In the stacks at the University of Rochester library. A fun place to shoot just on part of this fabulous engagement session. I love finding interesting locations to work in and the winter weather either challenges you to deal with the elements (although they aren’t very present these days) or head inside. I’ll be sharing more photos from this shoot in between the holiday travel schedule we’ve cooked up. It begins today, as Matt and I are heading up to Vermont to photograph Meghan + Ian’s wedding on Saturday. After that it’s a few days a home with a visit from family (and a chance to see my niece for the first time!) and then a trip to Michigan. Look for some updates from the road and safe travels to all of you as well!

hello from the west coast! I’ve missed you guys and didn’t intentionally take so many days off from blogging. With a week of early mornings, long flights and time changes – traveling first to Boston and back and now to Portland – I should have seen it coming. My trip to Boston was completely photography related, and now I’ve switched sides and my trip to Portland is running related. If you’re a regular reader (or you know me well) you know that running is a big part of my life, and I’m still involved in the program at Houghton College (where I went to school) as an assistant coach. This week we are at the NAIA national championships and today is race day! Super exciting. I’ll let you know how it goes but first I wanted to share one of the highlights of our trip to Portland: Barista.

We discovered this coffee shop (if you can even call it that because it’s so much more) when we were out here in June for Jimmy + Marianne’s wedding. We fell in love. It’s hard to explain the difference in quality and taste unless you try it for yourself. The espresso is pulled with precision, lattes topped with a healthy foam and poured to perfection with designs to prove it. Our first breakfast at Barista was like a vacation and Matt and I sat and talked and enjoyed each others company in a few minutes where time seemed to finally slow down. It was a treat. We love coffee, and Matt has decided to leave behind clothes if it means he can bring back more beans in his suitcase.

We’re adjusted to the west coast just in time to fly home and get ready to host Thanksgiving at our house! Matt loves Christmas so I think we are going to jump on the decorating train right after celebrating Thanksgiving. I can’t wait to see family and friends! While it continues to be a busy time stopping for a few moments each day – especially over coffee – helps life slow down and for that I’m thankful.

With 16 weddings down and 9 to go there is a lot on the horizon for this fall. September really is the new July and I thought the busiest part of my year was behind me but I don’t mind that I’m wrong. However, if I told you everything I was actually doing you might get scared so I’m going to ease you into it and start off with a few of my upcoming travel plans!

I’m headed to a few big cities and would love to hear from you if you want to meet me for the first time over coffee, catch up over dinner or even go for a run! In mid September I’ll be heading down to D.C. for a day (or maybe two), in early October I’m going out to New York City and in early November I’ll be in Boston for a wedding and have a little bit of time to play around with. I really would love to hear from you if you are around and even if it doesn’t work out to meet up maybe it will in the future. So email me or leave a comment and let’s talk.

While we’re talking I might as well tell you a story. First the background – I’m actually writing you from my home state of Michigan, sitting in my parent’s house and wondering who I will recognize and who I will vaguely remember when I go to Caribou later on today. I’m out here for Liz + Matt’s wedding, which I am so looking forward to and can’t wait to share with you even though I haven’t taken any of the pictures yet.

Just a day ago I got ready to drive over here – and cross through Canada because that is the easiest way to go from Buffalo to Detroit – and Matt helped me get ready. He’s a great husband, really, I couldn’t ask for anything more and it’s always nice when he helps pack up my things and sends me on my way. So, he was in charge of getting all of the documents together (ie passport) for crossing and I left that in his hands. I started my trip, made it up to Buffalo only to discover I had his passport and not mine. Yes, almost two hours of driving and I was not even at square one, I was somewhere between square -1 and I give up. I called Matt and while we both couldn’t believe what had happened I knew that I should have checked. He should have checked, but I should have checked too. It was at that point a friend decided to jump on a white horse and save the day and bring my passport half way up so that I didn’t have to drive all of the way back. That friend is Zach Adams.

I don’t know how I am so lucky to have such good friends. Really, I don’t deserve that but I know I’m going to be a better friend because of his example.

Now, if you’ll allow me to bring it full circle I have to say one thing I love about weddings is seeing people with those friends. The friends that will drive hours to help you out, wear whatever dress you want – and three inch heels too- to fit your vision, travel across the country or around the world to be with you on that day, and friends that will be there in five, ten, or twenty years to talk with you. At a wedding you get to see who your true friends are and when you leave your passport at home you understand the meaning of a true friend.

Right on the water, with mountains in the background and a sky that stretched for miles, they said I do. They had found their best friend and decided to spend their lives together. Bright blues complimented the natural colors of the summer as lush pink peonies and other blooms added softness. Guests watched as they were married lakefront and then dined on delicate dishes so they had energy to dance their hearts out. It was everything a wedding should be and so fun to document. Michelle and Zack I’m glad you found each other and thanks again for inviting me to document your day.

I discovered my new favorite way to hang and photograph a dress – tied up with ribbons! It was a simple solution when a hanger wouldn’t work and I can’t wait to try it again.

While I was photographing the girls, Wes – who second shot the wedding with me – documented what the boys were up to. Look at those custom chucks to match the wedding colors! nice. The scene at the Sagamore was stunning and the wedding party exited the resort and walked down the very long flight of stairs to the waterfront ceremony.

Nothing is better at a summer wedding than a glass of lemonade and a paper straw before things get started. Michelle and Zack had the mason jars custom printed and the blue and white paper straws matched perfectly. Groomsmen handed out glasses as everyone arrived and it was impossible to not feel welcomed. Since I also had Rachel assisting at the wedding, she captured a third angle of the party processing for the ceremony, and I can’t get over how great the view is.

I love this image of them walking off the pier, passing the kids fishing. Maybe because it’s so opposite of a typical wedding image, and yet it’s so true. Michelle’s dress was gorgeous, but I particularly loved the back and the ruching that made it fall so beautifully.

the reception was filled with flowers and garden accents like the birdhouse table numbers and watering can place cards. A candy bar was filled with pinks, purples and blue and enjoyed by all throughout the night.

their cake was one of my all time favorites. Not only did it look beautiful – the flowers and bird cake toppers are simple but stunning – it tasted amazing! There were raspberries in between the layers as you can see below.

So many fun guests and this little baby was so photogenic. Maybe it’s the sound the camera makes but kids seem to be drawn to it. On the right is an image during the cake cutting – I think it’s fun to see all of the guests getting their own shot, while of course getting my own as well :)

cute kids were not hard to find! While this ring shot is the last image, there are so many more you need to look through. Head to my proofing site for the full gallery and don’t forget to stay updated through my facebook page and leave a comment or two for the world to see.

Portland. It was the city Marianne knew and loved. She only moved away from it for a short time, to attend college and play soccer across the country in New York. She took long flights home enjoyed spending breaks with friends when a trip wasn’t in the cards. It wasn’t easy being so far away, and it always held a special place in her heart. Upon graduation, it was an easy choice when deciding where to start her career and life on her own, but it was hard to move away from the friends she grew so close to in New York. One of those friends turned in to so much more.

Jimmy, as everyone called him, quickly turned into Jim as nicknames (if we can call it that) often fade when things get serious. His quick wit and humor kept her on her toes and there was never a dull moment when they were together. Their relationship began late in college, so when Marianne decided to move back to Portland it was a big decision for Jim to follow. He dove in to the adventure of moving across the country and began his masters at nearby George Fox University. He grew to love the city as he fell deeper in love with Marianne.

It was fitting that their choice for a wedding day was also a day when Portland was at it’s best, the day of the Rose Parade. On that summery Saturday morning while the streets were teeming with people getting ready for the parade to begin, Marianne and Jimmy began their wedding day preparations. Marianne deftly navigated the city streets up to the salon for her hair appointment, and like clockwork the details she planned for the day began to fall in to place. Forecasts for rain proved erroneous and what unfolded was a modern and chic wedding day unlike any other.

I count myself incredibly lucky to be a part of this wedding, and I love any excuse to fly over to Portland. Marianne and Jimmy have a relationship that is undoubtedly the real thing and you can never go wrong when you start with that. Throughout the wedding it was clear that when they were planning they were thinking of their guests. Handwritten details adorned each place setting (as seen in this post) and the flow of the wedding events was clear and uninterrupted. Even the idea of having their wedding on the same day as the Rose Parade allowed family to enjoy a long standing tradition and out of town guests to experience the best of the city. You can tell I’m impressed, but just to make sure you should look through the pictures to see the gorgeous day unfold…

The rose parade as seen from my 10th story window as I prepared to start shooting. Below, the University Club was a chic ceremony and reception site.

Marianne’s Enzoani wedding dress was just made for her. simply gorgeous

a wedding day gift from Jimmy: a Tiffany‘s citrine pendant

When Marianne and Jimmy told me they decided to have a first look and I couldn’t wait because I knew that meant their pictures would be extra special. There’s just something about not only those moments, but the effect it has on the whole schedule for the day that makes taking pictures easier for the couple. See for yourself….

We went to several Portland landmarks and enjoyed part of the city while taking photos before the ceremony. I love this image of the flower girls, and am convinced you can’t have too many in a wedding. The ceremony combined a few different traditions and most notably Marianne’s Filipino roots. I love the contrast in the processional and recessional photos – and the difference in emotion between the two. So fitting. After the ceremony we took a few more pictures down the road at the Ira Keller Park + Fountain. It’s a popular location for photos for good reason, it’s beautiful.

Before long we headed back for the reception which was decorated in green and white and seen in some of the details below…

it was an evening full of celebration, and people not afraid to have fun on the dance floor. If you are a friend or family of the wedding I’ll let you enjoy looking through all of the photos over in the proofing gallery, but I’ll end with these since it was hard enough to narrow things down. Marianne + Jimmy, congratulations again on a fabulous wedding day and the start of life together. I can’t wait to hear what you think and really enjoyed being a part of everything – let’s do it again next year.

If a relationship was charted on a map, getting from point A to B would a cross-country journey. It may even be around the world, crossing through deserts and oceans, mountains and valleys, forests and plains. While you can take clues from others on the direction to go and the path to take, most often the trail you look back on is unique.

For Sophie and Peter that path started in college, where they met and became friends… took them to Africa where they studied abroad together… kept them apart as they started careers after graduation… and brought them to a point where Peter asked Sophie to marry him and she said yes.

Of course, that sentence does not even begin to delve into the details of their lives, what kept them together through the tough times and turned their friendship in to love. What’s beautiful is where they are now, and being able to look back on those times and see why they are stronger together than they are apart. So how do you sum up that relationship, and more importantly retell it visually?

When Sophie and Peter submitted their inspiration board they ventured to document all of the highlights of their traveling, academic, and long distance lives for the past few years. I loved their ideas and prospect of being able to collaborate with them. I say collaboration because with all of the ideas they brought to the table it inspired me and I readily accepted the challenge of creating images that told their story.

Looking back I couldn’t be happier with the finished images. Not only was it a blast to hang out with them but I think their photos hold true to their original intent. Here is an excerpt of what Sophie + Peter’s sent with their submission so you can judge the success.

We have spent a lot of our relationship traveling to see each other and perfecting the art of long distance communication. We’re finally engaged!, and are so excited about getting out into the world with each other. While away from Houghton over summers and even post-graduation we have spent countless hours on trains traveling to see each other. We can see ourselves talking, surrounded by books, newspapers, (things that we love) and being playful with old-fashioned telephones–looking at maps together, talking about where we’ll go next, doing things that best friends do.

I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. Sophie and Peter – I’m planning to meet you at Ted’s next time I’m in DC so save me a poptart.

I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that I photographed the engagement session that I gave away through the inspiration board contest. The bad news is that our original winners conceded their win to second place, which means Sophie and Peter’s are the new winners with their trains + travel themed board. After contacting them about the change we decided it worked out perfectly to photograph their session while I was down in DC. They arrived with a car filled with props and details and we photographed a fun and personal session that really tells their story. I can’t wait to share it with you so look for it on the horizon soon!

I love photography, and while it tries to take over my life, I don’t let it. In my other life I help coach a cross-country and track team – I’m just an assistant coach and well it’s really my husband that’s the coach – I’m a part of the team nonetheless and love it. The practices, the running the rain, the long weekends and early morning wakeups for bus trips to meets – okay sometimes those things wear on you, but they are worth it when you have a great group of people, which we do.

Running is one of those things I’ve never been able to give up – and I know what you’re thinking, that either you don’t like to run and you think I’m crazy or you are right there with me. I not one of those completely self motivated runners that keeps a strict schedule and gets up at 5 for morning runs – sometimes I wish I could be. For me, running has always been more about the team. I’ve met some of my best friends in high school and college through running and have learned more about life, myself, and God through the process than possibly anything else.

So, last week we had the culmination of the cross country season with the national meet. You can see the setting of the race above – and despite rain every other day were were there, it didn’t rain on race day. It’s always exciting to head to nationals and at this point the hard work and training is over and it’s time to lay it all out and race. You can read more about how our team did here. We flew across the country to Portland Oregon to stay just across the river in Vancouver Washington where the race was held.

We had a great time and were even able to enjoy the area and explore Portland a bit. It’s been said that Portland is for foodies, and its true. From the coffee to the food carts there is something tasty and delicious waiting around ever corner. I’m going to be heading out there again in June for Marianne + Jimmy’s wedding and yes, I can’t wait to go back to a few places and explore some new ones.

A few of the highlights on this trip are the classics: Stumptown Coffee and Voodoo Doughnuts. Both of these places are legends for a reason. The coffee is to pure, so handmade and authentic at Stumptown, you might just be ashamed you ever ordered a peppermint white chocolate mocha. Seriously, sweet drinks have nothing on a cappuccino from Stumptown. I fear that I would easily gain 10 lbs living in Portland because I would become addicted to the doughnuts at Voodoo. Seriously, I’m not usually a doughnut person, but that’s probably because most doughnuts are not fresh and homemade like these. After deciphering the names to figure out what treat they described our group settled on each getting something different and sharing bites of each. It was so worth it and I don’t think you can go wrong with any doughnut – they are all so perfectly light and delicious… well you see where I’m going. Okay, so I promise I’ll have some self control, can we move out there?

It was gorgeous. There were wide stretches of land and open fields, mountains in the distance and grasses blowing in the wind. I know the country has grown on me, even though I grew up in a close to opposite location. My destination was Culpepper, Virginia and Nikki’s parent’s family farm. It was the location not only for their engagement session but for their October wedding. It was wonderful to get a feel for the area and meet up with Mike, Nikki, and her family and I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to photographing their wedding. I think you’ll be excited to see it as well.

I’m sure the wedding is going to be amazing. The view you see above will be visible for the ceremony and the reception will take place in and around a barn on their property. I know they have work to do to get ready, but I think it’s going to be completely worth it in the end.

Don’t be fooled by the country setting. Mike and Nikki are New Yorkers now – even more so than I – and love living in the city. Not only that, but they’re pretty much what I would classify as world travelers. They like to take a three day weekend and hop on a plane to Amsterdam, Holland, Paris, you name it. This is the beginning of many more adventures for these two.

Mike and Nikki have a great twin lens reflex camera that they’ve used on some of their trips. Since there’s a darkroom in Nikki’s house she prints some of their images and enjoys photography… maybe we’ll see more from her some day. We loaded up some film in the camera for the esession and Mike and Nikki took some pictures of each other. I sent the film off to be developed and I bet it’s done but en route due to our change of address. I hope they turn out and if so I’ll have to do a second post of those.

Nikki you’re gorgeous! I can’t wait to photograph you on your wedding day

I asked them what the plan was for their honeymoon. They’re going big : Africa. Tanzania and Kenya to be exact.

We headed out into a field where some of the cows were grazing to get them in some of the shots. I learned that the cow they’ll be serving at the wedding is already picked out – I know that sounds weird but it doesn’t get more local than that.

I love those b+w’s and you know you can’t wait for their wedding. I certainly can’t.

I’ve been away from my blog for a while because of my recent escapades – traveling through many different states and shooting weddings along the way. Yes, sometimes it can be crazy and a “weekend” can mean a Tuesday and Wednesday… but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it. It’s challenging, invigorating, and rewarding. I also know that I couldn’t do everything without the support of my husband, who I sometimes leave for days, only to come home to a completely clean house (he can get ocd about it especially when I’m gone), something homemade to eat, and a hot bath to relax in! Did I mention tomorrow is our two year anniversary?

My latest adventure took me down to Florida for Marc and Ginny’s wedding at TPC Sawgrass. Everything about the wedding was fabulous, and they did some serious planning to coordinate everything and it definitely paid off. TPC Sawgrass was an amazing location – there was literally not a bad angle of the building – and I think I love early spring weather in Florida. Kaylan came down with me and second shot the wedding, which was a big help and it was great to see her. We also had a free day and ended up doing a shoot of each other in some interesting locations, but I’m going to wait and share those pictures in another post. I can’t wait to show you more from this wedding but right now it’s time for me to recover from traveling and enjoy some time outside!