In all seriousness, I couldn't think of a better note to have ended on. Kimberly and Kyle's wedding had been a long time coming (they booked us over a year in advance!) so we were thrilled when the date finally arrived!

Something you should know about the bride: she's a blogger. Like, a really fantastic one. She blogged all about her wedding, and now she's blogging all about her marriage. And she's got an Etsy shop, where she sells super adorable wedding-related things. And she just graduated from UF with a Master's in Architecture. She's kind of like Superwoman, but without the cape or spandex.

Since Kim blogged her planning process religiously, I got to be informed about all the details before the actual big day! This was a huge treat, because it allowed me to start brainstorming photo ideas ahead of time. Hellooooo waves of creativity.

Kim and Kyle put in a lot of hard work into their big day, paying attention to all of the little details. Their efforts certainly paid off - the entire event was beyond gorgeous.

Aside from the aesthetics, Kim and Kyle's wedding was a true reflection of their relationship. There was so much joy and support shared between family and friends - all coming together to celebrate the love that Kim and Kyle have been growing for 7 years. It was beautiful. And I'm certain that their marriage is nothing short of that. :)

This is THE longest post EVER. But I'm completely ok with that. Because it's my blog and I do what I want. ;)

Enjoy the trail of images from this gorgeous wedding:

Let's start with the essentials - dress. Shoes. :)

...and the even prettier half. :)

...and Ben's! (I'm kind of jealous of his view because he got to be closer...)

Oh you didn't hear me? I said THE SUNSHINE WAS AMAZING THAT DAY.

Some of my favorite shots of the day are from the golf course. I posted a few others on the sneak peek, if you're curious. :)

Then the party started. :) The first dance was choreographed and adorable.

So all the single dudes lined up to grab for the garter. Moments before, the guy in the middle's girlfriend had caught the bouquet. Just in case you aren't sure of who he is, he's the one being POINTED AT.

And yeah. He caught it. :)

WHOA. That was kind of huge.

I have a bunch of details I want to share, but I'm pretty sure my blog may start smoking or just shut down from this post. So I'll save that for later this week. :)

Congrats Kimberly and Kyle!

Mallory and David are the kind of people you want to be friends with. They're easygoing, fun, and down-to-earth - and I happen to really love people like that. ;) Their relationship is comfortable and their chemistry is obvious - which makes it super easy to translate their love into images.

The day of their shoot was a typical Florida summer day...HOT and HUMID. But they rolled with the weather, and laughed through the sticky foreheads and sweaty embraces. That's true love, my friends. ;) We're bummed to miss their wedding next year, but SO glad that we got the chance to photograph them during this really awesome time in their lives.

Here's a few favorites from the day:

Florida, you are living up to your nickname with that sun flare. :)

Lots of things have happened since then; I started school. We got a new couch. I got a new tattoo. But more on all of that excitement later (because I know you all are just dying to hear about our new couch). Today, I will be posting a sneak peek that trumps all other sneak peeks in it's enormousness - 4 different sessions combined into one massive, photo-filled post. It's like killing 4 birds with one stone, except I like animals.

I've posted 21 photos below - 5 'peeks' per session. Enjoy. And come back often - we'll hang out more. I promise. :)

First up: Andy, Stacey, Tristan and William. A.K.A. The cutest little family ever. ;)

They're adorable!

Next: Marina and Ken. We did their session in the neighborhood of the little island they live on. Gorgeous place, gorgeous couple.

<3

Third in line: Hallie and Melody. Hallie contacted us about doing this shoot with her and her mom, Melody, for mother's day. Such a cute gift idea! Hallie and Melody are awesome, and kept us laughing throughout the whole shoot. My mom, my sister and I are extremely close too, so this session was an especially fun one for me to be a part of. :)

Hello super cute shoes!

Cupcakes make everything better. :)

They incorporated a lot of personal things into their shoot, and reading was one of those things. :)

And last (but certainly not least): Kim and Kyle; the amazing Mr. and Mrs. from our very last wedding! Kim and Kyle's wedding was seriously incredible, and there will be LOTS of photos from the whole day, but these 5 were shot at sunset. Golden light = lovvvvvvve.

Their wedding was on a golf course, which was the perfect setting for images like this. :)

This one is in the running for my favorite of the day...but it's still too early to tell. :)

A special request from the bride. :)

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty accomplished after all of that. I'm going to reward myself with ice cream and Grey's Anatomy re-runs. Stay tuned for more blogging in the near future! :)

Let me speak on experiences for a moment.

Experiencing life is the only way to truly live it, if you ask me. Sometimes, you jump right in - unconcerned about risk. Other times, you dip your toes to test the temperature. I think you need a healthy balance of both; a blend of spontaneousness and caution.

Many of my big experiences have been pretty carefully thought through; love, college, my first tattoo, hair school, etc. But photography is one that required some risk. We didn't really have time to 'dip our toes' - it all happened rather quickly, much like taking a deep breath and plunging into a mysterious - yet intriguing - body of water.

Photography has been such a thrill for us. It has opened doors that we would have never even thought to try out, challenged and pushed our creativity, brought us closer as a couple, introduced us to beautiful, inspiring people, and taught us the necessary lessons of failure and success. To describe it as a passion would be accurate, but I love to also think of it as an ongoing experience. We are experiencing life from behind a camera; watching moments unfold and freezing them so they can be relived all over again long after. It's an overwhelming privilege - this career of capturing memories.

I'd like to digress, but without taking anything away from what I just wrote. Everything mentioned above is exactly how I've felt, and continue to feel about photography.

I'm entering a new world.

After being accepted into the Aveda Institute last Fall, my life has been slowly transforming. I'm molding myself to be ready for a new phase - a new chapter - a new experience. The cosmetology industry is something that I've been waiting to be a part of for awhile now - I was just waiting on the when? question to be answered. And now it is. This month I will begin my journey and I couldn't be more excited about what this means for my future.

I need to note that something happened about a month ago that sort of instilled a greater amount of anticipation in me about my upcoming opportunity at Aveda.

I entered their annual 'natural talent' scholarship, was selected as a finalist, competed, and - much to my amazement - won. This means a lot of different things for me: one, it means that Ben and I can feel less strain financially because my school investment will be completely paid for. Before i even entered the competition, we knew that we would make it work - whatever we had to do. But we don't have money growing on trees, so this investment was going to be pretty heavy for us. The scholarship is a huge, monumental blessing, and I think Ben may even be more thrilled about this aspect than I am. :) 

Two (and possibly even more important on a different level), it confirms that this is what I should be doing. There are a LOT of talented people that are entering the Institute. To be selected among a group of my talented future peers as having natural potential is an extremely rewarding feeling. I would never, ever want to seem like I'm high-fiving myself, but it feels good to know I'm going in the right direction. It feels good to know that I have found my niche. For the first time in my life, I have found an outlet where my passions, abilities, and motivation can collide. It's immensely fulfilling.

So a decision was on the horizon. And as the self-proclaimed Queen of Indecisionland, I promptly ignored the irritating thing for as long as I could. :)

But much like Crocs, it just wouldn't go away.

So, here we are.

Ben and I have made the decision to completely step away from photography as a career.

I felt like I should just let it be out there on it's own, and that it needed to be said it quickly and plainly - like ripping off a band-aid.

Now I can explain a little more.

Originally, we thought we'd just step away from weddings (you can read all about my first attempt at getting my life figured out HERE :)). This is what seemed to fit best with our schedule, and seemed like the appropriate decision at the time. But looking back now, I think we both knew that wasn't completely right. Here's why - when we are involved in something, we want to be in it all the way. 110%. We give our blood, sweat, tears, and passion, and we push ourselves. Hard. I think this is how you should do things in life. Otherwise, some things are only getting little bits and pieces of you (30% here....54% there....).

Once Aveda became a reality, photography slowly, but surely, began taking a back seat. I should have known that this would happen. And like I said - I think I kind of did. But it's hard to break away from something that you've been so invested in. And sometimes, I want to foolishly convince myself that I can have 37 irons in my fire and give that 110% to all of them. That's....4,070%. And that's just a scary number.

I started feeling disconnected to photography. I was losing my motivation - my drive. NOT because I don't love it - I do! But because I was wearing myself so thin and I felt it becoming more like a job, and less like a passion.

So I began doing some soul-searching. Isn't that such a horrifying (but, at the same time, completely refreshing) thing? What I discovered is that I'm an over-committer. And a bit of a people-pleaser. And that I'm not as happy in everything that I'm doing as I'd like to pretend that I am.

Here's my current reality: 

-The cosmetology industry is my future - and I want to push myself to be an absolutely exceptional cosmetologist. 

-Photography will always be a part of my life (and a passion), but I don't want it to be my career. 

-I want to be a better wife, friend, sister, daughter, grand-daughter, niece, etc.

-I want to spend more time with Ben, and have 'date nights' again.

-I want to hang out more with my family, and my friends.

-I want to take days off.

-I want to rediscover old hobbies, and explore new ones.

-I want to spend less time at my computer.

-I want to be a better listener.

-I want to learn how to say 'no' more often.

-I want to do more charity work.

-I want to spend more time outside with Putter.

-I want to have kids....at some point. :) 

-I want to laugh more.

-I want to have quiet time.

-I need more time - period - to do all of the above-mentioned things.

-I want to be completely fulfilled.

This being said, we have a lot to do in the way of changes. What you need to know about these changes:

This blog will not be shutting down - I have a lot to say, and I think Ben needs me to have somewhere else to say some of it. :) It will simply transition into a more personal endeavor. It will still have stories, photos, and experiences. Lots of experiences. :)

We will still be open to doing shoots every now and then, but it won't be for money, and it will be selective (based on what we can, and want to take on at the time).

For our previous clients: Thank you. I wish I had better words to express our appreciation for you, but I suppose the only thing I can say is 'thank you.' Times a million. You have inspired us to laugh more, and love deeper. At the risk of sounding extremely cliche - we are truly better people for having met (and spent time with) each of you. :)

For our current/potential clients: We will not be making any major shifts until we have completed all of the jobs (and pending jobs) on our books. We're SO excited about working with you. Please do not let this upcoming change make you think we feel any differently about that. In fact, we are even more excited about being a part of your experience because we are in a happy, fulfilling place! We seriously cannot wait to hang out with you, and capture moments for you. :)

For all of you: Thank you for going on our life journey with us. I know it's been a combination of testing the waters and jumping in without hesitation, but without balance, the whole ordeal would be pretty lopsided. :) I hope you are able to appreciate our transparency throughout our experiences as we always want to remain open and honest about the different obstacles and excitements life throws our way. From all of this, I'd like to offer a small, nugget of advice (that you most certainly may take or leave :)) - find fulfillment in your life. Soul search, if needed. But discover fulfillment. It is the most incredible thing you can do for yourself.

Stick with us - we have lots more experiencing to do. :)

The best day of your life is the one on which you decide that your life is your own...The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins. -Bob Moawad

(**if you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail us)

It's been awhile since I've been on this thing. And SO much has happened since then! But that's for another day, another post. :)

For today, we're focusing on Deana and Guy's beautiful wedding in Jacksonville.

The day was bright and sunny - beautiful for a rooftop ceremony. There was a slight breeze that made the Florida heat bearable, and a truly excited, relaxed mood that made me feel certain that the wedding was going to be nothing short of great. And I was not disappointed. :)

The whole day was filled with lots of love and laughter, and Ben and I left the venue that night feeling like we had made a huge group of new friends. In the world of photography, that's one of the the best feelings. :)

Enough chit-chat - on to the photos!

It was obvious that Deana is extremely close to her bridesmaids. She gave a little heartfelt speech before toasting her girls for being so awesome. :)

Let's throw some guys in the mix. :)

The ceremony was intimate and emotion-filled.

I love this - spending a few moments relaxing together after the ceremony.

LOVE and LOVE.

Favorite(s). :)

Deana, you were a gorgeous bride.

I really adore this first dance shot that Ben grabbed with the bridal party in the background. :)

Enjoying one of the many toasts given by family and friends. :)

THIS is how you're supposed to eat wedding cake.

This one jumped out at me while I was editing. So sweet! :)

And I'll leave you with the following series:

A toast...

A chug...

And a brave bride. :)

Part 2 is all about the details. And let me just tell you - they do not disappoint.

The entire theme was largely focused around earthy, vintage-inspired, country-chic aspects. Custom-made wooden pieces, family-style seating, pops of bright green and an ideal venue selection (the Winter Park's Farmer Market), were just some of the bits and pieces that made Valerie and Ricky's wedding a picture perfect event.

I don't normally post a lot of 'detail' photos on the blog because, well, most of the time details aren't as exciting to look at as people. :) But in this case, I think the details are so fantastic that they need to be shared. Future brides, wedding planners...appreciators of awesomeness - take note. The photo board below is a source of inspiration; a testimony that DIY can be chic and breathtaking.

Yup. I said DIY. Valerie and her exceptionally talented family created the entire look for this wedding. Valerie even found some of the little gems below on the side of the road. She was a dedicated bride. She had a vision, and sought to have it carried out in every element of her day. Brides - let this be encouragement to you that your wedding day can be creative and beautiful without breaking the bank. Just utilize your resources, be innovative and be hands-on. You can have the wedding of your dreams - you just have to be willing to put in the time and effort. :)

Valerie and Ricky's wedding was gorgeous and cohesive. Enjoy the charming details from their big day!

And because every post is better with...people :), here's a couple of shots of Valerie and Ricky's first dance. More on the reception in part 3!

Not because I'm nervous to write about Becky, the breast cancer survivor. Cancer, I can write about. I'm nervous to write about Becky, the courageous, spunky, full-of-life, extraordinary woman. Cancer is something that Becky has experienced, but cancer is not what defines her.

So I'm going to make my best attempt to describe what I think does define her.

I didn't get to spend a ton of time with Becky, but I didn't need to in order to understand who she is. She's a straight shooter; transparent, genuine, and a take-me-as-I-am type of person. She has a contagious smile that is constantly planted on her face. She adores her family. She radiates confidence. She carries herself with a certain grace and poise that I long for; I envy her self-assurance. She's not afraid to be goofy or affectionate or energetic - she allows her true personality to shine through no matter where she is or who she is around.

She's a survivor, but more importantly, she's a live-r. Not the organ :); the verb. She knows how to live.

On the day I met Becky, I had been experiencing a day. You know what I mean. A DAY. Nothing was going right, and the world seemed to be wreaking havoc on me every second that I spent awake. It's the kind of day that can put you in a slump; wreck your mindset. And it did - for a moment.

Becky changed my perspective. While we were running through the rain (yes. RAIN. On her shoot. Like I said - it was a day.), I was apologizing. And complaining. And apologizing some more. She stopped me, and with a smile said, 'you didn't know this was going to happen.'

It's simplistic, but so true. We can't control life. It's going to throw us curveballs - days, stormy weather, heartbreak, cancer...but it's up to us how we choose to handle it. We can sulk in our slump, apologize a million times, or take a cue from this lovely lady and keep pushing forward.

I'd like to believe that I'm a better person after hanging out with Becky for an hour. And for that, I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to meet her. :)

Becky's hair has started to grow back (yay!) but she wanted to grab some shots of her before it was fully grown to document such a monumental time in her life. Really cool, right? As we were e-mailing back and forth, I told her to feel free to bring any props along with her that she thought would add to the shoot. She told me that she was bringing along 2 of the things that have helped her the most throughout the whole process - her kids. :)

McKinzi and Michael love their mommy a lot.

And of course, the feeling is reciprocated. :)

How cute are they?!

One of my favorites.

LOVE these two.

Becky, you're gorgeous.

Demi Moore has nothing on this chick. ;)

:)

Denise is Becky's sister (and a great friend of ours - hi Denise! :)). Denise has been one of Becky's biggest cheerleaders, supporters, encouragers, and friends through the past months of challenges and trials. Having a sister myself, I can definitely appreciate how tight their bond must be. Sisters are seriously one of life's biggest blessings.

At some point during the shoot, McKinzi decided that she should wear Becky's hat. And as soon as I pointed the camera in her direction, she worked it. Someone needs to get this girl an agent!

I already knew I was going to love Becky before I even met her. But when she rolled up to the shoot wearing these boots, she stole my heart. <3

So as I mentioned before, it rained. Here, it wasn't downpouring, but it was definitely coming down steadily. Becky and I braved the drops to grab a few shots of her doing what she does best - embracing the moment that life has given her. :)

The Dickins kids are Faith, Bethany, Drew, and William. They are probably some of the cutest, most photogenic people I've ever been around. And they're cool. And sweet. It's kind of like the best of all worlds, really. :)

Here's a few of our favorites from the day!

William is the youngest, and he lucked out in the fun-older-siblings department. :)

a little brotherly bonding...

...and sisterly love!

:)

Who doesn't love to swing?!

Favorite group shot!

I try to take at least one 'no face' shot during every session we do. I think attire/shoes say a lot about someone's personality. :)

William and I made a deal; if he gave me one 'nice smile'...

...he could make any face he wanted. (I'm kind of partial to this one, really :))

Faith and Bethany got in on the face-making action too. :)

The Walbrown family (consisting of Randy, Kim, Allison, Ben and Cara) participated in one of our Love Through the Lens sessions, and they are a super fun group to be around. They laugh a lot together, which I believe is the key to a happy, healthy family. And they make monkey faces. How can you not be cool if you make monkey faces?!

The kids - Ben, Allison and Cara.

Then we added the parents to the mix. :)

Mom and Dad need a few by themselves. :)

There's something about this shot that I really love.

Probably my favorite family shot. :)

Ok - so you may be familiar with our personality boxes. If you are a client, you can request them, and we'll make it happen during your shoot or event! The Walbrown kids didn't request a personality box, but after spending some time letting them have total creative freedom in front of the camera, I decided that they definitely deserved one. There's a WHOLE lot of personality in these 9 frames. And I can't take any credit for the awesomeness of the faces or poses - that was all them. :)

Despite the cold air, Autumn was a trooper! And Mandy and Matt are truly loving, devoted parents already. It was beautiful to watch their little family interact together, and to see how much they adore Autumn. I'm hoping to see more of them in the future as Autumn continues to grow! :)

Daddy/daughter photos melt my heart. :)

Doesn't it kind of look like Autumn is smiling here? I think she knows how much they love her. :)

SUCH a cute family!

Up there in the running for my favorite of the day.

I have said it before and I'll say it again; I think it is SO important for couples to have photos together, sans kids. Parents should document their love throughout the years because it is their relationship that is truly the foundation for their family. I'm off my soapbox now. :) P.s. How photogenic and precious are Mandy and Matt?!

Little baby fingers. :)

:)

For the first post, we'll spotlight the gorgeous newlyweds, Valerie and Ricky. Valerie and Ricky gave us tons of time BEFORE the ceremony to take photos and it was nothing short of amazing. As photographers, we were thrilled. :)

This first one was shot right after their 'first look'... :)

...we then moved over to Kraft Azalea Park for some portrait time.

Valerie was especially excited about this location because it tied in with the theme of their wedding, and their engagement session. :)

Hello - how fabulous are they?!

So sweet.

The light was awesome!

I need to take a moment to highlight Valerie. She was seriously one of the most stunning brides I have ever seen.

Gorgeous, right?! That photo on the left is my most favorite bridal shot we've taken.

:)

The ceremony and reception were held at the Winter Park Farmer's Market (LOVE), so we took the opportunity to grab a few more shots around that area before everything started.

Handsome groom. :)

Valerie, I know you have been excited to see the outcome of this shot, so I hope you love it as much as I do! :)

A little end of the night romance...:)

I seriously can't handle all the cuteness.

Holding hands with mommy.

In the running for my favorite of the day. I just love how little and delicate she looks sitting on that bench.

Happy baby. :)

LOVE these two.

'It's my party and I'll chew on this balloon if I want to.'

A little dress up.

That face is awesome.

p.s. I made the wardrobe selection for this part of the shoot. Hello - boots and leggings? Done. This is a glimpse at how my future child will dress.

So Cami (Callie's mommy) was staying out of photos for the most part, but when she crawled into the tunnel with her, I couldn't resist snapping a few. I adore this shot.

I feel like this is a perfect pair of images to leave you with. :)

*This is the week for sneak peeks and full posts! We have nine shoots on deck that need to be edited, so check back often! :)

Putter shares a birthday with Valentine's Day. Since the flowers-and-jewelry holiday is no big deal in our house (don't judge us), we focused on spending time with Putter, and spoiling him with a huge, dinosaur-like bone, and a couple of extra treats and hugs. I don't think he knew that it was his birthday, but he loves to be the center of attention, so he was happy to play along:

I know I'm biased, but how adorable is that little furry face?! I mean, really. You can't help but love him.

Putter is truly a bright spot in our lives, and our days wouldn't be quite as entertaining or joy-filled without him in them. We don't have any children yet, but in our book, Putter is our first kid. A clumsy, excitable, playful, 70 lb. kid. And we're proud parents. :)

Those days are balanced (fortunately) by really, really great days. The location is beautiful, our client is up for anything, our creative juices are flowing, and the sunshine comes out to play.

Last Saturday, we had a great day. :)

It was windy. Ok. It was whip-your-hair-in-136-different-directions windy. But we still had an amazing time. All the components lined up: downtown Kissimmee was beautiful and serene, Carly was up for anything, our creative juices were flowing, and the sunshine came out to play for a little while.

It's days like Saturday that make us love photography. And it's clients like Carly that make the 'job' part feel non-existent.

Like I said, it was windy. But apparently, the wind loved Carly.

Carly is really photogenic. So photogenic, that if she wasn't also super sweet, you may just have to despise her out of jealousy. ;)

Love this.

Hello, sunshine.

I LOVE these next two. Though they look similar, I love them for completely different reasons. I also love that Ben snapped one of them, and I snapped the other. Team effort. :)

Um, yeah - so we just painted this mural on the wall real quick for the shoot. No biggie.

Gorgeous.

:)

A little later than I originally planned, but I was dealing with this for the past few days:

I hate being sick. Besides feeling physically terrible, it throws off how I function and messes up my routine. Wah.

Ok let's move on. :)

The Mezger family is a really fun group to hang out with. Ben and I aren't used to really large family sessions, but this family of 9 definitely made our job easy and enjoyable. They have a blast together, and share a lot of love for one another. :)

Since there are quite a few members of the Mezger crew, let me do a breakdown for you:

The whole clan.

Kent and Jenny. a.k.a. Mom and Dad. :)

Tyler and Kari. Kari is the daughter of Kent and Jenny, and Tyler is her husband. P.s. Kari is the one who contacted us to get this session lined up. :)

Kevin and Lacy. Kevin is the son of Kent and Jenny, Lacy is his wife.

...and they have two adorable girls, Lanie and Addison. Seriously, how cute are they?! I love this photo. :)

We broke the group up into several smaller groupings to get some of these shots. This one is a sister photo. :) Jess is on the left, Kari is on the right. Jess is Kent and Jenny's youngest daughter. (Have I sufficiently confused you with this dialogue about the family tree??)

Another big group one. Good looking family, right? :)

She's so precious!

I'll wrap this up with my favorite. :) (P.s. I need to point out Kevin in this photo - he is holding Addison while jumping, and managed to get pretty high off the ground, make an awesome face, and not drop her. AND she didn't cry at all. That's skills.)