Sheli & Joe

This past Saturday I had my first wedding of the year and was reminded of what I love so much about my job. Sheli & Joe had the most intimate wedding ceremony I’ve ever photographed (or attended). There were 4 guests total, including their officiant. There were no wedding programs, no seating charts or wedding favors, but there was a lot of love. And love is what made it so memorable and special. Love is what it’s all about. Love is what makes me want to do my job. It was such an honor to be a part of their day. I felt like a photographer/bridesmaid

Sheli started the day getting her hair ready at Taglio’s and I met up with her later on at her uncle’s house. The mood was very different than the usual hustle and bustle without all the girls running around, but still full of anticipation and excitement for the day.

Her Nicole Miller gown was to die for!

All ready to go!

Sheli and Joe chose to see each other before their ceremony and here’s a favorite from their first look:

After their first look we took some time to walk around the property and make a few portraits of the happy couple:Like I said, her dress was to die for and I equally loved her headpiece:

This one makes me feel like we could be somewhere on a Greek isle:

Sheli right before the ceremony. It was quite a task to try and get her not to smile

Love the look on her face as she walks up to Joe:

I thought it was a great moment during the ceremony when they both took a peek at their brand-new rings at the exact same time:

On the way to their reception dinner we stopped in Old Town Scottsdale for some quick portraits. This might be my favorite image of the day:

It’s always fun when strangers tell you congratulations. Specially when it’s the live band playing outdoors

A random shot on our way back to the car. Why not, right?

When we arrived at the restaurant there were some flowers and a card waiting for Sheli and Joe as a surprise from a friend back in Minessota. As you can see Sheli was very pleasantly surprised:

It was such a beautiful night so we sneaked in one more photo before I left:

Thank you two so much! I hope you are having a great time in Sedona before you head back up to the snow. Much love to you two!

What it’s all about :)

An image from yesterday’s wedding that makes me happy

FEED 100

If you could provide 100 meals for children for $10, would you do it? I certainly hope that everyone reading this answered with an emphatic yes!

Today while at Whole Foods I bought their FEED 100 bag. It’s only $10 and every bag you purchase will provide 100 nutritious school meals for hungry children through the UN World Food Program.

Huge bonus? The bag is super cute and made with 100% organic cotton and sustainable burlap. I’ve been using reusable grocery bags for a while, but I’ve been looking for one I could leave in my purse so I can use it at the mall instead of using their shopping bags and this one is just absolutely perfect for that.  Besides being able to zip it up, which makes it really easy to keep it in my purse at all times, it’s also really soft, has internal pockets and it fits a lot of stuff in there.

I hope I’ve talked you into going to get (at least) one too!

Happy Friday

Sunny & John

At the end of December I had the opportunity to shoot yet another wedding with Jennifer Bowen. I know I talk a lot about Jen on my blog, but she truly has a special place in my heart.
Sunny & John were married in their backyard in a beautiful ceremony. There were so many cute kids at this wedding so get ready to see a lot of cuteness.

Sunny on her way to see John for the first time:

Their first look. And by the way, this is totally candid.

Sunny’s two requests for photos: One by the cactus…

… and one with the sunset:

Going back inside to get ready for the ceremony:

I’ve warned you… lots of cute kids

I always like to check out the competition

Isn’t he just the most adorable thing ever?!

They created quite a reception ballroom in their backyard:

The kids’ tables:

Their first dance:

It truly was a gorgeous Arizona winter night:

Congrats again to Sunny & John

And make sure to check Jen’s blog for more photos and all the vendor details. Thanks again, Jen!

New Albums

I am absolutely in love with my new album company. Don’t worry, I still carry my old albums and love them too, but this new company offers many more options as far as cover choices and imprinting without losing any of the quality. These albums take just a little longer to make than the other ones due to the all the details and different options offered, but I think it’s totally worth it. I am constantly searching for new options for my clients and I’m so happy to say I’ve finally found exactly what I’ve been looking for.

As you can see, for this album I chose a two-tone leather cover with a metal cameo in the center. It’s 11 x 14 in size and I wish you could touch it… It’s so soft! They also offer animal friendly covers and many other sizes and colors. Isn’t it gorgeous?!