Jason & Nat // ADVENTURE SESSIONS // Engagement

You know it's gonna be a good one when you meet prospective clients for a consult & you end up talking for over 2 hours about life & ya'lls mutual affinity for the Orlando Magic & Taylor Swift!  That's exactly how it went with Jason & Nat. We clicked instantly & I knew we were in for some fun! 

Jason & Nat really wanted to do an ADVENTURE SESSION for their engagements which was so so exciting to me. We started the day walking around their neighborhood with their sweet dog, Charlie. Then we found ourselves in an alleyway doing the "Nae Nae" & having a dance party for the camera. Afterwards we headed out to Wekiva Springs to do some hiking & adventuring. We had planned to end the day with a peaceful canoe trip, but to our dismay, the canoe rental closed early that day. So there we were standing on the edge of the river where we had planned to launch our canoes, the sun was quickly setting, & Nat looks over at me & said "you know we brought a change of clothes in case you wanted us to get in the water?" 

I didn't even try to hide my excitement. They ran towards the water & we played until the sun went down. The images from this portion are definitely my favorite from the day. Oftentimes the best moments can't be planned. So much good comes from going with the flow & embracing whatever adventure is in front of you at the time. I'm so happy Jason & Nat were down for the moment that day! 

Can't wait for their wedding in April! 

Matt & Ashleigh // Elopement

It's hard to even know what to say about this elopement/wedding because it was such an all around lovely experience. All I know for sure is that this will go down on my most favorite weddings lists.

Matt & Ash wanted to do things a bit differently. A big, traditional wedding wasn't for them so they decided to take their nuptials to the mountains. We drove up the windy roads of Lookout Mountain together, they held hands as we walked to the edge of Sunset Rock. After snapping a few pictures, Matt looks at Ashleigh and says "Babe, you ready to do this?". They settle onto the furthest point of the rock. Matt's dad is the officiant. Ashleigh is beaming. Fifteen of their closest friends & family gather around. Then & there they exchange vows & see the last 10 years of their journey together come to fruition. 

It was that simple & that significant all at the same time. 

It was truly a beautiful day to be a part of. Nothing could have made it more perfect. The weather, the location, the people, the love, the story, the hearts. All of it was glorious & I am so so so happy I was there. 

Matt & Ash, I love you guys lots. Can't wait to know you for many more years to come! <3

#EuropeVibesOnly // Travel

Exciting news my friends- I am going on a European adventure!! Starting today, I will be making my way around the beautiful continent for 6 whole weeks, eating delicious foods, experiencing new things, taking in the sites, & of course, snapping a couple of photos. Ok, let's be honest, it's gonna be a whooollllle lot more than a couple. ;) During this time I am going to focus on becoming more bold in my photo work. I have a fun project planned & I'm already excited to share it with ya'll upon my return! 

There are a few different legs to my trip as I will be traveling with 3 different groups of people over the course of my 6 weeks. But I am SO so so happy to be starting the trip off with a bang by traveling alongside some of the loveliest ladies & closest friends I know. These ladies are none other than the beauty & brains behind two seriously killer photography companies- Shannon Smith of Vine and Light Photography & Casey Elia of Urban South Photo. You can see their sexy faces in the photos below. Shannon is the cutie in the black dress & Casey is the stunner in white. (Sidenote: I'm the tall one. haha!) 

I couldn't be more thrilled to adventure with these dear ones. They are women after my own heart & like me, are in a season where they crave adventure & seek the Light. We have all agreed that the motto of our trip is YES. We say YES to being bold, YES to seeing the world in new ways, YES to growth, YES to revelation, YES to expanded boundaries & YES to greater capacities to love. We are ready & so thrilled to be jumping head first into the YESES of the unknown together. 

Follow along & adventure with us! As expected, our Instagrams will be frequently updated with the most recent happenings! : Jesse, Casey, & Shannon.

---

GIVEAWAY DETAILS  ||  Win a YES banner from @SecretHolidayCo

We’re inviting you to follow along with us on our travels and we think this YES banner pretty much sums up our mantra this summer and encompasses the spirit of adventure we’re chasing after. So, we want to give this baby away to one lucky friend at the end of our trip!

To enter: (Note: all instructions below are for Instagram.)

1. Be sure you are following all three of us on Instagram. (Jesse, Casey, & Shannon.)

2. Comment on this photo and invite a friend to follow along with our adventures, too. Get that word out!

3. You can enter by commenting each #eurovibesonly photo any of us post throughout our trip. Each comment with a new friend counts as another entry towards winning.

4. Be awesome - but then again, you’re already doing that.

PS. Huge thanks to the wonderful Step Velez of Rags and Grace for snapping these group shots of us! 

Abby // Maternity

My friend Abby has always been a babe, so it's no surprise to me that she's also a supermodel pregnant lady. You might remember her from her & her husbands'  epic pink powder gender reveal party. (If you haven't seen it yet, take a minute to go check it out here, the look on their faces is priceless.)

A few weeks ago, Abby came into town for a visit & of course that meant a little maternity session was going to happen. We spent the day frolicking around different parts of town, taking photos & laughing too much. As the sun was setting, we found ourselves in a random parking lot, in front of a random white building. Maybe we were tired of the traditional maternity posing we had been doing all day, maybe we were a bit delirious from not eating for hours, or maybe it's just that we tend to bring out the silly side of one another; but, somehow we ended up dancing, twirling, & leaping around this lot. We made ourselves dizzy shaking our hair in the wind & I even had pregnant Abby jumping into the air wearing 4 inch heels. 

The images aren't technically perfect. Some are blurred by our dance moves or from the fact that I was laughing too much to keep a steady hand. Some are grainy because we wouldn't stop shooting till the last bit of light sunk into the night sky. But they are my favorite images because they are my favorite memories.

I hope Baby girl Hollar looks at these one day & is able to see her mom in a whole new way. I hope she can she that her mom isn't just a maker of meals, a cleaner of clothes, & a driver to places. I hope she can see that her mom is a woman who dances & twirls in the wind in some random parking lot, laughing, & celebrating life with her best friend. And I hope it inspires her to do the same. 

Love you sweet baby H, can't wait to meet you soon! :)

ATHLEISURE // Editorial

The only thing better than having a job you love is getting to do that job with people you love. I'm so fortunate to be surrounded by some seriously talented friends & get to collaborate on fun projects like this "Athleisure" inspired shoot. Hope you enjoy! 

Hair & Make up : Shelby George // www.shelbygeorge.com

Styling : Josh Owen of Willard Randall // www.willardrandall.com

Model : Kelsey Surovik

Baby Hollar // Gender Reveal

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to go to California & witness the baby gender reveal for some of my best friends, Abby & Julian.  On a sunny Sunday afternoon, 50 of their friends gathered on Redondo Beach to learn the exciting news. Prior to the party, a trusted friend was given the ultrasound result & tasked with preparing the colored powder. The day of the reveal, everyone huddled in close, closed their eyes tightly, & were given cups filled with powder. On the count of 3, cups flew, pink powder billowed into the sky & the epic celebration ensued. We spent the afternoon running around covered in pink & screaming "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S A GIRL!!!" 

This was the second gender reveal party I've been given the opportunity to capture- both of them for amazing friends. I'm basically obsessed with them & the images they produce. There is so much joy & happiness that surrounds these events & it's incredible to be a part of them! Keep them coming people- I will do this all day long! 

I'm so so so overjoyed for Abby & Julian and CANNOT wait to meet sweet lil baby girl H. She's gonna be the raddest chick, I just know it. 

Kurt & Megan // ADVENTURE Sessions // Engagement

I could not be more excited to introduce DREAMTOWN's newest offering- "The ADVENTURE Sessions". This is something I've been incorporating into my sessions for a while now, but figured it was time to make it official! 

What is an "ADVENTURE Session" you ask? Welllll, it's pretty straight forward: you + me + your significant other (or family or best friends or anyone you choose!) go on an adventure & I document the whole thing! 

Now, don't be thrown by the word "Adventure". An Adventure can be anything. It can be as extreme as cliff jumping or as chill as reading the morning newspaper in your favorite chair. There is no such thing as a good or bad adventure- if you love doing it, if it makes you come alive, or feel at home, well then, it's an adventure worth taking! 

There is something special that happens when a person gets into their element with the people they love. Something clicks & the magic happens. It's my favorite thing- to simply share in those moments, to catch a glimpse of the heart behind the relationship I'm capturing. 

My desire is to go so much farther than just giving you a pretty photo of yourself. I want to give you a collection of moments preserved. I want you to look through your images and think "wow, that is so 'us'." Whatever "us" might be. I absolutely love & live for those moments in a session when my clients forget I'm even there because they are having so much fun together. I see it an honor to be let in & trusted with those moments. 

So, lovely people, if this resonates with you in any way, contact me! 

I can't wait to take adventures with you.

// 

For the "ADVENTURE Sessions" debut, I couldn't think of more perfect people to feature than Kurt & Megan. These two are dear dear friends of mine who I am so grateful to do life with. I couldn't be more thrilled they were brought together & am ecstatic to celebrate their marriage in a few short months. 

The entire day of shooting, I couldn't stop smiling. Megan looks at Kurt like he is the greatest thing in the world & Kurt treats Megan like a queen. The love they have for one another is truly beautiful & I was blessed to share in that with them. Plus we had so much fun running around the beach, eating delicious ice cream, & even braving the FREEEEZING cold January water for a quick surf. This session goes down as one of my favorites! 

Kurt & Megs, I love you both so much, ya'll are incredible people & friends. I'm so happy to be on this journey with you & cannot wait to see the goodness that unfolds within your marriage! 

Chicago // Travel

Back in the end of August, I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago and second shoot a wedding with one of my best friends, Shannon. It was an amazing trip filled with so much laughter, meaningful conversation, and delicious food. All of our days seemed so incredibly blessed by the Lord, as one awesome thing kept happening after another. From perfect weather, to free lodging from the insanely generous bride who lent us her apartment while she was on her honeymoon. It was just all around awesome. 

As you will see, this blog post might as well be titled "Shannon looking pretty in Chicago", because basically I only took photos of her the entire time. But hey, she's a babe, can you blame me? 

Here are some images of our wanderings and scattered in there are a few photos Shan snapped of me on my camera. To see more from our trip, you can check out her post here!

---

// Downtown Explorations //

---

// Lake Michigan //

---

// Rooftop Views //

---

// Donut Time //

---

// Wicker Park //

---

// Sunset //

Spade & Annual // Wedding

Here it is, part two of the Spade & Annual floral shoot! If you missed part one, find it here!

A big thanks to Kate, our lovely model, who happily cleared her calendar on such short notice to spend the afternoon playing dress-up with us. As you can see, she is a total babe & really made the Spade & Annual flower crowns come to life!

If you're a bride looking for a spectacular custom crown and/or bouquet, make sure to contact Spade & Annual. These ladies are a pleasure to work with & they take so much joy in creating beautiful things. You certainly won't be disappointed!

Get in touch with them here.

Spade & Annual // Lifestyle

One day this summer, I got a call from an old college friend, Elizabeth. She excitedly shared with me her vision to start a flower business alongside another fellow college friend, Ruthie. I could hear the passion in her voice as spoke of their dream AND to my delight, they asked me to photograph for their company website. I couldn't say yes fast enough, I was so excited! 

So on a lovely Friday morning, they flew me to Birmingham, AL and our weekend adventure began. The days were filled with trips to the local flower wholesaler, cutting and prepping hundreds of flowers, pretty vases, amazing urban studio spaces, and creating incredible arrangements. Liz & Ruthie worked their flower magic and I got to document the whole thing! 

In between the all the arranging and shooting, we shared meals, drinks, sooo much coffee and tons of laughter. I even managed to sneak one or two inspirational Justin Bieber songs in there for good measure ;) 

To say this job was fun is a severe understatement. This was absolutely one of my favorite jobs to do. I really love nothing more than seeing my friends dreams come alive and to play even just a small part in the process is an amazing privilege. The passion and joy that surrounded this weekend was incredible! Dreaming and doing has a contagious energy and I'm so thankful I was able to share in that with these ladies. 

I'm so proud of Liz & Ruthie for pursuing something they love and I can't wait to see how their hard work continues to bring Spade & Annual to life! The site is officially live and you can find it here.

If you're ever in need of some ballin flower arrangements, these are your girls! 

Check out our weekend of fun below and also, stay tuned for part 2 of this shoot - there's gonna be a babe bride and flower crowns involved, so need I say more?