I honestly don’t even know where to begin by describing Chad and Laura’s wedding a few Saturdays ago. Stunning, gorgeous, fun, beautiful, detailed, classy, elegant…take these words and multiply them by about 100. The day was truly wonderful and Laura and Chad make an amazing husband and wife.

Both graduates of the University of Florida, they had a chance meeting a few years later (and instant connection) at a UF football game. Chad, who had moved to Naples, invited Laura to come down the following weekend for a date. A few years of dating, lots of travel and a surprise proposal brought us to the most special day in their life as a couple…March 19th, 2011. Congratulations Laura and Chad! It was such an honor to capture your gorgeous day!

- My awesome sister got tickets for me and my dad to go see Miranda Lambert this coming Thursday at Germain arena. I’m so excited!! The three of us saw Miranda 3 or 4 years ago and there’s a chance I maybe didn’t like her as much back then as I do now. Plus, who doesn’t love a free concert ticket?!

(This was us at the concert where she opened for Kenny Chesney a few years. Can’t wait to be concert bound together again!)

- Florals. Goodness, it seems lately I am all about floral print. Yes, I know it’s considered in style right now, but I really am not much of a flowery person. I probably overdid the whole look back in the 80′s but I’m starting to fall in love with them more and more everyday. Here’s one of the tanks I bought this week:

- My Canon 35mm 1.4L lens. Let’s be honest, using a prime lens definitely takes some getting used to. In the last week or two, I have started using it so much more and am being reminded of how much I absolutely love this lens!!

- The sunrise. The best thing about leaving my house every morning at 7:20, to take my daughter to school, is that we get to experience the most *gorgeous* sunrise. I’m talking amazing clouds, the beautiful orange blaring sun and a blue sky- every single one of us talk about it almost the entire car ride to school, it’s that great. It’s also the greatest reminder of how great God is and that his promises are new every single morning. Could you imagine life without the sun or life without new beginnings every single morning?

- Today is picture day…for me!  This is most definitely not my favorite, as I despise being in front of the camera, but it’s one of the final touches needed for my new website, which I am so excited to release! Thank you to Katie, one of my awesome employees, for doing this shoot with me and putting up with my awkward-in-front-of-camera self!

- Last but not least, did you see this hilarious youtube video of the little boy who wanted to be governor of New Jersey?! It makes me laugh every time.

I was so excited to capture Brandon and Jennifer’s engagement pictures a few weeks ago at the gorgeous Riverside Park in Bonita Springs. Little did I know, I was in for an engagement session filled with nothing but laughter and fun. Honestly, I’ve never had a couple who could and did make each other laugh as much as these two! Brandon and Jennifer, thanks for an awesome session and I cannot wait for your wedding later this year!

- My sister’s 25th birthday! There has been lots of celebrating going on and there is still plenty to come…girls night at Carrabbas, yesterday’s lunch/cupcakes at Tropical Smoothie, this coming Sunday’s family dinner and then next Tuesday’s dinner with dad celebration (he always takes his two girls out for a nice dinner to celebrate whenever one of us has a birthday). I love birthday’s and I think every birthday should come with a weeklong celebration.

(iphone photos)

- My calm before the storm. It’s a good storm though. It’s been a nice few weeks with a lighter workload, knowing the busy days are officially beginning as Spring wedding season is about to kickoff. I LOVE my job, but it’s always refreshing to have a little bit of break.

- My tree. I told you last week there would be a picture this Friday. Without further ado…here’s the booger that makes me smile as I pull into my driveway. Keep in mind, when I planted this tree almost 6 years ago, it fit it my SUV and was maybe 4-5 feet tall. Besides my kids, this is the only breathing thing I’ve kept alive for an extended period of time.

- The bible study we recently started at bible study- “David: Seeking a Heart Like His” by Beth Moore. It’s been such a blessing and so powerful these past 2 weeks as we deeply study the life of David. We’re only 2 weeks into the 11 week study and I feel like I’ve already felt the Lord changing my heart in drastic measures and it gets me so excited for what lies ahead in the coming weeks. I desperately want to be a person who rests my soul with God rather than wrestling all of my life with unmet expectations.

- Publix. Weird, huh? Yesterday, I went to Publix for the first time in probably 3 months and I totally forgot how much I LOVE that place. I always end up going to Target and Costco for our groceries since they’re in the same location and it’s just more convenient. When I stepped into Publix yesterday and the instant smell hit me as I walked in, I was quickly reminded why it is pretty much the best grocery store ever.

It’s wedding weekend for Laura and Chad tomorrow and I can’t wait! Here’s hoping for a wonderful weekend….

I met Nicole and Tony this past September and was so excited when they asked me to do a hospital session when their little son was born. Words cannot even express the honor and joy of being invited into the hospital room to capture the first hours of life. And oh how my heart melted when I met Jett. He’s so so handsome, has gorgeous hair, the most beautiful eyes and is absolutely perfect. He was so content and wide awake most of the time, taking every ounce of his photo session in. Little Jett loves the camera!

You could just see the joy in Tony and Nicole’s eyes as they studied their new son; I can hardly think of any other way to describe it other than radiant love. Tony absolutely adores this little boy and I don’t know if there was a moment he wasn’t playing with him, holding his hands or just staring at him. Nicole (who looked amazing!) is totally in love with her little man! She smiled at him with such proudness, as the last 24 hours were starting to sink in. I love that these precious and irreplaceable moments were captured and will be treasured for years and years to come!!

Tony and Nicole, congratulations on your little man and welcome to the best ride of your life. Jett is incredibly adorable and I pray this new journey is filled with lots of laughter, great health, unending joy and most importantly, love beyond words.

I love nothing more than doing an engagement session at a location that holds meaning for the couple. After reconnecting at a University of Florida (Go Gators!) football game, Chad asked Laura to come down to Naples the following weekend so he could take her out on a date. He took her to the Naples Dock, and for good reason- it’s gorgeous, romantic and extremely charming. Four years later, Chad and Laura have made the Old Naples area their stomping grounds, creating memory after memory all around this breathtaking place. It is truly one of my favorite locations in all of Southwest Florida, so when they said they wanted to do their pictures here I was beyond thrilled!

Chad and Laura, I had so much fun walking around with you guys and capturing your love. You two are a fabulous couple and made my job on Sunday so easy. I hope you love your pictures and I am looking forward to your big day in just a matter of weeks!

I remember when I bought my first DSLR and seeing the prices of the high end cameras and lenses and thinking (and probably even saying out loud), “Who is their right mind would spend thousands of dollars on a lens?!”. Well, I quickly learned because that someone just happened to be me.

I’m often asked about the equipment we carry around while shooting a wedding. Let me start out by saying the most amazing equipment DOES NOT necessarily make the most amazing photographer. You know, just like if I had the best tools to paint a picture, I still couldn’t create anything better than my 7 year old daughter. Because truth is, I can’t paint. The amazing tools help, yes, but it’s the person working the tools that create great work.

With that said, when I first started my business, I surely didn’t start with anything fancy. Like, really low end for weddings. A photographer and friend would come over and sit with me, answer my questions and teach me how to work my camera. She was and still is such a blessing for my career (and if you’re reading this, you know who you are, and I THANK YOU greatly). Thankfully, this DSLR  was quickly replaced after my first wedding (yes, all professional photographers are probably laughing at this point) when I was certain this was something I really wanted to take seriously. However, I must say, even though I didn’t have any fancy equipment at my first wedding, the pictures turned out pretty great and the bride was thrilled, which is what mattered most. After the first wedding, I quickly upgraded to a Canon 5D Mark ii and my life has never been the same.

Without further ado…here’s what’s in *my* bag:

Well, this is one of the many bags we carry around on wedding days- my Shootsac. Love, love, love it and can’t imagine NOT having it at a wedding. It’s honestly just as handy as it is cute and it makes my life so much easier when it comes to swapping out lenses.

The zoom- 70-200 2.8L:

This big guy  (and when I say big, I totally mean heavy) is amazing and produces such fantastic and buttery images. I find myself using it more and more, as it’s so unobtrusive and can catch such emotional moments without people even knowing they’re being captured. I use it mainly during ceremonies, but lately find myself pulling it out at the reception quite a bit as well. Here’s a few pictures from Dominic and Jenny’s wedding using the 70-200.

The all-around, 24-70mm 2.8L.

This lens is my baby and probably my camera’s best friend. It was after all, my first professional lens and I’m definitely in love with it more today than I was the first time I used it. I consider it my go-to lens as it’s so versatile and can handle almost any situation flawlessly. If I had to only use one lens during an entire wedding, this would definitely be the one.

The amazing 35mm 1.4L.

This wide angle prime lens is so addicting. Prime lenses are definitely an adjustment, since there is no zoom involved.  As long as you’re getting in the spot you need to be to capture the shot, the primes are just spectacular. The bokeh (more on this another day, but just think the blur in the out of focus areas) this lens can produce is out of this world. Without a doubt, my next lens purchase will end up being another prime.

The Mark ii. The bad boy that I can’t imagine life without. This camera makes all of my other cameras look a little pathetic and is pretty much the reason I have a hard time ever using a little pocket camera. Short and simple, it produces nothing short of stellar. Thank you, Canon.

Of course I have to mention this isn’t truly everything, but it’s the main equipment I use throughout a wedding and on everyday shoots (minus the batteries, memory cards, flashes, etc.). I just have to say I’m glad I’m telling you what’s in this bag, because if I were you tell you what were in my purse, I would be mortified (oh the joys of motherhood…).

My littlest man, Jonah (or JQ as we have started calling him), has been so excited about Halloween this year. He’s 3 and I’m pretty sure this is the first year he understands the process a dressing up and saying trick or treat, with the end result being lots of candy in his basket. He definitely participated last year, although I don’t think he said a word as he just followed in his brothers and sisters’ footsteps.

Anyway, we bought his costume weeks and weeks ago and we’ve had it sitting in the box on a high shelf ever since. Until yesterday. He chose to be Buzz Lightyear, as he’s probably the biggest 3-year-old Toy Story freak in the area. It’s on replay on our TV pretty much all day long. God forbid anyone else want to watch a movie or show, because they will pretty much end up getting the wrath of our lovely JQ. For weeks now, he’s been practicing his “TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!” by jumping off of our bed and onto the floor.

Back to yesterday, we finally break open the box and honestly, the giddiness and excitement is pretty much out of control. Squealing. Laughing. Pure joy. We get his feet in, slip his arms through and then he says the words that make any mothers heart drop. I. CANT. WAIT. TO. PUSH. THE. BUTTON.!!!!!! Oh, the innocence of a little 3 year old and oh, how his heart broke once he realized although he was dressed as Buzz Lightyear, he would not be flying through the air with the help of a button. Oh, how I love this boy and his excitement for life. He brings so much joy and smiles to my face with his spunky and fun loving personality.

Today, I’m off to take Buzz to a Halloween party this morning and truck or treat this evening and although he’ll be staying firmly on the ground, if you hear a little man yelling “TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!” it’s just my darling little JQ who is still desperately trying to make his broken costume work. Happy Wednesday!

May was insanely crazy and I have hours and and hours or work ahead of me as I play catch up from one of the busiest months of the years. It’s been a roller coaster of a year and I just feel so blessed to be where I am today. We did some absolutely thrilling events in May, including a Bat Mitzvah and a private island ceremony. We started the month off with the Bat Mitzvah which was out of this world with an absolutely amazing party at the Marco Island Marriott. The following weekend we did a fabulous wedding for Ryan and Louise at The Landings in Fort Myers, Florida. They were so hysterical and we had so much fun!! We ended the month with Thomas and Shannon’s wedding on Little Shell Island, which was definitely one of the most unique places I’ve ever shot a wedding. Thanks to everyone for making the month of May so memorable!!

…and I totally fail at blogging, but I’m trying to get back on the bandwagon!!

that a girl goes through. Yeah, remember that song? Breaking out with some old school Monica. Anyway, **bad mom moment ahead, don’t judge** today is just one of those days where I wish my kids could sit content in front of the TV for hours without getting bored within 5 minutes. I feel like I’m following them around the house cleaning the popcorn they trailed all over the house, the water all over the bathroom floor and the sand that seems to be pouring into my house from the sandbox. Alas, I’ll sit and edit a pic of two and then go clean their next activity of destruction, trying to remember these ages are temporary and I’m sure one day I’ll miss the water, sand, and popcorn all over my house.
Anyway, posts are always more fun with a picture, so here’s one I just did of Lucy’s dress from her wedding a few weeks ago. Happy Tuesday!

I have so many words to describe this wedding day and I don’t even know where to begin. I had never met Lucy until the day of her wedding since her and Rob live in Los Angeles and were flying in for a destination wedding at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida. Everything about them was fabulous, to say the absolute least. They were the kindest, sweetest clients anyone could wish for. Lucy, bless her heart, even ordered a ton of room service and we partied like rockstars eating lunch together in her room.

Oh, Lola, how I love your pocket full of purple goodness. My Lola (ie. seriously stylish camera bag) arrived yesterday from Epiphanie Bags and you have no idea how excited I am to use it at tomorrow’s wedding! I seriously feel like I’m carrying a purse and I’m pretty sure I can easily walk around with it while shooting, not to mention it’s much more fun than my boring black Canon bag. Somehow it doesn’t seem nearly as bulky as the Canon bag either, even though it’s holding just as much stuff.
These new camera bags have only been on the market for a couple of months, but so far are getting rave reviews. Be sure to check out Epiphanie Bags, and if your in the market for an awesome camera bag, they are seriously the place to go. Their customer service was stellar, shipping was fast, everything was packed great, and Lola came with her own little purple bag for safe keeping. Lastly, each little pocket had an adorable business card style inspirational quote card, and golly, little details like this are what makes life a little sweeter. Have a great Friday, I know I will!!!

with this couple and this picture.

…more to come. For now, I have got to get outside and enjoy our beautiful weather!

Last Thursday, my best friend and I decided, literally at the very last second, to buy tickets take the girls to see Taylor Swift up in Tampa, Florida. It was such an amazing night and we’re still on a high from it all! First off, I just have to say that I got my ticket and Kyla’s for $35 TOTAL, in the first level seating section. Holla!! After a great drive, we got there in time to see a little Kellie Pickler, who Kyla just loves. After some cotton candy and ice cream, Taylor finally came out and I think Kyla was just shocked at what she saw. It was her first real concert and the fact that it was someone she has been singing to for 2 years and just adores made it so much more special. Her sets were fantastic, she sounded great and was quite the performer. However, the highlight of the night was most definitely when Taylor came to our row, just a few seats from us and sang an entire song!!!! The girls even touched her and got beads from her bracelet that broke!!! She seems like such a sweet, very wise for her age girl and I am just so thankful we decided to make the trek up there last week. We made such great memories that night and just tried to soak up every ounce of fun!! Every day this week Kyla has woken up extra early in time to get her hair curled for school, and is pretty obsessive right now over T.S. Let’s just say the bar has been set pretty high for future concerts, thank you Ms. Taylor Swift!

***edit**I also MUST say a huge THANK YOU to Gabrielle, who was gracious enough to email me the video and photos of Taylor hanging out by us. I guess I got star struck or something and totally lost everything I recorded. Gabrielle, you saved our day!