Years ago, when I was just a little kid, I was convinced God  sent me a birthday present 3 days late. She was this cute baby girl, with chubby cheeks and a bald head. She was adorable in every sense of the word and boy did I love her…my new cousin Sarah. Little did I know then what a gift she would be in my life. Just like my brother, for years I spent weekends hanging out and “watching her,” the responsibility of the oldest grandchild.  Then as time passed, the difference in age seemed to dissipate and we became more than cousins who shared relatives and sometimes birthday cakes- we became friends. Friends who talk about great dreams, who share hopes and prayers, who have lost sleep over guys and decisions and mostly homemade cupcakes; cousins who have so many memories perhaps, volumes of books could never contain them all.

Ever since I fell in love with my husband and saw how God orchestrated our story, I have been praying for that very same thing for Sarah. I’ve asked God to allow a man who follows hard after Him to come in and sweep her off her feet, to treat her as the precious gift that she is and to lead her with compassion and love as they serve Him side by side.  A few weeks ago, the answers to that prayer became so clear, when her boyfriend Jonathan extended an invitation for our family to be a part of a special engagement weekend.

My heart spilled over with excitement, particularly as I read his words, “I am absolutely blown away that God has seen fit to trust me with the awesome privilege of being a permanent part of Sarah’s life. She has truly impacted me like none other and I could not be more humbled by God’s goodness in blessing me with her.”

Geesh, I love this guy already!!

This weekend we traveled to Tallahassee for the surprise of Sarah’s life, a proposal and a sparkly diamond, to match the glimmer in her eyes when she speaks of this incredible man! Boy was she surprised! (More of those pics to come later)

Then in true Sarah fashion (remember, she’s often my second shooter at weddings), her and Jonathan got up early Sunday morning before church for a mini session to document their engagement weekend. Because she’s my cousin and because their love is so beautiful, I couldn’t help but to post a few of my favorites right away.

I can’t wait for all that is in store for these two! God is going to rock their socks off!

Congrats! Love you guys tons!

P.S. I know I’m biased, but these may be my favorite “engagement” pictures…EVER. Seriously. Early morning light + love= awesomeness!

For some time now, my creative juices and those of my family (specifically my awesome hubby, Rahul and my talented cousin, Sarah) have been working in overdrive! You’ll be seeing some really fun changes over the next couple of months that will reflect some of those late night brainstorming sessions; but this evening I want to introduce you to a new feature annie agarwal photography will be incorporating after sweet couples say, “I Do.”

The wedding spotlight will:

- showcase a few key shots to help you catch a glimpse into the awesome celebration of the bride and groom

- hold you over until the full length blog post is up

Lauren and Adam were the first wedding of 2011, so I thought it fitting to let them be the trial run for this new idea. The newlyweds also have their own site, where I’ll make some posts and general updates about the progress of their images. We’re still tweaking this system, but will be offering it to those tech savvy couples when they “Save the Date” with annie agarwal photography.

See… I told you- lots of fun and creative ideas are in the works. But for now, enjoy these images of the lovely Lauren and her handsome groom, Adam!

When Danielle contacted me with her super fun idea, I knew it was going to be a blast! For her birthday, she was calling in her closest girls for a lot of celebrating and a session to document their friendships. She chose the color purple to coordinate the look and we opted for an early morning session, so they’d have plenty of time for a weekend’s worth of festivities. What we hadn’t counted on was the freezing Florida weather, giving us quite a chill factor. These girls rallied around and warmed each other up with their sweet conversations and their spirited laughter. They truly sparkled all morning long! Here are a few of my favorite images from our birthday bash with Danielle!

Isn’t she beautiful?? Favorite of the day!

Love everything about this one!

One of my other favorites!

What’s a birthday party without a little dancing?

What a super fun morning and what an incredible way to commemorate a special event. Thanks Danielle for allowing me to be a part of your birthday celebration! I hope your day was as wonderful as you are!

Don’t forget Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! What better way to surprise your sweetheart than with a session? (Husbands…serious brownie points!!)

Jeremy and Daniela are one of the sweetest couples I’ve ever met. They’re so thoughtful and display such a mutual love, admiration and respect for not only one another, but for their respective families as well. Their wedding was such a beautiful reflection of  this very truth. Their passion for each other and for the Lord was displayed in such special ways from beginning to end. It was a glorious day of celebration and worship. What an honor to be a part of something so spectacular!

My awesome husband Rahul second shot the wedding with me. I’m always so blessed by his presence and his commitment to help me out. Being behind the scenes of a busy day like this can be stressful and exhausting, and he always provides the encouragement and support I need.  Rahul actually went on a mission trip with the groom to New Orleans when we first moved to Tampa. They surely enjoyed catching up, laughing and reliving lots of memories from that adventure. My goodness did they laugh a lot and boy did they provide Daniela and I with lots of entertainment. I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed so much during the couple shots! What a sweet time with the newlyweds we were able to share.

We started the morning by capturing some detail shots. Love this first one of Daniela’s beautiful dress!

You can’t even measure the cuteness here!

A ceremony in a sanctuary decorated with Christmas lights. Yes, please!

Jeremy is a very gifted musician and actually sang during their ceremony, in both English and Spanish. What an incredibly touching moment to hear everyone worshiping together! They also had a translator during the ceremony. It was such an amazing service!

I love the symbolism in the picture below. Jeremy and Daniela were headed to the stairs at the front of the church for a few couple images, when his parents were on the way to their car. Just a beautiful image reflecting the new family formed on this day and the family that played a part in bringing the couple to this day. Love!

The happiness is just dripping off of them in this picture. I love the genuine love they have for one another!

Ah…love really is a splendid thing.

How beautiful is Daniela?!!

Easily some of my favorites from the day.

Lots of special dances. I adore the one of Daniela and her dad.

Daniela made her toss bouquet out of felt. How adorable is this?

You may remember Jamie and Paul from their awesome engagement session. They were awesome then and their wedding day was certainly no different. Such a sweet couple and so in love, these two decided to get married at their friend’s lovely home. Thank you to the Albritton’s for their incredible hospitality! Jamie is an expert at creating unique details and she worked her magic for their special day! It was also surprisingly chilly for a Florida afternoon, but Jamie still rocked it in her charming short dress from Angelique‘s; the same place where I found my wedding dress! Michelle is absolutely fantastic and goes out of her way to help you find the perfect gown for your big day. I still count her as one of the best vendors from my entire day! I just couldn’t say enough about her!

So, without further ado, here are a “few” of my favorite images of Jamie and Paul’s wedding.

I love that one of the books is a study on Paul!

The first look…

…followed by the first family photo!

Love these vow books that they used during the ceremony!

These lovebirds carved out such a great amount of time for couple images. I can’t express how wonderful this experience can be when this is a priority on your big day!

Did you know that each child in The Dream Calendar has a story? They’re more than just precious models, they are real life miracles. Sweet, innocent, valuable little ones with battles they strive to overcome each day. That’s what this project is all about! Clouds of Hope helps children like this by inspiring and motivating their families, providing respite care and an ear to listen. The Blains, the founders of this organization, are truly the hands and feet that display hope for so many individuals in our community. The funds from this calendar will be donated in their entirety to Clouds of Hope, as they strive to build local playgrounds where these children can enjoy childhood without limitations.

While I want The Dream Calendar to raise lots of support for Clouds of Hope; I also want it to do so much more. I want it to touch your heart the way that it has mine…the way these children have touched my life.

Sometimes it’s easy to glance at these children, without fully understanding the hardships they have faced; but it’s also just as easy to miss the miracles they represent. Julia taught me that in so many ways. That’s why this calendar was created in honor of her life- a life lived out to the fullest.

Today, I want you to meet Anna Belle. She’s the model for the month of January, with captivating blue eyes that sparkle like gems. She is a beauty!

I have the honor of calling Anna’s family friends. We attend church together and her mom and I have served together at the mom’s group in our church. For months we prayed  Anna’s tiny body growing inside, when complications were noticed. We watched the faith of this family in action, as they were made aware of the medical challenges that Anna’s condition brought; but strongly clung to the power of the Ultimate Physician. Anna’s birth and life are a constant reminder of the power of prayer!

Everytime I see this precious little girl, I’m reminded of this verse:

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

-Psalm 139: 13-16

Here is how Anna’s mom describes her condition:

Isn’t that amazing? What a blessing little Anna is to all those who meet her!

If you haven’t purchased a copy of the calendar yet, it’s not too late!! Just click the button below!