When Duty Calls, Love Answers: A Military Love Story at the Fort Worth Courthouse

Oct 11

2 min read

Honestly, courthouse elopements are some of my favorite to capture. They are so intimate and inviting and this was exactly the case with Saniya and Dereonite.

When Duty Calls

Their journey to "I do," though, was anything but a straight line. They originally reached out at the start of the year, but when you're a military couple, your schedule isn't always your own. Dereonite's leave got pushed, forcing us to hit pause and reschedule. We pivoted together, but when duty calls, everything else takes a backseat. Fast forward to spring: Saniya and Dereonite reached back out to get their session back on the books.

The Plot Twist

What I didn't expect was a total plot twist. Thanks to the unpredictability of military life, they had already officially tied the knot, via Zoom. An unorthodox, modern, and completely original way to say yes to forever with the person you love. So what did that mean for our session? Pure portrait magic. With the official "I do's" behind them, the pressure was completely off. It gave us the space to just linger in the moments, create pure magic out of thin air, and dance with the rising Texas heat.

Preserving their Love at the Fort Worth Courthouse

For Saniya and Dereonite’s portrait session, we leaned heavily into the timeless architecture of the Fort Worth Courthouse. We framed their connection along the sweeping marble staircases, using the intricate filigree and classic historic details to anchor every shot. We popped into the elevators for those moody private moments, and chased the soft natural haze filtering through the high windows whenever the light hit just right. After months of long distance stretches and unpredictable military orders, these stone walls provided a permanent anchor for a love that had survived miles of separation, video calls, and constant change.

Playing Tag with the Texas sun

To top it all off? Saniya and Dereonite popped into cozy matching sweatsuits and we headed outside to finish their session. Since their original winter timeline got hijacked by military orders, they leaned into the chill vibe they were supposed to have at the start of the year. Cozy, completely relaxed, and effortlessly cute!