This beautiful bride got married this month and it was the sweetest day. I have spent so much time getting to know Megan - from the very first email I knew she would be a friend I would cherish. This woman is the reason that I love what I do and why I am incredibly grateful to be doing this work, as it brings people into my life that I am so blessed to know.

Megan is sweet, full of joy, has a heart of gold and a truly genuine soul. She cherishes her family, her marriage, and her friends deeply and she shows grace in everything that she does. I saw so much of these qualities on Megan and Jacob’s wedding day as I had the opportunity to see them showered in love and support by the people who mean the most to them. In addition to that, she is incredibly supportive of her husband, his endeavors and dreams, and goes above and beyond for him every chance she gets. Megan is the kind of woman who makes you strive to be better just because you know her, and for that I am eternally grateful.

I cannot wait to share more from Megan and Jacob’s wedding day at Camp Lucy, but until then here are a few of my favorites from Megan’s Bridal Session at Old Bethany in Waco, Texas. Be prepared for some serious beauty y’all.

Venue: Old Bethany

Hair and Makeup: Mindy Orsak of Gloss Beauty Boutique

Florals: Whim Hospitality

Dress: Unbridaled

Tell us about your dress! What drew you to this look?

“My dress is the Monique by Augusta Jones. I found it at Unbridaled in Austin. It's perfectly bridal in every way from the illusion lace neckline to the ball gown shape. I've always been a fan of wedding dresses that are unlike anything in my closet. I knew that my wedding dress would be the one I put on and thought "wow...I'm a bride," and that's exactly what happened when I put on this dress!”

Was this the dress you initially what you thought you’d be wearing?

“I knew I wanted something like it. Once I tried this specific dress on, none of the other dresses compared!”

What feeling did you have when you knew it was the dress for you?

“I felt so giddy. My mom and bridesmaids gasped and I just started laughing and smiling like crazy because, for the first time, wedding season was REAL for me. I truly felt in that moment that I was getting married and I was going to be a bride. That's how every bride's dress should make them feel.”

Do you have any advice for future brides during their planning process?

“During the planning process, you will have highs and lows. Just remember what the day is truly about. At the end of the day, if the marriage is better than the wedding day, that's a success. Prioritizing your people before the details and small things is my #1 piece of advice. Also, be sure to document during wedding season. Take pictures at your consultations, keep a scrapbook or journal, and take videos of you trying on wedding dresses. Lord-willing, you will only get married once and those memories are precious and fleeting.

Lastly, hug your parents. It is a huge day for them, too!”

Megan and her sweet mama - I couldn’t resist grabbing a portrait of the two of them!

Tell us about your dress! What drew you to this look?

I first saw the Mae gown after stumbling upon Chantel Lauren's Instagram page. I was seriously considering one of their other dresses and completely overlooked Mae on my first trip to Serendipity Bridal in Austin. I absolutely loved Mae's unforgettable look, but I didn't think I belonged in a dress like that. The model seemed so much cooler and edgier than I was, so I admired the gown from afar for a couple weeks never daring to dream that this not white wedding dress could be the dress for me. I tell other peoples' stories for a living so it wasn't long before I fell as hard for the gown's story as I had for its stunning image. Mae is handmade and hand-painted by a husband and wife with Austin roots. I was able to customize mine with subtle streaks of gold to highlight the golden tones in our overall wedding design. A one-of-a-kind wedding dress? Yes, please!

Was this the dress you initially what you thought you’d be wearing?

This dress was nothing like the dress I thought I wanted! I tried to keep my mind and options open throughout the entire process but I never in a million years dreamed I'd get married in a wedding dress that was anything but white. I was on the hunt for a simple, sleek, long-sleeved gown but couldn't find what I had dreamed up in my mind anywhere. Every dress I tried on that checked most of my boxes left me feeling underwhelmed and a little discouraged.

What feeling did you have when you knew it was the dress for you?

I knew Mae was the gown for me when I didn't want to take it off! I'd already been to three bridal salons and tried on at least 30 dresses but none of them made me feel as happy, confident and comfortable as the Mae gown did. I don't think there's a way you're "supposed" to feel when you find your dress. Everybody is different and it's important to remember that. I didn't cry. My mom didn't cry. None of my bridesmaids were there because I haphazardly stopped by Serendipity Bridal unannounced, curious and skeptical to see what this dress looked like on me. Still, I was (and still am) endlessly happy that I found and chose this dress. I wouldn't change a single thing.

Do you have any advice for future brides during their planning process?

Regularly set aside time for you and your fiance to do something --anything-- together other than wedding planning. This wedding is not in control of your lives! You are. It's so easy to get overwhelmed and somehow ahead of yourselves and behind schedule at the same time. Everything is going to be fine. Everything will get done. Whatever doesn't get done probably wasn't that important in the first place.

When it comes to dress advice specifically-- do yourself a favor and stop looking at wedding dresses after you pick your dress. I'd heard tales of people who thought they found their perfect dress but then another dress caught their eye and it was all downhill from there. Unless you have the budget to buy two wedding dresses, unfollow everyone and everything that isn't going to serve you well. I even un-followed Chantel Lauren on Instagram because I knew they had a new line coming out and I didn't trust myself not to fall in love with more of their beautiful designs. Once you commit, don't leave room for wedding dress doubt or unnecessary stress in your life!

Enjoy this time! It's so incredibly special, but what they say is true-- the best is yet to come :)

Film Lab: Photovision Prints

Photographer: Brittany Jean Photography

Florist: Remi + Gold

Hair: Simply Mandy

Makeup: Nisa Nicole

Dress: Chantel Lauren Designs via

Venue: Barr Mansion