Amanda and Tyler were a dream to work with from day one. I remember having warm fuzzies after our initial consultation because I knew we were going to get along so well - Amanda is very animated and chatty, just like me!

The day of the wedding was unusually cold for early October. Menacing storm clouds loomed in the distance during most of the day. It was a little nerve-wracking (who wants it to rain on their photos and outdoor ceremony?) but Amanda was so laid back about it all. It never did rain on us, and the dark skies made for some really awesome photos. The temperature was a little on the nippy side (right around 40 degrees F, if I remember correctly), but Amanda insisted that she wasn't cold and I never heard her complain once. In fact, she spent most of the day giggling.

I think once you reach the end of this post you'll understand what I mean when I say that Amanda's very animated facial expressions made for some great photos. When I was editing these photos I burst out laughing a few times! During the ceremony, she started laughing and crying at the same time. It was a really sweet moment.

Ok, I could go on and on about these two, but I think the photos speak for themselves - these two are so so so adorable together and clearly very in love, see for yourself!

Oh, and Amanda and Tyler got married at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, VA - it was beautiful!

Amanda and Tyler did a First Look before the ceremony -- as always, it was a really special moment.

I always love when people take a few steps back to really take in how beautiful/handsome they're looking:

This just makes me smile-

One of my very favorites of the day:

I loved how dark the sky was when we stepped out of the greenhouse:

Ok.

Here's the part of the post I've been debating about sharing for weeks and weeks now. In the next set of photos, Amanda is clearly cracking up. The story goes something like this-

It was really pretty cold considering what those beautiful ladies were wearing... so it was extra challenging to get genuine smiles out of them... So...

I yelled "PENIS". Yeah, I just went there.

Part of my job is to make sure that the smiles people give me aren't just the fake, generic, "there's a camera pointed at my face" smiles we so often see. I've done a pretty good job of developing my "Fakesmile-dar", so sometimes I just know that I have to work a little harder. With little kids, I usually talk about farts. With these gals, I went with a reproductive organ. This method doesn't work for everyone, so don't worry, I'm not going to be shouting out the names of reproductive organs at your wedding, but in this situation I did what I had to do.

Amanda's laugh-cry that I mentioned above:

Congratulations, Amanda and Tyler!! I'm so happy I got to work with you and experience all the joy you bring to each other and the people you love. Thank you for letting me be a part of such an important day!! :)

I am updating from my phone because my Internet has been out all evening.

Today I had a booth at the bridal expo here in Charleston. It was a blast! I met so many wonderful people and I am really excited about some of the potential weddings on my plate.

If I we talked at the show, feel free to drop me a note so we can talk more. Even if you picked a date I've already booked, I can probably help you to find another photographer.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by!!! It was an exhausting day but worth every minute of it.

There's really nothing like being a wedding photographer. For one day you are a part of two families, and you get to see them ride a rollercoaster of emotions and everyone looks beautiful because everyone is beautiful, and even if it's 100 degrees or even if it's 30 degrees, underneath the sweat or the shivers, everyone is happy.

This year has been intense.

On top of everything else that happened this year, I also lost 70 pounds. I ate better, went to some Weight Watchers meetings, but most importantly I sweated off a lot of stress and negativity at the gym. Sure, I've gained a few pounds back here over the holidays, but I know I have it in me now to finish what I started. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose and feel defeated, if you feel overwhelmed - you can do it. Start small. Set really small goals. You don't have to drink all the water and eat perfectly and work out 5 times a week straight out of the gate. Start small. Don't hate yourself if you eat a bunch of donuts one day, because you can't go back in time and change it and all that guilt and shame just makes it easier to eat more donuts. I could talk for days about this, so I'll stop here, but just know that if this paragraph resonates with you, you are not alone, and it is not impossible to lose a lot of weight, and it's ok to make mistakes along the way.

This is a very long introduction to the photos I'm about to share, but it felt necessary.

I took 96,366 photos in 2009, shot 22 weddings, and had roughly 60 portrait sessions. Here are some photos from some of the engagement & bridal sessions and weddings I shot last year. Photos from the portrait sessions will be posted sometime in the next few days. 


This was my first year shooting weddings. If I could teleport around the world to hug all of the couples I worked with right now, I would. Thank you for trusting my vision and working with me, and thank you for being patient as I learned my way this year.

If you hired me to be a part of your wedding - thank you. If you hired me to take portraits of you, or your children, or your pets - thank you.

If you emailed me or clicked the 'like' button or commented on facebook - thank you.

If you told someone about me and the photos I make - thank you.

I can't thank you enough for all your love and support. I know how busy you all are, so even if you've never said a word but you keep coming back to look at what I've been doing, that really means the world to me.

Thank you, all of you. (Especially to my wonderfully supportive and patient boyfriend and parents/family who had to hear me talk nonstop about my business all year!! I love you guys!!)

2010? Bring it on.

Here are a few of the ones I've received in recent weeks:

I love love love this sapphire silk brocade:

I hope you guys are all ready for the best holiday ever -- Christmas!!!

I'll make a whole post about this hopefully tomorrow, but I wanted to mention that you guys made a huge impact in the Cans for Comments drive! I'll be donating a whopping 86 cans of food thanks to you! Once I take photos of all the cans I will write up a whole post, though. :)

Dipa and Brian got married on an unusually chilly October day in Fayetteville, WV.

This was my 2nd time shooting at the wonderful Confluence Resort. I always have a great time at the Confluence. If you are in WV looking for a wedding venue that is beautiful and flexible, look no further.

Anyway, despite how chilly it got, Dipa and Brian were all smiles all day long.

After the toasts were made and the pies were cut, Dipa thought it would be fun for everyone to experience a traditional indian folk dance known as the dandiya raas. It was so much fun watching the guests get into it.

This was one of my absolute favorite weddings of the year - the colors and the warm spirits of everyone present made for a memorable and beautiful day.

Thank you so much for having me be a part of it, Dipa and Brian!! :)

Here are a few favorites from our session! Enjoy!!

This next shot cracks me up!!!! Jameson is such an expressive little guy:

And then, five seconds later, we see this side of little J:

Look at those blue eyes:

"Oooh! A LEAF!"

I looove his face in this one:

Here's a few of my faves (how hot is that dress???):

Believe me when I say that I tried to narrow this down more and it just wasn't happening.

Lydia & Chris are some of the finest people I know [you can see their engagement photos here]. They are just as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. They are kind and genuine and fun and just all-around wonderful. I cried a few times when editing their photos, and got goosebumps every five minutes or so. I truly love them and respect them, and I'm very proud of these images from their beautiful wedding.

This is going to be pretty long - you have been warned!

Enjoy :)

Pope John Paul II decided to help a sista out with the ring shot:

It was an absolute honor to share the day with you, Lydia & Chris! I am so grateful to know you both and call you friends. Congratulations!!! :)

I am beyond swamped with emails, wedding photos, and album designs, so I'll have to make this quick!!

When I get a little email in my inbox that says someone took the time to comment on my blog, it really brightens my day. Every thoughtful comment you leave makes such a difference to me. So in return, I'd like to brighten other people's days and make a difference by donating one can of food per comment I receive on here for the next 15 days. At the end of the 15 days, I will donate cans of food to my local food bank here in Charleston WV.

I will also be making donations to the Charleston Animal Shelter (because I love love love all my furry friends!!) AND the Children's Therapy Clinic. I'll be donating a dollar per comment, so on December 16th I'll add up all the comments and half of the money will go to the Animal Shelter and the other half will go to the Children's Therapy Clinic.

It can be easy to take things for granted. The clothes on our back, the food in our bellies, our healthy children and pets. So many people and animals aren't so lucky.

This is something you can do to help out without putting forth much effort at all - just poke around on my blog and if you like what you see, leave a little note. Your little note could end up being a meal for someone in a few weeks - how cool is that?

Thank you for your continued support and kind words! Now go off and comment for a good cause!!