Nick and Jeannette: Save the Date!

Spent an afternoon recently managing mischief with this fantastic couple--Nick and Jeannette are planning for their autumn wedding, and we got together for their super fun save the dates at the Wizarding World last week. I love this beautiful duo and I'm so happy to get to be with them later this year when they tie the knot! (Or wait...when they make the Unbreakable Vow? Sorry, I couldn't help myself.)









One of my favorite things about Jeannette and Nick is how much fun they have with each other. Going into the session, Jeannette was feeling a little nervous because she had never really done a portrait session before. I told her it would be a blast and a half, even though it was totally fine to be nervous. Just moments after we started the portraits, Nick had her laughing and her stress melted away. You know how sometimes you can just tell a couple was meant to find each other and that they're perfect together? Yeah, that's Nick and Jeannette for sure. They're in love but they are also clearly great friends, and that's a recipe for a wonderful relationship.









After playing in Diagon Alley, we hopped about the Hogwarts Express to head over to Hogsmeade, where the fun continued.






At the end of the day, Jeannette and Nick's Hogwarts School dreams came true, as the witches and wizards in the castle went out of their way and took them on an amazing tour of the very immersive areas in and around the queue for the Forbidden Journey attraction. Jeannette's Slytherin heart went pitter-patter as they were even able to go where most guests aren't allowed, most notably, into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.






I simply can't wait for the wedding in Savannah this fall, and I'm beyond honored to get to be there as Jeannette and Nick say I do! Extra special thanks to the Team Members at Universal Orlando for their help in making Nick and Jeannette's session beyond magical, especially the witches and wizards at Hogwarts...y'all made their already wonderful session truly epic and memorable, and we can't thank you enough for going the extra mile!

Congrats and love, Nick and Jeannette!

Ryley and Chrystal: Save the Date!

Got to spend an afternoon recently in beautiful St. Augustine with Ryley and Chrystal for their engagement session. I'll be photographing these two as they tie the knot by the beach this coming summer, and I'm so excited that I get to be with them.









Ryley and Chrystal were high school sweethearts, and they've managed to stick together through thick and thin, including Ryley's military career and the challenges of a long distance relationship. Even though I am just getting to know them, I can tell how very much in love they are. I married my high school sweetheart too, so anytime I meet a couple like them, it makes me so happy.









We spent a great afternoon in the Oldest City, and these two are troopers--it was an awful lot of walking, distance, and dodging tourists and school groups as we worked, and they looked beautiful and relaxed from the start to the finish of their session.









We're counting the days until Ryley and Chrystal say I do! Getting to photograph the wedding of a couple as cool, funny, kind, and gorgeous as these two is going to be a delight and an honor.

Congrats, Chrystal and Ryley...thank you for putting your trust in me to capture your engagement portraits and your wedding day!

Danielle and Luke: a Most Magical Save the Date Session!

Luke and Danielle first met when they were both team members working on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction at Universal Orlando. Fast forward to today, when they're happily engaged and busy planning for their 2019 wedding! It always tickles my fancy when I find a couple who met and fell in love while working in the theme parks; I don't know why, but it warms my heart when I hear stories like theirs, and when Danielle contacted me and asked if we could shoot their engagement portraits in the Wizarding World, I gave her an enthusiastic YES! So, last week, we went back to Hogwarts, hitting a few of Danielle and Luke's favorite spots in and around castle and the Hogsmeade high street, and we made some save the date session magic.






Danielle brought her wand along for the day, and I couldn't resist the chance to take a cool shot of her beautiful ring with the wand and her Alex and Ani "Always" bangle bracelet. Ring shots are always tricky, but I love how this one came out!


After a few more stops and a quick wardrobe change, we headed over to Universal Studios for a couple photos in some of their other favorite places around the resort.




I'm loving how the first set from Luke and Danielle's portraits came out and can't wait to show off the rest. To the happy couple, thank you for allowing me to help you with such a fun and magical session! Congrats and love to you both!

Kyle and Chelsea

Spent an afternoon with the lovely Kyle and Chelsea out at Disney for their engagement session. Their wedding will be in early December of this year and they're busy planning for the big day.





They're an unbelievably cute couple, and since this was the first time I was actually able to meet them, I wasn't sure how their personalities would be...were they quiet and reserved? Silly? Calm and mellow? It turns out that they're not only a super relaxed and hilarious couple and a great match for each other, but they're a good fit for me, and we spent their session laughing and chatting and bouncing around in conversation from topic to topic. It was a great time and we spent a lot of the session laughing at silly portrait pose "traditions" as well as talking a little bit about their plans for the upcoming wedding, with more than a handful of divergent discussions in-between that had zero to do with wedding stuff. We had a great time!





Kyle and Chelsea, I can't wait for the wedding...you guys are so great together and I just know your day will be full of laughter and silly poses and funny faces and love. I'm so happy I get to be there with you to capture your day and promise I won't make you go TOO far into Cheesy Pose Territory...we'll keep things fun and original, and if your engagement session is any indicator, it'll be totally cool with me if you feel like stopping for an ice cream break. Congrats to you both...counting the days until the wedding!

Brandon and Amanda: Save the Date

On a windy, blustery day out at Daytona Beach, Brandon and Amanda (and their adorable dog Zoe) met up with me for a super fun, very silly, incredibly sweet engagement session. These two are clearly in love, never take themselves too seriously, and obviously are completely perfect for each other. We had planned to head over to Ponce Inlet but the weather was being persnickety, so we stuck close to home instead, and we had a blast!

When we encountered a playground during the session, Amanda and Brandon couldn't resist the chance to monkey around.

These two are huge football fans, and before donning the jerseys of their favorite teams, they decided to put on each other's jerseys for a funny photo. Check out that cringe action!

Team pride took a silly jog to the left as Brandon decided he wasn't satisfied with simply holding up his terrible towel...instead, he chose to take some epic victory laps around the park behind Amanda, leaving her laughing and shaking her head.

After playing outside for a bit, we headed back to Amanda's parents' adorable beach house for some portraits with Zoe, their dog, who was a trooper and gave us plenty of sweet doggy smiles. She was so patient as she wore her cute little sign; it's a practice run for the wedding next spring, when Zoe will walk down the aisle to announce Amanda's arrival before she walks down the aisle to Brandon.

Amanda's engagement ring is a gorgeous sapphire; Brandon proposed after a night of theater at the Athens Theater in Deland.

We spent some time goofing around in the lovely tropical backyard,

More team pride!

And more shenanigans!

It's clear to see that Brandon and Amanda are a fun-loving pair of people who are so well suited for each other We're sure their wedding next spring is going to a gorgeous day full of lots of laughter and probably a handful of practical jokes...they're getting married on April Fool's Day, after all.

Congrats and love to this awesome couple...we can't wait for your wedding!