Jen & Eric | Engagement

"Someplace tropical" he had told her when she asked for some hint as to this mystery vacation so she could pack. She had given him one of her trademark quizzical looks and smiled. He had smiled back, with his own trademark 'I've got you fooled' look and reaching into his pocket, had checked for the umpteenth time that the ring box was still there. When they reached the airport the destination was let out of the bag at the ticket counter. She had gasped and turned to him smiling, "Hawaii!" she squealed and squeezed him around the middle. He just smiled and checked his pocket again. Several hours later, here they were, toes in the sand, walking along the water, beautiful Hawaiian sunset all around them. It was a gutsy move he was about to pull, proposing on the first day of a vacation. But, he reasoned, he had been meticulously planning this proposal for a year and he was sure she was going to say yes. He was also sure she had no idea what was about to happen, and that was the best part. He took in a deep breath of the salty ocean air, slowed down their walk and stalled for a moment to look out over the water. She leaned in close and he reached into his pocket one last time.






These two are an awesome couple and we had such a blast on their shoot. Eric has this confidence and swagger about him that is so fun to work with, and Jen, well, Jen laughs at just about everything Eric does. He has her in stitches with just about any comment. They were up for any challenge I threw at them ("Go stand over there in that pile of garbage") and took on every one on with gusto. Their comfort with each other is palpable, no awkwardness or false fronts here.








Eric is a guy with ingrained ambition. Jen was the sister of one of his good friends, and when they met at a party, let's just say Jen wasn't bowled over. She played a little hard to get, and Eric was up for the chase. He only knew where she worked and what her car looked like. And that she was it, so he better figure out how to date her. So, he left a note on her car one day. She called him back and after a few tries, he managed to get her out on a first date. The rest is history, as they say.







Enjoy the slideshow!

Kate & Andy | Engagement

She approached the nametag table with trepidation. Would his name be there? They had encountered each other several times in the past several years, but never at that right moment. Here, today, she thought the timing might finally be right. She wasn't attached to anyone or anything in particular and hadn't really settled on her next direction. It might be nice to choose a path together. She scanned the plasticized badges for his name. With each row, her hope faded. His name wasn't there. Not ready to completely give up, she asked the woman checking in her fellow former classmates. The woman checked her list and looked up and shook her head. Kate let out a dissapointed sigh and turned to the dining room - it would still be a fun party.

He glanced at the clock on his dashboard nervously. He had only ten minutes left before he would be late. Would they let him in? He had originally rsvp'd "no", but this morning when he woke up he had the strange sensation that he should go to this reunion. He kept in contact with most everyone he cared to, so why he felt so compelled to go was a mystery. But here he was, speeding slightly and listening to his gut.

She was standing in a circle of friends, wine glass in hand, laughter in the air around them. The kind of laughter that comes from the somewhat bloated retelling of shared experiences. A cool breeze brushed past her shoulder and she looked up and glanced at the entry way.

He ran in to the building, just slightly out of breath and checked in at the welcoming table. Signing his name to a stick-on name tag he asked himself again why he was here. Deciding that he wasn't sure, he thanked the greeter and turned to enter the dining room. Scanning the crowd for a familiar face, his eyes rested upon one. She looked up at him at precisely the same moment. Ahh... this....this was why he had to come. They had met so many times, but this time, this time the moment was finally right.



I'm really loving this shot:



Theirs is a relationship ten years in the making. Ten years of chance encounters and bad timing until that one fateful Dartmouth reunion described above when the stars finally aligned for them. Andy was born on the day that Kate was due. She arrived awhile later. In hearing about their relationship, I think that has been par for the course - one was ready for something or off to do something while the other one waited or ran to catch up. They have followed and led each other all over the earth, across countries and states, thru law school and jobs. Since that meeting at the reunion, they have been carving parallel paths and this Sunday those paths will finally converge as Kate & Andy are married.




This is going to be a special wedding for me. Not only because she is the last of my three "lawyer Kates" to be married, but also because I've been working with Kate on so many of the details of her wedding for a year now. I did all of her stationary design, and thru that process I end up being a fly on the wall for much of the planning process. Kate is a constant revelation. You think you know her and what she is about, and then she will off-handedly mention something amazing, like that she worked in Tanzania, or that she was a consultant in Washington D.C., or that her family owns a winery, or that she has a Master's in Theology. I kind of tease her about it sometimes and say "Of course you do!" when I hear these things, because I've almost come to expect to learn about some new amazing facet of her life with each conversation. But this weekend I get to witness one of those facets for myself, and I'm really looking forward to it.






Enjoy the slideshow and I'll see you guys this weekend!

Miscellaneous Monday (Really Tuesday)

I didn't want to step on Maya & Micheall's wedding post, so I delayed my Misc. Monday a bit this week.

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This past weekend was wedding free. As much as I LOVE shooting weddings, it was awesome to have a weekend "off". That's in quotes because of course my schedule was packed tight with a million other things. Editing, chief among them. All of you waiting to see your shoots - I'm catching up fast, hang on!

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It was a double baby weekend for us. Hubby and I found out that our friends Steve & Katie and also Kristin & Paul are expecting!
For Steve & Katie it will be their second (you might remember posts about their adorable daughter Allyson) and for Kristin & Paul it will be their first (they're having a boy!). Congrats to all of them!

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One of the reasons I had "off" this weekend was the Counting Crows and Maroon 5 concert. Hubby and I have had our tickets for awhile for this one and were really looking forward to it. They did not dissapoint. Go ahead and add Maroon 5 to your list of groups that sound better in concert than on their albums (we already knew that about the Counting Crows). It was a fantastic show, made all the more amazing by our third row seats (!). I took some pics with Hubby's point and shoot, I'll try to post them next Monday.


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Poo. The olympics are over - now all we have to watch is the presidential election. Ugh. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for my patriotic duty, but several months of mudslinging and negative campaigning, no thank you.

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Is anyone else surprised to see an add showing Hayden Panettiere modeling a leather Dooney & Bourke bag? In all honesty, I could care less, but I could have sworn she is some kind of big animal rights activist...

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Hubby and I are gearing up (sorry for the pun) for the big Harley Davidson 105th Anniversary celebration. I was all over downtown today and preparations are in full swing all over the city. By this time next week we will have seen Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kid Rock, the Foo Fighters, Bruce Springstien, Sugarland and a whole bunch of other acts I can't even remember. Finally, or usual summer quota of concerts will be back! It is kind of hard to believe the 105th is here already. I was fortunate enough to be in town for the 100th due to a broken leg (I was living in California at the time). And not to be left out, managed to hit the block parties, crutches and all. And you know what? Those Harley riders were incredibly nice, parting crowds for me and offering to help left and right.

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I'm going to the doctor today to see if we can't get this asthma thing under control. I'm as surprised as anyone that I'm still coughing and still relying heavily on the inhaler. I would really like to get back to the gym too. Hubby has been going faithfully for weeks now and I'm really starting to get jealous.

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Have a great week!

Maya & Michaell | Wedding

Maya & Michaell had a goregous wedding day with blue skies and beautiful weather in Middleton, Wisconsin. Their ceremony and reception was held in a location that was equal parts bar, restaurant, greenhouse, outdoor patio and art gallery. The combination made for a truly unique setting that suited the laid-back and fun feel of their day.



Quite possibly one of my most favorite pictures ever:


They had a "first look" so that we could take all of the pictures ahead of time:





This lovely lady on the right is Kate. Kate has been a bridesmaid for my lens before - in Harmony & Darin's wedding. It was Kate that suggested me to Maya & Michaell (thanks Kate!). I'm really hoping one day I get to shoot her wedding - she is super sweet and fun, and her boyfriend Landon (Maya & Michaell's best man) makes the best faces.


They really rocked it for their own picture time:



The Ceremony:

Maya & Michaell had written the most touching vows for each other:



Remember I mentioned Landon and his faces? Check it out:



Their first date involved a scrabble game. I loved that their cake was surrounded with the scrabble pieces and the two phrases that were pivotal for that first date "Kiss Me" and "don't trip" (which they had spelled out on the board that night) were also present there in the tiles, and also engraved inside their rings:


Don't think for a second that I was going to pass up the opportunity to shoot a ring shot on actual Mthree scrabble tiles:





Landon gave a wonderful speech. It was so well written, and he rushed it a bit because of the length, but everyone loved it:



It was an "ipod" reception, and Maya & Michaell told me they picked their first dance song about five minutes before they hit the dance floor:





Enjoy the slideshow!