Alex & Colleen // Engagement

Alex & Colleen are sweet, kind, & super in love. It was fun to spend a Sunday afternoon with them! When I asked what they loved to do together, her answer was simple, "we love walking around Park Ave with our pup, Lola & just soaking in the loveliness of the day." So that is exactly what we did. Alex, Colleen, Lola, & me- we walked around Winter Park & just soaked in the loveliness of the day. We were also soaked in sweat because it happened to be 100 degrees outside, but that's neither here nor there. ;) 

I'm so excited to celebrate & shoot these awesome people's wedding beginning of next year! 

Brent & Diana // Wedding

This sweet & intimate public park wedding was truly a special one. Brent & Diana are friends of mine & they both possess the most gentle & tender heart. 

There was so much anticipation & joy built around this day & it was so lovely to be there as a witness alongside their families & closest friends. Their vows were intentional, raw, & carried so much weight. I remember pausing behind the camera for a moment, taking a deep breath & thinking, "wow, these people get it." They weren't just repeating for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness & in health. They live it. They have lived it & will continue to choose into it everyday. Being there, I was overwhelmed by such a stunning picture of covenant. 

It was all so beautiful, so honoring, so significant. 

Brent & Diana, I pray many many blessings upon your new life together. Love you both. 

Bryan & Christen // Wedding

St. Augustine is by far my favorite little town in Florida, so when Bryan & Christen contacted me about their spring wedding in the "Oldest City", I couldn't have been more excited. This town has so much character & is filled with great photo ops. Their rooftop venue was a dream & the all white pre-ceremony hangout room was icing on the cake. Even though storm clouds loomed overhead all day, the rain was kind enough to hold off till the very end. It couldn't have been more perfect timing! 

Beyond the fabulous location, Bryan & Christen are such great people with amazing families. It was truly so much fun spending the day with them both & their crews of party people. The reception was full of dance battles & lots of laughter- seriously, my kind of party! 

Bryan & Christen- thank you for letting me be a part of your day! I wish you the happiest blessings in your new life together! 

(Shout out to my killer second shooter, Stefanie Keeler.)

Schuyler & Andrea // Wedding

On a breezy spring day, nestled in the gorgeous Skyline Ranch property just a short 45 minute drive outside Orlando, Schuyler & Andrea wed. Surrounded with friends & family, they exchanged vows by the lake & then celebrated well into the evening with dancing & of course, tons of PBR. 

It was a really fun, laid-back crowd & it was certainly a beautiful day to be a part of! Huge congrats to Schuyler & Andrea as they take on this new chapter in their lives!  

Matt & Katy // Wedding

Matt & Katy are really kind & lovely people. Their downtown Orlando wedding was full of laughter & fun. And even though it rained the ENTIRE day, the epic celebration couldn't be stopped!

I was so happy for the opportunity to share in this day with Matt, Katy & their families! I wish you guys the best & happiest blessings for this new exciting chapter in your lives. 

Ps. Shout out to Becca of Rebecca Read Photography for being the most amazing second shooter! As usual, she did a killer job & I love her. :)

Matt & Katherine // Wedding

They say it's good luck for it to rain on your wedding day. Well what about when it rains, sleets, AND snows?! That has got to mean some kind of crazy, super good luck, right? Matt & Katherine's destination wedding in Chattanooga, Tennessee was definitely an adventure. They loaded the wedding party into two suburbans & we road tripped to the mountains to watch our lovely friends wed! (Yes, you heard that right, I said "we". This was my first wedding to 'double dip" as they say- I was not only the photographer, but a bridesmaid as well!! It was definitely a bit crazy, but in the end, it was cool to be so involved in my friends celebration.)

The weekend was full of fun. We hiked Lookout Mountain, went dancing, & continuously wore 5 layers of clothing to survive the frigid temperatures. We are Floridians after all! 

The wedding day came & with it some crazy weather! The entire wedding party was such troopers as we packed into our suburbans & slid around the ice covered mountain roads attempting to go to the first look location. After a few close calls on the ice, we decided to give up on the mountain & head back to the safety of town. On our way down, we passed a wooded grove that looked like a little winter heaven. It was the perfect place for the first look! I'm seriously convinced the Lord specifically saved that spot for us that day, it was literally the only non iced over area on the entire mountain! 

After the craziness of the mountain driving, Matt & Kat were so excited to see each other. This first look was one of the most tender I've been able to witness. The moment Kat finished her walk & Matt took her into his arms, the atmosphere shifted. Kat leaned in & I could feel her relief. She was safe, she was home. And as Matt held her there, I could feel his strength. He was steady, he was so enamored with his bride. The emotion of it was so tangible, I was definitely struggling to keep it together behind the camera. 

Even though the weather kept us on our toes all day, we rolled with the punches, & ended the evening full of joy after witnessing our dear friends commit their lives to one another. 

Matt & Kat, I love you both, thanks for inviting me into your lives & allowing me to share in this day with you! 

Ps. Shout out to Kat's brother, David, who graciously snapped a few photos so I could hop in some of the group images!. If you look closely you'll see I've made my way into a couple photos below ;) 

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! 

Daniel & Vivian // Wedding

"We are focusing on the truth and simplicity of what a wedding should be."

These are words Vivian used to describe the vision for her wedding when she first contacted me about photographing the big day. I was immediately on board with her vision & was so excited to be a part of such an intentional celebration. 

As the year came to a close, with a small group of friends & family around, Daniel & Vivian exchanged sweet vows & then celebrated with a beautifully intimate candlelight dinner. I felt honored to be let in on such a faith & family centered day. 

Congrats to the new family- Daniel, Vivian & their adorable sons!

Matt & Katherine // Engagement

Today's featured cuties are Matt & Katherine.

I've been friends with Matt for about 4 years now & when he started dating Katherine last year, she & I became fast friends as well. I absolutely love when friends become clients!  It's so much fun because "work" feels like a casual hangout, but just where you take lots of photos & make your friends kiss. Haha! At one point during the session, I was shooting some far away shots & they snuck a quick kiss. I immediately started running towards them yelling "HEY!! YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO KISS WITHOUT ME!"  We all laughed at how weird that sounded, but it basically sums up why working with friends is the most fun. You can be weird & they aren't going to fire you (probably/hopefully). Haha :) 

I not only had so much fun with these two, but I was so happy to share in their love for each other. The giddy, cuteness shining through these images was all them. With little to no prompting from me, they were just so naturally comfortable & kind with one another. They certainly made my job easy! 

Matt & Kat, I'm thankful to be a part of your relationship & so excited to see how you both grow together in marriage!

Love you guys!! <3

Bryan & Christen // Engagement

Bryan & Christen braved the early morning for this sunrise engagement session. How people look this good before the sun is up is beyond me? I'm just happy I was behind the camera for this one ;) They were so fun, playful, and cute together- I loved hanging with them!

Thanks for spending the morning with me guys! I can't wait for your St. Augustine wedding in April!