The room was floating with chatter. In true girl-form, make-up tips were exchange, hair was admired, and Starbucks coffee was brought. The day began with excitement and unfolded much the same way. As Emi waited to see Estee, I could sense a certain eagerness in his eyes, and as she approached him, the excitement grew. With great anticipation and joy, Estee & Emi were married in a beautiful ceremony filled with loving poems, songs, and words of encouragement from those that loved them. At the end of their reception and just before the sun set, we took the new Mr. & Mrs. out for some final photos of their day. As if a dream, Estee beamed with joy as we roamed the grounds and declared “I can’t believe it.” And with that, her new husband slipped his arm around her and hand in hand, led her away as if to say, believe it.

I had the great joy and honor of shooting Estee & Emi’s wedding in Atlanta and have been wanting to post their wedding ever since. So it is with the same great excitement that started their day that I finally give you the adorable and very sweet, Estee & Emi. A huge thank-you to both of you for being so patient and understanding with my school schedule.

Enjoy your photos and don’t forget to click here for your slideshow.

I was in love with Estee’s shoes. And the gorgeous hydrangeas in her backyard. The very talented team of Christine Cocian did the hair for all the ladies. Email her ASAP at ccocian@gmail.com if you have any event at all…she is young, talented, and oh-so fabulous. The flowers were absolutely beautiful and if any of you are in the Atlanta area and in need of a florist, do not hesitate to call Michelle of Creative Home Goods and Services. Her website is currently in the works so until then, email me if you’d like her info.

As I was with the bride, Lauren snapped these of Emi and I must say, he looked quite dapper.
Estee you’re beautiful. Period.
Estee & Emi did a “first look” to allocate enough time for photos. I couldn’t have been happier as I strongly believe this is the best thing to do.

Married! There isn’t any other moment throughout the day that is more exciting then the  first moment they walk out as husband and wife. I don’t usually post “guest” photos but this was so much fun, I just had to. Ok, I couldn’t resist. While we were taking bridal portraits, the father of this little girl was searching for her only to find her “cooling off”. I wished I could have taken her home with me. We roamed the grounds of the reception hall and found some hidden heavenly light. The perfect ending. 

Surrounded by fields of lavender and the smell of orchards nearby, I breathed in summer. As the sun was making it’s last few hours known, a soft glow fell upon us and grazed our skin. These are the moments of summer that make the long, hot days bearable and the frizzy hair worth it. And when you get to see summer like I had the opportunity to this past weekend, well, well, well….consider yourself lucky. Because beyond the beautiful fields and sweet smells, there was love. A beautiful, gentle kind of love that makes you feel the warm feelings of summer and wish for them forever. Happy Monday!

I’m often reminded that my blog shows too much love for the ladies. In fact, one particular reader has told me it’s too girly and I need to man it up some. Considering the fact that I am definitely all girl, I’ve had a difficult time with this. Because really, putting up photographs of Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s is Adi’s thing, not so much mine. I’m beyond grateful that there are any guys out there who actually read my blog and to be honest, I’m always kind of shocked. In a humbled, thank-you-Jesus kinda way. So to show my appreciation, I thought I’d include some of my photos from a wedding I second-shot for the amazing Michelle of Ava Photography. I am usually with the bride as she gets ready and so being with the groom and his groomsmen was quite the change. Oh, who am I kidding?… it’s completely different. Boys are relaxed. Boys watch movies before the wedding. Boys tease each other as they help with their ties. And boys are up for anything. This was the largest bridal party I’ve shot to date and although it was raining that day and quite chilly, I never heard one complaint about the hair. Not one. Amazing.

Here are the boys, in all of their no-fuss glory. Even more amazing was the fact that they were all related. So, you can just imagine the teasing that took place.

Some brotherly love for the man of the hour. 

It usually starts with an email. An inquiry about a wedding date, pricing, or a question about how I deal with in-laws on the wedding day. Then starts a game of tag-you’re-it… I write back, the bride writes back. And somewhere along the way, we begin to talk about wedding ideas, bridesmaids that are too busy to help, and shoes. Always shoes. Before you know it, we’re exchanging recipes, discussing the oil spill, and planning to get together for dinner after their honeymoon. I can’t emphasize how much I love when this happens. More than finding a client, I love finding new friends. I know that I am in the very early stages of my business and that I don’t have that much experience compared to others, and I also know this may not sound too great or professional, but I try very hard to attract a certain type of couple. One that I can connect with and be great friends with. Because not only do I believe that the couple will then love my style and thus my photos, but I believe the whole process is more enjoyable when there is a connection. Plus, as any groom can tell you, taking photos with a photographer that’s a stranger can be tedious and long, however if you feel like your friend is snapping shots of you, it can be a whole different experience. I still have so much to learn and am excited to keep growing. But in the mean time, I’m just plain excited that I’ve met people and made new friends along the way.

Because every post is better with a picture, here’s one from this past weekend with my bride and groom. Adi couldn’t make it this time around so I brought Lauren along as a second shooter and as always, we had a blast together! Also, this photo was taken by my 13 year old cousin who served as the best wedding dress arranger in the world. What can I say…it’s in our genes. Happy Wednesday everyone!

It’s a rather bittersweet moment when things are over. Yesterday as we wrapped up the big photoshoot we’ve been working on, I sat back and took it all in. The set up, the location, the people…I just could not have been more grateful for the way everything came together. The idea of doing something different, something you’ve never done before, can be extremely frightening and intimidating. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t debate calling off the whole thing the night before. But I’m so glad and completely blown away by the love and encouragement that I witnessed yesterday. In an industry that isn’t often inviting and open to sharing and helping, a few photographers came together and proved differently. And had a blast doing it. I met a group of people during this process that I felt honored and humbled to work with. I saw such talent and passion that I walked away with great peers and wonderful friendships. I can’t wait to fill you all in on the full details and introduce some of the most amazing talents out there to you. I’ve been pretty busy catching up on the life I’ve neglected for the past couple of weeks but I’ll leave you with this beautiful little sneak peak that was yesterday.