Brian + Aliese | Summertime Garden Wedding in Dumas, Texas

This wedding seriously had it all: a Volkswagen van photo booth, live chickens, tons and tons of orchids, a food truck, and sweet ceremony in a lush, butterfly-filled garden. I don’t think weddings get better than that. Brian and Aliese created a beautiful wedding but more importantly, they focused the day around joining their two families by keeping things relaxed and easy-going. They got married in the bride’s cousin’s beautiful backyard and the day was an intimate celebration with close friends and family.

WeddingsKayla SmithSeptember 6, 2019wedding, texas, bride, the knot, dumas, bridal, groom, marriedComment

Kaden + Averye | Glamorous Industrial Wedding at Kitalou Gin in Lubbock, Texas

To say that I was excited about Kaden and Averye’s wedding would be an understatement. For one thing, the two of them are absolutely adorable. They are high school sweethearts and they knew they would one day get married. After several years, they committed their lives to one another in front of 400 of their closest family and friends. They are loved by a lot of people and it’s not surprising.

Seth + Jayla | Traditional and Elegant Wedding at St. Mary's Cathedral in Amarillo

Seth and Jayla are really the loveliest, sweetest people and I feel lucky that they chose me to take their wedding photos. And not only are they sweet, but their family and friends are spectacular. They had some of the nicest bridesmaids and groomsmen that I’ve encountered in the many weddings that I’ve photographed. It’s no wonder they invited over 400 people to their wedding! They are loved by many.

WeddingsKayla SmithJuly 6, 2019amarillo, texas, photographer, wedding, catholic, bride, groom, wedding photographerComment

Planning for Stress-Free Family Photos on Your Wedding Day

Family portraits are such an important reminder of a wedding day but unfortunately, they can be one of the more stressful portions of the day. The last thing I want is for you to get the energy zapped out of you by family pictures (especially if bride and groom portraits are afterwards!). Here is my best advice for making sure family pictures go smoothly.

WeddingsKayla SmithFebruary 20, 2019wedding planning, wedding, wedding photographer, family photos, weddings, bride, groom, portraitsComment

Hannah + Ty | Colorful, Free-Spirited Wedding in Palo Duro Canyon

Ty and Hannah’s wedding was one for the books.

It was totally, 100%, completely different from any other wedding that I have photographed and that is a beautiful thing! It was refreshing, real, and so much fun.

Hannah and Ty came from Houston to get married in Palo Duro Canyon simply because they love it. They had tons of bridesmaids and groomsmen and family members come up to support them because they are very clearly loved and cherished by many. And I can see why. Both Hannah and Ty have something about themselves that attracts people to them like a magnet. They light up the room when they walk in and I noticed that right from the start.

WeddingsKayla SmithNovember 15, 2018wedding, palo duro canyon, bride, groom, wedding photographer, wedding ring, details, weddings, wedding dress, wedding planningComment

Emily + Jeremy | Wedding at Panhandle Charm in Amarillo, Texas

Emily and Jeremy are a couple of those clients that have become friends to Mason and I (Mason was their DJ and they actually found him before me). Throughout their whole wedding planning process with us, they were so gracious and so inviting. Their wedding did not feel like work to us - it felt like a fun party with friends. Jeremy even invited me to stay longer and I wish I could have!

WeddingsKayla SmithSeptember 2, 2018wedding, amarillo, texas, panhandle charm, canyon, bride, groomComment

Featured | The Knot Texas Fall/Winter 2018 Real Weddings

I am so excited and proud to have my photos of Cassidyy and Daniel's Amarillo wedding featured in the Real Weddings section of The Knot Texas's Fall/Winter 2018 issue! Last November, the magazine contacted me to tell me they would like to feature the wedding and naturally, I was ecstatic. I kept it a secret since then (that was hard!) but now that the issue has been published, I am shouting it from the rooftops. It's such an honor to be published in one of the most popular wedding magazines in the country.

Sawyer + Emily | Palo Duro Canyon Engagement Session

The way Sawyer proposed to Emily was pretty sweet. They knew they were going to get married at some point so they were already touring wedding venues. Their hearts were set on the Fulford Barn outside of Brownfield, Texas. They walked around the property and eventually made it to the lawn where much to Emily's surprise, Sawyer had set up a table with pictures of the two of them, beautiful flowers, and other sweet memorabilia. He then got down on one knee and asked her to become his wife.

EngagementsKayla SmithMarch 9, 2018engagement photos, engagement, amarillo tx, palo duro canyon, spring, lubbock photographer, bride, coupleComment

Rachel + Matt | Late December Wedding in Palo Duro Canyon

"We were together...I forget the rest" - Walt Whitman

Literary quotes decorated Rachel and Matt's wedding - making their day a true reflection of their personalities. Even before Matt came along, Rachel always wanted a winter wedding and I hope the late December day in Palo Duro Canyon was everything she imagined it would be. Despite the 20 degree weather- and from a photographer’s perspective - I’m so glad they still decided to get married outside. In the frigid temperatures they said their vows as Rachel’s dad officiated and they planted a new pine tree together. It was a representation of their young marriage and the years of cultivation and care ahead of them.

WeddingsKayla SmithJanuary 15, 2018wedding, amarillo, texas, palo duro canyon, wedding photographer, weddings, bride, bridal, tx, amarillo txComment

Brenna + Landon | Autumn Santa Fe Wedding at The Club at Las Campanas

Brenna and Landon got married on the most perfect, not-a-cloud-in-the-sky, 65 degree day surrounded on all sides by New Mexican mountains. Brenna is from Tucson and Landon is from Texas so for them, Santa Fe was a place for them to meet in the middle. It was the place where they fell in love and the place where Landon would eventually propose to Brenna. About a year later, they became husband and wife in the one of the most beautiful places that I’ve seen.

WeddingsKayla SmithOctober 21, 2017Wedding, wedding dress, bride, weddings, groom, love, couple, married, bridal, santa fe, southwest, new mexico, autumnComment

Sheridan | Westminster Presbyterian Church Bridal Session

Sheridan is really a kindred spirit to me. I've never had a bride so organized and efficient and I absolutely love it! She's one of those brides that I jive so well with. But while we get stuff done, we also have ton of fun during her sessions. I shot her engagement session with now-husband Jerry back in April and then I shot her bridals a couple of weeks ago. Her hilarious, wonderful mother was there during bridals, of course, and she made the experience even better.

Channing + Josiah | Spirit Ranch Wedding in Lubbock, Texas

The night before Channing and Josiah's wedding their pastor got a text from a friend because God told him that peacocks would be a sign of the Holy Spirit for him. That friend didn't know that the next day the pastor would be performing a ceremony at Spirit Ranch - a venue known for its flock of peacocks that roam the grounds. During their wedding ceremony they chose to spend time in worship, right before officially becoming husband and wife.

WeddingsKayla SmithJuly 22, 2017wedding, wedding dress, lubbock, lubbock wedding, photographer, bride, groom, weddings, wedding photographer, love, couple, marriedComment