Hands-down, this was one of the most fun weddings I’ve ever attended. Maybe I’m biased because my husband was invited as a guest — he and the groom know each other from their high school days. Or perhaps the fact that I got to dance with Walt while screaming along to Billy Idol as everyone got down on the dance floor has something to do with it.

      Or maybe I can just admit that even if I didn’t know Kate and Aaron until their wedding day, I actually loved everything about their wedding.

      The couple sourced almost all of their wedding from friends, starting at the beginning of the day with Kate’s handmade wedding dress, to friends singing during the ceremony and bringing tears to everyone’s eyes, to the reception’s homemade desserts table. Just by walking into the reception it was obvious how much family meant to them — the entry table included wedding photos of past generations on both sides, and framed wedding invitations going back to the early 1900s as well. Good beer was served, the DJ pumped the dance floor with energy all night, and the bride and groom were sent off on a pedi-cab amid the ringing of bicycle bells.

      There was so much AMAZING going on that I don’t think this blog post does it justice. Here’s a small sampling of their day…

      bride getting ready in church dressing room houston weddinghandmade wedding dresssomething borrowed pearls shoes wedding photographywedding bouquet rice universityblack and white photograph classic bridegroom nervously adjusts suit waiting for ceremonygroomsmen goofing around chapelwaiting for wedding ceremony to begin rice university wedding photographygiving away the bride houston wedding photography

      friends singing during wedding ceremonybride wipes away tears with handkerchiefexchanging of the rings houston wedding photographyjust married couple embrace for photograph black and whiterice university campus willie statue bride groom photographsbride and groom couples photos in rice university quad entrance table at cohen house rice university weddinghomemade treats and cake at houston weddingcake cutting enthusiastic bride houston wedding photographera moment for moment junkie groom feeding bride cakefirst dance cohen house rice university wedding dancing at rice university wedding receptionbride dances at her wedding receptioncouple dancing houston wedding photographywalter is a nerd houston wedding photographer

      (Oh, Walt…)men showing bravado houston wedding photographygroom gets down on the dance floor houston wedding at rice universitybride groom last dance cohen house negative spacepedicab send-off for bride groom wedding couple

      Venue: Rice University Memorial Chapel and Cohen House
      Dress: Kristen Eide
      Florist: Billabong Fresh Flower Farm
      Cakes: Dacapos and family
      DJ: LG Entertainment

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      I adore the easy-going feeling here. Wonderful work, I especially love the dancing photographs!

      Elissa, these photos are truly wonderful. Thank you for capturing the spirit of the day and the emotional moments that added to the beauty of the wedding. And on another note, it was great to see Walt again and to meet you! I’m glad such a fantastic celebration was the reason our paths crossed, and I appreciate all you have done to photograph this joyful event in our lives! Carol Reese

      Oh such a wonderful job capturing their day! How marvelous!

      Ahhhhhh great job, Elissa!! Tons of really, really great moments. Love the pic of walt dancing. I am jealous of his hair….seriously. :)

      Cute couple! It looks like this was a really fun wedding, you did great capturing their day!

      Elissa, you did such a brilliant job capturing all the moments and events of the day, I am so in love with these!!!!

      I love the emotions you captured. They made me feel like I was there, and even better, they made me laugh.

      I feel like this whole wedding could be on moment junkie! You catch such amazing split seconds of awesomeness… great job E!

      OMG I love her dress! Great work!

      Really impressed by your dancing shots, got a good laugh from the guy holding the two ties.

      Thanks, Geoff! That’s actually the groom, which, in my opinion, makes it better ;)

      Great captures, this couple looks like they are a lot of fun!

      Beautiful work Elissa, the dance shots are great fun!

      Okay I love all of them but LOVE LOVE LOVE the black and white of them through the other people taking pictures of them and LOVE LOVE the ones of Grandma dancing!

      Oh, and definitely the one of the couple dancing, with the awesome ceiling-spots composition going on.

      Some really good stuff here. I esp. love love the black and white one of other people taking shots of the couple, and the cake-eating one!

      Beautiful images! So much fun!

      Oh I love the black and white photographs! And I love the dancing shots! They are one of the cutest I seen!

      That dress is so adorable! Suits the bride perfectly too! Lovely :)

      So much emotion in all these pictures. You really captured the spirit of the day.

      This looks like so much fun! And those getting ready shots are just beautiful. Great job!

      Beautiful! The dessert sequence made me hungry though :)