SARAH + MICHAEL ENGAGED!

When I think about my friendship with Sarah, words fail me. She's such a delightful human being that she leaves me kind of speechless. I met her the summer before third grade when her family moved from Virginia to my hometown in North Carolina. I have a terrible memory so I don't remember the early days, but I know that we bonded instantly and we were best friends all throughout elementary and middle school. Then, Sarah went to a super fancy high school (she's ridiculously smart) about two hours away so we sort of fell out of touch. But see, that's the thing with Sarah. No matter where we are in our lives, we always just fall back into our friendship with ease. I credit her easygoing personality and incredibly kind heart. She's loyal and your fiercest fan. I'm so glad we've remained friends for so long, and I'm SO happy that she's found her match in Michael. I've gotten to hang out with Michael a few times now and he's the bee's knees. He's also extremely kind, intelligent and thoughtful. And he loves Sarah with his whole heart, which makes him pretty awesome in my book. Photographing these two was a piece o' cake and left me inspired. They are super comfortable with each other and can cuddle for days, which makes this photographer practically giddy. And they also have an ADORABLE puppy named Cady (after Acadia National Park, where the couple got engaged), who I LOVE. Enjoy my favorite photos! Can't wait for their spring wedding next year in DC. : )

We timed the engagement session just right -- it was the last warm(ish) day in DC with colorful leaves!

Sarah and Michael are HUGE Panther's fans, so naturally, I did a ring shot on top of their Panthers-themed garden gnome. : )

Meet CADY! She likes to chew on the garden gnomes. : )

Sometimes the outtakes are the best...

AHHHHHHHH! Such a sweet face.

One of my absolute faves!

This is another reason why they are awesome: they don't take themselves seriously. Air guitar? Air bass? WHY NOT?!

Featured: Daily Dog Tag - Sasha + Sinisa

This past Saturday was my first wedding back in over seven months. WHAT?! How has that much time passed? It was refreshing to get back out there and shoot but I'm not going to lie... it wasn't easy on such little sleep. ; ) Nonetheless, it's very rewarding to do what I love, and I'm so happy to be able to work and be a stay-at-home mom. It's going to take some time to find our groove and balance, but I look forward to posting more again on the blog on a weekly basis! Today, I'm excited to share that photos from Sasha & Sinisa's engagement session was featured on Daily Dog Tag. Beth, your blog is AWESOME, and thank you so much for choosing to feature Chloe pup. Their session was a real treat (hehe I'm so punny!) for me to photograph! Check out the full feature HERE.

JENNIFER + DREW ENGAGED!

I'm so glad the hubs and I met Drew during our house search when we first moved from Georgia. He became our realtor and found us our home here in Maryland. We're so grateful to him! And I was very humbled and honored when he asked me to shoot engagement photos for him and his fiancee, Jennifer. I LOVED photographing these two. They were so easygoing and casual in front of the camera. You can tell how much they love each other! We started the shoot in downtown Frederick and ended it at Sugarloaf Mountain, where Drew proposed. It was a glorious sunset and a lovely day (go away winter!). Thanks for rockin' it out, y'all. : )

Their boxer, Brady, is SO BEAUTIFUL! Glad they wanted to include her in some photos. : )

FAVORITE! Another favorite! Jenn is so pretty!

The view where Drew proposed. So romantic!

MEREDITH + RYAN ENGAGED!

Let me start off by saying that I am SO happy for these two. Meredith is a dear friend from college who has found a soul mate in Ryan. They are both CrossFit fanatics and they met at Meredith's brother's gym, CrossFit Brave. I love couples who love to sweat together! : ) We started out their engagement shoot with a holiday-inspired picnic at the North Carolina Museum of Art, which is such a great outside space. The architecture is so inspiring, and we had fun frolicking in the Rodin sculpture garden, especially. At the end of the session, we stopped at the Capitol in downtown Raleigh for some shots in Ryan's uniform. He was just deployed a week ago for about 10 months (thanks for your service, Ryan), which breaks my heart for Meredith, but I hope these moments bring her many smiles remembering snuggling up to her man!

Love this next series...

Such a cool wedding date!!!

2013 RECAP

In 2013, I shot 22 weddings, eight engagement sessions, three bridal sessions and 14 newborn/family/baby/maternity sessions. I traveled from Baltimore to Chicago to Charleston. From scenic Jupiter, Florida to some of my favorite cities in North Carolina (where I grew up). I danced with some of you, laughed with most of you, calmed some nerves, snuggled the most adorable babies, made some lifetime friendships and captured some unforgettable moments. Out of all the blog posts I prepare, the 'Year in Review' posts are my favorite to put together. I love looking back through all of the photos I've taken to see all kinds of love: smiling faces, sleepy newborns, celebratory dance floor moves, warm embraces. It is YOU ALL who make me love photography. It is YOU ALL who rekindle my passion year after year. Nothing brings me greater professional fulfillment than capturing precious moments for people I adore. I am so thankful for all of you that my heart feels like it could explode. I dedicate my 2013 recap to each of you. Thank you.