Exhaustion and Gratitude

Spring has brought its usual flurry of activity. I am nearly finished up with one wedding and about to dig into the editing for two more, all while doing pre-work and prep for an additional four that are coming up and have yet to be actually shot. That is on top of three boudoir sessions, a handful of portraits, a few engagement sessions, a smattering of head shots, and a couple of other various events and things that need my attention. As always, I am not complaining, because busy is good and busy is completely preferable to bored. I am feeling a deep and yet strangely satisfying form of exhaustion, the type of exhaustion that only comes from knowing that you are getting near the end of one project while several others wait, knowing that a lot of people are relying on you, and feeling intensely glad for all of these things. My job and my life are never boring, never dull, perpetually busy, and always full of blessings. For this, I am grateful despite the deep tiredness inherent in these things and this workload. I can handle it. 

Happily Ever Hendersons 2016: RJ and Marissa

RJ and Marissa's wedding at the Crystal Ballroom on the Lake was an absolute smash from top to bottom! In a day filled with love and laughter, personal touches, tons of silly inside jokes, impromptu group dances, selfies, and more fun than should be allowed in a single day, RJ and Marissa became Mr. and Mrs. Henderson as the sun set over the lake behind their gorgeous venue.

Marissa and her lovely ladies, outside on the verandah before the ceremony.





Marissa looked positively stunning in her ball gown and cathedral veil.



Meanwhile, RJ and the gents gathered behind the bar for an epic selfie prior to the trip down the aisle.



RJ and Marissa were surrounded by their friends and family members, who gathered together to help the new couple celebrate the occasion.



RJ and Marissa's wedding party was one of the coolest groups ever; my face hurt from laughing at their antics and they made my job easy.



After the ceremony, it was time to party down as White Rose Entertainment took the reins and fired up the music.







Flowergirl Sophie, aka my new assistant, who helped me out all through the day.



All in all, it was a truly amazing day that we were thrilled to photograph. Thanks to RJ, Marissa, and the entire Best, Henderson, and McKinney families and everyone involved...it was an honor and a delight to be a part of such a great day!





Congrats and love to the newlyweds, and may you spend all your days as the Happily Ever Hendersons!

The Mermaid Project!

We're in the early stages of a project I'm super stoked about; Jessica Dunbar of JDunbar Collections has asked us to help her out with an art project focusing on mermaids, so we'll soon be jumping in the water to shoot reference photos of models, lighting, and movement under the sea...well, okay, not the sea necessarily, because we'll be shooting these sessions in a pool, but it still counts. We're aiming for spring (and slightly warmer weather) for the project, and I can't wait.

Go here to visit Jessica's blog and website and to learn more, and stay tuned for updates!

http://jessicaldunbar.com/the-mermaid-project/

Sarah

Holy nellie, is this girl ever beautiful. Sarah's session this week in Sanford was a blast; it was great catching up with her a bit since we hadn't seen each other (or done a session) in a couple of years. She is always a delight.







Sarah is back in the Central Florida area after a stint in Washington state, and she's gearing up for some projects and auditions. She exudes elegance and classic beauty; her look and style remind me of the styles of the 60s and 70s.





I'm having a great time going through and editing her session (and understandably having a hard time narrowing down--we got too many great shots!). I'll be featuring more of Sarah's photos on www.facebook.com/rachelsullivanphotography in the coming days. For now, enjoy a few of my favorites here--she's just stunning!





We even met a Storm Trooper and had an impromptu 'couple' photo. Because, of course we did.

Allen and Rachel

Spent an afternoon out at Walt Disney World recently with the adorable Allen and Rachel, who are getting married this March in Ocala.

Allen proposed to Rachel at the All Star Music Resort at Disney, so it felt fitting that we head out there to commemorate this with their engagement portraits, starting off right where he asked that very important question. We moved on from there to the Magic Kingdom, where we spent the rest of their session playing in the park, laughing way more than should be allowed, and capturing some great, funny, sweet moments between the two of them.

I am so excited for their spring wedding, and I wanted to share a few of my faves from their engagement session. Spending time with these two made me smile from ear to ear; you can tell that they're so completely perfect for each other. Only 55 days until they say I do...I'm so excited to get to be with them at the wedding to photograph their big day!







Allen proposed to Rachel right here near the Mary Poppins poster under the marquee. So sweet.





Rachel's cute sign that she scored at Cracker Barrel specifically for the engagement session. I love when couples add cool stuff of their own to their sessions.





Rachel "flying" a la Titanic on the front of the Liberty Belle. Allen was so proud...



...but Allen got his revenge moments later when he decided to do an impromptu impression of Ariel in Fantasyland.





I can't wait for the wedding! Congratulations, Allen and Rachel!

2016 Portrait Giveaway!

Okay, happy new year, y'all! I hope you're all happy and healthy and enjoying January so far. We're gearing up for a huge year, but wanted to start 2016 (yes, I know we are halfway through the month, it's been a crazy few weeks, okay? Jeez!) off right with a contest. I teased it a couple of weeks ago on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/rachelsullivanphotography), but finally, I'm happy to reveal our first portrait giveaway of the new year!

To celebrate the start of 2016, we are giving away a portrait session to one lucky family; the winner will receive a two hour portrait session including approximately 25 high resolution photos from their session via digital download. This contest is open to families, couples, or individuals. To enter, simply leave a quick comment on our Facebook

wall telling us why you want to win; you only need enter once (duplicate entries or multiple entries per household/family will not increase your odds of winning). Additionally, if you have a friend or family member who you'd like to see win, you're welcome to nominate them in your comment instead of entering for yourself. 

The legal mumbo-jumbo:

--No purchase is necessary to enter this contest. Simply comment on our Facebook wall telling us if it's you or a friend you're entering, and you're good to go!

--The free session can be used for families, kids, babies, couples, pets, or individuals; the only things it cannot be used for are boudoir sessions, wedding photography/engagement sessions, and promotionally priced or discounted sessions. 

--Limit one entry per household/family; multiple entries will not be considered. 

--Employees of Rachel Sullivan Photography LLC and their immediate families are ineligible for this contest, but are still eligible for high fives, handshakes, and hugs from me at no charge. 

--Free session must be photographed by December 31st, 2016, and will be scheduled with deference to pre-booked events and sessions. Location of session is TBD. Location and session date details will be chosen with the contest winner after the contest concludes and a winner is chosen. 

--Contest winner will be selected at random on Monday, February 1st. Entries into the contest must be in no later than 11:59pm EST on Sunday, January 31st to be considered for the random drawing. 

More questions? Feel free to drop me a line. Good luck, and we can't wait to see who our first contest winner of 2016 will be!