Lori and Dan chose to see each other before the ceremony which allowed a great amount of time for some wonderful relaxed portraits of just the two of them interacting as well as allowing them more time with their guests after the ceremony. That was a brilliant idea!

The ceremony, in Genitti’s theater, was perfect and was peppered with bouts of laughter as Dan’s son, Carter, joked around on stage while Lori and Dan took their vows. The dinner reception was full of well wishes for the newlyweds…and the smell of amazing soup! These two had a beautiful day and I feel honored to have been a part of their intimate celebration.

Dan and Lori, thank you so much for allowing me to capture the emotion and love on your wedding day. It was a true honor to be around as your little ones made us all laugh and the two of you celebrated the love you’ve found in each other. I wish you all the happiness a lifetime has to offer!

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There’s nothing better than a day’s worth of hard work paying off at a sensational waterfall, a great wooded camp spot, or an incredible vista.  There’s nothing better than getting there on your own two feet. There’s nothing better than getting there for close to free. It’s really a simple thing for those of us lucky enough to be in good health and near some sort of trail. It’s just a small thing that I like to do that makes me feel much more alive.

It’s just a little thing.  A little thing that makes me happy. Cheers to the little things that make your life happy.

Credit for this image goes to my friend and hiking partner, Chris. That’s me – the speck on top of the cliff – so, thankfully Chris was there to capture the moment.

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Their day started with everyone getting ready at Weber’s Inn and then a ceremony at St. Francis of Assisi Church. This wedding party was SO brave about the cold and John and Lindsay were complete troupers the entire time as we headed to the  U of M Law Quad, Nickels Arcade, and to Ashley’s for some quality photo time. It was a beautiful February day in Michigan and it was so great to be part of John and Lindsay’s day. Thanks, Mishelle, for bringing me along!

Lindsay’s dress made me want to get married all over again (but my husband, Eric, would tell you I say that all of the time)…simple and breathtaking.

Lindsay was a BEAUTIFUL bride.

And check out the eyes on John!

The inside of St. Francis of Assisi Church was really inspiring. I loved how small the ceiling made you feel…

And then over to the Law Quad where you can barely tell how cold it really was that day:

I think this is the moment when Mishelle and I both sort of stopped and melted. Gorgeous light. Gorgeous couple.

Mishelle was snapping away at Lindsay and I noticed that John was standing off to her left looking at her with the biggest smile on his face … priceless.

And off to Nickels Arcade:

Congratulations to Lindsay and John! And another big thanks to Mishelle, it was so great to work with you!

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Two years and some odd months later, I’m here to tell you that I still don’t have an album. And, one day, when my future children ask me to see my wedding pictures, I’ll have to pull out my disc of images and tell them to sit at the big, boxy, buzzing computer and click through them. One by one. And I’ll hope the computer doesn’t break down in the middle because sometimes computers do that. And I’ll hope the monitor is calibrated so the light is just right for our skin tones. And I’ll sit there wishing I had something like what you’re about to see. Something big and thick and substantial for them to hold while they cozy up in a warm blanket on the couch and imagine what their parents used to be like when they got married. Something with a soft cover and thick pages. Something that has the romance of my wedding day told in the form of a storybook. Without 582 photos in between.

This. This is what I hope each of my clients will have for themselves and for their future children. An album that tells the story of their wedding day in a timeless and classic way.

Here are some images of my newest sample album that I made from Heather and Ken’s beautiful November wedding. This one is a 12×12-inch with a soft leather cover and a custom cameo photograph on the front. This is one version of the type of album that is included in some of my wedding packages but, of course, the options are endless.

A little closer look at the cameo:

The pages are nice and thick so you’ll never have to worry about bending. And I love the modern type on the spine:

And here are a few examples of the designs I use. I like to keep them pretty simple and clean and let the story be told by the groupings…

And a peek at the binding and that spine again. Oooh, I love that spine.

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But this is what happened in the interim…the little jokester was all about his photo shoot!

And Laurie knew just how to make him smile:

One day Carter will say he’s too cool to wear a puppy towel on his head but for now it might be the cutest thing ever…

Bob and Laurie and Carter, thank you so much for having me in your home to photograph Carter, it was a huge honor and it was so good to finally lay eyes on him in person! He is a total doll and I can only imagine the little personality he’s going to have as he gets older! Hope you enjoy the photos!

Every year for about the past ten, Eric and I get together with whichever of our friends are available and we try to go somewhere fun and exciting to ring in the new year.  It’s usually a small trip out of state or sometimes just a quick jaunt to northern Michigan. This year, we headed to a cabin in Pennsylvania that was basically in Cook Forest State Park. The scenery was gorgeous – perfect fluffy snow all around and tall, tall trees bordering every visible inch. It was like a dream…

The cabin we stayed in was affiliated with this cute little lodge:

And this was our home during our visit. Cabin #4:

These icicles were amazing!

And the area just outside our cabin looked like this:

On New Year’s Day we took a small hike along the North Country Trail. So, I have four sections and about 50 miles complete…only a little over 4,500 more to go!

I hope your 2010 is off to a great start and cheers for another year of adventures!

Michelle, it was a huge honor to be there and to finally meet you. I hope you’ve arrived safely back to Idaho with all of your fun new Crock Pots and kitchenware! You are going to make one absolutely beautiful bride!

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Alexa is my cousin and she and her twin sister are the first kids I ever babysat so being the person to photograph her and Brian in celebration of their engagement was such an honor for me. Alexa and Brian, thank you for thinking of me for your photographs and thank you for suggesting we get out in the snow, I LOVED the idea. You guys are awesome for braving the frigid temperatures and I had such a great time. Love you lots!

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We started inside so we could get some images before their little noses turned red. I knew this was going to be a hilarious session as soon as I saw these faces come out! What a riot! Here you have Bela on the left and Emma on the right:

Who doesn’t love a candy necklace?

Or a big monkey?! I totally adore Emma’s face in these two, it reminds me how much I loved my teddy bear when I was little (or…umm…still today).

As soon as we walked by these coats, it was time to suit up and head to the piano park!

Gorgeous Emma:

And sweet Bela:

Once we got back home, Melissa made some hot chocolate for the girls to warm their bellies. They changed into their pajamas and then I sat back and laughed as this happened:

Thank you to my Aunt Ginette for arranging for us all to gather for photos and thank you, Melissa, for bringing the two sweetest little girls back to Michigan for the holidays. It was sooo awesome to see all of you and it was such a treat to capture some memories from your time at home. We’ll miss you until next time! Love you guys!

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Happy 2010 to you! May you find lots of new things to love.