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.)

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! :)

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 ;) 

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! 

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!

Elana // Portrait

Hello everyone! 

I hope you all had a lovely holiday season & your new year is off to a hopeful start!

I was so lucky to spend the holidays in Park City, Utah with my family. For 2 whole weeks, we cozied up in a cabin by the slopes & spent our days skiing, relaxing, & enjoying all the amazing food Main Street has to offer.  I'll post some photos from the trip soon, but today, it's all about Elana. 

I met Elana through Instagram where we stayed "internet friends" for months. When I found out she lived in the Park City/Salt Lake area, we decided we HAD to meet!  Although a snow storm sabotaged our initial plans, we were able to reschedule & one lovely morning Elana joined me for coffee. It was so fun meeting her because we kinda already "knew" each other, but of course, she's even more amazing in person. I really love meeting & connecting with new people & I am so happy I was able to spend some time with Elana. 

After coffee, we had a few minutes before Elana had to pick her mom up from the airport so we squeezed in a mini portrait session. We found a tiny pocket of trees next to the coffee shop. A few slips down a icy hill & 1 dropped camera later ( don't worry, my camera is fine, but my heart might have stopped) we were laughing & snapping & wishing for more time. 

Elana is stunning & certainly knows how to work the camera. I can't wait to shoot & hang with her again, hopefully soon!! 

Enjoy!