Hey there! I'm Jessica, but you can call me "Jess". I am a wedding and portrait photographer that lives for candid moments and providing a one of a kind experience to my couples. An experience which leaves you full of joy, happy tears, and relaxed. No detail is overlooked, no moment is left untold. It's my priority to preserve your story that can be told time and time again.
You might be wondering to yourself, "What is it really like to have Jess as your wedding photographer?"
The answer? Open communication and simplicity is key to a stress-free environment for all... oh and a little southern flair will keep you at ease.
Before your wedding, I'll have a game plan on the moments that matter to you most, discuss a timeline breakdown, gather your family portrait list, and so on. All those things will assist in keeping the day rolling without the skip of a beat allowing you to actually ENJOY your wedding. Not keep you from it.
Our goal is for our team to show up, capture each moment like a 90s kid catching Pokémon and have you enjoy yourselves knowing the best portraits possible are being captured!
I once heard a quote from Vincent Van Gough that resinated with me, "To love life, we must love many things."
So here's a preview into all the things I just love in life.
The light of my life is my husband, J.T. & and our beautiful son, Parker .My family is the root of my why, they're the most beautiful moments that fill up my life and my home. From our silly evening couch giggles, daily farming shenanigans, and mile long list of adventures, my family is my everything.
But outside of being a Mama and wife, here are some other things I just love!
As a lover of all "critters" and dog mom, I cannot tell y'all how happy it makes me to have my couples request to bring their pupper to their engagement session. Our pups are our family and when they arrive to the ranch, they bring so much joy! I love seeing them jump through the wildflowers, grass, and their little tail wags of excitement. If you have a good pup, I always encourage to bring them along!
If I had to pick my three must haves these would it!
Statement earrings are a must for any outfit. Period. I am the girl that will plan her outfit around her earrings. They bring me joy and confidence in 10 seconds flat.
Lipstick, I use to never wear until a couple years ago and I am hooked. I love nudes, neutrals, and deep mattes.
Ball-caps, I live in these and certainly have the collection.! When racing out the door behind a toddler, or running errands my ball-caps are like "we got you."
I absolutely love walking into a wedding and smelling the aroma of fresh flowers. You can just call me 'Ferdinand'! Whether it's at a wedding or a fresh field of Texas Blue Bonnets, these little pieces of heaven spark joy for me.
I can't help it. I have loved country all my life, especially when it wasn't cool. I love bands like Shenandoah, Clay Walker, Tracy Lawerence, Mark Chesnutt, Deanna Carter, and it reminds me of days on the home place where I go grew and simpler times. Scroll below to see my Spotify section to hear some of the best songs ever written!
I love a good set of stationary and the reason why will likely surprise you.
Stationary reminds me of my late grandmother, Elaine. She would write us at least 1-2x a month on her stationary. My Grandma didn't live far, but she did love to hear about what we were up to on the ranch, how we were doing in grade school, even the latest things we were into.
Receiving letters or beautiful stationary in the mail always reminds me of her. On the day of your wedding it's also another reason why I just love to style your invitation suites, etc. It's my happy place.
When I am asked, "What's your favorite part of capturing the wedding day?"
Easy.
The moments that my couples don't know I am capturing. It's the moment of pause that I see a genuine moment happening, a soft moment not only between a couple but their family. It's the simple moments I get to witness that are beautiful moments that I turn into their forever keepsakes. When we sit down together and reveal these moments, the tears from my couples reaction always make it my favorite to capture.
When someone says to me, "Where's your favorite place to travel?"
I always end up answering the coast. I do love to travel to new spaces, but the Caribbean and coast have my heart.
There's something about a small coastal town or island life that just brings a sense of pure relaxation. Whether it's fishing on the coastline of South Texas or having a cold beer in a cantina in Mexico, I am always ready to pack my bags for warm sun-rays, fun, and of course a destination wedding!
One of my favorite things to do is watch my husband, J.T. play with our son, Parker. These two together are a mirror image of one another I know!
When these two play along with our 2 pups, Taz & Rufus, it's such a scene to watch and witness. I love to take a step back and watch them off the front porch and laugh to myself at those two.
Also this was an incredible moment for us all, being in South Texas, none of us had ever seen snow like this on the farm.
The name "Under the Sun Photography" came from the inspiration that we are blessed to be given this amazing life to live where are able to not only grow but also share and celebrate life's most beautiful moments.
Our lives from growing up, getting married, and starting our families all occur while we live 'Under the Sun'. The sun also plays a vital role on our farm to the crops, it enriches life. The crop produces flowers, the flowers bloom, and in the end provide.
So why not be this example? Not only to document life in the sunlight but also bring a little bit of it wherever you go? I love to bring joy to others not only with a camera in my hand but also through the experience we provide. It's so much more than snapping a picture, it's really brightening up days from the day I capture your wedding to the day you stumble across your wedding album years later.
