It was at church that she first laid eyes on him. And suddenly she was all wow, he’s really cute. Well God must have listened because Tiffany got to shake the cute boy’s hand during the morning service. And her handshake was enough to make a lasting impression. After a few talks and more bump-ins at church, Tiffany & Brad made it official and began dating. And have been deeply in love ever since.

While in Detroit for a wedding I second shot for the beautiful & talented Lauren, I was fortunate enough to meet Tiffany and Brad. We roamed the beautiful campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and I was in love. In love with the campus, with the light, with the energy, with the couple, and with love. Tiffany and Brad, I am so excited for you both and for your upcoming wedding! Thank you again for sharing your story with us and being so much fun! Enjoy your pictures….and Happy Friday everyone!

Tiffany gave us a sneak peak into her wedding color combinations. I was more than smitten with her choices.Amazing light + Adorable Couple = Happy Photographer

We ventured into the Law School library on campus. I was so inspired, I texted Adi immediately and declared that effective tomorrow, we were enrolling in Michigan University. The library alone made me want to get my Ph. D. As soon as I saw their expressions in this shot, I couldn’t help but smile BIG. It reminded me of two students in love, stealing kisses in the library.
A little distraction from their studies never hurt anyone.;) I’m just gonna say it. These two have chemistry. And this picture proves it. Tiffany, no wonder your handshake left such a lasting impression. You’re b-e-a-u-i-t-f-u-l.Not only is Tiffany beautiful, but she knows how to pick ‘em too.

I try really hard not to “work” on Sundays. I make sure to relax, though watching the World Cup isn’t proving to be as relaxing as one would think, I sometimes nap, and I always eat a slice of cake. But today is different. Not the cake part…. but I just wasn’t fully able to relax until I looked through the images from yesterday’s amazing shoot. And so here I am, on a Sunday, totally not working….but at the computer, shifting through the photos. Adi and I got the opportunity to shoot the most beautiful couple yesterday for their engagement session and I just had to give you a little sneak peak…  Happy Sunday!

We roamed the grounds of the park in search of the perfect spot. Maybe here?… or maybe it will work better if we do it there. Unsure, I mentioned to Johnny that there was one more spot….another park just up the road. One with a tree house. As we parked our car and began to walk over to the other spot, I asked Johnny if he was nervous. He looked up at me to see if I was joking. Why would I be nervous? Shrugging my shoulders, we kept walking. A few moments later, Johnny looked up at the tree house and declared that this, in fact, was it. The perfect spot. The spot where he would ask his girlfriend of over 2 years to be by his side for all the years of his life. Are you sure this is the spot? Once again, he looked at me with a sly, yet firm smile. Yes, I’m sure.

Flash forward a week and there we were…at the spot Johnny chose for Anca. Little did Anca know, that this shoot wasn’t just to have a few fancy pictures to frame. No…this shoot would document the day that Johnny, without any doubts or reservations, without any hints of nerves, would ask Anca to marry him. As Johnny dropped to one knee, my hands began to shake…hard. So hard in fact, I prayed my photos would be in focus. As Anca began to realize what was happening, laughter, tears, and a lot of “ohmygods” were exchanged. Smiling happily, Johnny embraced and wrapped his arms around his fiancé.

**The night before the proposal shoot, I checked the weather every hour. Ok, every 10 minutes. A 60% chance of thunderstorms caused me to panic. I called Johnny multiple times and each time got the same response. Don’t worry. I called Adi and told him we needed a backup plan. We needed to act fast because a strange sense of calmness has infected Johnny and we can’t let him ruin the plan. So I suggested we purchase a tent. Or build a fort. Why? Because I worried…because I had little faith…because I didn’t feel what Johnny felt. After the proposal, I asked Johnny how he was able to stay so calm and sure about it all. He told me that he was 100% sure that it wouldn’t rain…just like he was 100% sure that Anca would say yes.**

Johnny + Anca, thank you for showing me what faith is truly about. Thank you for teaching me that with love, there are no doubts. No reservations. No nervousness. Thank you for showing me that with love, there is no 60% chance of thunderstorms…only 100% chance at a lifetime with your best friend by your side. Thank you for letting me document the first step towards your new life together.

Johnny, you are a LUCKY man. Anca, don’t be afraid to remind him of this all the time. The set below is one of my favorites. I’m a sucker for laughter. =D
As Anca left for an outfit change, I grabbed these of Johnny and the bling.
I positioned Anca in front of Johnny and prayed she wouldn’t turn around. Thank goodness she didn’t… and she was so surprised, I think she may have been shaking more than me. Maybe.
I gave them some privacy and shot these from far up in the tree house. I insisted Johnny bring an umbrella just in case. Hey, at least my lack of faith served as a good prop! Johnny lookin’ all GQ. I’m so glad my clients trust me. =)Congrats guys and I can’t wait for the big day!

There are times when I have to pinch myself. Hard. To remind myself that I’m not dreaming and that this is really happening. Yesterday’s shoot was one of those days. And though the mosquito’s  did enough pinching, I still could not believe that I got to be a part of such an amazing time in someone’s life. Never mind the fact that my fingers shook so vigorously, I was sure I’d drop the camera and ruin everything.  But I held on for dear life and sent a special thank you up into the sky for allowing lil’ ol’ me the great joy of yesterday’s shoot. It’s not often you get to be a part of this kind of event and to be photographing it is not only intimidating, but pretty darn special. While a full post will follow as soon as I’m done with finals, I could’t resist posting a few from their special day.

Judging by the photos can you guess what took place?! Oh, yes….butterflies, mosquito’s, dragonfly’s, and killer bees couldn’t have woken me up yesterday. It was as real as ever and it was beautifully romantic.

Johnny + Anca, thank you with all my heart for allowing me the great honor of documenting your special celebration yesterday. Congratulations to you two lovebirds and a Happy Tuesday to all!

Anca, seriously now? It’s just plain unfair. For goodness sakes, leave some for the rest of us gals. You’re seriously gorgeous. A few photos later and they were…….ENGAGED!  I absolutely adore Anca’s facial expressions. I’m not a fan of surprises, but a proposal is different. There’s a code somewhere that says it’s that much better when it’s a huge surprise. And that it was.

Check out that STUNNER. Johnny did real good. REAL good.

“The heart that loves is always young” – Greek Proverb.

Last week, I had the joy of taking part in the engagement of two young hearts. Two hearts that love each other deeply…two hearts that always have. Elisa & Sam have been together for as far back as they could remember. They were each other’s first loves and though young, they never felt the need for anything else. Sam puts it best in saying that “age ain’t nothin’ but a number” and I have to agree. When it’s this strong, and it’s this deep, there’s just no stopping it. As everyone began to arrive for the special event and the sun was beginning to set, we headed out front to take a few photos to remember their day. Their day of celebrating a very special, young love…

I’m looking forward to our formal engagement shoot because really…these two are beautiful. In love. And made for each other. Elisa & Sam, your party was perfect and I’m honored to have been there to capture a small part of your joy. Enjoy your pictures!

A few details…

Hanging umbrella’s was the perfect touch…

These two have a sweet as can be “big puppy,” who didn’t want to miss any of the action and happily posed for photos…

And the young couple of the hour…

Elisa, you are so fierce and fab…

I love these because they were both looking at each other when I took them.

Sam, I think it’s safe to say that Elisa will frame this…

The one on the right is one of my faves…

Look at that gorgeous light…

The face of beautiful LOVE…

Right before sundown. Just perfect.

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!! May we all love LOVE with a young heart…

It was all because of someone else’s wedding. Alex was a friend of the bride and Toni was a friend of the groom. They were paired together in the bridal party and met for the first time at the rehearsal the night before their friends’ big day. Toni described seeing Alex walk through the doors and running to the other side of the church….to hide. Because he was completely taken by her beauty and a bit shy. Despite the nerves, they met, locked arms, and walked down the aisle together for their friends. They spent the entire wedding getting to know each other and Alex soon discovered this shy boy was sweet and surprisingly funny. They fell in love and next week, they’ll be walking down their own aisle…at their own wedding. Isn’t love wonderful?

Alex & Toni got engaged about 3 months ago. Yep…you heard right…they planned the wedding in just 3 MONTHS. When they contacted me for engagement photos and told me they were getting married so soon, I thought for sure they’d be a hot mess when I met them. Instead, they were relaxed and completely at ease. Sure there are nerves but what’s more important is that they’ll be married. And they can’t wait. Alex & Toni, thanks so much for letting me hitch a ride with you guys and making this engagement shoot so much fun. I have to confess… I had a few nerves myself, but after 3 minutes with you guys in the car, I felt like your BFF. You guys are so amazing….not only because you pulled off planning an entire wedding in the time it took me to find my wedding dress, but because you focus on the big picture: your marriage. You’re an inspiration and I know you will be blessed. Enjoy!

We shot around in Coral Gables, Miami and it’s safe to say that all 3 of us want to one day live there. And Adi, you can come too Here’s the first spot we found just driving around…coral everywhere!!

Look at those eyes! No wonder Tony was nervous….

Some lovely portraits of a lovely couple:

A quick outfit change later, we roamed the GORGEOUS grounds of the Biltmore Hotel. This is why I love Miami…so much charm.

A few of Alex being fabulous. Hun, you are beautiful. PERIOD. 

Separately, they are beautiful…

…but together, they are perfect.

I’ll end with one of my faves….it’s just so romantic…

Actually, THIS is what I’ll end with….it’s just so Toni. I had a whole bloopers reel for them by the end of the shoot. They are silly and oh so cute together.