Congratulations, Grace & Alex.

Venue: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Wedding Dress: Parvani Vida
Bridesmaid Dress: Tulle & Chantilly
MUAH: Makeup by Adrienn
Groom’s Attire: Generation Tux 
Stationery: Vistaprint & Zazzle
Caterer: Pappadeux
Florist: Wild Bunches Floral
DJ: Full Scope Entertainment
Wedding Cake: Casa Costa Bake Shop
Wedding Favor: Mom and Pops

click here to see their engagement session.

Where do I even begin to describe Linda and Jonathan? To start off, these two are some of my favorite people in the world. With Jonathan's humor and Linda's sweetness, our session couldn't have been more enjoyable. They brought such a bright energy to their session and had me laughing from start to finish. The cherry-on-top for this session was that I got to work with their tuxedo pup, Shadow, who's just hands down the sweetest dog in the world. In addition to that, the sun was finally out. It had been raining in Austin for two weeks straight, and while I personally enjoy the rain, I was looking forward to the post-rain sun light. You know what I mean? That beautiful, soft and ethereal glow. After chasing the last 30 minutes of that glorious sunset, we ended at the dock where the the air grew crisp and the water reflected a breath-taking palette. 

It's been incredibly fun getting to know Linda and Jonathan. Their relationship epitomizes the joy and beauty that marriage provides, and I'm so glad I got to capture that in these photos. I still can't stop obsessing how pretty these images turned out! 

Oh gosh, where do I even begin? I am still head over heels in love with these frames. Not only did my dream come true to photograph at Laguna Gloria, but more importantly, I got to see these two sweethearts again. If you guys remember, Joseph proposed to Sean back in June, but they drove down to Austin for their engagement session (it was also Sean's brithday!), and I cannot be more thankful for their adventurous and willing spirits. From start to finish, they stayed troupers as we battled the Texas heat and mosquitoes. I also can't rave enough about how fortunate we were that day because the lighting was gorgeous as the sun was setting, and everything that we thought to be a challenge turned out perfectly. 

It was a special treat to spend this extended time with Joseph and Sean. I could sense that both were a bit nervous when we started, but over time, I loved watching them relax with each other. At times, it almost felt like they forgot I was photographing them! Joseph's humor always made Sean erupt into laughter, and it was adorable seeing them pause between moments to make silly faces and talk to each other. That's what I love most about engagement sessions and what I want every couple to experience when I photograph them. It just brings me so much joy to witness the progression of a couple's growth as they share about their future dreams and prepare themselves for a new season. I have so much excitement for Sean and Joseph, and I can't wait to photograph their wedding next May.

West Texas is a beaut. The idea of spending a weekend getaway in Marfa couldn't be more romantic and fitting for the summer. J and I traveled here for his friend's wedding, but we decided that it was a good idea to also make a vacation out of it. Afterall, I can't imagine the next time we have the opportunity to do something as unique as this, especially with our work schedules being so crazy. 

We left Austin on Friday morning, and while six hours on the road sounded a little daunting, I couldn't have spent it better. Of course, I had J to keep me company with great conversations and Nicki Minaj rap battles (hardly. I chickened out), but it was the view that truly captivated me. Mountains and plateaus majestically stretched across the Texas desert, and lush green trees and wildlife were scattered so beautifully throughout the land. 

We managed to get there before it became dark so we unpacked in our Airbnb and started our first adventure with dinner at Pizza Foundation. You can bet that I did extensive research for this trip, which was extremely helpful because I found out that it often takes up to two hours to order a pizza there. To avoid that, we called in way ahead of time to ensure that we weren't eating dinner ridiculously late. 

By Saturday, we were rested enough for our real adventure. Since this was our vacation, we obviously have the freedom to do anything we want, and it was just so tempting to sleep in until noon. Good thing we didn't. A place like Marfa is certain to have breathtaking sunrises so I didn't want to give up that opportunity. On top of that, the weather was insanely good. I feared that the heat would discourage us from adventuring, but there was actually a breeze and the mornings were crisp and cool. 

First stop was Do Your Thing, a coffee shop. J and I had some bonding time over breakfast before we headed off to walk around the town. The thing to appreciate about a small town is how close everything is to each other. A ten minute walk could take us anywhere, from breakfast to shopping. Not only that, the southern hospitality was out of this world, which is ironic for me to think since I grew up in Texas. Everyone that we walked past either gave us a nod or greeted us with a "Hello, how are you?". 

We browsed around some of the more well-known locations, such as Marfa Bookstore located inside Hotel Saint George. By noontime, we were hoping to hit up Food Shark for lunch, since it was clearly a must on everyone's go-to list, but J and I fell upon Squeeze Marfa and decided to go there instead. It was one of those moments where we could've made that extra effort to do what we planned, but we were just so darn tired from walking around. Plus, there's nothing wrong with flexibility, right?. We're on vacation, not a field trip. After cooling down with a smoothie and filling up on sandwiches, we spent the rest of the afternoon at home. Since we had a wedding that evening, it made sense to save our energy for that. 

When Sunday came around, J and I slept in. To be fair, we stayed up 'til 3AM the night before talking, but the rest was also much needed. We managed to make it out the door by noon for lunch at Marfa Burrito. It was tricky because we couldn't find any information about it online, such as hours and a telephone number, but fortunately, it was opened and not crowded. The attraction about this quaint little place is that their burritos are homemade and fresh. It's authentic and guaranteed to fill you up for sure. 

Further down the road is the Chinati Foundation, a contemporary museum based on the ideas and foundations of Donald Judd. Most of our time and energy were spent looking at Judd's fifteen untitled works in concrete. They're spaced out across the field and each set is positioned uniquely. Though the weather was hot and harsh, we managed to make it worthwhile experience and one that is memorable. 

When evening came around, we celebrated our last night with dinner at Jett's Grill, located in the heart of Hotel Paisano, and then we drove west to Valentine, Texas to see the classic Prada Marfa exhibit by Elmgreen & Dragset. It was easy for us to assume that it wasn't worth driving 40 minutes to an "over-hyped" attraction that offers very little besides an opportunity to photograph next to an iconic landmark. But if we put those thoughts aside, the very essence of travel is to explore with genuine, unpretentious curiosity. To appreciate and learn about the treasures that characterize and make up the place. 

Who knew our little escapade would create some of my proudest frames, and that's what I love so much about photography. I love being captivated by my artwork. I like to envision how I want my pictures to look after post-processing and especially how it would look like when I decorate my home. I want to keep these pictures alive by giving it a home in frames and albums instead of storing them away into my hard drives without a second glance. 

And just like that, our trip was over. It concluded in one of the most beautiful ways, with the sun setting in its fiery orange glow in the backdrop of our view. As dusk continued to darken, the purple and blush hues grew richer and deeper. It pretty much had me fall in love with Texas all over again. 

I hope by the end of the this blog post, your mouth will be sore from smiling. That's how mine certainly was when I photographed this beautiful couple from start to finish. I've known Josh and Meagan for a few years now since we've all attended the same university, and it's  been fun getting to know them. They seriously couldn't be any funnier!
The morning commute to San Antonio was very much needed, and as soon as I arrived, I could already feel the warmth and coziness of Josh and Meagan's family. Everyone wore such welcoming faces and created an energy that kept the wedding joyful and full of celebration. 

Josh and Meagan, you two are truly the best. Thank you for allowing me to experience such love and kind-heartedness and trusting  me to capture a wedding that reflected your love so perfectly. I hold this experience as one of my most favorite moments in my working career.

Love,

Photography: Victoria Liu Photography | Assistant Photographer: Alison Chang | Venue: Noah's Event Venue | Bride's Dress: Essence of Australia | Floral Design: Cheryl Lam | Cake: Sam's | Bridesmaid Dresses: Etsy | Bride's Shoes: DSW | Hair: Stephanie Gee | Make up: Carol Kong | Groom's Attire: Bar III, Express, The Tie Bar, Daniel Wellington | Groom's Shoes: Cole Haan