Something I have learned about living in the south is when it rains, it pours. Literally. I am always amazed at the sheer amount of water that can come down is such a short amount of time during one of our storms! The storm we were having on this particular day was no different. What was different was that I had a 3-hour drive to make instead of just getting to snuggle up with my three littles and enjoy the weather inside our home. Not this day.

I always try to give myself extra time before shoots so I can make sure I am on time. When I travel like I did this particular time, I gave myself an extra 90 minutes to get from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Dallas, TX. It wasn’t too awful in Oklahoma but I had on my rain coat and my muck boots just in case something went wrong. Off I went, my water bottle and Dr. Pepper in the cup holders, my audio book ‘How to Talk so Your Kids Will Listen’ playing, and my Riesens on the front seat. Super healthy, I know, but when I travel by myself, I indulge. At least the audio book was educational.

For the first 20 minutes I was thinking maybe, just maybe I would get lucky and the rain would pass, the weather would clear up in Dallas so we could shoot outside and I love to do, and I’d be able to make it home before it was too terribly late. Well, I thought too soon. Within minutes of me feeling lucky the flood gates opened and I could hardly see 20 feet in front of me. I slowed down. WAY, WAY down… I. WAS. CRAWLING. The rain was so loud on the car that even though the audio book was on as loud as it would go I couldn’t hear it (not that I was listening to it anymore anyways because of concentrating so hard). And it just kept coming!! As I started up the hill past the windmills I could feel my tires slipping once, and then twice. Thankfully they stuck and I didn’t go with the water down the hill! By this point what should have taken me less than an hour was pushing towards two hours. Was I ready to go home, you bet. Were my knuckles completely white, ha! my whole hands were white from holding the wheel so tightly! By the time I made it to the boarder of Oklahoma and Texas I was exhausted. The rain hadn’t let up, there streams of water along the sides of the roads had turned into creeks, and my 90 minutes early was looking more like 20 minutes if I was lucky. I had seen many cars off the side of the road, I’d almost been hit by 2 different vehicles, and thankfully not been in the way when 2 semi trucks crash right in front of me almost crashed. As I passed the Denton, TX exits I was down to 10 minutes early and so over this trip and had probably prayed more in the last 3 hours than I had in the last month! Thankfully the rain slowed as I saw my exit sign in Dallas. From the exit to the Cliff House, the rain had completely stopped. I had 3 minutes until I was supposed to be inside and I took two of those minutes just to breathe and recompose myself. Walking in to the Cliff House, all decorated and full of life was the perfect boost I needed after the 4 hours and 27 minute journey-of-awful.

If you haven’t been to the Cliff House in Dallas, TX before and you are looking for a perfect, natural lit, intimate venue then you need to check it out. Established in 1936, this chapel still hold all of it’s original charm feeling. With a recent face lift, the Cliff House has been brought into the 21st century while still sustaining the feelings of hope and love that came with the hundreds of wedding performed in it walls in the last 83 years. I always love to hear how history has played a role in a wedding venue because I believe the past is an incredibly important part of who we are today. It’s part of why the “something borrowed” aspect of wedding days always tend to intrigue me. Walking into this sweet chapel after hours of chaos was the perfect antidote to an incredible experience with an amazing couple and some of the more incredible vendors.

Laura and Bryce were seriously the best to work with! I am always amazed at how incredible the couples I get to work with are and count myself greatly blessed. All of the little details for this modern, bohemian event were perfectly planned out and reflected the mood of the couple perfectly: playful and intimate. There quiet moments and moment of laughter. There were moments to play and moments to reflect. Every detail was carefully thought out by the wedding planner, Linda Lyons, and every detail had a place. The warmth from the sun shine which decided to debut added to the perfect day in which I got to capture the perfect story; a story of history, love, and devotion.

I am forever grateful to get to work with, learn from, and develop alongside some of the best names in the weddings industry. No matter what state I am in photographing, I am amazed by the wedding community and the incredible people I am able to meet. If you are in need of Texas wedding vendors, any of those listed below the gallery I would gladly recommend. They are professional, have a love for their craft, and will serve you are a client and friend.

Xxxx,

Beth