Thursday, July 17, 2014

Osceola Fun!

Jace, Lisa, Slade, Rowan, and I met up for some family pictures in the stunning Osceola town. This is one location that has it all - the falls, numerous backgrounds, and even a train depot!

Everyone in this family is beautiful - all dressed in white with brown/tan accents. Slade and Rowan are as cute as ever, and were seriously made to be in front of a camera! Every time my camera pointed in the direction of Slade, he flashed a fantastic smile. Lisa and Jace were so in love - constantly smooching away and being super cute! I love catching in-between candid's, especially when couples are so affectionate!

As we made our way around (and up/down) Osceola, the conversations were great and giggles from the kids were unforgettable. I just can't get over how perfect everyone just fell into place when I would say "ok, everyone get together" and it was like BAM - awesome!

THANK YOU for such a great evening, I'm excited to get the full album posted to Facebook tonight!



Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland | 07.12.2014

One word can maybe come close to describing this wedding: AMAZING. Everything was perfect: the dress, the bride and groom, the wedding party, the location, the weather, shall I go on?
Driving to the ceremony (where the bridal party was and ceremony was to be held), we noticed an old weathered barn, so of course we thought “I wonder if we could use this today”? We stopped to ask the owner (an adorable older man), and he didn’t even have to think about it, “OF COURSE you can use it!” This made us pretty ecstatic for wedding party pictures. Then, from the moment we arrived at Meghan’s parents’ house, we were already obsessed with the set-up:  an outdoor ceremony with all handmade décor on a BEAUTIFUL farm.
First things first, we scoped out the location. I had been here before for engagement pictures, so I knew where I wanted to take pictures – but being excited, I wanted to look again. Once we knew where we were going, we headed into the house to see the girls and briefly explain our plan. Meghan got ready in her floor length laced cream dress, and she was stunning. It was time for the reveal to her groom. We headed to the front porch where they were to be wed within hours and there stood her groom, Dan. His back was to her so that she couldn’t see his face and he couldn’t see hers (the anticipation I can imagine is indescribable!).  Once revealed to each other he instantly smiled and said “you’re beautiful”. From that moment on: I knew it was going to be an incredible day.
The wedding party rocked it – everyone was handsome/beautiful and all about fun! We were able to get all of our pictures done prior to the ceremony and then relax until the “I do’s” were said. I have never been part of such an emotional wedding before, there have been tears shed – but this one takes the top of the chart. From the moment the Bride was escorted by her father – the tears were flowing; Tressa has the most amazing picture of this, I can hardly wait to share it! The songs escalated the emotions throughout the ceremony and when all was said and almost done – Dan tried to grab Meghan for a kiss. This left everyone laughing when the minister said “Whoa, just a minute Dan” :] A great way to end such an meaningful ceremony.
Time to bring on the fun right?! We headed on the bus to the barn we found, got some great shots before heading to the Moonshine & Whiskey bar. If only every wedding came with this barn – we would be in heaven.  Meghan and Dan were welcomed into the bar by all family and friends, giving us lots of candid shots!
We left for the reception and although I had never heard of it before – I will definitely never forget it! The Refuge in Oak Grove is so beautiful! A location with lots of character and space, we loved everything about it. When the wedding party arrived, dinner came, and then the speeches started. Here we go again – speeches that kept a lump in my throat throughout them: so meaningful, so beautiful, and so heartfelt. I agree with your sister Meghan – you and Dan have raised Weston to be such an awesome little man! He’s perfect!!
Just when we thought that the tears were through… we went into the dance portion of the night! Meghan and her dad had such a sentimental dance that left everyone with happy tears afterwards. The only thing I could think is that Meghan was a daddy’s girl for life and what an amazing relationship they have!
We cannot thank Meghan, Dan, and their families for having us part of this memory! We had such a great time with everyone, including all 8 of the B-team! ;]  Happy Honeymooning in Colorado and we can’t wait for you to see all of your pictures!
 



 

Silas Andrew

Mr. Silas Andrew made his arrival on June 21st, 2014 and I got to meet him ten days later!

He is just cuter than cute and reeked of that precious newborn baby smell (moms - you know what I'm talking about!). One of the best smells ever! This little man is so full of spunk and life; he didn't want to miss a second of his session. Right off the bat, I was smitten with how adorable he was. Then to top it off his awesome personality, his mom was so relaxed and such a natural first time mother. She was so calming when Silas would cry and he would just snuggle in knowing he was safe!

I was surprised that we had no major blowouts like some of my past newborn sessions (Bri - remember the couch incident with Keira? Still funny to me today, lol). Silas was just perfect as can be and even though he fought sleep until his eyes wouldn't open anymore - we just waited. Then when he was snuggled in his perfectly handmade blanket - he zonked out. Just enough time to get a shot of him sleeping, only to wake him up to move to our next set-up!

Jennifer it was so great meeting you and Silas, you two are amazing and have such an incredible journey ahead of you. Congratulations to you both and your husband on a beautiful bundle of joy!!
 

James & Isaac are 7! Wait, what?

James and Isaac are 7 years young! Wait, what? Where did the last 5 years go!

I look forward to each spring/summer to meet up with these handsome twins and their mom Jamie (who is awesome and such a blast to talk to!). Every year we meet up at a new location and scope out the grounds together; meanwhile, stopping for quick smiles. Of course, these hams keep us entertained the whole time! I can't even count how many times they kept me laughing, they're hilarious!

Now, when I first met James and Isaac - they were not even remotely interested in taking pictures. Then the next year came and they couldn't stop talking about how exciting their year had been since they saw me last. Each year passes and the stories are getting even greater, I can hardly wait to see what the next year will hold and how exciting it will be for them! We've roamed the areas and found many exciting adventures along the way, one thing has stayed the same over the last year: Isaac and his turtle face!

Thank you Jamie for getting together with me once again and for bringing such great entertainment! ;] I still have yet to see "How to train a Dragon" - but I promise I'll make sure to see it before pictures next year! The best way to end a session? Little "I love you" 's out the window as I drive away - talk about melting someone's heart! XOXO