He promises to us He promises will never be undone.”

~“Unfailing Love” by Jimmy Needham

Haha 😀

I was sad for our time to end, but it was time to eat and rejoice with everyone else :D.

Woohoo!! 😀

Mark’s girlfriend Grace Drewa (one of William’s younger sisters) :D.

And there’s Josiah and Sara!! 😀

And there’s David and Hannah!! And their baby boy who’s due to enter our world this summer!! 😀

Cupcake time. Hehe 😀

Cutting a cupcake was so adorable. Haha :D.

Then he decided to feed all his groomsmen. Hahaha.

When it came time for speeches, no one noticed Caleb trying to get their attention, so Patrick took care of that. Haha.

First dance 🙂

And there’s my mom! Haha :D.

Mmm 🙂

🙂

Yay 😀

Then her dad came to dance with her :D.

There’s Matt. Haha 😀

Then they invited any other fathers and daughters to join them :).

Then Patrick danced with his mom. Haha 😀

Hahaha 😀

But then another son wanted to come join. Haha.

Hahahaha.

And other mothers and sons came out to the dance floor :).

😀

More sons. Haha 😀

Then the rest of the dancing began. 😀

I love how she looks like this radiant, unearthly being ablaze in white, and Patrick is like “Whoa.” Haha 😀 Pretty much how it is, right Patrick? 😀

A favorite. Hehe 😀

There she is again. Hehe 😀

Her face is too cute 😀

Love it. Haha 😀

It was a fun night 😀

Time for the bouquet toss! 😀

Yaaaaay. Hehe 😀

Nina is dating someone, so of course there was lots of giggling and hinting. Haha :D.

😀

Garter time. Haha.

And the winner waaaas…

Nina’s boyfriend! Hahaha. Evan Turner.

More laughing and hinting. Hahaha

Then back to dancing ;). Yes, that’s me. Haha. When you take a break to dance and your Mom has access to a camera, you get dancing pictures of me. Hahaha.