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 ;) 

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!

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.

Matt & Charlee // Wedding

On a lovely weekend in July, DREAMTOWN traveled down to South Florida for the celebration of Matt & Charlee's wedding. Matt is a sweet hockey player from Canada & Charlee is a Florida girl who had just returned from living in Africa where she runs a non-profit organization called Ema Ministries. Ema works with young pregnant women in both the US and Africa, you should check out their website to get more details on this awesome ministry. 

I was so thrilled when Charlee asked me to document her wedding day because I love her ministry and she and Matt sounded like tons of fun! They certainly did not disappoint with a rowdy wedding party and loads of great family support. Even though the humid Florida heat was rough on Matt & his Canadian groomsmen, they took it like champs & danced the night away. It was certainly a fun celebration to be a part of!  A huge congrats to Matt & Charlee as they start their new life together! 

(Shout out to Shannon Smith for being a lovely second shooter & assistant for the weekend!) 

Viva DREAMTOWN!

YAYYYYYY!

Welcome to the DREAMTOWN blog!!!

I’m equal parts terrified & ecstatic as I write this, my very first post on my very own brand new business website. This site & brand is something I’ve been working on for a really long time. But even longer, before the actual work began, the vision & hopes for this brand stirred relentlessly in my head. Basically, this day has been a reallllly long time coming. 

I can’t really count the amount of times I’ve doubted that I would, or even should, pursue this dream. But thankfully, I’ve been extremely blessed to be surrounded by a community of friends who’ve encouraged me & lovingly pushed me towards this dream in the moments when I was so ready to give up. Their belief in me truly kept me going & for that, I am so grateful. 

I’m terrified because it’s tremendously nerve-wracking to put yourself “out there” & present to the “world” something that is an extension of your heart, your creativity, your ability, your personality, & the list goes on. But in truth, I’m even happier because it IS scary & I’m doing it anyway.

So for me, today is the biggest step & the biggest win I could hope to come from this journey. The simple fact that I’m even sitting here, about to click ‘Publish’ on this post, is enough excitement & satisfaction for me.

You might be thinking, "so what exactly does DREAMTOWN mean"? Wellllllllll....

DREAMTOWN means nothing & everything all at the same time. A made up word with no formal definition, yet, to me, represents everything I would ever want something I create to be- adventurous, joyful, love driven, fun, hope filled, genuine connection generating, freedom seeking, & forever radiating life & light.

So here it is, here is DREAMTOWN.