I first met Paul and Cecelia on the day of their wedding, just a few hours before they said I do.  But, I had taken photos of them both from afar months earlier.  Okay, before you rule me out as a total creeper, allow me to rewind a bit!  Paul contacted me last year a few days before he was going to propose.  The two were headed to NYC, a first for Cecelia, and Paul was ready to ask her to be his wife.  He had a lovely day planned for the two that involved a stop at Bethesda Terrace, where he would propose.  I happily captured the entire thing.  Only Paul spotted me, and they vanished to enjoy the rest of their evening.  Cecelia found out about our little secret a few weeks later, when I sent Paul the DVD of his images, complete with a slideshow to the song they were listening to on a shared iPod right before the big moment.

When Paul contacted me with the idea of flying out to Austin to shoot the wedding, I was THRILLED!  I had never been to Austin, and I was so excited to finally meet these two!  Of course, the trip didn’t go off without a hitch.  The day I was set to fly out, there was a major blizzard along the east coast.  Something like three feet of snow and three canceled flights later, I managed to hop onto a Jet Blue flight the next day.  Sure I missed my day of sight seeing in Austin and the rehearsal dinner, but I made it with plenty of time for the wedding with some time to spare!

The venue was GORGEOUS, the Mansion at Judges Hill.  Absolutely spectacular (you’ll see)!  Aimee Villa of Lizze Belle was Paul and Cecelia’s coordinator, and she did an amazing job!   She kept me so thoroughly informed of everything that was going on, starting weeks before the wedding.  I can’t say enough great things about her!

This is pretty much how Cecelia and I first met!  When I came into her room, I had my camera ready to go and was lucky to snap a few shots like this.  Cecelia looked at me in her mirror and exclaimed that she couldn’t believe we were finally meeting.  It was great to hang out with the girls a bit as they started getting ready.

After spending some time with the ladies, Cecelia gave me a mission of bringing Paul his gift.  I happily obliged, as I thought it would be fabulous to show up for my first meeting with Paul holding a gift…even if it wasn’t from me!

In turn, Paul asked that I bring Cecelia her gift.

There isn’t an inch of the Mansion that isn’t a perfect spot for photos, but a gorgeous bridal party always helps!  Cecelia’s aunt handled all of the floral arrangements.  They were some of the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen.

Seriously.  Cecelia’s bouquet was absolute perfection!

And clearly, Cecelia is quite gorgeous herself!

The cake was made by Coco Paloma and was simply too pretty for words!

The reception took place in the courtyard of the hotel, right before sunset.

As Cecelia walked down the aisle, her eyes were locked on Paul.

Though, as she approached her mother, her eyes shifted gaze for just a moment.

I love how these two looked at each other throughout the ceremony.  You can just see the excitement and love in Paul’s eyes.

Did I mention yet that the hotel was gorgeous?

Right after the ceremony, we took some formal shots as the sunset transitioned into the evening.

During our formal session, Paul and Cecelia just kept laughing, smiling and kissing.  They were both so happy to be married!  Our session was short and relaxed, as they soaked in their first few moments of newlywed bliss.

LOOK at those smiles!  Have you ever seen a happier couple?

This shot is one of my favorites from the evening.  One thing I love to do during formals is hang back a bit and have the couple go for a walk.  No one will ever know what they’re saying to each other at that moment, except for them.  I simply have the pleasure of capturing it.

Sometimes, I also send them into hotel lobbies.  I’m fairly sure they completely forgot I was there for a few moments.

After the formals, it was time to head inside for the reception.

Paul gave the best speech.  Both heartfelt and hilarious.  I’d pay to see him perform stand up comedy.

After I get some great shots of the first dance, I like to get a bit more artsy with it.  I looove the results here.

Paul and his mom started off with a nice, tame dance before busting out some serious dance moves!

The rest of the speeches were equally as heartfelt and hilarious.  Paul’s best man can join him on his comedy tour.  Just check out the laughter in the below photo!  By the end of the speeches, I think everyone in the room had cried both tears of happiness, and tears from laughing too hard.

The cake must’ve been delicious, because after feeding each other, Paul and Cecelia just kept going.  Love it!

At one point, there was even a dance-off!

And finally, Paul and Cecelia exited to a shower of rose petals (and a light rainfall).  A perfect end to a beautiful day.

Paul and Cecelia, I can’t thank you enough for including me in your special day!  It was such an honor to shoot your engagement, and your wedding brought it full circle.  Documenting two of the most important moments in the lives of two extraordinary people is such an amazing thing to be able to do.  After having the pleasure of finally meeting you two, and talking with you throughout the whole process, there is no question in my mind as to why people flew in from all over the place-some, in a blizzard-to be by your sides as you exchanged vows.  You’re an amazing couple, and I wish you both so much love and happiness! -”Sneaks”