When I shot Hannah and Emilio’s wedding, Laura was one of the lovely bridesmaids, and though beautiful on that day, was unassuming, quiet…reserved. On the afternoon of her engagement session with Mark; however, Laura completely wowed me. She lit up the camera with her eyes and her genuine smile. Though, still the same girl from Hannah’s wedding, with her sweet spirit and thoughtful personality, during our time together, I watched her shine as she basked in the beauty of being with the one she loves.

Enjoy these images from our precious time together!

I couldn’t be more honored that Meagan and Kenneth asked me to capture their love! After only a few minutes, I had already fallen head over heels for their story and their genuine affection for one another. What a blessing it will be to watch them join their lives together. Counting down the days already!

I thought this engagement session would be the perfect way to close out 2011 and welcome in the New Year; besides, I’ve been itching to share it!

There is no doubt, Rebecca and Ryan were rock stars in front of the camera. She has stunning eyes, that look deep into the lens with subtle confidence and stunning beauty. Ryan, stands tall and strong, but can bring about a smile in her that beautifully depicts their love. There were moments where I felt as if  simply standing from a distance watching a story unfold… warm snuggles, genuine laughter and tender touches that would melt any romantics heart ensued.

I love capturing love.

This is indeed, the perfect way to start 2012 and tomorrow, even more wonderful goodies from this session!

Enjoy ringing in the New Year with these fireworks!

Can’t wait for this 1-14-12 wedding!

Robbyn and DeAndre are tying the knot this weekend! We finally found a little time to sneak away early Saturday morning to capture some engagement images and I’m so glad we did. We were greeted with beautiful early morning light and a Fall crispness in the air. It was perfect! These two are super sweet and they have such great personalities. I’m not sure who had more fun, them in front of the camera or me from behind it! Nothing like being able to laugh with my clients!  They are clearly adorable together and I’m so looking forward to capturing their love again, in just a few days!

    Gorgeous early morning light.          Love these next two!  I adore the way DeAndre is gazing at her!    

I met up with Kristi and Aaron for their fun engagement session praying for the best of weather. The skies stayed clear and the Florida sun kept us nice and warm or shall we say, hot.  They were both a little nervous about being in front of the camera, but they are clearly naturals!  It was a wonderful session, as I got to know them better, hear about their love story and learn about the great details for their upcoming wedding. I’m so looking forward to spending that fantastic day with them and am eager to see how incredibly lovely Kristi will be as a bride!

 Love…she so reminds me of Alison Sweeney here.

 Adore how she’s looking at Aaron in this one!

  
How fantastic is that tree??

These next 3 are hands down my favorites of the whole day. I would print these as a set, really large and hang them in a prominent place in my house. Gorgeous!!!! 

 

Did Aaron do a great job or what?! Wow!

 Kristi and Aaron, thanks for a wonderful time. I’m eagerly anticipating your big day!

It’s such an honor to book a bride and groom, without actually meeting them in person first! It’s a wonderful compliment that they are willing to trust you with their intimate moments and precious memories, by recommendations from family and friends alone! Such was the case with Erica and Mark, who reside out of state. I had the opportunity to catch up with them, in the midst of their wedding preparations for tomorrow’s lovely ceremony in Orlando. I wanted to share a few images from our time together, before their big day!

Seriously, Erica is fierce in front of the camera. Look at her eyes!! Wow.

Erica and Mark, I’m looking forward to a beautiful Sunday afternoon, spent capturing your love for one another! Be on the look out for their wedding spotlight post soon!

I can hardly believe the time it’s been since I’ve found a few moments to settle down and post! Since Valentine’s Day we have had 2 birthday’s in our family, numerous illnesses (I suppose this won’t change until they’re all a bit older) and tons of catching up to do. I took a break from blogging so I could really focus on getting sessions and wedding edits up to date, so I could get a little sleep and of course, so I could make sure that I was spending adequate time with my hubby and 4 beautiful children.

I’m happy to report, the “to do list” is shrinking, I’m learning the value of prioritizing and that my husband and children are seeing me a lot more! Not quite a total success, but great strides in progress!

But… now on to Jamie and Eric’s fun engagement session. Whew, did we get some curve balls thrown at us that day! Our original idea for a location ended up being a bust due to an event, we experienced various traffic closings due to hundreds upon hundreds of bicyclists and my van decided that it would act out as well. In fact, it was almost 11 pm when I returned home, as the alternator went out on the drive home! (Longest engagement session ever!) Praise the Lord the evening ended well and of course that despite the hurdles, we had a fabulous time capturing their love for one another.

Jamie and I have a mutual love for the color yellow; so I was so excited when she pulled out her bright scarf! I’m also partial to red heads (I’ve shot a few of them lately) and have told Rahul if I was brave enough, I’d attempt that look for myself. Jamie rocks it so well, I’m not sure I could ever compare though!

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!

I can’t tell you how excited I was for this session with Lauren and Adam! When I first met this beautiful bride to be, we chatted, laughed and even shed a few tears when we talked about the loves of our life. There is something so special about having this connection with a client. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to be a part of documenting the incredible relationship of these two lovebirds. You’ll find some of my favorites below… but picking was a chore. These 2 are naturals in front of the camera!

Shortly after our session, Adam moved across the globe. My prayer is that today these images bring smiles to faces and that they shorten the distance between these two hearts until the big wedding day!

What’s better than a man in uniform, dazzled by the love of his life?

Love. Love. Love this one!

Gorgeous.

Yep, it’s true. I swoon every time I see these images.

Seriously, could not have asked the Creator for more perfect lighting to end our session! Breathtaking!

Lauren and Adam- I’m so looking forward to capturing your love again on your wedding day. Counting down the days already!

Whew! What a busy weekend! I spent Saturday celebrating with Alisha and Anthony on their big day. It was a beautiful occasion and as you can see, the new Mrs. Evans could not have been more beautiful.

Sunday afternoon, I finally had the chance to meet Adam, Lauren’s soon to be hubby. We set out on a fantastic adventure to capture their love.  I have fallen head over heels for this image!

Today, it’s back to business- editing, ordering and working on The Dream Calendar. If you, your family or your business would like to sponsor an ad, please let me know. I will be happy to send you specific information. Or, if you would prefer to make a donation just click on the donate button below.
We still have a ways to go and need your support to make this a reality for Clouds of Hope!