Melissa and Paul Wedding (Teasers).

Melissa and Paul were truly a joy to work with. Even from the get go, when we first met up over some yummy Suno dessert, we really hit it off. I enjoyed hearing about their very unique engagement story that all started off with running a 10k. It has definitely motivated me to run more often... and at least nail a 5k. haha They run the Peachtree road race every year, so maybe next year I can join them! :)

Melissa happens to be a designer. I will have to post photos of the guestbook she designed. It came out beautifully!! She will also be designing her own album, which I am very excited to see how it comes together. Once things slow down a little, I'm also hoping on getting some business cards designed from her as well. ;) You can check out her work here for any of your design needs.

Now for a few teasers from Melissa and Paul's wedding.

A little fun with the girls.





Paul and his groomsmen. His best man was his father and other groomsmen were his brothers. :) It's so sweet to see such a close-knit family.



Their only request. Paul's dad and brothers had taken a photo like at their weddings... looking at the time anxiously waiting, so of course we had to continue passing on the tradition.



This pretty little lady was feeling under the weather, but she was a good sport and still made it through the wedding. :) So adorable.



Beautiful church: Immaculate Heart of Mary



They had a big surprise for all the guests at the wedding... a bagpiper! :)



How cute! They even had a vintage car (Charisma Coach) pull up to take them away to the reception.





Found a quiet spot in the garden of Villa Christina right before the reception to get a few quick shots.



I had such a great time shooting the wedding. The family, bridal party, guests, AND vendors were all such a pleasure to work with! Congratulations Paul and Melissa. Enjoy Hawaii! :)

This week, I think I may do something a little different and highlight a few of the vendors with a set of photos.

Melissa Bridal Session - Georgian Terrace Hotel, Atlanta.

I was having a hard time waiting to post these up! :) I did a bridal shoot with Melissa at the Georgian Terrace Hotel a few weeks back, but I wanted to wait until after the wedding to actually post up the photos. They requested to use some of the photos from this session on their website, so you might be seeing it on there in the near future.

Beautiful bride + beautiful venue is a killer combo. Here are just a few teasers.



Check out the view from the rooftop! I never considered the Atlanta skyline to be that nice, but it looks gorgeous from here!



Love long veils. As you can see from this set I posted... we had a lot of fun with it! :)









More to come this week!

30 Before 30.. the (slow) progress.

Goals are always good to have.  What's up with the slow progress on my 30 before 30?!  With all this traveling, I've begun to lose my grasp on good time management.  In efforts to clean up and rid my life of the things that waste my time and sort out my life in ways that make it more productive for personal growth, I need to remind myself of my short-term and long-term goals.  Some are going to be modified once in a while.  Still working on my 50 before 50 and 100 before I die.

The only goal I made some solid progress on was probably bowling.  lol  Consistently going on Mondays has been pretty helpful.  This is my all-time high.  Not sure if I even care to bump it up higher.  I'm content with just getting over 100 once in a while.  haha

Oooh.  And finally today I'm supposed to sign up at a gym.  It's too hot to be running outdoors.  Maybe we can start taking spin classes?!  Also, I need to find a dance partner!!  Maybe even a good group of people who want to do all these dance classes.  ;)  Let me know!

30 before 30

1. Learn to do an oil change and change out a tire.
2. Second shoot a wedding for someone I admire.
3. Buy a guy flowers (edible creations).
4. Do a photog mission trip.
5. Go to Italy and eat real Italian food.
6. Break 100 in bowling!
7. Run a (half) marathon (after a 5k then 10k lol).
8. Finish the last piano piece I was playing before I quit six-seven years ago.
9. Take a cooking course: http://www.foodnetworkclasses.com
10. Cook a 5 course meal for someone (special).
11. Commit to financially supporting a good cause.
12. Learn to play 5 songs on guitar (at 2.5/5).
13. Learn to throw a football.
14. Be decent enough to hit some balls back and forth in tennis.
15. Take salsa classes (beginner, intermediate).
16. Take swing classes.
17. Take a beginner improv comedy class.
18. Perform at an open mic.
19. Go to Death Valley.
20. Go to Antelope Canyon.
21. Kill a spider (a very small one... maybe more like on a microscopic scale).
22. Get my wedding photography published somewhere awesome.
23. Plant a tree.
24. Take tango classes.
25. Be the best friend, girlfriend, (wife) ever! Better than going on a husband search. :P
26. Skydive.
27. Learn conversational Spanish.
28. Do a photoshoot for a rising actress/singer/group.
29. Go to New Zealand, Australia.
30. Go to Southern Africa (S Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe).

Destin Trip 09 - The importance of girlfriends.

Holy Moly~~~ I can't believe I haven't updated my blog in a while! There's been so much I've wanted to share, but for some reason it is a discipline to regularly update. For non-work related updates like trips, I'll be updating backwards. From now on, I hope to be a more avid blogger! Here's some photos from my most recent trip to Destin.

Live passionately. Love completely. Learn humbly. Leave a legacy. If you had one month to live, what would you change about your life? I don't want to live with any regrets.

These girls are two of my girlfriends I've known for almost 8 years???? We've definitely been through our share of ups and downs with each other. We've all had many moments that we've hurt each other and sometimes we've carried those scars with us. Making mistakes is just all a part of being human and being in relationship with one another. That is why it's so important that we are transparent and we communicate with each other and admit our mistakes, clear up any misunderstandings, and begin to really love one another. I guess that's what you call growing. It's nice to have people that understand who you are, but I'm beginning to think what's even more important than that is the patience and persistence in walking alongside you as they continue to try to understand and love you. Real love is sticking by your side.

I'm really thankful that during that past few weeks, we've been able to open up in ways we have never been able to before... and now we move forward. :) Love you, ladies!

Crazy. Sexy. Cool. In the wrong order.



With our powers combined...









Huge bird we saw on the Pier. Intimidating creature, actually.



Bruce loves sharks.



Harborwalk





I miss all the smells and the view from this balcony.

What am I doing in Destin?!!

I've been asking myself this question a little too much throughout today, but I think I will just let it rest. I've had my share of crazy and spontaneous moments, but this sure tops it. Monday, a friend told me he was extending his stay in Destin after the holiday weekend and invited me and other friends to come down and join. Of course, out of everyone else (who worked normal jobs), I was the only one who had the flexibility to actually pack up my things and go the next night. I ended up leaving at 2 something in the morning and showing up in Destin at 9:30.

Sometimes, I surprise myself. I proved to myself I could survive a six hour drive by myself despite the fact that I absolutely hate driving. I think I like surprising myself. I know that artists are supposed to be overflowing with creativity, originality, spontaneity, and whatever other -ity you can think of. I've been hearing a lot, that it's all part of being an artist. But sometimes I do wonder when it can become excessive. There is always a delicate balance for everything. A time and place to relax, have fun, laugh and share great moments with people you love and take it all day by day as it comes, and there is also a time to be *serious* about life and map out what you want to do. Maybe for me, I'm just built differently and the planning may have to be more for the bigger picture and not so much the daily activities. haha PAs can come in handy too! Anyone want an internship?! hehe It's under control for now, but as my photography is getting much busier, I may just need one!

Here are some fun photos taken yesterday! ;)

This place is so beautiful!! I love the smell of the ocean, and the breeze, and this goes without saying, the beautiful view! The condo, the beach. I love it all. What more can you ask for? Other than a quick swim in the ocean, we pretty much ate brunch and dinner, worked, chatted, hung out, etc on this balcony overlooking the water. It was relaxing.



Besides client meetings and photo coverage the day of a wedding or a session, most of my work is editing and behind the scenes. Sometimes, these are the not so fun details. A pro, however, is that they can be taken with you wherever you go... even to the beach! ;) Here's a photo Bruce took of me working on the balcony. It's nice to have a change in scenery when you're editing.





Here's Bruce!



Can't wait for the rest of the gang to come join us tonight! ;)

Wedding Albums.

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! I missed out on fireworks this year, but definitely enjoyed my time with good company! One day I'm going to take all my gear, find myself the perfect location, and try dabbling in fireworks photos. hehe You can find some good tips and creative ideas for fireworks photography here.

I know I changed album companies a while back, but I just wanted to share some photos with you. I am so happy with the way the album turned out. I think I may stick with them foreva eva... or at least for a long while! It's so much more beautiful in person, but these photos will just have to do for now. :)







This is probably my favorite spread. Nice, simple layout + I love the getting ready part of the day. ;)



In the next photo you can see that it has the tightest gutter seam!



If you want to check out this particular album design, it's here. Another sample album is here.

What I'm thankful for.

Just doing some reflection. What I'm thankful for... in no particular order:

1) My supportive family.
2) True friends... the ones that love you and stick by your side no matter how ugly you can get.
3) Being able to do what I love as a career.
4) The beautiful summer skies. I'm in awe every time. Sometimes it's distracting enough to be dangerous while driving.
5) New experiences.. like getting to go kayaking for the first time! :)
6) Music. Period.
7) Yesss!! AC in this swampy weather~!
8) Those past tough times that in hindsight you can see reeeeally stretched your character.
9) Holiday weekends where we can all get together, grill-out, and relax! (BBQ Season!)
10) People that inspire me to LIVE... (more abundantly). :)

"Without gratitude you can’t live meaningfully" - Ravi Zacharias