Photo by Jason & Melaina Photography - www.JasonAndMelaina.com
 

For Sweethearts, Forever

Waco & Texas wedding photography

The laughter shared between you and your best friends as you prepare for your wedding ceremony. The look on your groom's face when he first sees you coming down the aisle. The whispered words of love spoken during your first dance as husband and wife. These are fleeting moments we try to sear in our mind's eye before they slip through our fingers.

But photography changes that.

Photography on your wedding day captures that look from your groom, saving it forever to be viewed by you, your children, your grandchildren. Photographs from your wedding day bring back like a flood the memories of laughter with girlfriends and those sweet words you and your husband shared. 

This is why we do what we do. As photographers, we hunt for those moments and preserve them. We give you images to have and to hold for years to come. Because our single shutter click changes a moment into a forever. 

We were blessed to have Jason and Melaina take our engagements, bridals, and wedding photos. They are so personable and great to work with! I had an idea of certain poses I wanted and they made the shots even better than I could've imagined! Their wedding and reception "action" shots turned out amazing! I highly recommend them for your photography needs! ❤️ Thanks to them, we have outstanding photographs to cherish forever! 
- Ashlee, J&M Bride
Photo of J&M: Powley Photo

Photo of J&M: Powley Photo

Jason & Melaina

We're college acquaintances who became good friends, who finally confessed our love for one another. We've been married for 8 years and working as a professional wedding photography team for 4 years. We like to think of ourselves as sweethearts who photograph sweethearts. 

To learn more about Team Jason & Melaina, including our philosophy of photography and our own forever love story, head over to the Meet J&M section. 

are you a sweetheart?

Booking your wedding photographer(s) is a tough decision. We know, we remember!! 

Not only are your photographers going to be by your side the majority of your wedding day, but GREAT photographers also provide GREAT help to you along the wedding planning journey.

To learn more about why we call our couples J&M Sweethearts, and the great service we provide them their entire wedding planning process, head over to our J&M Weddings section.

to learn more...

Want to talk to Jason & Melaina? You can reach us via email or phone at

hello@jasonandmelaina.com

254.307.0779.

You can also connect with us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram.

Hi there, friends! It's been a minute since we've done some #Fridayintroductions, so we thought today would be a perfect day for it! We're Jason & Melaina, the husband and wife team behind the cameras around here. And while we can give you our generic bio, we thought we'd tell you some random facts about us instead. *Jason once told our daughters his favorite color was green, and he now forever has to keep that as his favorite color because they won't let him change it. *Melaina loves the idea of relaxing on the beach or lake, but hates the idea of swimming in open water, or being out in open water where you can't see the shore. *Jason wants to live on a boat one day. (Not sure how that will work out, given random fact above.) *Melaina is a reader while Jason prefers audio books. So Melaina has read both the Harry Potter series and the Hunger Games series to Jason while he works on editing pictures. *Jason is better at doing dishes and laundry, mostly because he remembers to do the dishes and the laundry. *Both of us love living in big cities, and think it would be so cool to own a loft downtown in a metro area one day. Ok, those are some random facts about us! Do any of those speak to you on a spiritual level? Let us know below!
Hi there, friends! It's been a minute since we've done some #Fridayintroductions, so we thought today would be a perfect day for it! We're Jason & Melaina, the husband and wife team behind the cameras around here. And while we can give you our generic bio, we thought we'd tell you some random facts about us instead. *Jason once told our daughters his favorite color was green, and he now forever has to keep that as his favorite color because they won't let him change it. *Melaina loves the idea of relaxing on the beach or lake, but hates the idea of swimming in open water, or being out in open water where you can't see the shore. *Jason wants to live on a boat one day. (Not sure how that will work out, given random fact above.) *Melaina is a reader while Jason prefers audio books. So Melaina has read both the Harry Potter series and the Hunger Games series to Jason while he works on editing pictures. *Jason is better at doing dishes and laundry, mostly because he remembers to do the dishes and the laundry. *Both of us love living in big cities, and think it would be so cool to own a loft downtown in a metro area one day. Ok, those are some random facts about us! Do any of those speak to you on a spiritual level? Let us know below!
On Sunday evening the rain cleared away long enough for us to photograph these two #JandMSweethearts' engagement session. And in 5 weeks, we'll get to photograph their wedding! Dustin & Virginia's engagement session will be hitting the blog soon, and you're going to want to read this love story...and find out the connection they have with some former Sweethearts! So stay tuned!
On Sunday evening the rain cleared away long enough for us to photograph these two #JandMSweethearts' engagement session. And in 5 weeks, we'll get to photograph their wedding! Dustin & Virginia's engagement session will be hitting the blog soon, and you're going to want to read this love story...and find out the connection they have with some former Sweethearts! So stay tuned!
In just 13 days we'll get to give these two a hug again because it'll be their wedding day!! So excited to see you soon @abbiembutler & @aparticularphelps!
In just 13 days we'll get to give these two a hug again because it'll be their wedding day!! So excited to see you soon @abbiembutler & @aparticularphelps!
Raise your hand if you're planning on watching the #royalwedding tomorrow! I have so many questions I can't wait to have answered. What will Meghan's dress look like? What will her bouquet look like? Will Harry have to remain forward facing as she walks down the aisle? And if so, will he sneak a peek at her like William did with Kate? Also, what in the world is it like planning your wedding when it's a royal wedding that's going to be televised all over the world? Can you imagine?!? And I thought I was nervous on our wedding day! What are you looking forward to seeing most from Prince Harry & Meghan's wedding?
Raise your hand if you're planning on watching the #royalwedding tomorrow! I have so many questions I can't wait to have answered. What will Meghan's dress look like? What will her bouquet look like? Will Harry have to remain forward facing as she walks down the aisle? And if so, will he sneak a peek at her like William did with Kate? Also, what in the world is it like planning your wedding when it's a royal wedding that's going to be televised all over the world? Can you imagine?!? And I thought I was nervous on our wedding day! What are you looking forward to seeing most from Prince Harry & Meghan's wedding?
We've seen a lot of neat things our #JandMSweethearts have added to their wedding ceremonies to make them unique and perfectly them. From a foot-washing ceremony, to a tree-planting ceremony, and all sorts of fun and unique songs brides have walked down the aisle to...it's so fun for us going into a ceremony seeing how each of our couples has crafted it to show their unique personality. What's the most unique thing you've seen a couple do in their wedding ceremony?
We've seen a lot of neat things our #JandMSweethearts have added to their wedding ceremonies to make them unique and perfectly them. From a foot-washing ceremony, to a tree-planting ceremony, and all sorts of fun and unique songs brides have walked down the aisle to...it's so fun for us going into a ceremony seeing how each of our couples has crafted it to show their unique personality. What's the most unique thing you've seen a couple do in their wedding ceremony?
You know what's really fun? When we photograph a wedding styled shoot and are tasked to get the models. And then we reach out to some former #JandMSweethearts and ask if they're available, and they say yes! And then we get to hang out with them again and take some gorgeous pictures at sunset, 3 years after we were with them on their wedding day. Shout out to @ashleebrewster and @brewster_matt for being models for us. It was so fun to be with y'all again! Venue: @thevenueatlillypond Gown: @georgiosbridal . . . . .#jasonandmelainaphotography #wacoweddingphotographer #texasweddingphotographer #bohowedding #texassunset #texaswedding #dallasweddingphotographer #austinweddingphotographer #texasphotographer #mytexasvows #bridesofnorthtx #bridesofaustin #bridesoftexas #futuremrs #imgettingmarried #imengaged #weddinginspo #instagramadvantage #bohoweddinginspiration #southernwedding #theknot #stylemepretty #ohwowyes #soloverly
You know what's really fun? When we photograph a wedding styled shoot and are tasked to get the models. And then we reach out to some former #JandMSweethearts and ask if they're available, and they say yes! And then we get to hang out with them again and take some gorgeous pictures at sunset, 3 years after we were with them on their wedding day. Shout out to @ashleebrewster and @brewster_matt for being models for us. It was so fun to be with y'all again! Venue: @thevenueatlillypond Gown: @georgiosbridal . . . . .#jasonandmelainaphotography #wacoweddingphotographer #texasweddingphotographer #bohowedding #texassunset #texaswedding #dallasweddingphotographer #austinweddingphotographer #texasphotographer #mytexasvows #bridesofnorthtx #bridesofaustin #bridesoftexas #futuremrs #imgettingmarried #imengaged #weddinginspo #instagramadvantage #bohoweddinginspiration #southernwedding #theknot #stylemepretty #ohwowyes #soloverly
We did a poll and the results are in. It seems most brides no longer want the traditional bridal portrait session prior to their wedding day. We heard some different reasons why. Some talked about the additional cost of a session. Some talked about the extra time it took to schedule another event so close to the wedding. And then most told us it feels weird to hang a large portrait of just themselves in their new home, and would much rather have a framed portrait or canvas with their husband instead. As someone who's bridal portrait, complete with it's ornate gold frame, is hiding in her closet behind her husband's shirts, I can relate to that last one. So why would you NOT have bridal portraits before your wedding day? 💸, 🕛, or 🖼? Comment with your emoji below! And as always, thanks for helping us keep our finger on the pulse of what our #JandMSweethearts want! Gorgeous boho wedding dress: @georgiosbridal Venue: @thevenueatlillypond Designer: @taylorbibleweddings
We did a poll and the results are in. It seems most brides no longer want the traditional bridal portrait session prior to their wedding day. We heard some different reasons why. Some talked about the additional cost of a session. Some talked about the extra time it took to schedule another event so close to the wedding. And then most told us it feels weird to hang a large portrait of just themselves in their new home, and would much rather have a framed portrait or canvas with their husband instead. As someone who's bridal portrait, complete with it's ornate gold frame, is hiding in her closet behind her husband's shirts, I can relate to that last one. So why would you NOT have bridal portraits before your wedding day? 💸, 🕛, or 🖼? Comment with your emoji below! And as always, thanks for helping us keep our finger on the pulse of what our #JandMSweethearts want! Gorgeous boho wedding dress: @georgiosbridal Venue: @thevenueatlillypond Designer: @taylorbibleweddings
We normally only share portraits of our #JandMSweethearts here, but we couldn't let this week pass without sharing these portraits. For the past year, I (Melaina) have been mentoring 2 of these sweet girls from @highlandcm, walking alongside them and challenging them to go deeper in their faith in Christ as they finish their undergrad here at @bayloruniversity. And on Friday, they graduate! Kasey & @juliayrobinson, I'm so glad I've gotten to know you this year (or longer!) And I can't wait to see what God has in store for you next. Also, @shannanigans4, @maddieku, @farrahd95, @hope_larson and @pigsndoilies, y'all are cool too. 😉 #jasonandmelainaphotography #baylor #sicem #collegegrad #graduation #graduationcap #highlandcm #thisishowwecg #waco #wacotown #wacophotographer #texasphotographer #girlsquad #bffgoals
We normally only share portraits of our #JandMSweethearts here, but we couldn't let this week pass without sharing these portraits. For the past year, I (Melaina) have been mentoring 2 of these sweet girls from @highlandcm, walking alongside them and challenging them to go deeper in their faith in Christ as they finish their undergrad here at @bayloruniversity. And on Friday, they graduate! Kasey & @juliayrobinson, I'm so glad I've gotten to know you this year (or longer!) And I can't wait to see what God has in store for you next. Also, @shannanigans4, @maddieku, @farrahd95, @hope_larson and @pigsndoilies, y'all are cool too. 😉 #jasonandmelainaphotography #baylor #sicem #collegegrad #graduation #graduationcap #highlandcm #thisishowwecg #waco #wacotown #wacophotographer #texasphotographer #girlsquad #bffgoals
You know it's true love when the leg pops. How is everyone's Monday going? Got any exciting things coming up this week? I'm heading to our local #TuesdaysTogether for the #RisingTideSociety tomorrow and it's one of my favorite meetings each month. What are you most excited about this week? . . . . .#jasonandmelainaphotography #JandMSweethearts #WacoWeddingPhotographer #WacoEngagement #CameronPark #BosqueRiver #Waco #Wacotown #WacoisaWonderland #WacoWeekend
You know it's true love when the leg pops. How is everyone's Monday going? Got any exciting things coming up this week? I'm heading to our local #TuesdaysTogether for the #RisingTideSociety tomorrow and it's one of my favorite meetings each month. What are you most excited about this week? . . . . .#jasonandmelainaphotography #JandMSweethearts #WacoWeddingPhotographer #WacoEngagement #CameronPark #BosqueRiver #Waco #Wacotown #WacoisaWonderland #WacoWeekend
New month, who dis? Y'all, can you believe we are in MAY already?!? It felt like January took a year and then we blinked and it's almost summer! Speaking of summer, this June is our 10 YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!! We're probably not going to be able to take a trip on the actual anniversary (#weddingseason) but we're trying to plan a fun trip sometime later in the summer. Any suggestions on where we should go? (On a reasonable budget of course. The tour of Europe is going to have to wait to the 25 year anniversary! 😂) #jasonandmelainaphotography #wacoweddingphotographer #melainasbujo #itsgonnabemay #wacophotographer #texasweddingphotographer #instagramadvantage
New month, who dis? Y'all, can you believe we are in MAY already?!? It felt like January took a year and then we blinked and it's almost summer! Speaking of summer, this June is our 10 YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!! We're probably not going to be able to take a trip on the actual anniversary (#weddingseason) but we're trying to plan a fun trip sometime later in the summer. Any suggestions on where we should go? (On a reasonable budget of course. The tour of Europe is going to have to wait to the 25 year anniversary! 😂) #jasonandmelainaphotography #wacoweddingphotographer #melainasbujo #itsgonnabemay #wacophotographer #texasweddingphotographer #instagramadvantage
Can I let you in on a little secret? One of our favorite moments in the wedding day timeline is when we sneak our #JandMSweethearts out of their reception for about 10 minutes and photograph them at sunset. We always tell our couples we know it's a time sacrifice in their reception-partying, and maybe their dinner-eating, but it's so #worthit. Because it's #weddinglittlemoments like these that we know will make them smile when they look back on their wedding album. It's portraits like this that their grandchildren are going to look at and go, "Wow, look at Grandma and Grandpa and how in love they were on their wedding day!" And that's why we love it. Our afternoon wedding didn't take us all the way to sunset. But if I was redoing our wedding today, I'd definitely make this a part of my timeline. Would sunset portraits be a priority for your wedding day?
Can I let you in on a little secret? One of our favorite moments in the wedding day timeline is when we sneak our #JandMSweethearts out of their reception for about 10 minutes and photograph them at sunset. We always tell our couples we know it's a time sacrifice in their reception-partying, and maybe their dinner-eating, but it's so #worthit. Because it's #weddinglittlemoments like these that we know will make them smile when they look back on their wedding album. It's portraits like this that their grandchildren are going to look at and go, "Wow, look at Grandma and Grandpa and how in love they were on their wedding day!" And that's why we love it. Our afternoon wedding didn't take us all the way to sunset. But if I was redoing our wedding today, I'd definitely make this a part of my timeline. Would sunset portraits be a priority for your wedding day?
I would like to personally apologize to every girl we've ever photographed spinning with her fiance. I did not know how dizzying that was, nor how hard it is to do in heels. I do now. But man, it still makes for some cute portraits, right? Shout out to @kylnn413 for making us dance! . . . . . .#JasonandMelainaPhotography #husbandandwifeforlife #weddingphotographers #wacoweddingphotographer #texasweddingphotographer #JandMSweethearts #waco #downtownwaco #wacoweekend #wacotown #baylor #austinweddingphotographer #dallasweddingphotographer #wacophotographer #texaswedding #communityovercompetition #instagramadvantage #meetyourphotographer #husbandandwifeteam #modernwedding #engagement #relationshipgoals #ballerinaskirt #austinavenue
I would like to personally apologize to every girl we've ever photographed spinning with her fiance. I did not know how dizzying that was, nor how hard it is to do in heels. I do now. But man, it still makes for some cute portraits, right? Shout out to @kylnn413 for making us dance! . . . . . .#JasonandMelainaPhotography #husbandandwifeforlife #weddingphotographers #wacoweddingphotographer #texasweddingphotographer #JandMSweethearts #waco #downtownwaco #wacoweekend #wacotown #baylor #austinweddingphotographer #dallasweddingphotographer #wacophotographer #texaswedding #communityovercompetition #instagramadvantage #meetyourphotographer #husbandandwifeteam #modernwedding #engagement #relationshipgoals #ballerinaskirt #austinavenue
We couldn't let this week slip away without sharing this romantic and adventurous engagement session with y'all! Head to the link in profile to view Austin & Andie's engagement session in Cameron Park. Seriously, if you don't go for the pictures, then go to read the MOST ROMANTIC proposal story we've ever heard! And then come back here and tell us if you agree! @andielainec @wacoparksandrec #CameronPark #engagementsession #wacotown #wacoweekend
We couldn't let this week slip away without sharing this romantic and adventurous engagement session with y'all! Head to the link in profile to view Austin & Andie's engagement session in Cameron Park. Seriously, if you don't go for the pictures, then go to read the MOST ROMANTIC proposal story we've ever heard! And then come back here and tell us if you agree! @andielainec @wacoparksandrec #CameronPark #engagementsession #wacotown #wacoweekend
You know what this is a picture of? My FAVORITE dessert. Seriously, I would eat cake everyday if I could. But you know what else is in this picture? Dairy and gluten. Two things I'm struggling to cut from my diet right now. So if you have any suggestions on how to live a happy life while not eating dairy or gluten, please share your knowledge with me!!! Leave a comment, send a DM, send a carrier pigeon, please! Seriously, because this rice flour substitute stuff is NOT the same, y'all. HALP!!! #dairyfree #glutenfreelife #butweddingcakeismyfavorite #jasonandmelainaphotography @mrs_ekc @peacockriverranch
You know what this is a picture of? My FAVORITE dessert. Seriously, I would eat cake everyday if I could. But you know what else is in this picture? Dairy and gluten. Two things I'm struggling to cut from my diet right now. So if you have any suggestions on how to live a happy life while not eating dairy or gluten, please share your knowledge with me!!! Leave a comment, send a DM, send a carrier pigeon, please! Seriously, because this rice flour substitute stuff is NOT the same, y'all. HALP!!! #dairyfree #glutenfreelife #butweddingcakeismyfavorite #jasonandmelainaphotography @mrs_ekc @peacockriverranch
Remember in our stories those phone videos I took of this cute couple in Cameron Park? Yeah, those little videos didn't do this session justice! Double tap if you agree! Austin & Andie's engagement session will be hitting the blog soon, and we can't wait to share more of these two and their love story! So stay tuned, friends! . . . . . @andielainec #jasonandmelainaphotography #JandMSweethearts #engagementphotos #engagementsession #cameronpark #waco #wacotown #wacoisawonderland #wacoweddingphotographer #texaswedding #texasweddingphotographer #dallasweddingphotographer #dfwweddingphotographer #austinweddingphotographer #engaged #justsaidyes #imgettingmarried #heputaringonit #futuremrs #theknot #huffpostido #southernwedding #engagementinspiration
Remember in our stories those phone videos I took of this cute couple in Cameron Park? Yeah, those little videos didn't do this session justice! Double tap if you agree! Austin & Andie's engagement session will be hitting the blog soon, and we can't wait to share more of these two and their love story! So stay tuned, friends! . . . . . @andielainec #jasonandmelainaphotography #JandMSweethearts #engagementphotos #engagementsession #cameronpark #waco #wacotown #wacoisawonderland #wacoweddingphotographer #texaswedding #texasweddingphotographer #dallasweddingphotographer #dfwweddingphotographer #austinweddingphotographer #engaged #justsaidyes #imgettingmarried #heputaringonit #futuremrs #theknot #huffpostido #southernwedding #engagementinspiration
TBH, this is what most of our date nights look like around here. And now that This Is Us is over for the summer, we're wondering what to watch next...beside The Greatest Showman over and over again, obviously. So if you've got some suggestions for a great new show or movie for us to watch, drop 'em in the comments below. Because date nights are important, y'all.
TBH, this is what most of our date nights look like around here. And now that This Is Us is over for the summer, we're wondering what to watch next...beside The Greatest Showman over and over again, obviously. So if you've got some suggestions for a great new show or movie for us to watch, drop 'em in the comments below. Because date nights are important, y'all.
Hey Insta, quick poll for you tonight. (Or today if the algorithm has you reading this on Thursday afternoon.) Are bridals sessions over? How are we feeling about this? Now, I realize they have been over, or maybe never were even a thing, if you are from the northern part of the US. But here in the South, bridal portraits were REQUIRED. When we were married 10 years ago, it wasn't even a question if I was going to have bridal portraits done before our wedding. And we bought the massive gold frame to display my favorite portrait during our reception. But we've been photographing our #JandMSweethearts for six years now, and tbh, we're doing less and less bridal portrait sessions. We still photograph our brides on their wedding days, because every bride deserves a few portraits to show her children and grandchildren one day. But now our Sweethearts are displaying their engagement sessions at the reception, and I'm wondering if bridal portraits are ever hung in their new home. So, give me your thoughts below. Are bridal portrait sessions done? @mrs_ekc @peacockriverranch #jasonandmelainaphotography #happilyeverchesser
Hey Insta, quick poll for you tonight. (Or today if the algorithm has you reading this on Thursday afternoon.) Are bridals sessions over? How are we feeling about this? Now, I realize they have been over, or maybe never were even a thing, if you are from the northern part of the US. But here in the South, bridal portraits were REQUIRED. When we were married 10 years ago, it wasn't even a question if I was going to have bridal portraits done before our wedding. And we bought the massive gold frame to display my favorite portrait during our reception. But we've been photographing our #JandMSweethearts for six years now, and tbh, we're doing less and less bridal portrait sessions. We still photograph our brides on their wedding days, because every bride deserves a few portraits to show her children and grandchildren one day. But now our Sweethearts are displaying their engagement sessions at the reception, and I'm wondering if bridal portraits are ever hung in their new home. So, give me your thoughts below. Are bridal portrait sessions done? @mrs_ekc @peacockriverranch #jasonandmelainaphotography #happilyeverchesser
Remember how we posted about entering the @shootandshare photo contest? Remember how our bridal portrait of @fawners made it into the finalist round? Well the nice folks at @shootandshare & Vivi made us a video of our submissions to celebrate! Let us know in the comments which was your favorite image! #jasonandmelainaphotography #wacoweddingphotographers #texaswedding #texasweddingphotograpger #shootandshare #weddingphotography
If you saw this portrait on our stories, you know I promised to tell a funny story about this one. So gather round, friends. Our #JandMSweethearts wanted to have some fun with sparklers, so we worked out a plan for how to get this shot for them. J was going to be manning the camera on a tripod with a slow shutter speed, and I was going to be running around our sweet couple with a sparkler. Our plan was set and we were good to go. But here's the thing- running around in circles over and over again gets pretty difficult. Especially when you are holding a lit sparkler close to people, trying to get it near enough to make a fun spiral, but not too near to burn holes in your bride's wedding gown. I had to stay turned toward them while I was running to make sure I didn't burn them. And I had to run fast enough that I didn't show up in the photo. Have you seen those videos of people who put their foreheads on the end of a baseball bat on the ground and spin around it? And then they try to run in a straight line after? It felt sort of like that. Also, I apparently ran very loudly, stomping all around our sweet couple, which made them want to laugh. And they had to hold perfectly still, starring into one another's eyes, and not break! So J would yell "Go!", I would stomp-run around our Sweethearts trying to not burn them, they would try to hold perfectly still and not laugh, all until J yelled, "OK!" Then they would laugh and I would try not to fall down on the grass, completely out-of-breath. We were a sight to the wedding guests, I'm sure! Luckily, it only took us 3 tries to get it right. And getting them this fun portrait was so worth it! @e.liz.abeth411 @peacockriverranch #jasonandmelainaphotography #wacoweddingphotographer #texaswedding #sparklers #peacockriverranch #behindthescenes
If you saw this portrait on our stories, you know I promised to tell a funny story about this one. So gather round, friends. Our #JandMSweethearts wanted to have some fun with sparklers, so we worked out a plan for how to get this shot for them. J was going to be manning the camera on a tripod with a slow shutter speed, and I was going to be running around our sweet couple with a sparkler. Our plan was set and we were good to go. But here's the thing- running around in circles over and over again gets pretty difficult. Especially when you are holding a lit sparkler close to people, trying to get it near enough to make a fun spiral, but not too near to burn holes in your bride's wedding gown. I had to stay turned toward them while I was running to make sure I didn't burn them. And I had to run fast enough that I didn't show up in the photo. Have you seen those videos of people who put their foreheads on the end of a baseball bat on the ground and spin around it? And then they try to run in a straight line after? It felt sort of like that. Also, I apparently ran very loudly, stomping all around our sweet couple, which made them want to laugh. And they had to hold perfectly still, starring into one another's eyes, and not break! So J would yell "Go!", I would stomp-run around our Sweethearts trying to not burn them, they would try to hold perfectly still and not laugh, all until J yelled, "OK!" Then they would laugh and I would try not to fall down on the grass, completely out-of-breath. We were a sight to the wedding guests, I'm sure! Luckily, it only took us 3 tries to get it right. And getting them this fun portrait was so worth it! @e.liz.abeth411 @peacockriverranch #jasonandmelainaphotography #wacoweddingphotographer #texaswedding #sparklers #peacockriverranch #behindthescenes
So, did y'all click the link in our profile to see this wedding? Because it's just so pretty. And while the details are perfect and we definitely had some fun with sparklers in a couple of the pictures from the day, images like this one are some of my favorite. Something about seeing a big, expansive Texas sky over a bride & groom as they say their vows reminds me of how big and expansive this moment is. Because while the details are fun to plan, and the reception is a fun party to attend...it's the marriage, the moment in the ceremony when you pledge your life to one another, that's the most important thing. Double-tap if you agree! . . . . .#jasonandmelainaphotography #JandMSweethearts #texassky #texaswedding #wacoweddingphotographer #wacoweddings #dallasweddingphotographer #austinweddingphotographer #texasweddingphotographer #instagramadvantage #weddingday #realwedding #theknot #theknotweddings #southernwedding #brideandgroom #weddingvows #marriage #weddinginspo #peacockriverranch #gatesville @peacockriverranch @e.liz.abeth411 #farwelltokoelbel #happilyeverchesser #imengaged #imgettingmarried
So, did y'all click the link in our profile to see this wedding? Because it's just so pretty. And while the details are perfect and we definitely had some fun with sparklers in a couple of the pictures from the day, images like this one are some of my favorite. Something about seeing a big, expansive Texas sky over a bride & groom as they say their vows reminds me of how big and expansive this moment is. Because while the details are fun to plan, and the reception is a fun party to attend...it's the marriage, the moment in the ceremony when you pledge your life to one another, that's the most important thing. Double-tap if you agree! . . . . .#jasonandmelainaphotography #JandMSweethearts #texassky #texaswedding #wacoweddingphotographer #wacoweddings #dallasweddingphotographer #austinweddingphotographer #texasweddingphotographer #instagramadvantage #weddingday #realwedding #theknot #theknotweddings #southernwedding #brideandgroom #weddingvows #marriage #weddinginspo #peacockriverranch #gatesville @peacockriverranch @e.liz.abeth411 #farwelltokoelbel #happilyeverchesser #imengaged #imgettingmarried
Hi there, friends! It's been a minute since we've done some #Fridayintroductions, so we thought today would be a perfect day for it! We're Jason & Melaina, the husband and wife team behind the cameras around here. And while we can give you our generic bio, we thought we'd tell you some random facts about us instead. *Jason once told our daughters his favorite color was green, and he now forever has to keep that as his favorite color because they won't let him change it. *Melaina loves the idea of relaxing on the beach or lake, but hates the idea of swimming in open water, or being out in open water where you can't see the shore. *Jason wants to live on a boat one day. (Not sure how that will work out, given random fact above.) *Melaina is a reader while Jason prefers audio books. So Melaina has read both the Harry Potter series and the Hunger Games series to Jason while he works on editing pictures. *Jason is better at doing dishes and laundry, mostly because he remembers to do the dishes and the laundry. *Both of us love living in big cities, and think it would be so cool to own a loft downtown in a metro area one day. Ok, those are some random facts about us! Do any of those speak to you on a spiritual level? Let us know below! On Sunday evening the rain cleared away long enough for us to photograph these two #JandMSweethearts' engagement session. And in 5 weeks, we'll get to photograph their wedding! Dustin & Virginia's engagement session will be hitting the blog soon, and you're going to want to read this love story...and find out the connection they have with some former Sweethearts! So stay tuned! In just 13 days we'll get to give these two a hug again because it'll be their wedding day!! So excited to see you soon @abbiembutler & @aparticularphelps! Raise your hand if you're planning on watching the #royalwedding tomorrow! I have so many questions I can't wait to have answered. What will Meghan's dress look like? What will her bouquet look like? Will Harry have to remain forward facing as she walks down the aisle? And if so, will he sneak a peek at her like William did with Kate? Also, what in the world is it like planning your wedding when it's a royal wedding that's going to be televised all over the world? Can you imagine?!? And I thought I was nervous on our wedding day! What are you looking forward to seeing most from Prince Harry & Meghan's wedding? We've seen a lot of neat things our #JandMSweethearts have added to their wedding ceremonies to make them unique and perfectly them. From a foot-washing ceremony, to a tree-planting ceremony, and all sorts of fun and unique songs brides have walked down the aisle to...it's so fun for us going into a ceremony seeing how each of our couples has crafted it to show their unique personality. What's the most unique thing you've seen a couple do in their wedding ceremony? You know what's really fun? When we photograph a wedding styled shoot and are tasked to get the models. And then we reach out to some former #JandMSweethearts and ask if they're available, and they say yes! And then we get to hang out with them again and take some gorgeous pictures at sunset, 3 years after we were with them on their wedding day. Shout out to @ashleebrewster and @brewster_matt for being models for us. It was so fun to be with y'all again! Venue: @thevenueatlillypond Gown: @georgiosbridal . . . . .#jasonandmelainaphotography #wacoweddingphotographer #texasweddingphotographer #bohowedding #texassunset #texaswedding #dallasweddingphotographer #austinweddingphotographer #texasphotographer #mytexasvows #bridesofnorthtx #bridesofaustin #bridesoftexas #futuremrs #imgettingmarried #imengaged #weddinginspo #instagramadvantage #bohoweddinginspiration #southernwedding #theknot #stylemepretty #ohwowyes #soloverly We did a poll and the results are in. It seems most brides no longer want the traditional bridal portrait session prior to their wedding day. We heard some different reasons why. Some talked about the additional cost of a session. Some talked about the extra time it took to schedule another event so close to the wedding. And then most told us it feels weird to hang a large portrait of just themselves in their new home, and would much rather have a framed portrait or canvas with their husband instead. As someone who's bridal portrait, complete with it's ornate gold frame, is hiding in her closet behind her husband's shirts, I can relate to that last one. So why would you NOT have bridal portraits before your wedding day? 💸, 🕛, or 🖼? Comment with your emoji below! And as always, thanks for helping us keep our finger on the pulse of what our #JandMSweethearts want! Gorgeous boho wedding dress: @georgiosbridal Venue: @thevenueatlillypond Designer: @taylorbibleweddings We normally only share portraits of our #JandMSweethearts here, but we couldn't let this week pass without sharing these portraits. For the past year, I (Melaina) have been mentoring 2 of these sweet girls from @highlandcm, walking alongside them and challenging them to go deeper in their faith in Christ as they finish their undergrad here at @bayloruniversity. And on Friday, they graduate! Kasey & @juliayrobinson, I'm so glad I've gotten to know you this year (or longer!) And I can't wait to see what God has in store for you next. Also, @shannanigans4, @maddieku, @farrahd95, @hope_larson and @pigsndoilies, y'all are cool too. 😉 #jasonandmelainaphotography #baylor #sicem #collegegrad #graduation #graduationcap #highlandcm #thisishowwecg #waco #wacotown #wacophotographer #texasphotographer #girlsquad #bffgoals You know it's true love when the leg pops. How is everyone's Monday going? Got any exciting things coming up this week? I'm heading to our local #TuesdaysTogether for the #RisingTideSociety tomorrow and it's one of my favorite meetings each month. What are you most excited about this week? . . . . .#jasonandmelainaphotography #JandMSweethearts #WacoWeddingPhotographer #WacoEngagement #CameronPark #BosqueRiver #Waco #Wacotown #WacoisaWonderland #WacoWeekend New month, who dis? Y'all, can you believe we are in MAY already?!? It felt like January took a year and then we blinked and it's almost summer! Speaking of summer, this June is our 10 YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!! We're probably not going to be able to take a trip on the actual anniversary (#weddingseason) but we're trying to plan a fun trip sometime later in the summer. Any suggestions on where we should go? (On a reasonable budget of course. The tour of Europe is going to have to wait to the 25 year anniversary! 😂) #jasonandmelainaphotography #wacoweddingphotographer #melainasbujo #itsgonnabemay #wacophotographer #texasweddingphotographer #instagramadvantage Can I let you in on a little secret? One of our favorite moments in the wedding day timeline is when we sneak our #JandMSweethearts out of their reception for about 10 minutes and photograph them at sunset. We always tell our couples we know it's a time sacrifice in their reception-partying, and maybe their dinner-eating, but it's so #worthit. Because it's #weddinglittlemoments like these that we know will make them smile when they look back on their wedding album. It's portraits like this that their grandchildren are going to look at and go, "Wow, look at Grandma and Grandpa and how in love they were on their wedding day!" And that's why we love it. Our afternoon wedding didn't take us all the way to sunset. But if I was redoing our wedding today, I'd definitely make this a part of my timeline. Would sunset portraits be a priority for your wedding day? I would like to personally apologize to every girl we've ever photographed spinning with her fiance. I did not know how dizzying that was, nor how hard it is to do in heels. I do now. But man, it still makes for some cute portraits, right? Shout out to @kylnn413 for making us dance! . . . . . .#JasonandMelainaPhotography #husbandandwifeforlife #weddingphotographers #wacoweddingphotographer #texasweddingphotographer #JandMSweethearts #waco #downtownwaco #wacoweekend #wacotown #baylor #austinweddingphotographer #dallasweddingphotographer #wacophotographer #texaswedding #communityovercompetition #instagramadvantage #meetyourphotographer #husbandandwifeteam #modernwedding #engagement #relationshipgoals #ballerinaskirt #austinavenue We couldn't let this week slip away without sharing this romantic and adventurous engagement session with y'all! Head to the link in profile to view Austin & Andie's engagement session in Cameron Park. Seriously, if you don't go for the pictures, then go to read the MOST ROMANTIC proposal story we've ever heard! And then come back here and tell us if you agree! @andielainec @wacoparksandrec #CameronPark #engagementsession #wacotown #wacoweekend You know what this is a picture of? My FAVORITE dessert. Seriously, I would eat cake everyday if I could. But you know what else is in this picture? Dairy and gluten. Two things I'm struggling to cut from my diet right now. So if you have any suggestions on how to live a happy life while not eating dairy or gluten, please share your knowledge with me!!! Leave a comment, send a DM, send a carrier pigeon, please! Seriously, because this rice flour substitute stuff is NOT the same, y'all. HALP!!! #dairyfree #glutenfreelife #butweddingcakeismyfavorite #jasonandmelainaphotography @mrs_ekc @peacockriverranch Remember in our stories those phone videos I took of this cute couple in Cameron Park? Yeah, those little videos didn't do this session justice! Double tap if you agree! Austin & Andie's engagement session will be hitting the blog soon, and we can't wait to share more of these two and their love story! So stay tuned, friends! . . . . . @andielainec #jasonandmelainaphotography #JandMSweethearts #engagementphotos #engagementsession #cameronpark #waco #wacotown #wacoisawonderland #wacoweddingphotographer #texaswedding #texasweddingphotographer #dallasweddingphotographer #dfwweddingphotographer #austinweddingphotographer #engaged #justsaidyes #imgettingmarried #heputaringonit #futuremrs #theknot #huffpostido #southernwedding #engagementinspiration TBH, this is what most of our date nights look like around here. And now that This Is Us is over for the summer, we're wondering what to watch next...beside The Greatest Showman over and over again, obviously. So if you've got some suggestions for a great new show or movie for us to watch, drop 'em in the comments below. Because date nights are important, y'all. Hey Insta, quick poll for you tonight. (Or today if the algorithm has you reading this on Thursday afternoon.) Are bridals sessions over? How are we feeling about this? Now, I realize they have been over, or maybe never were even a thing, if you are from the northern part of the US. But here in the South, bridal portraits were REQUIRED. When we were married 10 years ago, it wasn't even a question if I was going to have bridal portraits done before our wedding. And we bought the massive gold frame to display my favorite portrait during our reception. But we've been photographing our #JandMSweethearts for six years now, and tbh, we're doing less and less bridal portrait sessions. We still photograph our brides on their wedding days, because every bride deserves a few portraits to show her children and grandchildren one day. But now our Sweethearts are displaying their engagement sessions at the reception, and I'm wondering if bridal portraits are ever hung in their new home. So, give me your thoughts below. Are bridal portrait sessions done? @mrs_ekc @peacockriverranch #jasonandmelainaphotography #happilyeverchesser
Remember how we posted about entering the @shootandshare photo contest? Remember how our bridal portrait of @fawners made it into the finalist round? Well the nice folks at @shootandshare & Vivi made us a video of our submissions to celebrate! Let us know in the comments which was your favorite image! #jasonandmelainaphotography #wacoweddingphotographers #texaswedding #texasweddingphotograpger #shootandshare #weddingphotography
If you saw this portrait on our stories, you know I promised to tell a funny story about this one. So gather round, friends. Our #JandMSweethearts wanted to have some fun with sparklers, so we worked out a plan for how to get this shot for them. J was going to be manning the camera on a tripod with a slow shutter speed, and I was going to be running around our sweet couple with a sparkler. Our plan was set and we were good to go. But here's the thing- running around in circles over and over again gets pretty difficult. Especially when you are holding a lit sparkler close to people, trying to get it near enough to make a fun spiral, but not too near to burn holes in your bride's wedding gown. I had to stay turned toward them while I was running to make sure I didn't burn them. And I had to run fast enough that I didn't show up in the photo. Have you seen those videos of people who put their foreheads on the end of a baseball bat on the ground and spin around it? And then they try to run in a straight line after? It felt sort of like that. Also, I apparently ran very loudly, stomping all around our sweet couple, which made them want to laugh. And they had to hold perfectly still, starring into one another's eyes, and not break! So J would yell "Go!", I would stomp-run around our Sweethearts trying to not burn them, they would try to hold perfectly still and not laugh, all until J yelled, "OK!" Then they would laugh and I would try not to fall down on the grass, completely out-of-breath. We were a sight to the wedding guests, I'm sure! Luckily, it only took us 3 tries to get it right. And getting them this fun portrait was so worth it! @e.liz.abeth411 @peacockriverranch #jasonandmelainaphotography #wacoweddingphotographer #texaswedding #sparklers #peacockriverranch #behindthescenes So, did y'all click the link in our profile to see this wedding? Because it's just so pretty. And while the details are perfect and we definitely had some fun with sparklers in a couple of the pictures from the day, images like this one are some of my favorite. Something about seeing a big, expansive Texas sky over a bride & groom as they say their vows reminds me of how big and expansive this moment is. Because while the details are fun to plan, and the reception is a fun party to attend...it's the marriage, the moment in the ceremony when you pledge your life to one another, that's the most important thing. Double-tap if you agree! . . . . .#jasonandmelainaphotography #JandMSweethearts #texassky #texaswedding #wacoweddingphotographer #wacoweddings #dallasweddingphotographer #austinweddingphotographer #texasweddingphotographer #instagramadvantage #weddingday #realwedding #theknot #theknotweddings #southernwedding #brideandgroom #weddingvows #marriage #weddinginspo #peacockriverranch #gatesville @peacockriverranch @e.liz.abeth411 #farwelltokoelbel #happilyeverchesser #imengaged #imgettingmarried