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

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!

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// Downtown Explorations //

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// Lake Michigan //

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// Rooftop Views //

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// Donut Time //

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// Wicker Park //

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// Sunset //

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! 

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? 

Jake & Jess // Engagement

I had so much fun with Jake & Jess during their engagement shoot. They are such a relaxed, laid back couple and so good for each other! They joked around and laughed through the entire shoot and I just loved watching their playful interactions. I especially loved how even in the midst of the joking, they were so sweet with one another- the way he would gently brush her hair from her cheek or how her eyes would literally light up when she smiled at him. It was a really sweet thing to witness. 

Not to mention, it even started raining during the end of our session, but they weren't fazed one bit. They just started dancing and playing in the rain. Basically, they are awesome and I am so so excited for these two. 

Jake & Jess, I'm so happy you guys found each other and I'm so glad to be your friend! 

Kate // Maternity

Remember Kate from the awesome confetti gender reveal party?!  Well this summer she was in Orlando for a few short days and, of course, we made sure to get in a quick maternity session. If you're wondering how much I love this girl & her sweet babe, you should know that the only time our schedules allowed for this shoot was early morning. I'm talking sunrise, early. There's not much in life that motivates me to wake before the sun, but for these two ladies, always. Plus, we were rewarded with some pretty morning light that just might make me reconsider my aversion to early rising. :)

This blog post is coming a little out of order, as Baby AK was born almost two weeks early, and made her appearance last Wednesday. I was fortunate enough to witness and photograph her birth. It was an incredible experience and I'm so excited to share the birth story with ya'll .

Be on the lookout for the cutest baby to ever exist coming to the blog soon. But, until then, in honor of Baby AK's one week birthday, enjoy her stunning momma! 

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!) 

The Lewises // Family & Newborn

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to spend the weekend in Birmingham, AL. Birmingham is by far one of my favorite places to be- the people, the food, the scenery- all of it is amazing! During my visit, I was able to spend a lovely Sunday afternoon with the Lewis family. They had just welcomed a new baby boy named Henry a short 7 days earlier and I was invited to capture the fun new family dynamic. 

I first met this amazing family about 2 years ago when my best friend, Kate, got engaged to Maggies' brother. Through various wedding events and family gatherings, I've been able to get to know Mitchell, Maggie, and, of course, the ever-adorable Bradford. Bradford was just about the cutest baby I had ever seen and it is no surprise that he has now grown into the cutest toddler around. He has a ton of energy which made sitting still for a photo not super high on his to-do list, but we had some fun running around the house, playing trains, and I even tricked him into smiling for me a time or two. :)

The Lewises are lovely people and I'm so glad I get to know them for a long time. A huge congratulations on baby Henry, I am so exited for you all! 

Get ready for some tiny baby cuteness, plus that Bradford really knows how to turn up the cheese. ;)

Baby Wood // Gender Reveal Party!

A few months ago I flew up to Selma, Alabama to witness the most exciting gender reveal in the history of the world. My best friend, Kate, & her husband, Brett, live in Selma & were hosting a backyard gender reveal party to announce their coming babe. Kate is an amazing hostess & hands down the best, most impressive person in the kitchen. The night before the big reveal she casually whipped up some seriously intricate desserts. (You can see her handiwork in the photos below.) The impressive spread included, a from scratch strawberry cake,  homemade eclairs (!!!), & my personal favorite, miniature ice cream cones lined with chocolate & filled with this crazy amazing whipped cheesecake concoction. I'm not a huge dessert person, but I was stuffing my face with those things! I was not alone, it was not unusual to see a party guest double-fisting the mini ice cream cheesecake cones! 

Okay, I'm done drooling now. Back to the important part of this blog- the baby! Kate wanted to reveal the gender in a very exciting & creative way. She thought through a lot of options, but decided on filling balloons with colored confetti & hoped for a picturesque moment. The best part was Kate & Brett waited till the party to find out the news so they could share in the excitement with everyone at the same time. (Be sure to look at the slideshow below- their reactions are the best!) One of Kate's trusted friends was the only person who held the secret, she read the ultrasound sealed in an envelope by the doctor, went into the house to fill the balloons with the appropriate color, & brought them to the yard for the big moment. Kate & Brett's immediate family gathered around, while the rest of the party guests watched with great anticipation. There was a countdown, a "POP", & a lot of screaming as pink confetti rained down revealing... IT'S A GIRL!!! 

Crying, hugging, & lots of celebration followed. It was an unbelievably exciting moment to be a part of. I am so happy for my lovely friends & I cannot wait to be an Aunt.

Baby girl Wood, I hope you look at these photos one day & realize how loved, valued, & celebrated you were even before we ever saw your beautiful face. This is just a glimpse of the joy your life is going to bring to this world. Can't wait to meet you! Love you so much lil babe.