So, a few months back I got a call from a dear friend, Monica Cullen, who is DJ PJ’s wife extraordinaire.  She said she was referring a really fun couple to me with a great sense of style because she knows that I love creative types who aren’t afraid to step away from the norm.  In walked Kelly and Chad.  They are a swing dancing couple with incredible energy.  Chad is unusually handsome with a boyish quality I can’t quite put my finger on.  And, Kelly may quite possibly have the tiniest waist known to man.  On a similar note, I have decided to take up swing dancing. =)

We met up for a picnic on an unusually beautiful florida day.  The sun was shining and the air was cool.  After we grabbed some fruit and cookies at the Farmer’s Market, the picnic was complete.  Their wedding will be at the Maitland Art Center followed by a reception at Highland Manor.  They even have a few surprises in store for their guests!  I can’t wait to see it all come to life…

Whew!  What a whirlwind trip!!  Ecuador was an eye-opening experience and once again affirmed our love for travel and more importantly, our humility and gratitude for the life we have been blessed with.  I am so grateful to Michelle and Brandon for allowing us to be a part of this destination wedding.  They truly opened a window into South America and we fell in love with the people, culture, and food.  I have lots and lots of images to edit and then I will post them here to share with you.  Here’s a little teaser!

There’s nothing like a swanky Miami beach wedding!  Gina and Daniel threw a modern affair at the Art Deco style ‘Eden Roc’ hotel.  There details are amazing and I can’t wait to share them with you!  For now, here’s a peek at one of my faves of the day.  More to come very soon!

Between the wind, the overcast skies, and the cold; I was a little worried about the weather for Lauren & Kyle’s outdoor wedding.  But, living in Florida I’ll take the cool weather over the oppressive heat of summer any day!  Summer will be here soon enough.  Luckily, the rain held off all day and Lauren & Kyle were married outdoors at the charming Tavern and Chapel in Port Orange.

The house where Lauren got dressed had a nostalgic feel to it…dark wood and lots of windows made for a very moody atmosphere.  A neat fact…Lauren is a photographer herself.  I love that for 3 reasons: 1) she really thought about the photography when planning her day, 2) she understood any direction I gave them, and 3) I was flattered that someone who truly understands photography chose me to document their day.

Kyle kept us giggling all day…he is one of those incredibly relaxed men who just seemed to be taking it all in.  Don’t get me wrong - he’s not the quiet type at all.  He’s got an amazing sense of humor and a warm personality that tend to make him the life of the party.  Their portraits together are some of my favorites…they were sincere and sweet to each other and I was able to capture some really authentic moments between them.

Thanks to Kristen Johnson of An Affair to Remember for telling us about this!  We had no idea until she mentioned it at lunch yesterday.  Apparently, the Knot brides vote on their favorite weddings vendors and we were one of the winners for 2010 for Videography.  Kevin’s hilarious response to this information was “Did I enter?”  I was like “No babe, but that’s how good you are.  You don’t even have to enter to win.”  =)  Love my hubby!

Still, we’ve always fancied ourselves the types that care about the work more than any awards or notoriety.  Too often we see websites that sell the photographer’s personality more than their portfolio.  At the end of the day, we want to create something amazing for our clients.  They can’t hang our personalities on their wall.  So, we’re happy that this recognition symbolizes real brides voting with absolutely no pressure from us.  It’s a heart-felt vote of confidence!  Thank you to all our past clients who made 2010 so great!!

Emily & Nick’s wedding was fully of style, grace, and southern charm!  From her apple green shoes to her hand-made jewelry, Emily designed a beautiful affair that reflected her modern take on old traditions.  Deb Kettler, of Special Touches by Deb, coordinated this lovely wedding and also designed all the florals.

I loved Emily’s idea for the huppah - it was a piece of lace hanging from the Oak Trees!  Instead of the traditional black/white tux, Nick wore a brown pinstriped suit paired with an apple green paisley tie.  It had the traditional flair of what I imagine men used to wear sitting around on front porches on Sunday afternoon, but with a modern pattern and color twist.  Emily and her bridesmaids all wore apple green shoes to match the groomsmen’s ties.  It was an unexpected pop of fresh color!

The venue, Highland Manor, has recently been re-decorated and is light, airy, and full of character.  The dark ballroom is now bright and open and the old wallpaper is now classic and simple.  This wedding was simply adorable!

Kevin was recently asked to shoot the Brides Magazine Market Party in Tampa, Florida.  When he started thinking about how we would cover this party in a way that was interesting and beneficial to the vendors, he came up with the idea to shoot the behind the scenes making of the event.  As wedding vendors, we know that there is a lot more hard work and innovation that goes into each event we create than most people would ever believe.  The level on which each one of these vendors works is as professional as it gets.  Kevin focused on what unique talents each vendor brought to this event.  Plus, if you weren’t able to make it out to this particular event you may have missed the musical genuis of Black Violin.

Ashly Olivier, of Olivier Events, planned and coordinated this entire event in a just a few short weeks - talk about pressure!  But, as her events always are - it was a stunning success.  Check out the video to see who else was involved!

Jennifer & Wendell were married at the gorgeous Ritz-Carlton in my hometown of Sarasota, Florida.  Whenever I have the opportunity to shoot with one of my friends, Mary Beth Tyson, I jump right in.  Here are some of my favorites from the day!

Bethany & Forrest are one of those relaxed, fun-loving couples who really enjoys spending time with their family and friends.  They are also eco-centric and adore spending time outdoors.  So, it made perfect sense that they would choose a destination wedding so that their favorite people in the world could enjoy their wedding experience with them.  But, where can you find a tropical location in December?  That’s easy…The Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas!

Kevin and I naively planned for a warm getaway in the islands - packing shorts, flip flops and bathing suits.  But when we got there, we quickly realized that even the Bahamas gets cold weather in the winter.  It was overcast, windy, cold, and even a bit rainy!  Sadly, despite spending several days in the carribbean we still couldn’t muster up the guts to ride the infamous waterpark slide that runs right through a shark tank.  I had to wear the one thing I had brought that even resembled a coat to dinner every single evening (despite my husband’s insistence that I was hiding my pretty dresses)!  Luckily, the Atlantis is one five star resort where you can easily spend a week inside and not get bored between its world-class restaurants, shopping, aquariums, casino, nightclubs, entertainment and celebrity-watching (both Drew Barrymoore and Eddie Murphy were there at the same time as us).

A HUGE, HUGE, HUGE thank you to Ashly Olivier of Olivier Events for referring us on this amazing wedding!  Olivier Events routinely plans international weddings and this was not Ashly’s first Rodeo at the Atlantis.  Her team ran the events seamlessly and kept the trip light-hearted and fun.  Ashly is as sweet and fun as she is adorable and we always enjoy working with her! She is one of the most creative and stylish wedding planners we have had the pleasure of working with. (Left to Right - Jocelyn, Ashly, & Meghan)

Congrats to Bethany & Forrest!  Thank you for trusting our eyes with your most important day.  Keep your eyes peeled for the video…coming soon!

Julie & Jason wanted a hometown feel to their engagement images mixed with a little glitz and glamour.  So, we headed out to a little field I’ve had my eye on and caught some beautiful afternoon rim light.  Then we headed downtown for an ice cream break just before sunset!  (Butter Pecan for those who are wondering.)  Their June wedding is in my original hometown of Sarasota, Florida (just a few weeks before Kevin and my anniversary!).