Mary Rosenbaum Photography

The last post ... here

2009-05-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

We're so excited to announce that this is the last entry here at http://maryrosenbaumphoto.blogspot.com!!

You can find us now over at:
www.maryrosenbaum.com/blog

Don't forget to change your links, RSS, etc.

Jennifer and Tommy: Wedding

2009-05-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the blog about Jennifer and Tommy's wedding in Nashville! The forecast threatened rain in the area, but it held off long enough for us to enjoy a beautiful afternoon and evening!! Getting to be a part of friends' weddings is the best for me ~ I just get so excited!!

A few favorite details:

The beautiful bride!

Tommy hanging out with his groomsmen who are all from Orange County ~ it was so fun to have a meeting of our 2 worlds ~ Southern California and Nashville!

After the ceremony ~ officially Mr. and Mrs.!

The reception was at one of my favorite Nashville locations, Hillwood Country Club:

I love this ~ it totally looks like Jennifer is floating! And maybe she was just a little bit ...

What a beautiful night for a great couple! Congratulations, you guys!!

Jamie and Shane: Engagement

2009-05-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

I promise that we do actually shoot things besides engagement sessions! I think this is 5 engagement posts in a row? It's just that time of year ... wedding pre-season ... where we get to spend some more casual time with our couples.

I have to admit ~ I l-o-v-e engagement sessions. First, they are just fun for me because I get to spend some time with each couple before their big day. Plus, I feel like they are a fun "practice" for the bride and groom to get used to me and to having their picture taken.

Jamie and Shane's engagement session was great! We love having an excuse to hang out down at the beach. Their wedding is just a couple of weeks away, so I was so glad we could squeeze in some time with them. They were naturals in front of the camera and with each other ... I'm even more excited now about their wedding!!

Jennifer and Tommy: Engagement

2009-04-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

It was the summer before my sixth grade year and I was transferring to a new school ... yipes. My mom had volunteered to be our class "room mom" so we were planning a lunch date with the other room-mom-to-be and her daughter, Jennifer. I'm pretty sure I was shy ... and awkward. But the happy ending to the story is that Jennifer turned out to be great, and many sleepovers, days at the lake, and dance parties later, we turned out to be great friends!! Be thankful that all of my old film pictures are safely packed away at my parents' house ... I could definitely pull out some scary stuff from the middle school awkward phase!!

Fast forward just a few undisclosed number of years later after junior high (can we just call it 10?), it has been so fun to re-connect with Jennifer as we have both landed out on the west coast in CA. Although she lives North of us, she found herself a SoCal boy and married him last weekend!

As I've been working on their wedding images over the past few days, I realized that I never shared their engagement images from the end of last year ~ so what better time than now!

Here are a couple of favorites from our afternoon in Laguna Beach:

What's that? Oh, you want to see wedding images? Ok, ok ... I'll give you one sneak peak but you'll have to check back for the full blog in a few more days!! Enjoy!

Ashley and Scott: Engagement

2009-04-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

Ashley and Scott's engagement session was another beautiful spring day. We got to shoot on the campus of Vanderbilt University where they first met ~ perfect! I love using locations that have personal meaning to the couple. It was such a great afternoon! A few favorites:

Sarah and Kyle: Engagement

2009-04-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

I was so excited for Sarah and Kyle's enagagement session. We booked their wedding over email, cancelled an earlier engagement session due to nasty weather, so it was long overdue for us to get together and finally get some hang out time! Luckily we had a beautiful day and had the best evening running around! We can't wait for their wedding in June!

I love these next two ~ spring is finally here!!

This was the last shot that I grabbed right at the end of our session ... and it's one of my very favorites!!

** Notice something a little different about the images in this post?!? That's not the only change we've got up our sleeves ... check back soon!!

Melissa and Chris: Engagement

2009-04-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

I met Melissa about 3 years ago through our church ... we were both joining the same small group and were the "newbies" of the group together. I can't believe how the time has flown ~ it seems like just yesterday!

I still remember the night she casually mentioned that she had met a guy at the gym ... I was so excited for her! But not as excited as the day I got an email saying that Chris had popped the question while the two of them had been out for what she thought was a casual game of golf! It's been so fun to watch their relationship grow from the beginning and now leading up to their big day!

A couple of favorites from our afternoon together ~ I'm so pleased with how these came out!

A great workshop opportunity

2009-04-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

There are a few moments that I can look back on that I know played an integral part in me becoming a photographer. One of those is from my senior year of college, sitting in my dorm room, and seeing Bryan Johnson's wedding photography for the first time. I was blown away and it made me want to pursue my love of photography more.

I know it's kind of late notice, but I wanted to give you guys a heads up about an AMAZING opportunity in Birmingham next week ~ Bryan and his team from A Bryan Photo are offering a workshop for photographers to learn more about shooting, running a photo business, etc. etc. I SO wish I could go!!

If you can at all manage to fly, drive, walk to Birmingham next week, it will be SO worth the effort. I have learned so many things from Bryan over the years that are an integral part of our shooting style and business. I can only imagine having 3 whole days to pick his brain!

Here's the workshop website to contact him to sign up ~ and will you send me your notes?

Kate and Johnny: Wedding

2009-03-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

Kate and Johnny's wedding day was, well, not exactly as they had envisioned it. We had talked in the days leading up to the wedding of the beautiful outdoor surroundings at the church and how we would incorporate them into the photos. Kate loves the mountains and the church she chose was on the top of Signal Mountain, very near where her own parents were married and where she and Johnny got engaged.

We all woke up Saturday morning to rain and the thickest fog I have seen in a while. That wasn't exactly the plan, but looking back, the main thing that characterized the day wasn't the weather, but how incredibly ecstatic Kate and Johnny each were to be marrying each other ~ they each wore it on their faces all day long!

Oh, and the photos turned out pretty great, too ... here's a look at some highlights!

I love the feeling of the guys out in the fog ... so unique!

A moment of prayer before the ceremony:

Happy to be Mr. and Mrs.!!!

Love this!

First dance:

The highlight of the reception was when Johnny changed into a white tux and busted some amazing moves ~ a little preview of what the rest of the night was like!

Kate and Johnny ~ we loved being a part of your beautiful day! Congratulations!

Missy and Andrew: Wedding

2009-03-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to be a part of the weddings of friends and loved ones! Missy and Andrew are good friends from college which made their wedding day just that much more fun! We were so honored when they asked us to document their day!

It was a cold rainy day but I guess that means good luck? In spite of the weather, it was a perfect day with beautiful venues and a host of amazing vendors. Here are a few favorites!

I usually don't show many family shots on the blog but this one of Missy with her mom and sister is one of my favorites of all time:

Getting her veil ~ Missy's dress was the vintage dress that her sister wore at her wedding! She looked so classic.

The lucky groom:

Gail Vandygriff coordinated everything at beautiful Wightman Chapel and it was such a gorgeous ceremony!

After the ceremony, we headed over to Belle Meade County Club where Anita Hogin and Hugh Howser of h three events had a fabulous party waiting!

English Garden by Terry White did the flowers and he never disappoints!

First dance:

I love this moment:

And the fun final surprise of the evening was that the rain turned to lots and lots of snow while we were in the reception! So fun!

Missy and Andrew, we love you guys and are so excited that you are finally Mr. and Mrs.!! Congrats and thanks for including us!!

A Little Something

2009-03-17T07:52:00.001-07:00

We are home once again from a whirlwind trip ~ Nashville, Chattanooga, London, Paris, rain and snow, photo shoots and family time ... it was a little crazy but so much fun! Lots of new stuff to show you all!

Here's a little something from Missy and Andrew's wedding to tide you over until the rest are ready to go! What a fun night!

Josh and Kaitlin: Wedding

2009-03-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

Adam and I quickly felt a connection with Josh and Kaitlin from our first meeting one day last year at a local Starbucks. They are a precious couple that we have quickly grown to love and we feel so honored to have been a part of their wedding!

I love the story of how they met ~ their younger siblings were dating and dragged them along for a double date. And, as it was told at the wedding, it soon became obvious that Josh and Kaitlin were the ones that were meant for each other.

It was one of those beautiful January days in California and these two were so surrounded by such loving friends and family throughout the day. But the best part of the day was watching them interact and love on each other. What a great day of celebrating their love!

Here are some of my favorite images from the day. Enjoy!

WPPI 2009

2009-02-23T11:24:00.000-08:00

Last week, Adam and I spent our week working REALLY hard ... in Vegas. I know, I know ~ our life is so tough. We were actually there for work, though we found a few minutes for a little play as well!

Hanging out at the Bellagio:

Every year, the Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) conference is held in Vegas and this year it finally worked out with my schedule to attend! We stayed at the fabulous MGM Signature which we would highly recommend ~ and spent several days attending workshops and checking out the newest products available.

Our view from the Signature ~ not bad!

Our little industry is so full of fabulous artists and wonderful people. It's always awesome to see old and new friends, and, let's be honest, the sub-culture of the "famous" photogs, the newbies, etc. is always entertaining! We got to hang out with the guys from A Bryan Photo and saw a sneak peak of their WPPI Top 10 which I'm sure will not disappoint ~ be sure to watch his blog for it in the coming days!

So we are home and back in the loop. And, while we unfortunately won't be adding woven photo blankets to our product line, our heads are packed full of new ideas for our clients in 2009 ~ it's going to be an awesome year!!

Talking Tweet

2009-02-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

So I was hanging out with some of my favorite people last week when the topic of Twitter came up. I've been pretty resistant to it thus far but my buddy Jonathan from Matchbook Creative convinced me to take the plunge ... so now I'm in and kind of excited about it!

See right there on the right? You can read what I'm up to on a smaller scale than my blog.

For those of you who don't know what Twitter is (aka mom), it's a constant update of what I'm working on, where I am, what chocolate item I'm trying to pursuade Adam is good for me ... you know, the usual!

Here's my link if you want to follow me (is that what I'm supposed to say? still figuring this out!!):

www.twitter.com/maryrphoto

Hope that you are having a great week!

Sweet Caroline

2009-02-02T22:16:00.000-08:00

So I've been out of the office for a couple of weeks for a very good reason ~ I have a new niece, Caroline!

My older sister Anne had her first child a little over a week ago (time flies!) and I was so lucky to get to go out to Birmingham for the anticipation, birth, and first few sweet days of her life!

Here are a few favorites from my time there ~ isn't she great?

I'm sure she'll be making many return trips to this blog, so look out for more of this sweet little one again soon!

Katie and Landon: Wedding

2009-01-31T11:22:00.000-08:00

Katie and Landon were our last wedding of 2008 and it was a great night to finish off a great year!

The groom:

The bride:

Throughout the night, everyone affectionately referred to Katie and Landon's story as a modern day Green Acres! So it was perfect that Katie had a John Deere garter!

We were lucky to have a warm (although a little windy) winter day so we could play outside some ~ my favorite!

Katie and Landon choose to see each other before the ceremony which we are a big fan of! We were able to get some really great shots of the two of them together without rushing before the reception.

I love this first moment of seeing each other!

Congratulations to Katie and Landon!

Cami and Erik: 4 Years!

2009-01-21T11:47:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned, we have lots of blogging catch-up to do so I thought I would start with one of my favorite shoots from 2008 that never made it to the blog!

Cami and Erik have been together for 4 years and wanted to do something special to celebrate their anniversary ~ what a great idea to do a photo session together! We had so much fun hanging out and getting to know them!

A few favorites ...

I was in love with the tall grass on this hill ... they totally worked it!

So this is about the point in the session that I squatted down for a shot and totally ripped my jeans open on the ... um... backside. It was a really great moment. I'll spare you the photos that my darling husband took but just trust me that we got several good laughs about it! Totally worth it for these shots, though!!

A couple more favorites ~ love these:

Cami and Erik ~ thanks for a great session and congrats on 4 years together!

Megan and Barry: Wedding

2009-01-13T22:53:00.000-08:00

We had 2 Christmas weddings this year which was SO fun! The first was the Saturday before Christmas ~ Megan and Barry! Here are a few favorites from the night!

The lucky groom ~ Barry has such a classic look ~ I love it!

The guys hanging out. They were such great sports to go with my "diving board vision" ~ I love the retro feel!

Megan of course was radiant ~ she was so much fun all day!

We had a few minutes after the ceremony for shots of the two of them. Winter gives us a great excuse to do some experimenting with indoor lighting and settings. Fun!

Reception details ~ the ballroom looked absolutely amazing!

And of course I can't go without mentioning the awesome party that the infamous Super T stirred up on the dance floor ~ it was SUCH a fun reception!

As Megan and Barry's party favors said, Married Christmas!!

A very good start!

2009-01-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

We had our first wedding of 2009 last night and wow ~ I think it's a sign that this is going to be an amazing year!

Congrats Josh and Kaitlin!

2008 ~ wow!!

2009-01-03T12:06:00.000-08:00

2008 has been such an amazing year for Adam and I both personally and professionally. We have been working the past couple of days on all of our year-end stuff to get it all ready for Mr. IRS. And while that's not very exciting, it has been so fun to think back through each client that we've worked with over the last 12 months. What a year! Thanks for being part of our lives!!

Holiday Deadline!

2008-12-10T12:20:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to give you a reminder that our deadline for 2008 holiday orders through the studio is this Friday, December 12th.

This includes orders for:
~ Christmas Cards (see designs and pricing attached)
~ Digital File orders
~ Print Orders for enlargements, gift prints, etc.

You will still be able to order prints online through Pictage.com through Dec.15 (priority shipping) and Dec.18 (overnight rush).

Thanks!

Laing and Todd: Wedding

2008-12-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

Laing and Todd had such a perfect fall day for their wedding! I couldn't have asked for anything more perfect.

Laing getting ready with her bridesmaids:

Ready to get married!

Love this both of these ~ Laing looked amazing!:

Laing and Todd chose to see each other before the ceremony which we love ~ they got extra time to hang out together on their wedding day plus we had lots of time to focus on shots of the two of them together. Isn't that what it's all about?

The first glance:

Oh, the AMAZING leaves! I was in heaven!

Beautiful bride ~ her eyes are just glowing!

Love this of the guys ~ again ~ leaves!!!!

Ceremony:

The reception was at an awesome venue that was a first for us, the Musicians Hall of Fame. Such a cool environment!

First dance:

Congratulations, Laing and Todd! Thanks for including us in your beautiful day!

Janet, Kevin and family

2008-12-04T00:44:00.000-08:00

Janet and Kevin are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year ~ congratulations! It was the perfect chance to capture some photos of them and each of their five awesome kids!

Weston:

Ben:
Luke:

Rebekah:

Maggie:

All together:

Brothers:

Sisters ~ seriously ~ the cutest things ever!:

I love this shot of all of the kids together!

What a beautiful family!

Bethany and Billy

2008-12-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

Adam and I had so much fun catching up with a friend from high school ~ Bethany ~ and meeting her awesome dog Billy!

Let's be honest, Adam totally wanted to bring Billy to live at our house but Bethany wasn't quite ready to let him go!

Bethany:

Billy:

Love this moment!

It was so great to see you guys! Thanks for hanging out!

Katie, Dan, and Sam

2008-12-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

I knew this session would be a great post to get us in the holiday spirit today! We had a blast getting some photos of Katie, Dan and their precious little son Sam!

What a cutie!

His excited little expression is the best!

Sweet family of three:

I love Sam's face in this one:

And now, for some holiday cheer!

How can this not put you in the holiday spirit?

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving ~ bring on the Christmas!

Megan and Barry: Engagement

2008-11-27T22:55:00.000-08:00

Megan and Barry's engagement session was great ~ we are so excited for their wedding that is just a few weeks away now!

A few favorites:

They both are such laid back people and were such great sports about trying anything we asked!

Megan has the greatest laugh . . .

*Favorites*!

They are so cute together!

What a fun afternoon! Thanks guys ~ can't wait for your wedding that will be here so soon!!

Alive and Shooting!

2008-11-25T19:01:00.000-08:00

I'm alive! I promise! And I'm shooting ... and shooting and shooting and shooting! Whew!

I'm planning a blogging frenzy that will be starting very shortly to show you what all we've been up to. There's lots to look forward to ~ check back soon! Happy Thanksgiving!

Stacey and Don: Wedding

2008-11-03T19:47:00.000-08:00

Stacey and Don's wedding was such a special night. It truly was such a beautiful testament and celebration of their love for each other. There were many happy tears and hugs - it was so great to be a part of!! Plus, to top it off, it was at our favorite Nashville venue - Belle Meade Plantation!

A few favorite details - the beautiful bouquet from Elaine McCord:

Putting on the dress:

Don waiting for his bride:

The big moment to start off the intimate garden ceremony:

Mr. and Mrs.!!

The carriage house is such a unique atmosphere for weddings - I love it!:

Ok, can we brag a little? Don and Stacey had absolutely the best. wedding. band. ever. made up of some of Nashville's best bluegrass musicians. It was SO fun to have an amazing soundtrack to shoot to all night! What a treat!

The first dance to the Tennessee Waltz:

Don and Stacey, thanks for including us in such a beautiful night and congratulations!!

Siblings!

2008-10-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

It's so great when we can get all of the siblings from one family together with their new families! We got to hang out with Kathleen, Eleanor, and Benton and all of their families!

Kathleen, Will, and precious little Maggie:

Eleanor and Jon:

Benton and Ashley with Presley and Lola!

All together!

Maggie is the first grandchild and you can tell she has everyone just a little bit smitten!!

She just turned 3 months so it was a great chance for some photos of her!

Thanks for a fun afternoon together! Your families are all wonderful!

Meredith, Anderson, & Henry

2008-10-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

I love getting a chance to photograph people I know! Meredith is a good friend of mine from high school so I was so excited to hang out with she and her husband Anderson and get to meet their little Henry for the first time!

How cute is this little face!

I think there may be a few people in Henry's life that love him!

I LOOOVE this one!

Together:

It was so great to see you 3 and catch up! Henry is the cutest!

One LARGE sneak peak!

2008-10-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

We're just finishing up another marathon of shooting - it seems to go that way these days!

Here's a LARGE sneak peak of what we've been up to and what will be coming your way soon!

Weddings!

Portraits galore!

Come back soon!

Baby Nora

2008-10-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while since we’ve shot a little one (that was more than a few hours old, at least!) so I had so much fun hanging out with baby Nora and her parents Beth and J.P.

Nora was so chill and laid-back the whole time – it was great! I love her sweet little expressions! I couldn’t resist some super-close-ups of her sweet little face!

The makings of a photo shoot – I love this shot that Adam grabbed. It takes a village, especially with little ones!

This expression makes me laugh! Be sure to notice her one little curl right in the middle – so cute!!

About ¾ of the way through the shoot, Nora fell fast asleep. It was perfect as we had a chance for some details that are a little bit harder when they are awake!

All snuggled up with mom:

Congrats, Beth and J.P. on a beautiful daughter. Thanks for giving me a chance to capture her!

Stacey: Bridal Session

2008-10-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

The very worst part about shooting bridal sessions is that I have to wait and wait to show them to you! It's awful because I love shooting them and we have time to do some really fun creative stuff, but then I have to hold them until after the wedding for you guys to see.

Well, the waiting is finally over for sharing Stacey's bridal session with you! She and Don were married on Friday, so I finally get to show you how amazing she looked in her dress!

We started our shoot indoors with some beautiful locations:

I love a good staircase!

Another great, creative shot from Adam!

Then we moved outdoors. I have to give props to Stacey as we shot these on the day that Hurricane Ike was looming - the wind was blowing so hard and she just said "Hey - let's just go with it!" I love that attitude and think that these turned out so fun with blowing dress and veil!

In the garden:

We ended our session at this too-good-to-be-true barn! It was perfect - I love locations that are full of character and charm like this! I think I love every shot from this location, but I've forced myself to narrow it down to a few!

Precious!

Stacey is just so much fun to shoot!

Check back soon for some photos from their wedding!!

Sarah and Grant: Engagement

2008-10-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Sarah and Grant’s engagement session was such a blast. It had all of the elements of a great shoot – a fun location, a super fun couple, great light and a beautiful day!

I’ve known Sarah since she was in jr. high so it was so great to see her very much grown up and very much in love with a great guy!

Precious!

I think whoever drew this heart had me in mind – I just love it and this is the second time we’ve gotten to use it in a shoot. I was so glad it was still there!

How cute are they!

I love this wide shot – I often shoot pretty tight because I love emotions and faces and expressions, but it’s nice to pull back every once in a while for something a little more geometrical!

I love the mood of this photo. – Sarah and Grant are so comfortable together!

What a fun afternoon! Sarah and Grant – thanks for hanging out with us and being so easy to photograph!

2

2008-10-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

Looking for information about Holiday Photosessions? Click here!

This weekend Adam and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary. It's been such an unbelievable 2 years.

We're so grateful to our friend Jason Wallis who shot the photo above and all of the amazing photos from our wedding that we just cherish. Every time I look at our pictures, a different one grabs my heart like this one did tonight. That's the beauty of photos - they take on new meaning and depth with time.

I hope the images we create do that.

To my amazing husband and best friend - thanks for helping make my dreams a reality and for jumping into this with me. Thanks for your patience and encouragement through the long nights, early mornings, the "just one more email"s, and everything else that comes with this job. I'm so glad my clients/friends get a chance to hang out with you too! We are lucky!

Cooper and William

2008-10-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Looking for information about Holiday Photosessions? Click here!

I was so excited when my friend Rachel emailed me about getting some updated pictures of her family! I have known Rachel since middle school but have yet to meet her 2 precious little boys due to geographical constraints. What a fun afternoon getting to know her 2 boys . . . and getting excited about the baby on the way!

Rachel and Todd and growing #3:

Their oldest - Cooper:

And his little brother William:

Together (for a couple of seconds, at least!!):

When Rachel told me that their house is an original log cabin, I got SO excited to shoot in a unique location! And it was even better in real life than I had imagined! I couldn't resist a classic family shot in front of their home that they love!!

And a couple more favorites - Cooper in action:

Snuggle time:

Rachel and Todd - thanks for showing us your home and precious family! We had so much fun catching up and look forward to seeing you guys again soon!!

Michael, Nathan, Kathleen, & John David

2008-10-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

Looking for information about Holiday Photosessions? Click here!

On our last visit to Nashville, we got to spend an afternoon with 4 super cool siblings. I was amazed at how well they all got along!! We had so much fun!

Meet . . . .

Michael:

Nathan:

Kathleen:

and John David:

A couple of shots of everyone all together:

On kids shoots, it is always easier to go with the flow of what they are into rather than forcing them to do what I want. So on this day, it was jumping on the trampoline!!

A little splash in the pool was a perfect ending to a hot afternoon!

It was a great afternoon with a great family - thanks for hanging out!

Holiday Photosessions 2008!

2008-09-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

It's happened once again - the holiday season has snuck up on us and it's time to talk about yearly holiday photos ALREADY! Where does the time go?

We are offering two great discounted options this year!

1) Standard One Hour Sessions: $200
~ You pick the time, location, etc.

2) Introducing ... Mini-Sessions! $100
~ You come to us for a quick 20 minute session

WHEN?

CALIFORNIA CLIENTS:
~ Standard Sessions: Available anytime through Nov 15 (6 weeks only!)
~ Mini-Sessions: Available Sun, Oct. 26 and Sat, Nov 1 - location near Mission Viejo

NASHVILLE CLIENTS:
~ Standard Sessions: Available Mon, Oct. 13 - Thur, Oct. 16
~ Mini-Sessions: Available Sat, Oct. 11 in Brentwood

Drop me an email (maryrosenbaumphoto at gmail dot com) or leave a comment if you'd like to reserve a timeslot or for more info!!

Heather and Luke Wedding: Nashville, TN

2008-09-21T23:38:00.000-07:00

Our wedding last weekend in Nashville was nothing short of amazing. We couldn't have asked for anything more - we narrowly escaped some nasty Ike weather, had a beautiful location to shoot at, a precious bride and groom, but mostly we were just so overwhelmed with how loving and gracious both Heather and Luke and their families were to us! We walked away feeling so thankful to have been included!!

Heather and Luke's wedding was at Heather's parents' home. I love love love weddings at home - they're so personal and full of memories and experiences that have brought the couple to this day. Their first "I love you" and Luke's proposal all happened at this house, so it was a perfect beginning to their new life together. We were so excited to work with coordinator James Brown who made the whole day stress-free and beautiful! I love his attention to detail!

Heather getting ready in the room she grew up in:

Heather's wedding shoes - decorated on the top by her sister ...

... and on the bottom by her future husband!

Heather and Luke chose to see each other before their ceremony which we loooove! We had so much time for shots of the two of them together and they got to spend the whole day hanging out with each other! Win-win!!

Waiting to see her groom:

The meeting:

I totally love this shot as they steal off to spend a couple of private moments together:

A few bride and groom favorites!

You know it's going to be a fun day when your bride and groom are willing to do this!!!

Sweet Heather:

Heather and Luke spent the day surrounded by awesome family and friends!

The ceremony was personal and classic. A few favorite details:

How great is this shot that Adam snagged from behind as Heather takes her father's arm to walk down the aisle!!

Someone needed a break after a day of hard work:

The tented reception was perfect for a late summer evening:

A beautiful night for dinner and dancing!

Luke and his guys did a choreographed dance - awesome! It doesn't get much better than that in my book!!!

Much to everyone's surprise (and some people's excitement!), the night was capped off by a medium-to-large sized electrical explosion in the yard! But of course it didn't even phase Heather and Luke - they made the best of it!!

Heather and Luke - we can't thank you enough for allowing us to be part of such a beautiful event! Thank you for welcoming us into your home and letting us share in such a special day! We are so excited for all that lies in store for you in the coming months and years! Congratulations!

Heather's Bridal Session

2008-09-17T00:17:00.000-07:00

Well, now that Luke and Heather are officially married, I can finally share with you some images from her Bridal Session a few weeks ago - I've been dying to show them!

Saturday was an amazing day - we feel so blessed to have been a part of such a special event. Here's one sneak peak from the wedding but check back for the extended blog!

I've had several west coast friends be super confused when I mention bridal sessions. It's probably more of a southern tradition, but it's where we do a photo session just with the bride in her dress. They are actually super fun because it gives us a chance to get some fun images of the bride and it gives them a chance to wear the dress for a couple more hours! Perfect!

We had so much fun with Heather, her mom, and sister at her bridal session! Her dress was absolutely stunning and she just totally rocked it!

I like to do a mix of more formal shots and my typical more relaxed, casual shots for bridal sessions:

In her parents' house where the wedding on Saturday was:

Love this!

And a couple more interior favorites from the side stairwell:

As you can see, Heather was SUCH a stunning bride! I can't wait to show you more images from their wedding on Saturday!

Tired but happy

2008-09-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

I am tired. But it's so worth it because we're just finishing up another amazing shooting spree in Nashville. 3 family portraits. 1 engagement session. 1 bridal portrait. And oh, yeah - one totally totally amazing wedding.

We're not even home yet but I've already started editing - I'm just so excited about everything we captured over the past few days - I have so much to share with you!

I'm not sure if this photo from a session on Friday is embarrassing (I don't exactly look very graceful!) or just plain funny but either way, it makes me giggle! Can you tell we've had fun?

Also - stay tuned for Holiday Session information (Southern California and Nashville) that will be coming your way shortly. Feel free to drop me an email if you'd like to be included on the email blast that will be out in the next two weeks or sooner! Can you believe it's already time to start talking about that?

Newborn Baby Raegan

2008-09-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

I told you the babies are in full bloom around here!

Shortly after Baby Cole’s arrival, Baby Raegan decided to make her debut!

Luckily, we were able to squeeze in some pre-Raegan pictures of her mom Courtney just barely before her arrival:

I love simple classic maternity photos that focus on the awesome lines and shapes that are unique to pregnancy!

And here she is! Baby Raegan!

Little Angel:

A sweet family of three:

I love this shot that Adam got of me holding her.

Hmmm . . . who do you think she looks like?

And my favorite shot of their hospital session – so happy together!

Welcome to our world, Raegan! We’re so excited that you are here!

Annie and Jeremy's Wedding: Lake Tahoe, CA

2008-09-07T00:09:00.000-07:00

Last week we got to go to Lake Tahoe for Jeremy and Annie's wedding - I know - isn't my job just awful??? Since we aren't CA natives, we took a couple of extra days to drive up and see some parts of the state that we haven't been to - I'll spare you all of the photos but here are a couple of favorites from our drive up Highway 1 all the way to San Francisco before we headed inland to the Lake - it was awesome!

Near Big Sur:

The jellyfish display at the Monterey Aquarium:

We had such a great trip up and what a great way to finish off our week with a beautiful Lake Tahoe wedding!!

Annie and Jeremy picked a gorgeous spot on the northern shore of the Lake. I love this dress shot with the mountains and water in the background:

Annie was SUCH a beautiful and classic bride, just as I knew she would be!

The super-fun wedding party - I have to say that Annie's girls were working it in their pink dresses!!

I always fall for the little ones - these fairies were precious!

A sweet ceremony moment:

There were so many fun spots to shoot with Annie and Jeremy since they picked such a great location and it was a beautiful night! Beach, water, trees - gorgeous!

**Favorite!!** ( I loved this one so much that it's already on the website - did you notice I updated?)

The reception finished off the evening with an awesome party!

A sweet dad and daughter moment:

And just a couple of the many great dance shots that we got thanks to the awesome DJ who kept the party going and everyone on the dance floor!

What a great night of celebration and a great trip. Annie and Jeremy, thanks for letting us come and be a part of such a special day. Everything was so great and big congratulations!!

Newborn Baby Cole

2008-09-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

Whew - can you tell that life's been busy? Blogging lulls typically mean that I am slammed as is the case now! But the good news is that there's lots of fun stuff to share with you over the next couple of weeks!

I heard a statistic over the weekend that more babies are born per capita in Southern California than anywhere else in the country and considering the past couple of weeks - I believe it!

We got to help welcome Baby Cole a couple of weeks ago!

He surprised us all by showing up 5 weeks early but amazingly was still almost 6 pounds!

Babies are always such incredible miracles, and especially this little one. I love getting to capture a few hospital moments during the first couple of days - such a special time! With his Mom and Grammy:

And to top the afternoon off - I got to hold him! I LOVE babies!

Congratulations and welcome Baby Cole!!

Lake Tahoe!

2008-08-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

Not a bad backdrop for a wedding!!!

Leonesse Cellars

2008-08-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Adam and I had the privilege of spending the afternoon at one of our new favorite venues - Leonesse Cellars in Temecula. We had an amazing lunch (just think - Goat Cheese Ravioli with Scallops! wow!) at their restaurant, Block Five, and got to spend some time with their Special Events Coordinator, Nicole.

We first visited Leonesse for Ashley and Cole's wedding back in April and have really enjoyed working with them since then. We had some really fun shots from their wedding that Leonesse has been able to use to showcase their beautiful venue.

Nicole is so great to work with and we love the way that they truly care about each client and work with each bride to stage the wedding that they really have in mind. It's great to work with other vendors who think like us!

If any of you brides are venue-scouting, be sure to check them out! We can't wait to shoot there again soon!

Lauren and Brent's Wedding: Newport Beach, CA

2008-08-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! What an amazing wedding we got to be a part of last weekend! Lauren and Brent were married at Balboa Bay Club and it was such a beautiful celebration - so beautiful that I've been dreading this post because I know I don't have room to post every shot that I want! Here's a few of my favorites, at least!

Starting the day off right:

Lauren's stunning dress by Junko Yoshioka:

Gorgeous!!

Lauren's classic bouquet by Planit couldn't have complimented her dress any more perfectly!

Lauren helping her dad with a last minute detail:

The groom and his men:

Down the aisle for an elegant, personal ceremony witnessed by close family and friends:

They're married!

Maybe my favorite image of the two of them from my wonderful and talented husband:

Lauren and Brent got to go on a gondola ride through the harbor just before the reception - this is also where Brent popped the question just a few short months before! What a great memory that they now have from both their engagement and wedding!

A few reception details:

Dancing the night away:

A great moment!!

Lauren and Brent, thanks so much for including Adam and I in your wedding celebration!! You have such great family and friends and we loved every minute of it! Congratulations!!

Don and Stacey Engagement: Nashville, TN

2008-08-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Whew - I think we're finally re-surfacing a little bit from our Nashville trip a couple of weeks ago! I've been buried in editing but we're finally starting to wrap things up! I have one more great shoot to share with you from that session - Don and Stacey's engagement session!

I love doing shoots at locations that are meaningful to a couple - so we were really excited to start out Don and Stacey's shoot at Greer Stadium where their first date was for a Nashville Sounds game. Stacey even showed us the exact spot that Don was standing when she walked up to meet him - love it!!

Hanging out in the bleachers:

In the Home Run Zone:

Down by the field:

After hanging out at the stadium, we went over to one of our favorite little alleyways in the Gulch:

Don't miss Stacey's awesome shoes - I wish I could get away with those!!

Don and Stacey - thanks for a great afternoon! We can't wait for your wedding in October!

Brent and Lauren are married!

2008-07-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

More to come ...

Katie and Landon Engagement: Nashville, TN

2008-07-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

On our trip last week, we met another great couple whose wedding we get to be a part of - Katie and Landon! It was another sweltering day but luckily we were in the shade at Radnor Lake - a beautiful lake near Katie's house.

The tall trees made for some really cool lighting that I love in these shots:

**Favorite**! I love a girl who can rock the boots!

There were so many beautiful places to shoot!

After narrowly escaping a nasty patch of poison ivy (yes that's referring to me!), we headed over to Katie's house for a few shots around where she grew up.

In the back yard - I would live on this swing!

And they have an awesome back porch too!

Thanks for a fun morning, Katie and Landon! We're so excited to be a part of your wedding in December!

Laura and John David: Springfield, TN

2008-07-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, we had the privilege of hanging out with Laura and John David on their wedding day in Springfield, TN. It was our first time there and what a precious little town! There's just something about that small-town feel that is so fun - Laura grew up in this great old house with her cousins next door and her grandfather across the street. The wedding was definitely THE event of the town!! It was so great!

Getting ready at home:

The dress!
Laura - gorgeous!

JD looking quite handsome:

And a few more favorites of Laura - she really looked amazing!

Two of my favorite shots from the day from Adam:

A couple of ceremony favorites:

Together:

Laura's reception was at her parents' house just down the street from the church so we stole a couple of minutes to shoot in that area. I love these two in her grandfather's front yard:

A couple of reception details:

The bridesmaids give Laura and JD one last gift!

Off to Hawaii!

Lo and JD - Congratulations and thanks SO much for letting us be a part of your day! We're so excited for you guys!! What a wonderful celebration with so many family members and friends. I hope that Hawaii is amazing!

Heather and Luke Engagement: Franklin, TN

2008-07-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Heather and Luke's engagement session was the first of a whirlwind of shoots while we were in Nashville - and what a GREAT way to kick it all off!

We met them in downtown Franklin and had such a fun evening running around. They were so much fun and such great sports shooting in hot, Southern summer weather!!

We started on beautiful Main Street:

I know it's cheesy - but I couldn't resist!!

**Favorite!!** - how cute are they!!

I loved this old iron fence:

Franklin has so many great shooting locations - we found some great gardens and porches. Beautiful!!

I love this next simple shot:

Heather and Luke are both such genuine, fun people to be with! We're so excited to get to be a part of this exciting time in their lives. Thanks for hanging out with us!

The following day we did an amazing Bridal shoot with Heather in her wedding dress. Unfortunately, you (and Luke!) will have to wait a few more weeks to see her but just so you know - she is absolutely stunning!! I can't wait for you to see in mid-September!!

A great week!

2008-07-14T22:48:00.000-07:00

We just got home to California tonight after spending several great (and yes, very hot!) days shooting in Nashville.

More to come throughout the week but here's a quick favorite from Laura and John David's wedding taken on the street just in front of her parents house. Love it!!

Whitney and Michael Engagement: Newport Beach, CA

2008-07-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last week, we were excited to meet Whitney and Michael for their engagement session in Newport Beach! They are both from Nashville so we have lots of mutual connections from there, but Michael's family vacations in Newport every year so we got to hang out with them while they were in town here in CA.

How fun to have your engagement photos done on vacation!

They were precious together and we had lots of fun just walking around Balboa Peninsula and hanging out!

It's a tie once again for favorite image between these two - which do you like best?? I can't decide!

Some photo booth fun!

By the harbor:

We were so pumped when Whitney and Michael told us they had ridden their bikes over to meet us! Jackpot!

And a couple of beach shots to finish out the evening:

Thanks, guys! We hope that you had such a great vacation!!

Josh and Kaitlin Engagement: Laguna Beach, CA

2008-07-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

This week, we met up with Josh and Kaitlin in Laguna for their engagement session! I know I've said it before but we really feel so lucky to continually work with really great people that we genuinely just like and enjoy hanging out with! It was a perfect night for being at the beach and we had so much fun! As usual, I have lots of favorites!!

My new favorite staircase in Laguna:

The honor of "my very favorite image from this session" is constantly changing at any time, but this one currently holds the title - they're just so cute!!:

Around downtown:

I love this ring shot from Adam:

Next, we went over to the Montage for a few shots there - it's always so fun just hanging out in that area. So beautiful!

This one is running a very, very, very close second for favorite!

Josh and Kaitlin have such great chemistry - makes my job easy!!!

And a few beach shots to close out the evening:

What a fun shoot! We're so excited to be a part of their wedding in January!!

Cate is 1!

2008-06-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

I love shooting little ones right around their first birthday so it worked out great when Christen and Cole scheduled a session for their precious daughter, Cate! Cate turned 1 just a couple of days before we got together, so it was perfect timing!!

Cate is at such a great stage - old enough to stand and walk on her own but not too quick to run away from us! I'm sure that will change quickly . . .

Cate was so much fun and so good-natured, especially considering the hot, muggy day that we were shooting on!

She loves her teddy! She was so excited when Christen brought it out!

What a cute family - so happy together!

Sweet girl:

Playtime!!

And all worn out after an exhausting hour of being so cute!

Thanks for a great afternoon!

Michelle and Adam: Duluth, GA

2008-06-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

Adam and Michelle's wedding day at the Duluth Festival Center was just amazing! I woke up early Sunday morning to head down to Atlanta along with an old friend Kat who came along to assist me - thanks Kat - you were so great!!

I have known Adam for many years and it was so fun to get to be a part of his wedding and see some friends from back in my college days! You may remember Adam, Michelle, and Addison from their engagement photos that we took on a rainy day in December.

A few wedding day details:

I love this simple ring shot:

Some casual portraits of the bride and groom:

And one with a little more flair that I LOVE! Michelle - you looked so great!!!

Pre-ceremony moments:

I love outdoor ceremonies - great light = great photos!!

Ok - confession: this photo really makes me cry! When I first saw it I was alone, at home, in front of the computer, with tears rolling down my cheeks! What a dork! I just can't help it - I love seeing a groom so anxious for his new bride!

Married!!!

The reception:

Michelle and Adam - I'm so thrilled that you found each other! The best is yet to come - congrats!!!!

Katie and John: Nashville, TN

2008-05-30T23:16:00.001-07:00

Our Memorial Day weekend got off to a great start with Katie and John's late morning wedding last Saturday. I love day-time weddings - the laid back feel and lots of sunshine always make me happy!

A few fun details:

Check out these awesome bridesmaid shoes!!

Katie chose a vintage theme that she carried through every detail of the day - it was amazing how she pulled it all together! And my favorite part of the day was . . . the bride! She looked amazing and who doesn't love a great birdcage veil? Lucky me!

Katie is so full of life and personality - she is so easy to photograph!!

The handsome groom and his men:

The ladies looked great in their pink!

A moment between the bride and groom - I love the excitement and anticipation in this shot!

Katie's dad prays for her just before the ceremony:

Mr. and Mrs.!! They did it!

I love this next shot - the bride's parents watching the first dance!

Because the wedding was earlier in the day, we had lots of great time to get some really fun shots of Katie and John together - here are a few favorites!

Congrats to Katie and John!!! Your wedding was awesome and we had a blast! Thanks for being so great to work with!!

Sneak peaks!!

2008-05-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

We're home from being on the road again for a great week of shooting! We had 2 amazing weddings and a session with a precious 1-year-old!! I can't wait to show you all lots more, but here's a sneak peak to tide you over!

Saturday: Katie and John

Sunday: Michelle and Adam

Tuesday: Cate

There are plenty more where these came from!! Check back soon!

Annie and Jeremy: Manhattan Beach

2008-05-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

It's official - I have the greatest clients! I'm continually amazed by how lucky we are to get to work with such wonderful people, and Annie and Jeremy are no exception. We booked their wedding over the phone, so their engagement session a couple of weeks ago in Manhattan Beach was the first time that we had met in person. And we hit it off right away and are even more excited about their wedding in August in Lake Tahoe, if that's possible!

We had so much fun with them on their session. We started out in the neighborhood just above the Pier and found a couple of amazing spots!

How cute are they!!
Then we headed down to the beach! It's so clear that these two are very much into each other - makes my job easy!!

Another great shot from my talented husband Adam:
A few lifeguard tower shots - always so fun!
One moment I always love is the pre-kiss moment. Here's one of my all-time favorites:

Annie and Jeremy were seriously so great and easy to work with! They were willing to try anything - I love these next couple with the warm sunset light.

We ended the night with another beautiful California sunset! I know - we're spoiled!

Thanks, Annie and Jeremy for such a fun afternoon. We can't wait for August!!

Florida Trip: Shannon and Parker

2008-05-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

The second wedding of our Florida trip was Shannon and Parker! We were so excited to photograph their wedding and be a part of their big day in Shannon's hometown, Ft. Walton. Adam and I watched the weather all week and were a little nervous as it kept predicting storms, but the day was incredibly beautiful with not a drop of rain!! A perfect wedding day!

Shannon looked amazing! We got several really amazing shots of her alone. Here are a couple of favorites:

Shannon and Parker opted to see each other before the ceremony - I'm always excited when couples choose this as it gives us more time for shots of the two of them together.

In the narthex of the church - the window light was beautiful!

The church had these awesome red doors! So great!

A couple other favorites of the two of them:

Shannon and Parker's friends and family were all so great and welcoming! Not to mention fun . . .

Everything at the church was very elegant - from the decor to the simple, traditional service.

I love this moment that Adam caught just before Shannon's dad walked her down the aisle:

The new Mr. and Mrs.!!!

Their reception was at Eglin Air Force Base. I don't think I've ever actually been on a Base before so I was excited to see what all was on the other side of the gate! And, turns out, it was a beautiful place to shoot! Check out this amazing tree:

The reception was so much fun, with lots of dancing and celebrating.

And to top the night off, Shannon was serenaded with a lovely rendition of "You've Lost that Loving Feeling". It was awesome!

Congratulations to Shannon and Parker and thanks so much for letting us be a part of your big day!

McHaney!

2008-05-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

While we were in Rosemary Beach, I got to hang out with one of the most precious little girls - McHaney! We did some shots of her around the Rosemary Beach area and also right on the beach, which was perfect for her as she LOVES the sand and water!

McHaney is turning 2 in a few weeks and is at that precious age of being just so sweet!

Her blue fishie dress was perfect for the setting. I love the beautiful back-lighting in this shot!

Her little profile is just precious!

In the courtyard of one of the awesome houses on the green:

As soon as McHaney saw the beach, she was gone! This girls loves her some sand!!

I love this next shot - barefoot on the beach with two fist-fuls of sand. What more could a girl want?

Sheer joy!!

What a precious girl and what a great morning at the beach!

Florida Trip: Rachel and Jonathan

2008-05-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

So we just got home from a great trip to Florida for two back-to-back weddings! The first one was Rachel and Jonathan's on the East Green in Rosemary Beach and it was amazing! And, to make it more fun, I was on the other side of the camera for once as a bridesmaid rather than a photographer. It was so fun to see lots of my friends from college and be a part of their special day.

Of course, I can't help myself from grabbing at least a couple of shots, even though I wasn't "on the job".

Rachel was a beautiful bride, to none of our surprise:

Coming down the aisle with her dad (no I didn't shoot this - Adam did! But yes, I was tempted to carry my camera down the aisle with my bouquet!):

The beautiful tented reception:

Rachel and Jonathan's first dance:

More reception favorites:

It was such a great night and full weekend of celebrating these awesome people! I'm so excited for them as they begin their new life together - congratulations!!

Corey and Danielle: Seniors!!

2008-05-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

Well, we just got back from an amazing trip to Florida! We worked a little, rested a little, got a little sun - it was so great! Lots of fun pictures to come from that soon and hopefully a viable excuse for why I'm behind on blogging?

Just before we left, we got to hang out with siblings Corey and Danielle who are both about to graduate from college! BIG congratulations!!

So to document the occasion, we spent the afternoon at RSM Lake hanging out. Corey is graduating with a degree in business:

I always try to keep sessions like this fun and relaxed; I thought these really captured Corey as he really is!

Danielle is getting her degree in Psychology - whoo whoo! Shout out to psych majors - the degree of champions! I was excited to see her sporting a Psi Chi medal - the psychology honor society which I was also in when I was in school. Doesn't that make us sisters or something? Awesome!

The graduates:

A little brotherly-sisterly love:

Big congratulations to you both! This is such a huge accomplishment and I'm so excited to see what's in store for you both!!

Drew and Michelle: Maternity

2008-04-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

I love love love the wildflowers that come out in the Spring in California and have been dying to shoot in them for the past couple of weeks. So I was so excited when Drew and Michelle called for a maternity session!

It was a perfect day at Crystal Cove and despite almost getting busted by the State Beach Patrol for shooting on state-owned beaches (whoops!), we ended up with some amazing shots!

Here are a few of my favorites - of course I always have a hard time narrowing down!

I think this next one is my favorite!!

On the beach:

We ended our afternoon with a beautiful sunset and a great dinner at Pacific Whey Cafe. Thanks for hanging out with us, Drew and Michelle! We can't wait to meet Brileigh!

Cole and Ashley!

2008-04-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Ashley and Cole!! We had such a fabulous day with them at Leonesse Cellars and it was an amazing venue that made for such a beautiful wedding.

We had so much fun with Ashley and Cole at their engagement session that we knew that their wedding was going to be awesome. And it didn't disappoint!

Here's Cole and his guys looking quite dapper:

Ashley was an absolutely stunning bride. I really couldn't stop staring at her!!

I love this shot of Ashley with her sister-in-law:

This is one of my favorites shots of the day. Adam grabbed this just before the ceremony:
The sweet ceremony overlooking the vineyard:

Mr. and Mrs.!!!

I loved the cupcakes - perfectly swirled!

Ashley and Cole - thanks for letting us be part of your day!! It was amazing! Congratulations!!