Monthly Archives: January 2010

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Bear Creek Mountain Resort | Erin and Dustin: Married!

So. Erin, Dustin and their wedding. So many emotions that day. It was the wedding that closed out my crazy, amazing, fabulous 2009 season.  It was the wedding that was shot mostly in the dark. It was the wedding where none of our lighting worked. It was the wedding where I completely destroyed my Canon 5D Mark II at the reception.  On the back end…the wedding was a mess.  On the front end, the wedding was an AMAZING blessing and I completely adore every single one of the images that Alli and I captured.  A big part of it had to do with Erin, Dustin, their awesome family and fantastic friends.  Erin and Dustin are spectacular…so spectacular that they enter a room and it immediately lights up and shines with love.  They are passionate, they are complementary, they are amazing individuals and together are just two peas in a tight little pod.  I simply adore them.

Part of the thing that made this wedding so special was their attention to detail.  Everything from venue, to stationary, to favors, to decor was impeccably selected and had history and personality to add to their wedding day. Erin’s ring had diamonds that have been in her family for five generations. Stunning.

Simple and elegant, Erin was a vision in her wedding gown.

 

Fathers of the bride always tug at my heart strings.  John took the cake. The love for his daughter is unquestionable (wait until you see the father/daughter dance images).

GORGEOUS!

Erin’s bouquet consisted of a horseshoe nestled amongst the flowers…an Irish tradition that signifies good luck. The 26 year old handkerchief wrapped around her bouquet was the tiny bonnet that Erin wore on her head the day of her Baptism.  And clutched tightly around it was a picture of her grandfather.

Dustin and his groomsmen were just as awesome as Erin and her ladies.  Full of charm, wit and personality. Oh, yeah…and good looks too :)

My view…Alli’s view :)

Ladies…I warned you :)

The grounds at Bear Creek Mountain Resort, where their reception was held, are AMAZING and I LOVE shooting there.  There’s always something new :)

The day that I received Erin’s Save the Date cards I knew I was in for something extra special.  My love for typography is just as prevalent as it is for wedding photography.  Linda, Erin’s mother, is phenomenal.  The work that she handcrafted for her daughter’s wedding day was simply breathtaking. Everything from stationary, to place cards, to menus, to seating charts to favors was…well, AMAZING :) Seriously, if you find yourself in need of some calligraphy…call her!

And now we get into the crying.  Thank goodness for autofocus and hiding behind the lens.

If you look closely, you’ll see the tears streaming down John’s cheek.

And because they’re awesome that way…we ducked out of their reception for a bit to get some more portraits.

Erin and Dustin…thank you so very much for having Alli and I along for your wedding day.  Such an amazing honor that I will always be grateful for. Their SLIDESHOW is the largest to date.  I couldn’t resist :)

Doylestown, Pennsylvania | Theresa and Greg: Engaged!

We danced our way through their engagement session. We ducked in and out of alleyways, tree-lined streets and small alcoves on a brisk winter afternoon. Theresa and Greg are ridiculously in love and it shows.

Theresa and Greg…it was a pleasure!  See you in the fall :) SLIDESHOW=HERE

Teenage Girlies are LOUD!

OMG! I wanted to strangle them today!

Monday Brain Dump

It’s been nearly a month.  I suffer from catnapatitis.  I sleep for maybe 2 hours at a time throughout the night and once Mike leaves for work at 3am…I’m up.  I’ve tried watching television to see if it will put me back to sleep…but nothing. It just makes me want to get up and buy that RediSetGo appliance so that I can get rid of all the leftovers in my fridge.  Or that crazy brownie cutter. How fantastic is that?!

Always having a notebook and a pen on my nite-nite table, I write.  I write what comes to mind. I write what needs to get done. I write blog entries. I draw poses for brides. I make lists…groceries, Target, cleaning, to-do. Then this morning, I wrote “brain dump.” And so, here we are. Brain Dump Monday. I’m of the mentality that if I write it down in a public forum or I tell someone something that I need/want/have to do, it kinda makes me accountable to actually do it. Sometimes that gets my into trouble though.  Case in point…The IMP Workshop (which that still haven’t decided if that should be the name or not).  I told Mike and Alli my idea one day on hosting a workshop to help all the newbies out there that are trying to break into wedding photography but don’t know how.  It was so incredibly hard for me and I had no idea what I was doing, where to turn, who to ask and I feel that I can help others by sharing what I know now.  They jumped all over the idea and screamed, “GO DO IT!” and I chuckled.  Then I told my nieces and sister.  Game over!  Now all I hear is…”when’s the workshop?!” Now I have to do it, right? So…I’ve picked a date, picked a location, have started my outline. Today, we start on building the website.  Nerve-wracking. Scary. Freaking me out. But I’ll do it!

Starbucks.  I love it. But I’ve quit it.  I’m hooked on two cups of coffee in the morning from my little sexy coffee maker and then I become all snooty and drink tea the rest of the day. LOVE it!  I’ve even resorted to using a fancy tea cup with a saucer. It makes me feel all fancy.

Outside right now the wind is howling. Like spooky, Halloweenie weather howling.  Preston and Steve woke me up this morning and said it was going to be 65…but raining.  Say what?! 65?! LOVE! I almost wanna bust out and wear shorts.  Almost.

I’m nervous for Elia.  Her finals start today. I’m so ridiculously proud of her. She’s been studying for weeks now…making index cards, highlighting like a fool, READING! Yes, people, my child read a history book and was spouting facts on WWII.  This weekend there was a whirlwind of friends and study groups here in my house.  There was such a good energy here…made this 1600 on her SAT’s momma very, very proud! Todays finals are Geometry (which was kicking her teeny waheeny at the beginning of the year) and History.  I’ll keep you posted.

NICO! He’s the STAR OF THE WEEK! So, this weekend we had to create a presentation board of Nico-Facts.  For sure a picture of the the Jedi Force and tales of the donut fairy were included.  He was so happy with how his board looked when we finished it up last night.

One of the lists that I’ve created is about an FAQ section that I want to introduce on the blog.  First up…Engagement Pictures — All YAY, no NAY! Be on the look out.

Finally, I’m a stalker. Yes internet…when I can’t fall asleep and I’m sick of looking at infomericals and reruns of America’s Next Top Model, I come downstairs and stalk. I had a friend ask me this morning how I meet other photographers.  Simple. I stalk them, read their blog, and then email them to say, “Hola!”  So..if you’re a stalker of mine…SAY HI! There’s a ton of people out there that I see on my hits and I wonder, “who are these people?!”  I promise I won’t bite…hard. hehehe. And yes, I know my desk is a mess.  And yes, that is a 3 Muskateers on there.  No, you can’t have any. Fefe…quit trying to read all the post it’s on my monitor (Fefe’s my niece. She’s awesome).  I have an obsession with Post-It notes.  I even got that “Things” application for the Apple and I STILL use Post-It Notes as if they’re going out of style. I have a drawer full of them.  It’s OCD.  Apple droolers…yes, that’s the 27″ iMac. It’s a DREAM and I LURRRVEE it!

So. Here’s to Monday!

Ridley Creek State Park and Philadelphia | Jamie and Mike: Day After Shoot

The night she met him, he had rolled into the parking lot blaring gangsta music, driving his low-ridin’ ride.  She shook her head in disbelief and laughed to herself.  Months after going on volunteer runs in ambulances together something happened…she fell in love with not only his ghetto fabulous side, but his true persona.  They’ve been married for nearly two years and she’s still madly in love with his ghetto fabness.  And I have to admit, I am too.  Mike is an awesome guy.  Jamie? She’s just ultra-fab and I simply adore her. So does Mike :)

They were married during a monsoon.  Torrential downpours that totally ruined any chance for outdoor, sweet light photography, way before I ever dreamed that life would take me down this crazy path of wedding photography.  So when they asked if I would take some “day after pictures” I happily agreed :)

Guys…I love you! Thanks for such a fantastic afternoon. More of their ultra-fabness is HERE on their SLIDESHOW.

Hatfield Maternity Session: Jen’s having a baby!

We found out Jen and Rick were expecting a baby what seems like forever ago. Well, it’s finally time for little Rickey Ason to come out and join the rest of the world.  However, he had to sit tight for at least one more night so that I could photograph his gorgeous momma.

Jen and Rick…I couldn’t be happier for you! Much love!

Thursday is the new Friday | Breanna and Nick: Sneak Peek

Thursdays at home equal Grey’s Anatomy for me.  Last night was something completely different and even more fantastic than McDreamy and McSteamy…Breanna and Nick were married! Their wedding celebration was something for the record books and today as Alli and I recover, we’re still talking about how amazing their day turned out.

New Jersey Wedding | Stephanie and John

When Stephanie and John contacted me about their wedding they sent a picture of their Pez collection.  I immediately fell in love with them.

Alli and I drove around the block, what seemed liked 10 times, before we found the quaint little wedding ceremony/restaurant where Steph and John were to be married. Ridiculously cute!

First glances are the single most awesome thing you could do for yourselves and for your photographer.

And because of their first glance, we were able to devote nearly an hour of just bridal portraits and fun around Freehold, New Jersey.

He’s into home brew, she’s into knitting and crafting.  Together, they are crazy fun.

One of my most favorite portraits…EVER :)

I think there like 12 people at the ceremony.  Just immediate family. LOVE!

Alli had a killer view of the action!

And then…they were married…

Ok. Let’s talk details for a moment.  Stephanie hand crafted them all. Their vintage vinyl collection is definitely one to envy. And the fact that they tied it all into the theme of their wedding had me swooning!

Every night on Facebook, I wait to read what John’s spinning as he’s either brewing something or making hot sauce.  Their first dance was to The Slackers…

:) Hot Sauce

Crazy cute cuppy cakes.

And because we all know how crazy I am about golden sunsets and because their was a vintage diner across the street, we headed out for more pictures :)

Oh, Hartmans…how I love you!

Tons more HERE in the SLIDESHOW. Check it! Today we’re spinning Bob Dylan covering George Harrison and The Slackers :)

Greenlane Park | Katy and John: Engaged

Katy and John. Cuteness wrapped in guitar strings.

He took her to the top of a mountain on a gorgeous summer day, played and sang a song for her that he had written for her and then asked her to be his bride.  The smile hasn’t left her face.

Katy’s going to make a gorgeous bride. Simply gorgeous. :)

My favorite shot from our afternoon together.  Just LOVE.

Katy and John…I can’t wait until your wedding day.  Not to mention, I’m super excited to be seeing these guys again!

Oh…and their SLIDESHOW is HERE.