ah, a breather :) (deep breath in, and exhale...feels soooooo good!)

I must admit, I have been soooo excited to blog about Heather and Jon's Manteo, NC wedding! It's been a long time coming and I'm thrilled to finally share it!

An up and coming photographer (and good friend), Veronica, wanted to shadow Glenn and I for the day in order to build her portfolio, so we all decided to make it a joint family vacation weekend. I brought my three kids and she brought her hubby and two boys. We all pitched in and rented a gorgeous house  and split the cost of groceries. The morning of the wedding, we decided to leave our mini-van with Veronica's husband in case of emergency...this way he'd have room for all five munchkins. We took her 4-runner and my husband, Glenn, dropped the two of us off with the bride and left to meet the groom. I experienced my FIRST ever limo ride in a stretch hummer!!! (Thanks Heather!) Not more than five minutes after arriving at the salon, my cell phone rang. It was Glenn saying that he wrecked Veronica's vehicle and he couldn't move it out of the middle of the highway. All blood rushed to my feet and I silently passed the phone to Veronica. Needless to say, this was a horrible time for him to have his first accident, and to top it off to be in a friends car and not our own. Thank goodness he was okay, as well as the other driver, so although the car was damaged, it could be fixed. The limo driver was kind enough to drive Veronica to the scene while I tried to set all problems aside and focus on Heather and her big day =) I took a deep breath and put myself in the moment. Everything worked itself out as far as transportation for the day and the three of us put our mind to work. Even with my own personal tragedies, the day turned out to be so beautiful to me. I reflect back on these photographs and I have tears. Heather has a contagious smile...she's gorgeous inside and out, and the love she and Jon share is evident in every glance they share.

Here are all the girls in the salon. The owner's pregnant with her first child and due any time!

See, isn't her smile bright?! I love it!

I felt like I was watching a scene out of "Ms. Congeniality" where the team of artists were working to make Sandra Bullock over. (Not that Heather needed an overhaul...it was just neat to see so many people working on her at once ;)

While the women were busy getting ready, it appears that the men had time to nap!

and play board games!

Before heading to the beach house for all the finishing details, the bridal party stopped off at 'Five Guys'.  With their hair and make-up looking flawless, the girls definitely turned some heads!  ;)

Heather and Jon really planned things right.  The week of the wedding, the bridal party and the families of the bride and groom, all rented beach houses to relax and enjoy eachother.  The house Heather got ready at, made for some awesome photos!

Isn't her dress STUNNING?!

This photo was in natural light, so although not the best quality, I had to post it because it really shows every emotion Heather's mother must have felt when she saw her daughter just hours before walking down the isle.  It brings tears to my eyes!  I can't imagine how I'll feel looking at Dreama or Grace on their wedding day (30 years from now, of course! hehehe).

Mom was helping Heather into her corset in one of the back bedrooms when Grandma came in to help.  I love how you see the three generations all in the simplicity of this one photograph.  It takes my breath away!

A real princess!

arriving at the aquarium looking PERFECT!

A wedding is really made unique by all the details and finishing touches.  Aren't these cuff links the coolest things ever?!

I love the emotion this photo pulls out of you.  Jon patiently anticipating the limo.

I wonder what he's pondering........

Heather decided that she wanted to unveil herself before the ceremony.  She slowly walked up behind Jon, tapped him on the shoulder and took his breath away.  Sooooo romantic!  I feel so privileged to have captured these moments!

The reception was held in front of the shark tank exhibit!  How awesome is that?!  There was plenty of dancing, plenty of laughter and tons of romance.  

SO... I guess I'm a 'soccer mom' ! *smile*

My family is my everything.  I don't know what it is, but I swear my husband gets sexier by the year!  Instead of growing apart, like some couples do, we've worked hard to grow together...not just the two of us, but as a family.  

Dreama will be five in November and we're just now inviting 'pee-wee' sports into our schedule.  So far, we are involved in soccer and taekwondo...not to mention Grace is enrolled in ballet.  I love the running, the organized chaos (hence the word 'organized').  Both of our girls have shown dedication, enthusiasm, sportsmanship and stamina.   I am so proud of the both of them and look forward to letting them try maybe softball, basketball, the Girl Scouts, etc.  I must admit though, soccer is a favorite of mine so far!  It's not my life though, so whatever they choose to do as they grow, I will be there as their biggest fan ;)  THIS is an amazing part of having kids!

Dreama and Daddy on the sidelines.

Dreama's got the ball!  Go to the goal!!!!

Go Dreama!  That's my girl!

"Until next time, not goodbye."

Anne, Rob and Riley were once very close friends of ours. Life happened and we grew apart but time and a judge (long story, not what you're thinking, ha ha!) brought us back together. Rob is a corpsman in the Navy and now has the honor of training with the Marines over in California. This is a gigantic leap for Rob's career in the military, but it is bittersweet for his family, whom love and support him with every thread of their being. With my father being a colonel in the US Air Force, I understand what it's like to be away from the ones you love for extended periods of time, while at the same time, respecting and honoring every minute they dedicate to our great country. Anne asked me to do this photo session with Rob's upcoming abcense in mind. They wanted 'fun', 'every day' photos that will remind them of the simplest things they'll miss most. Anne will be moving in with Rob's family while he's training, so they'll both be leaving Virginia but I know we'll keep in touch for years to come! Good luck guys! We'll miss you!

i <3 my shootsac

SO, ever since I started shooting weddings, I've lugged around my Canon backback to hold all my gear. I'd turn around and the bulk of the bag would knock out the bride standing behind me (haha, okay I'm exaggerating! ;) No, but seriously, it was pretty big.



I've been hunting for a more stylish, girly camera bag for a while and a few months ago, my old partner,Stacey , told me about the shootsac invented by my favorite photographer EVER, Jessica Claire. I checked it out and fell in LOVE. There's a variety of interchangable covers to choose from, the sac itself is made from wetsuit material and hugs your hip and your lenses, so it's not bulky at all! It is expensive so I had to save up for it, but now that I have it....it's worth every penny! :) Here's a sneak peak of the box I got in the mail today!!! =) I'll have Glenn snap a picture of me with it on while I'm in action at the next wedding. More to come on the shootsac in a later blog........... :)

Howard & Alexis

Howard and Alexis were married the evening of 7.19.08 on Yorktown Beach. It was a small, intimate affair filled with romance and laughter. During the ceremony guests fanned themselves with the very practical motorized party favors as the bride and groom stood so lost in each other that they didn't seem to notice the heat.

I love beach weddings because of how relaxed they are!  Here, I caught a shot of the couple's son playing in the sand during the ceremony.  I thought it was a beautiful moment....such a pivotal moment in his life and with his innocence, he's unaware of the importance.

Here they are after the ceremony on the rocks...

Howard and Alexis failed to get the keys for the pier, but jumped at the chance to hop the gate!  I had a vision of their feet dangling off the edge and because of their boldness, I got it!  (Howard and Alexis...you guys ROCK!)

Just look how romantic!

The sunset was gorgeous.  Have I mentioned, I LOVE MY JOB!!!  :)

In the end, Howard and Alexis shocked us all and decided to leap into the water! 

8 more weeks until Kaylynn's due!

My best friend from junior high, Julie, is pregnant with her first child.   I know that she has always wanted to be a mother and that this baby girl will be spoiled rotten!

Julie and her husband, Matt, started dating our senior year in high school.  They waited to marry until after Matt graduated from college, bought a house and now that they've made it their 'home', have decided to make a family!!!  I am super excited for them and cannot wait to take their first family portraits!!!  Here are a few shots from our session...

I think she might be a Daddy's girl...she was kicking during this shot!  Loves his kisses!

aren't they just adorable?!  She's gorgeous pregnant!

Jaclyn, Kevin and Jackson

WOW!  What a gorgeous family!  And fun too!  Jackie, Kevin and Jackson live right on the water, so for their session we decided to meet at the beach.  Being a typical four year old boy, Jackson was ready to bury himself in the sand and jump in the water right away!  Mommy was not having him ruin his clothes before pictures though ;)  He was awesome and in the end, got to splash and play in the water with Daddy.   Here are a few photos from our session...