Ryan and Sarah were married at the beautiful Cousiac Manor Lanexa, Virginia on April 10, 2021. Their wedding was beautiful and such a representation of the love they have for one another! Thank you for letting us be a part of your celebration! Here are some of my favorites from the day:
Vendors:
Venue: Cousiac Manor
Event Planner: Marylee Marmer Events
Florist: Morrison’s Flowers & Gifts
Second Shooter: Dustin Glendinning
DJ: Colonial DJ's
Catering: Mosaic Catering
Dress: Blue Bridal Boutique
Deep down inside I always carried a little dream of photographing an elopement in Iceland. I never thought it would happen, though, or if it did, it would be way in the future. When Beverly and Matt asked if I would accompany them and photograph their elopement and trip I immediately jumped at the opportunity! This trip was a trip of a lifetime. I cannot even begin to explain just how amazing it was! Pictures do not do justice to the beauty of Iceland! I was left awestruck and breathless the entire time.
Day 1: After traveling for about 15 hours, I finally landed in Iceland! From the moment we left the airport, I felt like I was on another planet. The terrain of the country was so different from anything that I had seen before. Our first stop was the Blue Lagoon and let me tell you, this was AMAZING after a long flight! And the cider was some of the best I had ever tasted. After we went back to our Air BnB and then decided to explore Reykjavik. Reykjavik is such a cute city! It is the capital and largest city in Iceland. Even though it is the largest city, it still had that small-town feel. I loved all the colors and art that were prominent in the city.
Day 2: The second day was the wedding day! We awoke before the crack of dawn to get ready for the drive to Akranes for the ceremony. Beforehand, Matt and Beverly did their first look outside of the Air BnB. It was such a sweet moment and the lighting was absolutely gorgeous! We then packed into the car and drove about an hour to the ceremony site. They picked the most perfect location for their ceremony! Pretty sure we all gasped when we pulled up to the location. I could have taken pictures there for hours! The ceremony was a traditional Viking ceremony. Everything about it was beautiful. Our second goal of the day was to make it to Höfn (about a 6-hour drive). Along the way, we stopped and took pictures at locations we thought were interesting. Basically we stopped quite a few times because everything was picturesque. Some of the notable locations- Þjóðvegur, Diamond Beach, and Vestrahorn. Iceland decided to show off even more at the end of the day and provided us with a gorgeous sunset!
Day 3: The third day was another one for the books! We started with returning to Diamond Beach to see the other side of it. Then on our way to Vatnajökull Glacier, which we hiked later that day, we stopped and petted some Icelandic horses and fed them some grass. They were so cute! Then came the glacier hike! This was such a surreal experience! And our tour guide, Adam, with Arctic Adventures, made it even better! I highly recommend this excursion. After the glacier hike, we headed towards the black sand beach. After the blue skies on the glacier, this stop gave off some seriously eerie vibes but still so beautiful. We were even able to see some puffins. We then made our way to Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. Day three was quite the day!
Day 4: We headed to the Snæfellsnes peninsula for the day. Some notable sites here are the Budakirkja (Little Black Church) and Kirkjufellsfoss (for all the Game of Thrones fans). We stopped at a little restaurant and I had the best Nutella pizza! The sugar high was much needed. This ended being a pretty low-key day. We were all exhausted and needed to pack before we left the next day. But it was a great ending to an amazing trip!
Beverly and Matt, thank you again for this amazing opportunity! It was a dream come true. I will be back one day to explore the rest of this amazing country!
Today was supposed to be cloudy and rainy but it ended up being such a nice day that Pixel and I decided to walk around Uptown and snap some pictures! It was really a nice surprise and it felt so good to pick up the camera for fun and not for work. Sometimes you have to remind yourself why you began doing what you do and for me that was because photography allows me to slow down and see moments that I may not necessarily see in the usual hustle and bustle of life. It was good to be reminded of that today. Enjoy some of the sites and springtime in Chicago below:
Our last wedding of 2018 was so sweet! The love Sydni and Phillip have for each other radiates from their faces and is so amazingly genuine! Thank you for letting us be apart of your day and enjoy your first Valentine’s Day as Mr. and Mrs.! Enjoy some of our favorite shots from the wedding below.
Wedding Event Painting: Mike Harrelson
DJ: Joe Durivage
Videographer: Whitney Johnson
Reception Venue: Wild Wing Plantation
Ceremony Venue: St. James Catholic Church
Cake Pops: Willow Matyas
Bride’ Dress and Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Suits: JoS. A. Bank
Thank you to all my clients/friends for making this year so great! I wouldn’t be able to do what I love without all of you! Cheers to 2019!
Brent & Briana’s wedding day was such a joyful occasion and 100% them! They filled it with little details of things the love, like cuff links of the groomsmen’s favorite fandoms, a cake topper of their favorite Pokémon characters, and Briana dying part of her dress purple. The flowers and venues were beautiful and the food was absolutely delicious thanks to Greg Metcalfe and his awesome team. It was also such a blessing to witness how deeply they were loved by the community around them. There were lots of tears and laughters during the speeches! Everything about the day was beautiful! Thanks for letting me be a part of it! Here is a glimpse of the day below:
Vendors:
Ceremony Venue: Brookgreen Gardens
Reception Venue, Caterer & Cake: Southern Comforts
Florists: White Feather Florist and Gifts Boutique
Second Shooter: Dustin Glendinning
It may have felt like the surface of the sun that day, but I had so much fun with this shoot! Taylor has been one of my best friends for 8 years and it was an honor to be able to shoot her engagement photos. It brings such joy to my heart to see her find the perfect match for her, in Robbie. I couldn’t be happier and more excited for these two! Check out some of my favorite shots below.
We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day when we did Juliana's senior portraits! Praise the Lord for the rain clearing up for a few hours! Juliana is a senior, designer, photographer and a dancer. We took her photographs at The Market Common, which happens to be her favorite place to take photos! It was so much fun collaborating with her! Here are some of my favorite shots.
Carolyn and Jim's day was beautiful! Their ceremony was held at the First United Methodist Church in Myrtle Beach, SC with their reception at the Peanut Warehouse in Conway, SC. It was a rainy day but it ended up clearing up in time to take some portraits outside. The day was filled with love from Carolyn and Jim to the people who joined them in celebrating their marriage. Here is a glimpse of the day!
Guys, I can't get over how beautiful this day. The weather was absolutely perfect, the details were incredible, and the people were absolutely wonderful! Thank you Bailey and Chris for letting us be apart of your day! Check out some of my favorite shots below.
Venue: Pawleys Plantation and Golf Club
Dress: Fancy Frocks
Hair: Beautiful Salon and Spa
Second Shooter: Dustin Glendinning
Videography: John Lennard
Makeup: Paige Winesette
Flowers: Annie Watts
Cake: Incredible Edibles
Bouquets and Arch: The bride herself, Bailey Wilkinson
This was a great way to kick off the wedding season! Brian and Holly were married on the beautiful Boals Farm in Wando, SC! It rained early on in the day but it cleared up just in time for the festivities to begin! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! Here are some of my favorites:
Venue: The Stables at Boals Farm
Wedding Planner: Southern Grace Event Planning
Flowers: Anna Bella Florals
Catering: The Pampered Palate
Second Shooter: Dustin Glendinning
I've been patiently waiting to post these since we shot them back in October! I couldn't have thought of a prettier location for Bailey's bridal portraits! I am such a sucker for oak trees and the way they allow light to flow through their branches. Also, the owner of the house in the photographs let us in to take advantage of the beauty of it! Words cannot describe how perfect this shoot was. Check out some favorites below!
My great friend, Lauren Riddei, is uber talented! A few weeks ago she taught some awesome people how to make flower crowns and I was lucky enough to work along side her and capture the process. See it out below! She is also an Interior Designer, Painter, Weaver, and more. Check out here stuff here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riddeitocreate/
Website: www.riddeitocreate.com
I am so grateful that Skip & Lisa asked me to join in on their special day. From the decor to the excitement of their friends and family to the love shared between themselves, this day was nothing but magical. And a huge shout out to them for braving 20 degree weather to grab some portraits! Here is a little look at their day:
Ceremony Venue: Seacoast Vineyard Church
Reception Venue: Peanut Warehouse
Dresses & Tuxes: Fancy Frocks
Catering: Carolina Catering
Cake: Brian Bailey
Flowers: Flowers by Dave
I sometimes forget all that I do during the year so going back and reliving some of my favorite moments is probably one of the best things I could do. It helps me see how far I've come throughout the year and honestly brings joy to my heart to see all that I got to be apart of. So a big thank you to all my wonderful clients & friends that made 2017 the year it was! I couldn't do it without you!
We couldn't have asked for a better day for a mini sunrise family session with this sweet family. I absolutely love the colors and joy in these photos!
