Kayla and Chris are refreshing people to be around.  I remember our meeting long ago when Kayla was here talking to me about their wedding.  Kayla’s energy and honesty were undeniably appealing.  She was so excited about her wedding to Chris but more importantly she was probably the most fun loving, laid back bride I have ever met.  Qualities I am sure Chris loves about her as well.  Their wedding would prove to be exactly like that first meeting but with an added bonus.  Their families were just like they were!  I loved how everybody and I mean everybody was unashamed to be themselves.  Kayla is a very unpredictable personality so it was only fitting her wedding was the same.  It was a non stop marathon of sorts for me to keep up with all the moments.  These two made it fun to witness.

The details:

Ceremony- Guardian Angles Church

Reception: Terrace on Grand

The photos:

Chris decided to get his hair cut a few hours before the ceremony as he did not get it done in New York before leaving.  I love this moment as it really shows his ability to just roll with the situation.  He found a barber shop down the street from the hotel and rolled the dice.

The stylist there decided to take some liberty with the cut and gave Chris a stylin’ dovetail that she was very proud of.

Kayla getting her hair done. 

Kayla’s friend was supposed to do her makeup but was running late as the salon she went to messed up her hair.  So when she got there the hair stylists had to … Read the rest

I recently had the privilege to witness and document the birth of Grace.  I absolutely love photographing births.  Being able to be trusted and invited into such an intimate event in a couples life and to provide a record of what the first day of a little ones live was is a responsibility I gladly accept.  Some births, however, are more challenging than others.  Danielle and Chris found out a few weeks prior to the due date they were going to have to have a planned c-section and I was not going to be allowed in the operating room.  That of course provides a challenge in me telling a birth story visually if I cannot be present for the actual birth.  Thankfully there was another wonderful story to be told.  When I got there that morning I was greeted by Danielle, Chris and their parents.  The soon to be grandparents had traveled from Georgia to be there to meet the first grandchild of the family.  I was stuck by how close Chris’ parents and Danielle’s were.  Turns out Chris and Danielle are high school sweethearts and both of their families pretty much grew up with each other in small town Georgia.  They spent the years going to sporting events together, having dinners and even taking trips together.  So it was a joy to be able to not only tell the story of the birth of Grace but also be able to show the dynamic of the two families.  The joy I witnessed was some of the most pure I have seen.

Getting ready to head into surgery.  Danielle said at the viewing she loves this … Read the rest

I had the opportunity on Saturday to witness a very special wedding.  Brooke and Jason’s wedding at Mission Hills country club was packed full of meaning and emotion.  Faith is an integral part of not only Brooke and Jason’s lives but their relationship as well.  What I found amazing about this wedding was the overwhelming support for Brooke and Jason by their friends and family.  That support was shown in many was including two prayers that happened right before the ceremony.  The first was with Jason and his groomsmen.  Jason was sitting in a chair with the hands of each person there on this shoulders while they anointed and  prayed for him and Brooke.  Brooke then had her prayer with family and friends there arm in arm asking for guidance for the couple in their life together.  Very powerful.  So today is another Teaser Twosday with two images from those prayers.  I feel these two moments were the core of what this day was all about.  Love and support.

Here is Brooke during her prayer.

Jason during his prayer.

 … Read the rest

Kristiana and Matt’s wedding toward the end of last season was a joy to be a part of.  Being able to dig beyond the wedding and tell stories visually is the sole purpose of why I am a wedding photographer.  Having the trust given to me by my clients helps me to really search for those images that not only tell a story but also tell who people truly are.  Kristiana and Matt gave me that trust.  It started with Kristiana telling me of how close she was to her brother and how he is was going to be the one walking her down the aisle as a stand in for their father who was no longer living.  It was the kind of side story that I look for at each and every event I document.  I loved how cool and comfortable the couple was all day.  It really was a testament to their relationship as well as their personalities making it a joy to photograph.

The details-

Ceremony- Our Lady of Sorrows Church

Reception- Mission Hills Country Club

Band- The Boulevard Band

Video- Wirken Films

The photos-

The dress shot through some holiday decorations.

Love this shot of Kristiana and her mom.

Matt hanging out with his groomsmen.  Photo by Tori.

Kristiana’s mom applying her finishing touch.

One of my favorite images I shot all year.  This is why being present when brides get dressed pays off.  Tells a lot about Kristiana’s personality.

Leaving for the ceremony.

On the bus almost to the church. 

Groomsmen waiting for the ceremony to start.

Matt escorting his parents down the aisle.            

Love this image of Kristiana hugging … Read the rest

I am breaking the rules today for Teaser Tuesday.  Usually I pick one image from my most recent wedding but Saturday’s wedding gets two.

This past weekend I had the honor of traveling to Leesburg, Virginia to document the wedding of good friend and fellow wedding photographer Eric Laurits to Emily Spero Smith.  Getting the call to photograph the wedding of a fellow photographer is always exciting as well as intimidating but I love a challenge so I was thrilled to be asked.

I will elaborate more on this unique wedding that included lawn darts, dogs, wood-fired pizza, a 5K, and organic donuts at a later date but for now here are two images that in my opinion sum up the story of the weekend.  They wanted their wedding to be meaningful and fun and they got just that.

The first is Emily and Eric during the ceremony.  I love this image as it really captures these two perfectly.  Their ceremony was packed full of meaningful things including the lighting of four sparklers as a symbolic homage to Eric’s time as a camp counselor.  What they did not expect was the smoke and which direction the wind was blowing.  I love how they both found themselves gagging and laughing at not only the smoke but how hard it was to light each one.  These two are perfect for each other in their ability to be both deep and silly at the same time.  This photo embodies those traits perfectly in my opinion.

The other aspect of their lives that is very important to both Eric and Emily is family.  It was wonderful to be … Read the rest