Moved to Tears: Breezy and Elliot Wedding

For the past week I've been waking up with a really bad sore throat. It has been on FIYAH!!! My ears have also been feeling a little bug in them too. Yikes! Yesterday, when I woke up it wasn't any better. Still today, not really any better, but the cough drops seem to do a temporary fix. So Brian and I decided to take a sick day on Thursday. I'm glad we did. I was feeling kinda overwhelmed with photography projects I needed to get done as well as thinking ahead of time with four more projects coming up. Yay! So I took advantage of the time and well...you can just call me Productive Pam! I knocked out a wedding and a family shoot yesterday! I'm so glad I did because Brian and I are going to NYC this weekend so I wouldn't have any time to do some work. Phew!!! I get really excited to give client's their pictures! Sometimes I wish I were there to watch them look through their photo's. Hmmm...maybe I'll take pictures of them looking at their pictures someday! That could be fun! I love giving gifs to people just watch their facial expressions. It gives me great joy to see that. When I was younger, I remember giving my BFF Bethany gifts like My Little Pony and other things just because I wanted to. (Not sure if you remember that Bethany.) But I distinctly remember trying to WRAP the pony...haha...without using a box or a bag...but just trying to literally wrap the pony around it's legs, neck, whole body. It was quite difficult, but I think I did it! Another reason why I like this bidness. I love to give my clients a good product and something that can make them smile all over again as well as feel that same joy I do when I give it to them.

The wedding I finished was one I did in Michigan in August. It was the wedding of Brianna and Elliot Eggert. First, I MUST tell you, Brianna (or Breezy) is a dear family-friend. Remember Bethany who I was just talking about? Well, Bethany and I have known each other since birth. Fur realz. I am 5 days older than her. :) Hee hee. We would often say how our mom's would visit each other in the hospitals so we could actually say we were best friends since being in the womb. haha. Breezy is Bethany's younger sister. It was fun growing up with them. I have many fond memories of playing at their house and walking across the street to watch the horses. Ha! We even named the horses. Or in the winter when we would go sledding on a near by hill. Haha...one really funny memory was when I "married" Bethany's younger brother, Ben. BAAAHAHA!! I think Breezy might have been the flower girl. Breezy, I'm so so so glad you found a great man! I loved taking your wedding pictures! Ya'll were easy to work with and SUPER fun! You were such an easy-going, gracious bride. And I don't think I've ever shot a groomsmen portraits as funny as those guys were. You're heart for the Lord is so evident. You have such a sweet sweet spirit about you. And also, I loved each of your vows to each other. So sweet and God-honoring. I know you pretty much rock as being Elliot's wife. Thank you for letting me be apart of your amazing day! And Elliot thank you for marrying Breezy! (AND!! Great idea on the luggage! So cute!)

I don't know about any of you, but pictures move me. There is something inside that either just melts my heart or move me to tears. It's amazing when a photographer can capture an emotion like that. It's something I strive to do in every shoot. Just today I was looking at New York Times Photo Journalism blog called Lens about a father who is a photographer but also a dad to a 5 year old Autistic little boy. It was a great piece! The blog talked about how the father was having a hard time not only parenting this child, but also learning how to relate to him. He didn't understand why his son was like that. So in order to get into the little boy's mind, the dad decided to look at his son through his lens. He made kind of a...documentary of this little boy. But what is so interesting about this is that the boy was excited to do it and most of the image concepts were something he thought of. It was moving. I was moved.

As I was choosing the pictures to showcase in this blog for Breezy and Elliot, I noticed a trend...it was in Elliot. He cried. I love that! The moment Brianna walked down the aisle, Elliot lost it. All those years of dating had finally come to the BIG day where they pronounce their love for each other, their committment to serve, cherish, respect, honor, and love one another. The day where they became one...husband and wife to glorify the Lord together. It was at this moment Elliot became fully aware that he was about to receive the most precious gift (besides salvation). He was getting Brianna as his wife, forever! And he was moved to tears to see his breathtaking new bride walk to him.

Well, I think the pictures below will speak for themselves.

Annnnd there it is.

Trying to hold it in...

Nope, he lost it.

Breezy, you were such a beautiful, gracious bride!

:)


Seriousy, he couldn't take his eyes off of her...just watch.

Still on her.



and still. I love that. It's how every groom should react to his bride. Can't take his eyes off of her.


Saying the vows were even harder to get through. So beautiful.

The last few are just for kicks. Not only does photography move you to tears, but it can also make you giggle. I caught the flower girl in action during the ceremony. Adorable!




hee hee :)

Photographer's Have Fun Too!

I love to dance. I grew up not being allowed to dance, but now...I just love it! I don't know how to dance real well so most of the time I don't know what I'm doing. But I love it! I have always wanted to be a ballerina or take some kind of dance lessons, but life didn't go in that direction for me. The only thing I really wanted at my wedding was dancing. And danced we did! One of my favorite things to capture at a wedding is when the party starts and people let loose on the dance floor. The images that come from those are hilarious and you can often get pretty creative.

The images below were taken from my assistant that day, Paul Barrios. This was from Wensa and Nick's wedding in August...yes, I was working...yes, I was dancing...yes, I was dancing WHILE working. What a great job, eh? Now if only I could dance all day in my day job.

In the card my mother in law (ha, that's fun to say) gave us for our wedding, she gave us simple advice...dance. Just dance. Just let you free spirit go and just dance for the heck of it. Brian and I will dance in the car...and we'll dance at home. I posted on my facebook status a few weeks ago, that I started dancing in the middle of the gym. haha...Brian made me stop. But hey, when you feel a beat, you can't help but dance. And Justin Timberlake can sure make me dance. :) It was good advice my mom-in-law gave us. I will dance. We will dance.

You have to pucker the lips in order to dance well. It's a fact.

Yeah, be jealous of my sweet moves.

Married: Wensa and Nick

"Does this mean I get to be on your blog?"
She asked me.
"Haha, OF COURSE!" I said to her that bright beautiful Saturday...the day of her wedding!


Wensa is a dear friend of mine from church. I have loved getting to know her and watching her grow in her walk with the Lord. Together, with her partner in crime and former roommate, Abbie, those two girls can be trouble. When I say trouble, I mean, you just won't stop laughing.
And that's exactly how it was on her wedding day. So. much. laughter! It was awesome! Wensa knew how to relax and enjoy something. She didn't worry about anything. Mostly because, well, that's pretty much how she rolls and she also knows and trusts a God that is higher and sovereign over the little details of even her wedding day.


This was my last wedding job I had for the summer before I got myself hitched a few weeks later. I loved everything about shooting this wedding. The fun, easy-going atmosphere of the bridesmaids, Wensa's dress (OH. my. LANTA! It is too die for!), her birdcage veil found on Etsy.com, and pretty much her smittenness (is that a word?) with her new hubby Nick. So sweet.


Please scroll down and enjoy the rest of the pictures. If you want to see MORE pictures, find my facebook page here. And thanks Paul Barrios for helping me shoot that day! Always a joy to shoot with you, friend. (congrats on your new baby boy, Gavin!!)

The groom waiting patiently for his bride.

Favorite shot of the day. YES!

love...I just...love this!

I love his grin!

Hubby and wifey. boom. done.

Seriously, these girls rocked!

I love this picture of her dress!

Find me on facebook!

He Reminds Me of My Dad...

"Todd reminds me of my dad...that's one of the many reasons I am marrying him."

She said to me on her wedding day, Saturday, July 31, 2010.

This weekend, I had the utmost privilege to shoot Todd and Holly's wedding at Capitol Hill Baptist Church. I had done their engagement shoot in the winter this year.

And let me tell you something.

They are an AWESOME, FUN, LOVABLE couple!!!

I love that they love to laugh!!!

Holly was completely and utterly calm on her wedding day.

Many tears were had that day between her and her dad, who are super close, and then between herself and Todd as they did a First Look.

And then later on, after the ceremony, between well, the whole bridal party. :)

It was so wonderful to capture everyone sharing in their joy as they became husband and wife!!

This blog is just the teasers, but I just LOVED the pictures I captured of her dress and shoes.

Our church is filled with stain-glassed windows that bring in such yummy color lighting.

And, I mean, the dress AND shoes are an important part of the wedding. ;)

I'd like to proclaim that these pictures are done with little to no editing. They are SOC...

straight out of the camera.

This is my favorite pictures of a dress...by far.

And Holly totally ROCKED that dress! It was BEAUTIFUL!!

Stay tuned for more pictures...after my wedding. :)

Lovely. Simply Lovely. Aaron and Sarah, a Vermont Wedding

Have you ever been around a person for just one minute and KNEW absolutely KNEW they had the peace, love, patience, joyfulness, and gentle spirit of Jesus?

Well, this weekend I had the privilege of being my future sister-in-law's wedding photographer. I had never met her before so this was going to be my first time as well as being the photographer. It was fun to try to balance putting on the hat of future sister-in-law as well as wedding photographer. I was in the "zone" a few times and had to remind myself that I'm not JUST the photographer, but am also working with my future family-in-law too. :)

Her wedding was in the lovely and rural Vermont. It was so nice to get away from DC for a bit, but this place was literally out in the middle of nowhere. :) It was sweet though...very homey and rustic and just....well...gone from the rest of the world.

Sarah and Aaron just have a sweet sweet spirit about each other and their relationship. Aaron is the youth pastor at his church and loves on those kids so much. Just from watching him with the ring bearer's and the flower girls and other youth that came to the wedding it was easy to see how he easily relates to them and loves on them. It was also easy to see the kids responding to him and how they just adored him. Sarah is going to be the Proverbs 31 woman of a pastor's wife, in deed. She evidently loves people...you could tell from the line that was outside this window of all the people waiting to get into the church. The church was literally PACKED with friends, family, and church members who knew and loved and wanted to joyfully celebrate with this wonderful couple.

At the end of the reception, Sarah wanted to just worship Jesus. So she had planned for a few of the youth group kids to set up their guitars and drums and microphones so they can have a little worship session. Sarah, without any fear or hesitation, just got up in front of everyone and sang...with her eyes closed, her hands raised towards Heaven, and heart full of thankfulness and joy, she praised her Jesus...on her wedding day! :) Ah-maze-ing! She and Aaron were the LAST people to leave their reception...which doesn't usually happen. They were in no hurry, they wanted to fellowship and love on the people that were there. I couldn't help but stand at the back table and watch Sarah worshiping. The people that stayed for the end, were just gathered around her, joining her in song, or just closing their eyes in praise to Jesus. At mine and Brian's previous premarital couseling, our pastor talked about the true beauty of a woman which is mentioned in 1 Peter (right?) about how a gentle and quiet spirit is one of honor and worth and pleasing to the Lord. God was pleased to hear his daughter's praise on her wedding day. When she got done singing, I told Brian that she is a woman of a gentle and quiet Spirit. I can only hope to be like that someday. :)

But anyway, I'll let the pictures do the rest of the story telling for you....

You can't see the writing on the whiteboard in the back, but it said: "The King will desire your beauty, because he is your Lord, bow down to him." Psalm 45:11. I thought this was SO fitting for Sarah on her wedding day. I don't know who wrote it or when it was written, but it was just perfect. I have another picture of it where you can see the words better.

I don't think I saw one person receive so many hugs in one day. This is just one picture of the thousands of hugs Sarah got on her wedding day.

Dear Sarah! What a joy it was to be your photographer! Thanks for being so easy going and even getting down in the grass in your dress so I could take this pretty picture of you. :)

All the ladies and fellas.

Ok, just the ladies now. Woooo weeeee, they totally rocked the purple!

Sister hug!

First walk down the aisle as hubby and wifey. :) Sarah couldn't stop smiling.

I have never seen SO many kids at a wedding reception. This little girl was one of many that danced with Sarah...and well, danced with whomever and wherever.

Ok, one of my favorite pictures! As a photographer, some churches have limitations to where you are allowed to go, but here I was allowed to get right up front when the bride came down the aisle and her future hubby saw her for the first time!! And ladies and gent's...WE HAVE LIP BITING!!!! SCORE!!

One last look before she meets her groom.

The anxious bride waiting in the nursery.

I LOVE this picture of the first kiss...she is just smiling away waiting for it... :)

Umm...yes, ad.or.a.ble.

They had a dollar dance at their reception where anyone could pay a dollar to dance with either Sarah or Aaron and allllllll the little kids lined up to dance with them. Aaron mostly just twirled every little girl around. :) So sweet. Just what every girl loves to do in a dress...twirl.

The men. So, I'll let you in on a little secret...the last one on the left...yeah, I kinda had a crush on him. I think he might've had one on me too since he kept following me around. I thought he was pretty cute...maybe he'll call!)

I just LOVE this shot!! THis is Sarah anxiously waiting in the dressing room to get ready.

OH! And did I mention that their church is just WONDERFUL?? EVERYBODY, and I mean EVERYBODY pitched in to help pull this wedding off. All the ladies were either cooking in the crock pots or baking some yummy dessert to help feed everyone. Such a vision of what the body of Christ is like...you shall know them by the love they have for each other.

Ok, who gave this kid sugar? Ring pops. Rock!

Crockpot magicalness. :)

The didn't have a cake so instead, Sarah purchased a chocolate fountain where they fed each other a chocolate covered strawberry, and as you can imagine...ALLLLL the kiddos never stepped away from this. :)

mmm....hugs...love. :)

AND her flowers, she put together herself. She picked most of them from a garden of a lady in her church. She said Sarah could have anything she wanted in there. :) So kind. BUT alas, this is also where Sarah got bit by a horse fly...ON HER EYE!! Thankfully, the swelling went down after a day...but have you ever seen Hitch where he got food allergies and his eye puffed up? Yeah, pretty much, that was Sarah. Poor thing.

Ummm...yes, that IS a log cabin in the middle of the woods. Look at it sitting there all cozy.

Mountains, fog, weddings...amazing.

and last but not least...you always get a picture of the shoes. :)

Sarah and Aaron, thank you for letting me be a part of your special day. It was an honor to watch your joyfulness, love for the simple, little things, hugs, smiles, and godly spirit. I can't wait to get to know you more as my future sister-in-law!!!

simply.
jenny anne