True love is worth the wait.
Even if it means waiting until your 40s?! Even then, my friends! Even then...
Joshua and Lara met in 2015 while performing at Texas Children's Hospital - he played the violin and she danced as part of Open Sky Arts Collective.
"The coordinator of the event whispered in my [Lara's] ear that her friend playing the violin was single. She secretly thought we would be a great match. Naturally, I 'checked him out', but wasn’t at all attracted to him or interested. He noticed me also, but wasn’t interested. We became distant friends over the years and would cross paths every once in a while to perform with Open Sky."
"He’s told me that in the back of his mind, he always saw me as the type of woman he wanted to marry. Whenever I thought about single quality men in my city, Joshua would usually be the first to come to mind." Even though we respected one another and saw value in each other, we just didn’t think the other person was our 'type', or so we thought…"
Seven years later of friendship and after taking an online dating course, The Dating Discovery, Lara was challenged to ask out a guy for coffee, and that's when "the veil was lifted" between these two.
"Joshua said he saw me as a treasure waiting to be unlocked and I saw Joshua as a man with a beautiful heart and incredible depth. Our first 'coffee date' opened the door to a lifetime of friendship and love."
On May 7, 2022 Joshua and Lara vowed their covenantal love for one another. After those many years of waiting and wondering, they tied the knot quick once they knew their relationship had been divinely orchestrated.
On that steamy summer Houston day, their dreamy DIY backyard wedding became a reality, surrounded by a couple hundred of their closest friends and family. Feet washing, communion, worship, music, dancing, and really good Mediterranean food from Fadi's filled the evening with such energy and joy, and Lara even produced an incredible dance performance with her fellow Open Sky dancers! *major chills*
We had the honor of also taking their engagement photos to get to connect deeper with them and capture their genuine connection, and if there's one thing we quickly learned about Joshua and Lara it's that they are filled with Truth and wisdom...
"Some advice for preparing for marriage is to grow in learning how to process your emotions. My husband had dated several women that were very emotional and unstable. One of the things that he loved about me was how mature I was emotionally. Give yourself a lot of grace to grow. Learn how to be vulnerable with your key relationships and learn how to love yourself. Don’t judge the man you are dating right off the bat. It’s easy to compare him to the ideal man you’ve always wanted. I had to let go of fantasy and the perfect man. If there aren’t any red flags, give him grace to grow as well. Joshua is the perfect man for me but he is not perfect."
The wonderful vendors of their free-spirited wedding included:
Flowers: Terra Cotta Blooms (be sure to check out more of our photography featured on her site!)
Hair: Cliqued by Trish
Makeup: Makeup By Adrian
Invitations: WithJoy
Tux: JCrew
"As far as planning goes, make sure you continue to date and enjoy each other. Don’t get so caught up in the stress of wedding planning. Make it fun!"
We'd love to hear your love story!
If you're still on the search for a wedding photographer or videographer in the Houston area, we would love to be considered! Feel free to check out our wedding packages, submit an inquiry, and we can go from there!
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