Christmas festivities means this post will be short on words but the photos are so pretty (if I do say so myself) that I think you won’t mind. Nick and Melissa are a couple from Arizona who chose to be married at the LDS Dallas Texas Temple because Nick’s father is serving as a mission president in the area for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. They chose to celebrate simply with twenty of their closest friends and family, and really made the photos the focus of their day (after the marriage of course!).
I’m thrilled because I was told at the wedding that Nick and Melissa found me through a Google Search. Hooray! I must be doing something right. I feel lucky to be the one they chose out of all the other photographers they must have looked over. As you will see below, they’re a beautiful couple who are ridiculously in love. I couldn’t ask for anything more!
I introduced them to the idea of a “first look” and they were willing to give it a try. So worth it.
The first look caused a few tears on Nick’s part. So sweet!
Time to let the bustle down. Nick jumped right in to help figure out how it worked.
Getting married in the freezing cold of winter is worth it for this gorgeous light and warm fluffy coats, don’t you think?
After some time spent doing portraits with just the two of them, family and friends started to show up, letting us know it was time to head inside to get married! Love that you can see their friends and family gathered in a big group behind them on the photo on the right.
No photos are allowed inside of the LDS temple so I didn’t photograph the actual ceremony, but I was ready and waiting for them for the big moment when they made their public debut as husband and wife.
The entire group that celebrated with them that day.
I won’t explain what is happening here. I think it’s funnier if you don’t know. 
Halfway through the day we realized that the bouts and corsages that had been purchased for photos were still sitting in the car. Melissa stepped forward to help her new husband put on his boutonnière.
She wasn’t as successful as she hoped so mom stepped forward to finish the job.
These two cuties are getting married soon themselves. Maybe you’ll see them on Jenna Cole in the near future?
Melissa’s parents. Awwwwwww!
All of the sudden the madness began.
Nick’s brothers picked up the bride.
Nick’s dad picks up the groom.
And the bridal party ended things when they tried (very unsuccessfully) to pick up the groom as well.
On their first meeting he pushed her into the fountain. Or maybe it was she who pushed him? On the left we have “she said” and on the right “he said”. I’m thinking Melissa really looks like she knows what she is doing when it comes to pushing people in fountains!
Kudos to their family for standing outside in the cold for so long without complaining.
After the group portraits were complete, Nick and Melissa and myself moved over to Celestial Park (LDS readers will likely appreciate the irony of this location like we did ) to spend a few more hours doing portraits with the bride and groom. The light was dreamy, they were giddy with excitement,
Nick took the wedding bands out of the luggage back in Arizona but forgot to put them back in again and so an emergency trip to the mall was in order. Of the three rings you see here, one is “real” the other two are from Claires. Can you guess which is which?
THAT SHOT!
Which one? I don’t care I love them both. Real laughter. Real love.
A very merry Christmas to all of you, and to the newlyweds Melissa and Nick. As I told you beforehand, I love doing bride/groom portraits on the wedding day, so I loved every moment spent with you. Thank you.
Best,
Jenna
