things I'm loving :)

Another month has gone by in this busy little life of ours! Tomorrow officially marks the start of our wedding month . . . in 26 days, Joe and I will say "Hell, yes, we do!" in front of our closest family and friends, celebrate with amazing food, wine and music, and be so thankful it's over when we lay our heads down to sleep . . . I'm learning to balance more and more, and summer is always the tricky time of year to achieve this. The girls go to daycare three days a week so I have uninterrupted work time, but those days are also filled with errands, housework, and a leisurely long lunch al fresco with Joe or a girlfriend or two. I am everything to everyone, and while it is so easy to sit at the computer and get lost in photography world, I'm rediscovering my love for a few certain things I thought I'd share with you on this lovely Tuesday morning . . . 1. Shopping! I am not a big spender on myself because I always talk myself out of things I love and want. But two new recent websites have my love for all things beautiful sparked again. Vestique and Ruche. Vestique is a little boutique based in North Carolina that sells gorgeous clothes that are exactly my style, beautiful jewelry, and everything is under $100 - and most things are under $50. Ruche is very similar to Anthropologie without the mongo bongo price tag. It doesn't get much better than that! 2. Food blogging. My food blog is up and active again! I have missed writing, sharing recipes, and blogging in a way that doesn't have any sort of impact whatsoever on my business. It's my pleasure blog, but I promise it's filled with yummy recipes that you MUST try. 3. Reading. Oh, how I have missed reading. It seems since I've had the girls, my only reading has been a few select parenting books, and when I am traveling alone for shoots. I was even ballsy enough to bust out Fifty Shades of Grey, paperback edition, on a flight from New York last month, much to the horror of my kindle-owning friends. :) Here is a shortlist of my favorite recent reads: The Happiness Project is my most recent start, which I picked up over a year ago and never finished. I was craving something inspiring and have recently been reminded of how much I love reading in the bathtub and in bed every night, and the way the author writes will honestly make you want to re-invent your life, make a list of all the ways you want to live, and fly out of bed every morning with determination to make it the best day of your life. It even makes Monday not so bad. :) So simply put, get out there and do things that make you nothing but happy, for nobody but yourself. A happy mother and a happy wife make nothing but a happy home. Cheers!

summer preview . . . so far!

I am so excited to be in such a wonderful blogging place right now . . . 2012 weddings are in full swing, but it's such a manageable schedule for me that keeps me excited and creative, which are two areas that us wedding photographers can start to lose it a little bit if we overbook ourselves. My weddings so far this summer have been simply beautiful, with genuinely in-love couples . . . and my own excitement for them I hope is palpable. Here is a little preview of my beautiful couples so far! Travis and Kyndra were married June 23rd at The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon. One of the most important things about why this venue is so wonderful is that no matter what time of the day you have your ceremony, the light is incredible with the way it filters through the trees . . . and you have so many places to roam and chase light as it changes in the evening hours. Kyndra was beyond gracious and so present in the moment of this special day. She told me she didn't think she'd laughed and cried so much in the same day, and it was true . . . Claire and Ted were married on June 29th at Big Sky Resort, where they both spend their winters instructing ski lessons and just being incredibly fabulous! I had only met Claire prior to the wedding and immediately was drawn to her infectious spirit . . . when I met Ted, I felt I understood their connection completely. He is kind, soft-spoken, lovable, and so gentle with Claire. Their wedding day was filled with blessings and joy from their family and friends, and they also went out of their way to make me feel like a very welcome guest . . . Michelle and Jorden were married on July 7th at Rocky Mountain Farms, which was such a perfect and unknown venue . . . we dealt with a little bit of everything when it came to the weather, but by the end of the evening the skies were lit beautifully. Michelle and Jorden have been together for quite some time, so this day was a long time coming. The emotions were present and the couple was so wonderfully relaxed in front of the camera . . . Brittany and Matt were married on July 21st at the beautiful home of Brittany's parents just outside of Bozeman. Shooting this wedding for me was a milestone in my business, as the couple went with their hearts in choosing the vendors to make their day happen. Brittany kept saying it was the best day of her life, and that all of her dreams came true. Angela Klotz with Fresh Designs created a masterpiece and provided the support and beauty that made the ambiance out of this world. And this past weekend, Lyndsey and Doug were married on July 28th with their ceremony at Rockhaven and their reception at Lazy B Farm. This is another couple who I just adore and have built a solid relationship with. Their family and friends were just as enjoyable to spend my weekend with, and I left with so much love in my heart and happiness for these two. I am on to two more weddings this weekend and next, and then I am off to embark on my own wedding adventure . . . :) Happy Monday!

beautiful succulents . . .

My dear friend and fellow floral designer and wedding planner extraordinaire, Angela with Fresh Designs, created quite the masterpiece at last weekend's wedding . . . here is a little snippet of what she puts her love into . . . She moved the family straight to tears, and they told her over and over again how she made their dreams come true. What an amazing wedding day it was! I will share lots more soon, I promise . . . ;)

nisha and matt: charleston, south carolina

Welcome to the 2012 edition of wedding posts! This wedding is my first of this year that I am blogging, which means I will be caught up in probably less than a week! So far this year, I can honestly say I am truly enjoying my clients, my schedule, and the photos that are being created . . . and what a perfect wedding to start the year's season showcasing! Matt and Nisha married in April in Charleston, South Carolina, which was quite a detour from their original plan. They intended on a June ceremony in upstate New York in my hometown, but with the stresses of wedding planning and the desire to keep it intimate, romantic, and lovely, they made it destination in one of Nisha's favorite cities. I was so honored they allowed me to continue to be a part of this occasion. It was the first time I'd been to this beautiful place, I journeyed there alone, and the memories will stay with me forever . . . Nisha and Matt, may you always love one another the way you have loved up until this very day! Click here to see a super fun time of the harbor boat cruise we went on the night before the wedding . . . it was an incredible journey!

wedding weekend!

Tonight has been just a beautiful evening for me . . . I photographed a rehearsal dinner at Montana Ale Works, spent some time with Joe on the deck with a little bit of Chardonnay, got the girls squeaky clean in the bathtub - and now it's time for preparation for tomorrow's amazing wedding that I am so honored to be a part of . . . The evening and/or day before each wedding, I get quite a bit carried away with looking at work that inspires me. I wouldn't have it any other way. I absolutely cannot wait to photograph tomorrow's event, see and photograph the incredible work behind Fresh Designs, and share with you how beautiful this couple is . . . The beautiful Sarah, with a bouquet by Fresh Designs I simply just can't get enough of!

amanda and kyle are official!

Happy Thursday, everyone! It has been a beautiful week and we are looking forward to a wonderful wedding coming up this weekend . . . and today I am wrapping up the last of my 2011 weddings, sharing with you my favorite portraits from Kyle and Amanda's big day last September. Joe has known them for quite some time, and we have all become good friends who we truly enjoy our time with when we do see them! And to make their love even better, they are expecting a little one this November! I absolutely loved their engagement session, and I loved the light and laughter this couple shared on their wedding day. Enjoy! And just because they are so in love with their bulldogs, and because I thought this little ring bearer was the cutest thing ever . . . Kyle and Amanda, keep loving, laughing and kissing forever and ever :)

our summer so far . . .

It is hard to believe it is mid-July already! Where in the world has the summer gone? To be honest, we've done a whole lot of nothing this summer . . . the girls go to daycare on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so that I can get my work done and help Joe out as well. Tuesdays and Thursdays are nice because there is no rush to get out the door, and I can relax a bit and get work done as I need to. Boudoir shoots have been a mad dash for me so far and are now calming down a bit. I'm fairly certain the calm times are a reminder to focus on what you haven't been focusing on as much, to check in with yourself on what it's time to do, and be thankful for the quiet moments. We spend as much time outside as we can and are enjoying our new gardens, the girls' ability to ride their bikes without training wheels, and a handful of new Adirondack chairs. I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful summer!

sarah and chad are married :)

Another beautiful couple of mine! Sarah completely worked the camera, and yet the love they shared together, meaningfully and beautifully, was as natural as can be. A photographer's dream! Angela of Fresh Designs created these absolutely gorgeous flowers - if you are needing someone to make amazingly beautiful flowers for you that set your wedding apart from all of the rest, look no further than her! Sarah and Chad, so much love and appreciation goes out to you two! A super cute first look incorporating a door they were using as a ceremony backdrop :)