Aly Matei Photography

Aly Matei Photography Present > Posed
Mixed mediums. Intentionally used. digital + film photography + super 8

Mrs. Mary Catherine Washburn05.30.2026
05/31/2026

Mrs. Mary Catherine Washburn
05.30.2026

In the most non-weird way, my job is literally to watch, listen and take photos. That’s genuinely it.(If I weren’t a wed...
05/16/2026

In the most non-weird way, my job is literally to watch, listen and take photos. That’s genuinely it.

(If I weren’t a wedding photographer, we would all be questioning what I do professionally 👀)

But even as weird as it sounds, it is so rewarding to watch the day unfold and see all of the little moments happen in real time. I didn’t tell the flower girls to peek over the balcony for a photo. I didn’t tell the man in the cowboy hat to be fully present during the ceremony. I was just there, paying attention, and anticipating the moment so I could document it.

Don’t get me wrong, there are moments when I need to step in and direct. But you can only curate a real moment by first observing how people move, how they interact, what they do when nobody is telling them what to do. The role of a photographer is more than just taking the photos. The primary role is people watching.

This is the most myself I have ever felt. Last year I went through a real rediscovery of myself and I came out of it kno...
05/04/2026

This is the most myself I have ever felt. Last year I went through a real rediscovery of myself and I came out of it knowing exactly who I am, what I want, and what I am capable of.

Evy just turned 5. Mabel is almost 4. Russell is almost 2. Add on a thriving business and you could easily say that I am fully in the thick of it and I would not trade it for anything.

When I got pregnant with Evy, I had people asking me if I was going to step back from weddings to get my weekends back. That thought genuinely never crossed my mind. If anything it did the opposite. It made me want to be better at everything. It became my motivation.

Becoming a mom changed how I show up to work. I am not just taking pictures. I am documenting memories. I think about what my own kids will want to look back on one day and that follows me into every single thing I do with my camera.

My confidence in myself as a photographer and as a mom grew in a way I did not expect. I stopped shrinking and I surrounded myself with people who actually want to see each other win.

This season of life feels like fully being myself. And I am so grateful for every single part of it.

I am so lucky to call this little family my home 🫶🏻

(Yes, we are a walking ad for & )

Photos taken by
Edited by yours truly

The florals at this wedding did something I don’t always get to see. They actually told you who the couple was before th...
04/23/2026

The florals at this wedding did something I don’t always get to see. They actually told you who the couple was before they even walked in the room. Cassidy is soft and structured, everything intentional and considered. Connor has personality that fills up a space (and then some). And somehow put both of them into one tablescape, the clean linens and the wild long stem blooms spilling everywhere at the same time.

That’s the thing about good design at a wedding. When it’s done right, you don’t just see a pretty table. You see the couple’s personality as one.

Venue:
Planning:
Beauty:
Florals:
Cake:
Band:
Lounge Rentals:
Linens:

Alex and Carter didn’t want a big production. They wanted the people who mattered most to them, and they wanted Alex’s b...
04/22/2026

Alex and Carter didn’t want a big production. They wanted the people who mattered most to them, and they wanted Alex’s brother to be the one to marry them. Which felt like the only right choice, because a few years earlier she had done the same thing for him.

So that’s what they did. Family only, garden chairs scattered around a courtyard at , no program, no processional. Her brother stood in front of them and married them the same way she once stood in front of him.

Let Alex and Carter be your reminder that it’s YOUR wedding day and you get to do it YOUR way.

Venue:
Coordination: .weddings
Florals:

Portra 400 🎞️ developed & scanned by .co

The chapel at wasn’t just where they said “I do,” but also the place where Jaycie said “yes!” With Hayden’s baseball sc...
04/21/2026

The chapel at wasn’t just where they said “I do,” but also the place where Jaycie said “yes!” With Hayden’s baseball schedule, they knew they had a small window of downtime to set their wedding date. So as many couples do, they started touring venues to nail down a date. When they toured Houston Oaks, Jaycie knew it was the one, and Hayden knew that she was the one because after they toured, he walked her back to the chapel and got down on one knee to seal the deal.

When the wedding day came, that chapel already had their whole story in it. The wedding day was just part 2.

Planning & Coordination: .wedandprosper
Venue, Catering & Bar:
Photography:
Videography:
Beauty:
Florals & Linens:
Cake:
Officiant:
Stationary:
Ceremony Musicians:
DJ & Photobooth: .a.entertainment
Transportation:

04/17/2026

Rodeo looks even better when it’s documented on film 🎞️

If you asked me what my “I could retire after this” photo is…it might be this bridal portrait of Blair at .I remember te...
04/06/2026

If you asked me what my “I could retire after this” photo is…it might be this bridal portrait of Blair at .

I remember telling her to stand like this and she looked at me like I was crazy (which is fair, it’s not exactly a “natural” pose) but she trusted me anyway, and within seconds we had THIS 👏🏼

This is why I’ll always love a mix of both. What’s actually happening and then taking a second to create something like this.

Anyone can show up with a camera and document a moment, but being able to pause, pull from a couple’s mood board, and mix it with your own eye is what creates portraits like this.

Not everything is purely candid. Not everything is fully posed. And I’ll stand by that as long as I’m a photographer.

“Why are you carrying around that cheap plastic camera on a wedding day?”Because of this.
04/03/2026

“Why are you carrying around that cheap plastic camera on a wedding day?”

Because of this.

I used to think going back to the same venues over and over was stifling my creativity. But the only thing doing that wa...
02/17/2026

I used to think going back to the same venues over and over was stifling my creativity. But the only thing doing that was me. I was falling into what I knew “worked.” Same corners, same light, same safe choices because I knew they would produce beautiful photos.

One bride reminded me that no room is ever the same twice if you’re paying attention to the person in it.

She leaned fully into my creativity and trusted me to document her day the way I truly saw it. Not just photograph it, but really document it in a way that felt like her. That forced me to shift my mindset. Instead of relying on what had worked before, I had to slow down and pay attention to who was actually standing in the room.

Now when I walk into a venue I’ve shot ten times, I don’t think about how it’ll be an “easy” day because I know the property. I think about how I can push myself. What haven’t I noticed before? What light haven’t I used? How do I make this feel true to this couple instead of repeating something that worked for someone else?

The venue might be the same. The people never are.
And that’s what changed everything in my approach.

Address

22402 Holly Creek Trail
Tomball, TX
77377

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