Drew & Megan Photography

ATTENTION! We have moved!!

2011-10-11T03:04:00.000-07:00

If you have landed here, this is now an officially old and outdated blog. :)

Please head on over to:

www.drewandmeganphotographyblogsite.com

to check out the new blog! We happen to think it's a lot better.

Sorry for the huge font. I didn't want you to miss it. :)

Pardon our dust...

2011-08-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

We are making a couple updates to the ol' blog here, it will be back within the next couple days! I have my work cut out for me, and have 5 sessions to post when we get it back up and running!

<3 Megan & Drew

What is this??

2011-07-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

I really don't know how Drew and I have gone this far without getting seriously injured during a shoot.

We are kinda clumsy people, we are often in some really odd places, and do things like run backwards, not looking, with a camera covering our whole face. To date, the worst thing to happen was when Drew stepped into a Blue Agave plant a couple minutes before a ceremony started, he was smiling and running along, and then whispers to me "I can't feel my leg", and then runs along, shooting away and looking just fine. We didn't know what he stepped in, but his ankle swelled up like a stuffed turkey. But he was fine, and in the scheme of things, it wasn't too bad.

I think we really dodged the bullet on Saturday's shoot. We were out in the middle of nowhere, dirt and fields and snake holes galore. But it was overcast that day, and there was this amazing pink sunset and the sun was so bright and gold and it just lit up the entire wheat field. It was so amazingly beautiful that I didn't think too much about the snake holes. Plus, I grew up with with dad and brothers, who were always bringing home some type of snake or reptile...so I like to think they don't faze me that much. BLEH! As we were all standing around talking, I looked down and this dude was sitting a couple inches from my ankle and I swear, my inner two year old girl came flying out. It was huge!

So, does anyone know what kind of snake this is? Drew said it "looked poisonous"...not really sure what that means! It looked a heck of a lot like a rattlesnake - but no rattle. (FYI we left the snake alone and NO animals were injured during our shoot! :o)

That is it's tongue out..

Let me know if you have any idea! Really curious!

Katie & Alex | Phoenix Wedding Photographers

2011-07-21T02:20:00.000-07:00

We are doing things a little differently this time around, and wanted to start this one off with a slideshow! These two are just so dang wonderful, and I think this serves them best..

Katie and Alex are a beautiful, sweet and fun loving couple. They bring out the best in each other and have this little playful side that only comes out when they are together. Throughout different times in the day, I was with each of them for a period of time without the other. Mostly just before the ceremony, because after that they were inseparable! :) Alone, they are both still the beautiful, sweet, fun loving people I described - but when you put them together, they just light up. They really do! You know in the cartoons, how the two people (or bunnies, or mice, or whatever) will see each other and this little twinkle shines in their eye? That happens! They were so happy throughout the day, and so happy that the first day of the rest of their lives went so perfectly!

On a side note, this was an extra fun wedding for me, because I got to work with some of my favorite and most talented vendors (and venue)! If you are planning your wedding, be sure to check the credits given at the end of this post. :) And an extra special thanks to my talented girl Olivia for helping us out with this one!

Katie looked so classic and elegant - stunning! I think her dress and veil just suited her so perfectly.

One of my faves..

Katie and Alex's wedding colors were a mix of greys and yellows, and did they ever pull it off! There were gorgeous details everywhere you looked, not to mention Katie's cute yellow shoes and the guys' grey tuxes and yellow ties!

Katie sent over a gift for Alex. Originally, we went out to the hallway to open it, as it was just jam packed in his room. I am so glad it turned out that way, because I got to watch Alex have this little moment of solitude as he read what must have been a very touching card from his soon-to-be wife.

And I got to see his little-boy-on-Christmas face when he got his XBOX!

Next, I got to hitch a ride on the lightrail with the guys as we headed over to the church.

LOVE this - any thoughts what might have been going through this little woman's mind with all these guys towering behind her?

In this photo, there is a woman protesting a cause I cannot remember, a man heading to his job, and another man...heading to become a husband :)

Check out the SOCKS! I'm telling you, not a detail was missed!

Katie was lucky enough to have a family member who is a florist, and she did some amazing work!

Katie's mother and bridesmaids were so helpful and good to her

Such a pretty group of girls!

Another one of my favorites, Katie just looks so peaceful and breathtaking

I love this. How so many people are staring, awing, taking photos, yet they seem to have a look like they are the only two people in the world.

And for the first time ever, the Julians!

This whole group was so much fun on the trolley ride, there is just something so dang cute about a trolley!

Bentley Projects is such a very cool, unique venue...

Katie also had a family member who bakes! And she made her this adorable little cake with their colors and monogram on it!

Ahh! So beautiful, again, Katie has hookups, and had a graphic designer help with all the little details on the place mats, signs on all the tables, the monogram...and I am sure a lot more. It was awesome!

I loved the centerpieces with the little bundt cakes :)

This was for Katie, apparently she really loves mustaches!

This was the funniest moment of the day...just look at Katie and Alex's faces! They were all doing that thing where everyone dances in a circle and then one person goes and busts a move in the middle (does that have a name)? Anyway, Alex's mom pops up, rips off her little jacket and starts spinning it over her head! It was fantastic!

Alex, serenading Katie :)

And they're off!

Alex & Katie, you guys did a fabulous job and the wedding was beautiful! We are so happy for you both, and hope you are loving the married life!

Wedding Consultant: Some Like it Classic
Ceremony Venue: Brophy Chapel
Reception Venue: Bentley Projects
Makeup: Sarah Sanmarco w/Creative Makeup Artistry
Hair: JLB Hair Design
Music DJ: Mancini Entertainment
Self Portraits: Self Portrait Station
Caterer: Arizona Taste
Transportation: Ollie the Trolley
Dessert: Nothing Bundt Cakes

Save the Kitty!

2011-07-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

Hi friends. Okay, the last time we had "animal issues", I was amazed with how much help we got - right here on our blog! So, I figured this would be the best place to try again! You may remember when I posted about our Uma being lost? Well, she has been safe and sound for a while now, but tonight she was acting funny. She was just sitting in the back yard, staring at the fence, not moving a muscle. So Drew went over with his phone and lit up the wall....to find this little ball of wide-eyed-fluffiness hiding behind our cable dish. I think she was stuck there. :(

So, she is in our house now, and we can't keep her! Already have our fancy pants Mr. Spanky and Uma. But we want to make sure she gets the love she deserves! So, if you or someone you know might want a new little friend - please let us know! Or, be a doll and repost this on your FB!

Thank you! (from kitty, too)

P.S. I am not a vet, but I think she is a girl, and I think she is about 8 weeks old.

Mrs. Rahaman | Arizona Bridal Portraits

2011-06-29T15:55:00.001-07:00

Well now, this is the 3rd time the beautiful Ashley has graced our blog. First, as a fiance, then a bride, and now an official, experienced wife! We had the pleasure of doing her bridal portraits last weekish, and it was a blast. A new change of pace for us to get to spend so much time with the bride, making everything all perfect. :)

Special thanks to our friends at The Secret Garden, beautiful venue!

Ashley is such a blast to work with, we were either chatting or laughing the entire time!

P.S. This is an awesome year for Ashley. In addition to getting married, she also is making her dream come true and just opened her own law firm! Check out her website at http://www.rahamanlawfirm.com or give her some love on her Facebook!

Bill & Jen | Wedding Photographers in Tucson Arizona

2011-06-25T01:36:00.000-07:00

We didn't get to meet Jen and Bill until just about an hour before they got married. They live on the east coast, and were coming to Arizona to get married at Jen's parent's house in Tucson. Although, I had a pretty good feeling that I was going to really love them! When they first emailed us, they shared the link to the wedding website they created. I got to know all sorts of things about them, and got to see the area they were getting married. We were already having such a great weekend by the time we got to their wedding. It was our anniversary the day prior, so we headed down to Tucson a day early for a little 24-hour, in state vacation. That might not sound like much, but with our two wee ones...that doesn't happen often and it was glorious! So when our happy selves pulled up to where the wedding was happening, I knew instantly that this was going to be the perfect way to end our perfect weekend. We instantly spied little vintage touches - old typewriter fonts, some burlap, yellow - just enough to tell me this wedding was going to be adorable. They had Greek food catered and the chef was roasting a lamb outside, her dad was looking overwhelmingly happy as he was setting up the valet parking area. But once we met Jen and Bill, and saw how very in love they are, and just good kind-hearted people, we settled right in. It was a beautiful day out, there were adorable DIY details in every which direction, and their wedding day turned out perfect.

Now, I will advise you that this is going to be a very long blog post! But there was SO MANY amazing details to cover, I would be doing you all a very big injustice not to share! :)

Their house was amazing. We hadn't been there before, so we had to do a little venturing to find the front door and get to Jen and Bill. In order to do that, we got to see the whole set up - and it was quite an exciting walk! We passed some of the cutest vintage details...hundreds of very creative details. I think I shot at least 50 photos before even got to their house. And it is all nestled in right by the Catalina mountains, and had such a gorgeous view!

Jen was lucky enough to have Martha Stewart's long lost sister for a mother. This woman became my idol within about 5 minutes of meeting her! The inside of her home perfectly matched the whole wedding theme. For a moment there, I wondered if perhaps she had decorated the entire house just to match. It was like stepping into a little land of DIY-vintage-pottery barn-wonderland.

I fell in love with these little mason jars filled with mixed yellow and white flowers!

Jen's sister-in-law made this cute little cake, and Jen made the cake topper! It looks just like her and Bill!

Finally, after much anticipation, Jen pops out around the corner, looking this pretty. At that moment, I knew for sure what a piece of cake this wedding would be to shoot! She looked stunning in her blue dress and reminded me a bit of Rachel McAdams in the Notebook!

And then we got to meet Bill, who was equally dashing and fit perfectly as Jen's other half! He was so nervous, right as we met him, we were about to jump right into their "first meeting"! Here, Jen's dad is helping with the last minute touches.

The order of how they chose their wedding attire was pretty much backwards to how it "typically" goes. They first picked out his awesome striped suit, and then Jen found some really cute shoes to match his suit, and finally a dress to match the shoes!

At this point, Jen is walking up to Bill, who is facing the other direction. I LOVE this part! You can feel the anticipation/nerves/excitement in the air...and it's heavy!

I think this is so sweet. Bill knew she was walking up behind him, and wasn't sure what to do with his hands!

Could they possibly look any happier?

This one is in the top three of my favorites! So beautiful.

Jen's dad is a fellow photographer, and set up the most kick butt photo booth. They had a treasure chest of fun props (even a beard on a stick, in case you were hoping to look like Bill), a fun yellow striped background, etc. It was awesome!

These were the place holders. I have no clue how they managed to come up with so many cute ideas. They created these little crossword puzzles with fun facts about Jen, Bill, and their family. I learned that Jen's grandmother is a huge fan of Spongebob!

Jen's parets/hosts/very wonderful people

This was just moments before the ceremony. I came up the steps to find Jen's dad giving Bill and her brother-in-law either a little either pep-talk or prayer. It was very sweet.

Jen and her three sisters, getting ready to head down!

During the ceremony, Bill pulled out a poem to read to Jen!

This was all their idea, and it was a great one! Jen and her sisters grew up loving Nancy Drew books. So, they each grabbed their favorite in memory of the good ol' days! So fun!

Their dessert table was filled with all sorts of little homemade treats.

Congratulations to you, Jen and Bill! Thank you for allowing us to share in your wonderful day, and we wish you nothing but the best for all the days to come!

Joyce & Jim | Western Theme Wedding

2011-06-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

Joyce and Jim had me all excited hearing about their plans for their "Wild Wild West" wedding...and they surely did not disappoint!! We haven't shot a themed wedding yet, so when they contacted me and told me how it was going to be at Rawhide, I couldn't wait. If you aren't familiar with Rawhide, it's this little western town with cowboys running all over, they have gun shows and a saloon and the kids can ride horses and pan for gold. Keile loves it. All the cowboys do NOT break from character and they are absolutely hilarious. And in getting to know Jim and Joyce a little better, it all just seemed to fit perfectly. They are made from the same mold! It's pretty amazing, they are both fun loving, uninhibited people. And they fit perfectly with the theme. Throughout most of the day, they were running around, having fun, and messing with each other. But when I had little conversations with them off to the side, they really opened up about how in love they were, and how happy they were to have finally found the perfect person. It was quite sweet.

Oh, and it was a ton of fun editing the photos and getting them to look all old and western!

Jim and his guys. Jim is in the middle, all cowboyed up - gun and all!

Joyce and her daughters, in their pretty old western attire!

To start off the ceremony, the "rough riders" lead the way for everyone while Jim waited outside the "jail". They were shooting off their guns and yelling at everyone to move out of the way. It was so funny, and there were random people there since it was open to the public, so they looked like they couldn't figure out if this was real or part of the Rawhide acts!

This guy kept shooting his gun at me and telling me that if it was okay for me to shoot him, he would shoot me back!

This is the sheriff that married them. He was one heck of an actor, I really felt like I was in the movie Tombstone or something. Joyce and Jim had all these funny lines written out for him, and he stayed on script perfectly!

And, they are officially married!

Now, we are not normally big fans of the selective coloring in photos. But with this one, in just seemed to fit! I love this one!

Jim's celebratory cigar, in true cowboy fashion.

Any guesses on what the bandana was for? That was Joyce's garter belt! How perfect is that!

Love this. Their Rawhide "Shotgun Wedding" certificate.

I'd like to take a poll on how many of you have eaten rattlesnake? I think most people in Arizona have at least tried it, but people not from here always freak out even talking about it!

I kept asking him where exactly the ceremony was taking place, so I could get my camera settings all ready to go. Could I get him to break from his role to answer me? NOPE! Haha, I had to just figure it out myself!

Joyce and Jim, thank you so much for including me in your day, and I hope you enjoy every day of the rest of your lives together!

Amy & Trevor | Scottsdale Engagement Photographers

2011-06-16T04:15:00.000-07:00

I met Amy on the phone and didn't get the chance to meet her or Trevor in person until our engagement session with them. However, I already knew we were going to just love them. Her and I talked for quite some time about her wedding, how they met, what she liked about our photos, etc. She went to Art School which gives her cool points, and on FB I got to see some of her projects - she is super talented. Trevor is the man and proposed in Paris, by the Eiffel Tower. Yes, the Eiffel Tower. How romantic is that?! If there is a list of awesome ways to propose, I am pretty sure that would be amongst the top!

Oh, they are getting married at L'AUBERGE, which I love love love!

Here they are, so dang cute together!

Amy climbed across that log barefoot, and if you didn't know, logs aren't all that smooth. They were absolutely up for anything!

Amongst my faves.

You can see so clearly how flirtatious they are with each other, and not shy about it at all!

Gorgeous ring! And the family of cute little ducks we were all happy about. :)

Another of my faves!

The Houghlands | Arizona Family Photographers

2011-06-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

I'm not exactly sure how long I have known Esther. Her and my mom used to work together when I was a kid, and they became good friends. My mom would always come home with all these funny stories of things Esther did at work (of course always about what a saint you were, Esther). I remember hearing about her wedding, and how excited she was and all the intense planning she was doing. And I remember when both of her pretty little girls were born. So needless to say, I'm always excited when she writes and says she wants to go take some photos!

Emma and Amy have pretty much grown up with a camera always pointed at them, so they are super easy and fun to photograph.

I love this wall! I have driven by here so many times and wanted to use it in a shoot!

I love this, they are so dang cute with their little strawberry dresses! They were all on their way to an art show for Emma. She had made something in school that had been selected to be shown in this art gallery. Esther was nervous because they didn't tell her what the picture was of...

Sara and Zach | Chandler Wedding Photographers

2011-05-31T02:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, just a warning, this is quite the long blog post. But, we really love how these photos came out, and had the hardest time narrowing them down!

I can't imagine what Sara and Zach did before they met each other. They seem so perfect for each other. They have similar personalities, interests, they have a cute (not so little) chocolate lab, their parents totally hit it off, they even kinda look alike. Not in a weird way, but, they just compliment each other so well. They match. You can see how happy they are with each other and they are one of those couples you know with 100% certainty will always be together. And, I am pretty sure, that in another 15 (or 25, 50) years, they will have just as much passion and chemistry between them that they do now!

We had an amazingly fun time with not only Sara and Zach, but their whole wedding group. Pluuuus, I got to see/shoot with Jim and Nicole Stamps from Beautiful Day Films! It's been a little while, and I forgot how much I love shooting with them. And they made this same-day edit to play at the reception - it made me cry, even though I had just seen it all live a couple hours before!

To say Sara is gorgeous is an extreme understatement.

And while the girls were quite busy getting everything just perfect, Zach and his guys were relaxing and checking out the room service menu. I will say it again, guys have it so easy!

There is a little note hiding in this pocket, that Sara had sneaked in there for him to find before the wedding. He never did find it on his own, so Jim had to tip him off and ask him if there was anything in there!

Such a cute surprise :)

Sara is quite stylish, and her dress surely did not disappoint!

Everything was all fun and breezy until Sara's dress came on, and that's when the tears came pouring. From Sara, her mom, her sister, her bridesmaids, me, it was too sweet! Her mom looked like someone knocked the wind out of her when she saw Sara as an official "bride". Gives me goosebumps!

I LOVE "first looks", when the bride and groom choose to see each other before the wedding. It just adds a whole new sentimental part to the day, and I love being able to feel the anticipation build, and watch the overflowing joy and love when they see each other!
Here's Zach, waiting...

We had so much fun with their whole bridal party, they were so easy going and just enjoying themselves!

As I shot this photo, her bridesmaids were all behind me "oohing" and "ahhing" over how stinkin perfect she was sitting there.

Look how tightly Zach and his mom are holding hands. You can tell how close they are. When they did the mother-son dance, she sang her heart out to him!

Both sets of parents (who are great friends) were so happy and proud!

I love these!

And this one gets my "favorite" vote. So romantic!

Their cake was phenomenal

Sara's Dad gave a tear-jerking-speech-of-a-lifetime

Their photo booth added so much fun to the reception, and the props were hilarious!

This was awesome! So one of Zach's friends did a backflip out of his hands. Look at the 2nd photo, that happened on accident really, but turned out pretty cool! Haha, it looks like he is being attacked by a ghost!

Congratulations Sara and Zach! You have both been an absolute pleasure to work with, and I am very excited for all the happy things your futures hold!

Venue: Sheraton Wild Horse Pass
Videographer: Beautiful Day Films

Anastasia & Pavel | AZ Family Photographers

2011-05-31T02:21:00.000-07:00

You may recognize these fabulous faces from our engagement session with them last year! Well, they are now married and living all happy in NY. Anastasia told me quite a while ago that she would be contacting us for photos when she came to visit her family here in Arizona - and I was quite pleased when she did! They are such fun to work with - they are like little super models the way they pose for our camera and they have this hilariously playful energy between them.

This one is my fave..

This tree was just covered in these big fluffy white flowers. So pretty!

I lied. This one is my fave..

Anastasia and Pavel, congrats again being officially married! I know I told you that a few times already, but, since this is the first time you have graced our blog since doing so...it only felt appropriate! :O)

Sarah & Kevin | Engagement Photos

2011-05-31T01:56:00.000-07:00

I wish I had my camera with me when we first met with Sarah and Kevin. After Drew and I left, I told him that I really hoped they thought we were a good fit for their wedding, because I wanted to work with them so bad! When we asked about how they got engaged, talked about their wedding, etc., they got so dang giddy. Not just happy, but seriously giddy! You can see how in love they are in their kindness to each other, the way Sarah's voice gets just slightly higher pitched when she tells Kevin that she loves him, and how Kevin looks at her like she is the only woman on the planet. It's really cute, it's so nice to be around, and we are really super excited to shoot their wedding in just a few short months!

I give Sarah all the credit for picking the railroad/building location. She just so happened to lay eyes on it while driving around with her mom, and I thought it was just plain awesome!

Sarah has such stunning eyes..

Here's a cute little story. So they went into the bathroom to change, and came out in these cute little matching Cardinals jerseys. Kevin told me that he ordered hers with his last name on it - before they even were engaged! He said he just new he would marry her one day. Awe..

Thank you guys for making it so much fun, and we can't wait to do it again, at the wedding!! <3

Aimee and Steven | Arizona Photographers

2011-05-25T03:39:00.000-07:00

If you are our friends on FB, you might remember us posting about a last minute wedding on a Thursday. By last minute, I mean, we booked it the morning of the ceremony! Several people commented that there must be a good story behind it. Well, here it is.

Aimee and Steven had been friends and coworkers for years, until, one day, something changed. One day, they realized they loved each other and wanted to be with each other. That day was March 31st, last year. So as time went by, they realized that not only did they make a great couple, but they wanted this to last forever, and they wanted to get married! So they started planning a big wedding in Hawaii, and as things went by and they encountered some technicalities of marriage licensing over there, they decided to just have a small, intimate wedding here, and a fabulous honeymoon in Hawaii. But of course, they wanted to make sure they didn't leave out having great photos of it! So that is why they were married on a Thursday, it was the date that March 31st fell on this year - the anniversary of the day they fell in love. C'mon and say it, you know you want to...AWWW!

Aimee and Steven are incredibly sweet, fun to work with, and totally in love. When I met Steven in the church just moments before the ceremony, I shook his hand, and (sorry, Steven) it was all sweaty from his excitement! Oh, and when we lost our dog, Aimee sent out a mass email to all of her friends, asking for their assistance! I love good people. :)

I love Corinthians

Steven had been waiting for Aimee to arrive, and this is right after she first walked in, moments before the ceremony. They got like two little kids, so excited about what they were about to do!

We hung out with Steven's mom for a little bit, she was the first one in the church. Very sweet woman!

This was it! Just the couple, his mom, and her sister. It made for such a fun and unique ceremony, it felt so personal for them. Plus, that gave us free reign of the whole church to shoot in, which was quite fun!

They are married, and they can prove it :)

I think they make a fabulously beautiful couple.

And this one just cracks me up...

CONGRATULATIONS YOU GUYS!!! We are both so happy for you, and happy our paths have crossed. We enjoyed so much being part of such a special time in your lives!!

Brittany and Tony | Arizona Wedding Photographers

2011-05-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

We are super excited to introduce you all to Brittany and Tony! We met them a few months ago, and instantly clicked. They had been engaged for a little while and had debated what they were going to do for their wedding, when they finally decided to just hurry up and do it already! They said they didn't care about all the fancy things, they just wanted to be married, they wanted their wedding to be a celebration, and they wanted all of their family and loved ones to be a part of it. Oh, and they wanted to do it in like two months! Oh yeah, and most importantly, they wanted awesome photos of it to remember!

Well, we could handle that part. And we had a blast doing it. Their wedding was everything they wanted it to be. Loving, fun, good food, family, and they got married in the process! Whoo hoo!

When we got to Brittany, we found a beautiful room full of beautiful women,just getting their hair and makeup done and enjoying the day.

From what I overheard, Brittany's mom took some tips from the makeup person at Mac, so she could do Brittany's makeup herself. Isn't that sweet!

LOVE her shoes! So cute!

Brittany's dress was just gorgeous. It was pretty, elegant, delicate, and fit her perfectly! I just loved the way it looked hanging here, with the nice soft lighting, ahh, could have shot it all day long!

After Brittany was all dressed to perfection, we headed down stairs to see Tony for the first time. Whew. That's when her cool, calm mood seemed to turn. We were standing in the elevator and her eyes started tearing up, and I thought she was just going to lose it. Now, I'm a big baby, and if she lost it, I certainly would have too! But she kept herself together, and we went and waited in the hotel library area. The way they both reacted when Tony came walking around the corner could have melted the biggest tough dude on the planet and brought him to tears. It was beautiful, and just so romantic, and I was crying and then I turned around and Brittany's mom was crying, and Tony was crying and Brittany was crying and then when I talked to Drew even HIS eyes were all watered up! It was THAT cute!

For a moment there, they seemed to get lost in their big cloud of emotion. But after a minute, they noticed their whole little clan spying and taking photos. So cute!

And they looked quite fabulous together!

I love when weddings don't follow every traditional rule. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the traditional elements also. But some of the things that people had to follow, just don't apply anymore and weddings are becoming more unique and personal. Such as, a man of honor!! Brittany's maid of honor was her incredibly sweet little brother who just thought the world of her. And Tony had his best friend as his man of honor, and so she was the only girl in the bunch!

Now off to the wedding! Brittany's Dad is the pastor at their church, and he wed Brittany and Tony. Can you imagine that kind of job? Whew, it seems like just watching would be a lot! Oh, and it looks like they got him into chucks, too!

When we walked into the church to check it out pre-wedding, it was not at all what I was expecting. It was dark, candle lit, and so romantic. The sunlight was illuminating the stained glass windows and creating this purple glow up the walls. On the altar, they had vases full of those tall sticks (do those have a name? I have some in my house and always call them "stick thingies"), and rose petals up the aisle. It was beautiful. Thankfully, they had the lights on while Brittany walked down the aisle, which made shooting much easier!

AND THEY'RE MARRIED!

Teeheehee, the best man and his man of honor.

I think this is my favorite:

They had cupcake towers from Sprinkles as their wedding cake! Just editing this photo alone made me hungry!

I never realized how much I liked Mariachi bands until I saw them at weddings. This group was so fun, full of energy, and they love posing for photos. :) After every wedding that has a mariachi band, I always try to do the little "rrrrrreeehaa" chant they do, but I really suck at it! I'm sure Drew really appreciates my efforts though. :op

Paula & Bill | Arizona Wedding Photographers

2011-05-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

If you have been following our blog long, you likely remember Paula and Bill, since we just shot their engagement session a couple months ago! They had a great love story, and were, at the time, dating long distance. Paula has been living here in Arizona, as she and Bill traveled back and forth to his home in Chicago. I can't imagine how hard that must be! Well, they are finally married, and we just got word that she has arrived in Chicago, safe and sound, and is settling in with Paul. They had a beautiful wedding that went perfectly according to plan, went on a fun honeymoon hitting up several gorgeous spots, and now get to (finally) fall asleep next to each other every night! How's that for a happy ending! Or...beginning! :o)

Paula looked so happy, like she just wanted to go running down the aisle and into Bill's arms. I asked her if she was nervous at all and she (very emphatically) told me "no, I'm just ready to get this going"!

I have said this before, but I really love the unpredictability of little flower girls and ring boys! I always watch them walking down, and wonder if they will actually make it to the end. Well, their sweet little flower girl was sheer terrified to walk down the aisle! Poor thing, I didn't think she would do it. But after a little coaching from Mom and the pastor, she did it like a champ! It was so cute to watch!

Paula's parents looked so proud and happy for her the whole day. She and her dad had a little moment alone together right before walking down to get married, and were all smiley and happy!

Bill's face wins the award for watching his bride come down the aisle. Just typing this, it still cracks me up. I thought we were going to have to help him pick his jaw off the floor! He is obviously so in love.

Funny fact. From the very first wedding Drew and I shot together, we noticed that there is always one person who we tend to get several photos of for one reason or another. We don't do it on purpose, it just happens. When we start culling photos, one person's face just pops up all over the place. But the funny part is, every single wedding, when we get home and look through the photos, we notice that Drew and I always pick the same person! It doesn't matter if there are 10 guests or 300, always the same. This time, it was this sweet little lady. Her, the pastor, and us were the first ones there so we got to talk a little bit, and I just find her so wonderful. We had several handfuls of photos of her! Here, she is showing off her corsage. :)

And, they are married!

The reception was absolutely beautiful!

Paula was wearing this pretty bracelet of her Grandmother's

This guy looked so surprised to have caught the garter belt!

The little flower girl got over her shyness, and caught the bouquet!!

Congratulations, Paula and Bill! It was a pleasure working with you both and we wish you everything happy in your new lives together in Chicago!

Jennifer and Jeff |Destination and cruise wedding photographers

2011-05-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

As we have been wrapping up the photos we took while shooting Jennifer and Jeff's wedding, I have been starting to think of what I was going to say here. I feel like I have really fallen for these guys who have been so incredibly wonderful to work with and become friends of ours over the past year. They are such fun, kind people who are just built for each other, and I can not quite think of the right words to express that. And I guess I can't, but hopefully our photos can, and I will just have to leave it at this...

We had a freaking blast shooting their wedding! When they originally hired us, they were planning a wedding here in Arizona with A TON of people. After a little time planning, they found themselves feeling really stressed and just wanted to focus on having a fun wedding and being married. So they called us and asked if we'd be cool with coming with them to shoot their wedding on a cruise. Uhhh, YEAH?! So, we all met down in Florida, watched as they became Mr. and Mrs., and set sail for a 3 day cruise in the Bahamas with their really fun and sweet family and friends. Everything went just as they had planned, and it was a wonderful wedding/trip. I think everyone was on the same page in voting for another one for their 5 year anniversary. :)

Guys, we can't tell you how happy we are to have met you, to have gotten to shoot your wedding, to see you so happy with each other! We can't wait to see all the wonderful things life has in store for you both!

So, day one - wedding day! We started the day with Jen, as she got her hair and makeup done at the hotel before we shuttled over to the cruise.

We have seen them both several times over the past year since we have met, and this was definitely the happiest I had ever seen either one of them. They didn't look nervous at all, just super excited it was here and they were finally going to be married!

The pretty boat!

Jenn and Jeff win the award for the smallest getting ready room ever! If you have been on a cruise, you know the rooms aren't huge. And when you are trying to put on a ginormous dress with 6 other people stuffed around you...that can't be easy!

I love the little sentiments in a wedding, Jen had these which were passed down from her grandmother.

She was a model bride, she could not have looked a bit more perfect. Jen is tall, blonde, and just so utterly pretty. She picked out a PINK dress from a bridal show forever ago and has been so excited about it. She said at one point Jeff told her "how surprised could I be by it? It's WHITE!" and she just thought "that's what YOU think!", so it was her little surprise when she came out in a pink dress. And she pulled it off like a champ, I'm pretty sure whoever designed it somehow envisioned Jennifer in their mind the whole time!

All the wedding guests got to board the ship first, and the wedding took place before the boat set sail. So everyone was double excited - for the wedding obviously, and then to take off!

I've been curious to see how Jeff was going to react to seeing Jen in her dress. He is a complete manly man. If you don't remember his engagement session with us, he did it on an ankle the size of Texas that he was refusing to acknowledge. It later turned out to be from a brown recluse bite! He's all into sports and his lawn and I just don't think there are a ton of people who would describe him as a "softy". But (sorry Jeff), I saw his heart turn to putty when Jennifer walked in, and for the entire ceremony. They normally are so fun and playing around with each other, but right then, they took what they were doing so serious and just looked so in love. And talking about it is making me tear up, so let's keep going..

Jeff's family. :) And the dude behind him was the ship's photographer, not us!

Jennifer's close friend and coworker. We have met twice now and I had no idea she had such a beautiful singing voice!

AAAND THEY'RE MARRIED! (and the 3 day reception/party begins!)

Haha....want to caption this next one for me?

Jeff was twirling his mother around like a little rag doll, and she seemed to love it! It was cracking me up, they would be dancing along all sweet and I would see him mouth "aaaaaand DIP" and down she'd go!

Jen's mom and Jeff's dad

From where I was standing, I couldn't really hear what Jeff's best man said in his toast, but it was good. From their faces, it looks like it was incredibly touching and hilarious at the same time and they just cried through the whole thing.

Jennifer's sister was so dang sweet, she was crying before her speech even started!

Here, they have absolutely no idea what they are about to walk into. Before the ship would set sail, we all had to do this mandatory life jacket lesson thing, so we were arriving for that. As Jen and Jeff walked past the enormous group of incredibly excited/anxious people, they weren't just "cheered on", it looked more like if Kate and Prince William came walking by. I thought they were going to have to start signing autographs. It was pretty dang awesome to watch and I think we need to hire that group to come do that to everyone on their wedding day!

And after that, they needed a drink. :) How cute do they look sitting on a bar stool?

Someone behind me called out "BLUE STEEL!" and they both snapped on this face in .0053 seconds!

Nassau!

We all stolled around together just checking everything out and looking for a place to eat. Stumbled into this pirate place, where Jeff was assaulted.

No, not really, but sheesh! It didn't look this, uh, "hands on" when we were taking the picture. That pirate really went for it!

On the way back to the boat we stopped at Senor Frogs for a drink, it was a pretty wild place!

And theeeeeen Jeff and his sister hopped on stage and started rapping. I almost died, and they sure got the attention of the whole bar! She rapped along every single word as Jeff was mainly the hype main, pelvic thrusting and yelling "YEAH" in the background.

After we all got back to the boat, they had a little cocktail hour in the same room they were married in. I thought it was such a cute idea, to get everyone together at least at some point each day.

And we did some really fun "formals" in front of the ocean sunset!

Aaaand on our last day of the cruise, Jen and Jeff got all dressed up again so we could take some photos on Norwegian's private beach...

This pirate didn't attack, so that was nice.

Can it possibly get any more perfect? Seriously - the couple, their attire, the background, just everything. Perfect.

I really extra adore this one:

So the cruise ship is so huge, it can't just pull up right to the island. It parks in the middle of the ocean and this smaller boats brings you out. When they got on the little smaller boat to get out of their wedding clothes, guess what happened again?

More cheering! Those weren't their wedding guests, either. I swear, people get SO EXCITED to see a bride and groom!

Carolyn and Emmanuel | AZ Engagement Photographers

2011-05-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

I really don't feel like I need to state the obvious here by saying what a jaw-dropping gorgeous couple Carolyn and Emmanuel are. With her super long hair and big bright eyes, and his tall dark and handsomeness, they are quite the photogenic couple! But even more importantly, is they are just as beautiful...maybe even more so...on the inside. The first time we met them, we got a flat tire a 1/2 mile away from where we were meeting - we literally coasted right in to the parking lot. I was pretty stressed out walking into the meeting but they quickly had me laughing and forgetting all about the dang tire in under a minute. When they left, they came back in their car and even offered to stay and help out with our tire! And as sweet as they are to us, they are even sweeter with each other. Watching them from behind our lens was fun, they are so gentle and loving in the way they talk to each other and the subtle little things they do. You can see how very much in love they are, and it is just nice to be around it!

Okay...onto our session! I love love love the colors they wore, so bright and pretty and really complimented their skin tones. They really OWNED the camera, and I was really starting to wonder if they had modeled before because they just seemed like naturals - but I didn't ask because I felt like that might sound cheesy. Well....at the end...Emmanuel says "Carolyn doesn't know this, but I actually did a little modeling for the Mens Warehouse when I worked there a few years ago"! I thought that was too funny.

We hiked up a mountain, which was making me a little nervous as I was in flip flops and just read a bunch of posts on FB from people who kept crossing paths with rattlesnakes...until I looked down and noticed Carolyn was doing it in like 5 inch heels! Emmanuel helped her up the whole way and they just laughed as he kept her from falling like 19 times. It was sweet :)

We found this tiny little creek with a bridge that was just so adorable and didn't look like it belonged in Arizona, no less, the middle of Tempe! They looked so perfect sitting there together, we could have just stayed there shooting them all day. (As a photographer, you would think I wouldn't still feel so amused every time I say "shoot them")!

Carolyn and Emmanual are getting married next month and we just can't wait! From what I hear, they have a ton of friends and family who are just as awesome as they are and it's going to be quite the celebration!

Today's Events...

2011-04-11T23:27:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give you all a little update on our search for Uma! So many of you have reached out to us with tips to find her, or encouraging words, and I can't tell you how touched we are. It's funny the little good things that come from bad. We have all had times that we are (for one reason or another) hurting. And although I know how extremely worried and upset we are about losing our Uma - I know it could be worse, and that people are currently dealing with worse. But during these times, I really notice just how many truly good, caring people there are in the world. And that makes me so happy. We have received several calls, emails, FB comments, etc., from people just wanting to help. Complete strangers have seen my ads online and called to give me advice, even searched the animal shelters looking for her! The tiniest little things can make a difference when you are having a bad day, even just someone smiling and saying "hi" as you cross paths in the store. We all need to do these things more, because we never know when someone is hurting, or the tremendous difference these tiny things might make!

Anyway...

So, we started our search at 10:00 this morning and didn't quit until 8:00 tonight. Mind you, we are moving tomorrow and really should have been handling that stuff. And we have four weddings and an engagement session to edit. So, we went to the humane society - no Uma. We went to the county animal shelters - no Uma. We printed flyers and took them to all local veterinarian offices and PetSmart - no Uma no Uma. Until we reached Arizona Avenue Animal Clinic. When I walked in and showed the girl at the front desk my flyer, she FREAKED. She said Uma was THERE on Saturday morning. She said she was the sweetest thing and "it was so funny she just kept smiling"!! After that, I knew it was really her because that is her trademark. It looks like she is growling at first, and then you realize she is just a big smiling nerd. So, some guy brought her in and said he found her that morning and wanted her scanned for a microchip. They did, and didn't find Uma's chip. The lady told me a lot of times in older dogs, they will slip out of placed and get missed. So, that was frustrating, but at least we knew she was in the area and whoever had her was looking for us. They must not have a computer because I have posted Uma on EVERY lost dog website out there.

So....we took my friend (and previous beautiful bride) Mireya's advice for how she found her dog. We made 25 HUGE NEON POSTERBOARD signs, and put them at every intersection in the area. Then, we printed 50 flyers and taped them throughout a 3 mile radius of where she was lost. And at gas stations and grocery stores. Then I prayed like crazy.

I don't know. I am feeling pretty good. Whoever has her *should* be driving through the intersection to get to the 101 freeway soon. Hopefully he sees the crazy amount of signs and realized how much this dog is LOVED. And hopefully tomorrow or the next day brings a very happy blog post with some photos of our happy reunion. In the mean time, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to every single person who has been so kind to us. One of my favorite things about our business is that we have gotten to meet and befriend such wonderful people. I really don't understand how that has happened...but I am not complaining. Thank you.

(sometimes I talk way too much, sorry)

<3

Megan

Our Uma is MISSING

2011-04-11T00:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, there is a real "shot in the dark" chance of this actually working, but a chance is a chance. I need your help.

Our 8 year old pit bull, Uma, is missing. She was being babysat by my brother who lives in Chandler while we were shooting our destination wedding and in the middle of a move. She got out of his yard. We searched the pounds, humane society. I called the Chandler police and local animal hospital. I posted on craigslist, fidofinder, pets911 and petfinder. So far, nothing. If you are our friends on Facebook, you know that she has hip problems and had to have surgery in September. She is the sweetest thing and I am not kidding you, she smiles. Not like big open mouth, but she curls back her nose, shows you all her teeth and SMILES! She had a pink collar on.

Drew and I are heart broken. And if you can't tell, pretty desperate.

Now, like I said, there is a slim chance here - but if anyone sees her or can think of another good way of finding her, I will love you forever. And pay you. Or take your photo for free, or clean your toilets. I have been keeping this a secret from our daughter Keile, and I am so scared of the thought of having to tell her our Uma is not coming home! :o( Today was a hard day.

Thanks for your help guys.

<3

Megan

Karey and Nathan | Mesa Wedding Photographers

2011-04-10T00:30:00.000-07:00

Nathan was working the first time we met Karey - which seems like forever ago already. When we asked her about him, how they met, etc., she just gushed. She told us their whole story, and how crazy she was for him. But really, the look on her face said it all. When we got to meet Nathan, it really pieced things together. They are made for each other, and bring out each others fun, playful side. They laugh like crazy, are so affectionate, and were SO EXCITED to get married. The whole wedding went perfect for them, and we had a great time getting to help preserve that! :)

Karey was so dang happy...if you can't tell....

This was funny. So we were downstairs with the groomsmen, and I realized everyone was there, except Karey (who was hiding in her room from seeing Nathan pre-ceremony). So I went to see what she was up to, and found her sitting on the bed all alone, trying to watch tv, and looking like she was going to have a nervous breakdown! It was sweet. So we seized the moment and got some of my fav photos of the day.

Her shoes were her "something blue" and she had a little peacock feather clip to match. If you read my last wedding blog, you know I am a big fan of peacock feathers. :)

Karey's sister, being a good sister!

This made me cry. Karey lost her mom a few years ago, and because I lost my dad 4 months ago, I felt for her. Well, she opened a card and this little sticker with a humming bird fell out. Her mom adored humming birds. It seemed like maybe it was her mom trying to let her know she was there with her - it was an extremely special moment.

Now, while all this was going on, the guys (and Nathan's mom and sister) were downstairs celebrating :) Guys have it so easy.

Things quickly got pretty serious once Nathan saw Karey and her Dad walking up the aisle! That little guy is Nathan's adorable son.

We caught Nathan's mom crying. :) I''ve said it a million times on here, but I am going to WEEP when our girls get married!

And, they are MARRIED! And quite obviously, thrilled about it!

You definitely don't see this at every wedding! This was funny. Toward the very end of the night, when a lot of people had left, the dance floor became hilarious. Nathan and all his groomsmen/friends basically turned the floor into a dry slip-and-slide. They were having such a blast, it was awesome. Here, Karey is directing the whole thing!

At the end of the night when we were getting ready to go, Karey and Nathan were so dang sweet - they even yelled out and made everybody around them tell us bye and thank you! It was funny, and a first!

Thank you both for letting us share your special day with you! I am so glad it turned out just how you wanted, and now you are beginning your new lives as a married couple! We wish you both the very best in the world!

Venue: Mesa Convention Center
Getting ready: Marriott
DJ: Starz Entertainment
Cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes

Ashley and Darius | Arizona Wedding Photographers

2011-04-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...so excited to finally get these posted! We just love Ashley and Darius and had such a blast at their wedding. They are so much fun to work with and have this really playful, loving energy between them. Their wedding was already three weeks ago - but since then, we have gotten hit with the flu, a move, 3 weddings (one on a cruise), and a couple other sessions. So to make up for the wait....this may be the longest teaser posting yet! Which is easy to do, because they had WAY too many good photos to choose from!

Ashley looked so stunning and had all kinds of pretty little details planned. I really loved her hair do and head band!

Her mom came along to the salon and just looked so proud of Ashley as she watched her get all dolled up.

Ashley's dress fit her perfectly, and even did a special trick :) Wait for it...

I fell in love with the little ring boy and flower girls. Ashley's mom made the little flower girl dresses AND bridesmaid dresses! I was quite impressed.

Gorgeous view from their suite.

This card turned out to have a funny story to come along with it...again...waaaaait for iiiittt...

I don't remember how many times I told her how pretty she looked, she really made a gorgeous bride!

The church was beautiful, and by luck, they happened to have flowers out that matched Ashley and Darius's wedding perfectly, which delighted them.

When we met up with Darius and the guys, he had a perma-grin plastered on his face :)

When Darius saw Ashley coming down the aisle, his face suddenly changed as he was fighting back tears, it was so sweet

A rose for Mary :)

AAAND the moment they have been waiting so long for!

Now, here's the funny story behind that card. So, Ashley sent over this really sweet card for Darius to read before they got married, and he sent one over for her as well. Well, when she opened it, she just busted out laughing so hard - they got each other the EXACT SAME CARD! Pretty cute. Of course, when she read whatever it is that he wrote, the laughter turned into happy tears.

Their wedding party was a blast!

This one is high among my list of favorites from the day -

This was too cute. Their wedding planners Amy and Mrs. Hancock worked so hard to pull off Ashley and Darius's vision and were so excited to show them, they had them come take a little sneak peak before the reception. When Ashley walked in, she just started to cry...hard....

They had a buffet of all kinds of little truffles, with take home boxes for the guests. Not only was it adorable and delicious smelling, but Ashley's mom personally made every single little truffle! Now that's love. :)

Another beautiful cake from Bamboo Bakery. We just love them.

This was the second wedding we have shot with the Phoenix String Quartet, they are so talented.
They had so many wedding colors, it was beautiful. They were all kind of peacock inspired....and I adore peacocks!

This was a major dancing group, the dance floor was packed all night!

Even the flower girl was getting down :)

Check out her dress now! The bottom part ripped off to turn the wedding dress into a cute little party dress!

The great debate on whether they should smash the cake in each others face, or feed it to them sweetly. They went with the sweet approach :)

They were the center of attention, the way it should be.

Congratulations you guys! We have been so lucky to get to know you both over the past year, and you have been nothing shy of wonderful to work with. Your happiness and love for each other is so obvious, and we are delighted for you both!

Wedding Planners: Mrs. Hancock's
Flowers: Events by First Rose
Linens: Y-Knot
DJ: Starz Entertainment
Church: St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church
Venue: Eagle Mountain Golf Club
Cocktail Hour Music: Phoenix String Quartet
Cake: Bamboo Bakery

Janell and Tom | Scottsdale Engagement Photographers

2011-03-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am going to make this a quick one, because I told Janell and Tom I would have these up yesterday and they have been so excited! Our friend Morgan at Catz referred them to us, and we couldn't be any more grateful - such a really fun, happy, and incredibly cute couple!

We started at Olive and Ivy, where they first met, right there at the bar! Janell wasn't much into it when she first got there, but decided to stay there for just one drink. Maybe it was luck...or fate...but their lives haven't been the same since!

Same exact spot! There was actually someone else sitting there when we arrived, but they were ever so sweet enough to give up their spot for us. People get so excited about that. If you tell someone you are getting married, they'll do anything for you!

Check out her rock! I need to tell you how Tom proposed, because it is way too cute. They were back in her home town Michigan visiting her parents. Tom arranged to have this adorable pink horse drawn carriage come to pick them up, and proposed there! Her parents knew all about it, it must have been so hard not to react! (I love that story)

I reached a little kid level of excitement when I saw the beach cruisers they brought! Janell's is all colorful and girly, and Tom's is an old army replica - super cool. Janell said "mine has a bell", which apparently drives Tom crazy, and then would occasionally ring it when they would pass by some people...and Tom would just kind of roll his eyes. Every time that bell went off, I cracked up laughing.

Tell me this isn't the cutest thing ever...

I forget how tall Tom told me he is...I think like 6'5?! That means Janell can wear whatever high heels she wants with her wedding dress! :)

Thanks so much guys for making our jobs so easy and fun! :o) Very excited to hear all the wedding plans you guys make, and see you tie the knot next year!

Laura and Craig | AZ Engagement Session

2011-03-10T23:42:00.000-08:00

If Drew and I were engaged again, I think I would have our session here! I loved absolutely everything about this day - Laura and Craig are outgoing, smart, tall and good looking, funny, and madly into each other. They perfectly looked the part for the quaint feel of the orange tree patch and little general store. I could have shot here all day long with these two, but honestly, I think we had enough great photos after about five minutes.

They are getting married in Sedona this May, and we couldn't be any happier for them. They are both so alike and fit perfectly with each other, we have no doubts that they will have a long and happy life together!

When we pulled up to meet Laura and Craig, they were sitting right here on this bench. They looked so dang cute there, we had to make that the starting point of all photos.

If you are ever looking for something random to do, you should go check this place out. It was quite adorable!

On top of being utterly adorable, they were hilarious. I feel like I was laughing 80% of our session, and they were too.

These might be my favorite two from the day...

It was pretty amazing how they went from all cutsey lovey dovey to super serious fashion model in like a 1/2 second. (they said they aren't photogenic at all, and I am pretty sure they truly believed that)

Love this too. Looks like a scene from a movie kinda...

As if the session wasn't cute enough, we wrapped things up with getting some ice cream in the little general store. Ahh..

Thanks again for the fun afternoon guys! We wish you all the happiness in the world!

Alison and Ryan | Scottsdale Wedding Photographer

2011-03-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

We were so excited to get to watch Alison and Ryan tie the knot last Saturday, we had such a blast with them on their engagement session last year, and we knew their wedding was going to be gorgeous! The weather reports all said it was supposed to rain that day, and it had Alison's stomach in knots in the days leading up to it. However, Mother Nature was good to them, and gave us a nice overcast day full of soft lighting to shoot in - with NO rain!! The day went perfect and Alison and Ryan are officially married, and I think on their honeymoon in Thailand. I'm a bit (or a lot) jealous!

Alison's dress was stunning! And I absolutely adored the hanger!

The girls got ready at Hotel Valley Ho, I just loved their suite, so many cute colors and awesome vintage theme!

The little flower girl was precious. And the makeup artist (makeup.adriana@gmail.com) they had did a wonderful job!

Alison looked so gorgeous in her dress!

Love this. Little girls always seem so fascinated by the bride, they'll just sit there and stare in awe..

I title this one "No 'I' in Teamwork"!

Here's Ryan looking all dapper...waiting for Alison to come sneaking up..

One of my favorite parts of the whole day. You can almost hear their hearts beating faster, trying not to cry.

Love this one, too! The bridesmaids were so excited up there.

Alison and her girls, all so pretty!

And the studly dudes...

The church, see how pretty the sky was?

Ah, another tear jerker moment. Alison's dad looked so proud the whole day.

Ryan and his parents, followed by Alison's mother and brother-in-law

They made it! I always wonder if the little ring boys and flower girls will start to wander off or do something funny. None so far, but when it happens, it'll be a great photo. :) (P.S. If you look closely, you can see Drew, and Sarah from Princess Bride video at the end!)

The flood of emotions, changes so quick between happy,nervous, crying. It's a beautiful moment.

These guys, Simply Three, rocked. They even did Beatles songs!

It was our first time shooting at Sassi, loved loved it. SO many great photo spots, and the room was phenomenal.

Really loved all the pretty pink colors in the day!

From the ultra-popular Bamboo Bakery, I Feel like 50% of our couples use Bamboo. Which makes me happy, because we love those guys!

And the gorgeous flowers in different shades of pink, from Events by First Rose!

This might just be my favorite, so romantic

We got to go in the kitchen!

Yummy food!

Alison and her dad...

And Ryan and is pretty mom!

Aaaand party time, where we are pretty much guaranteed to get some hilarious photos. The DJ (doliverson@msn.com) was awesome at getting everyone out of their seats, and on the dance floor!

Congrats again, Alison and Ryan!! Thanks so much for including us in your day, and we hope you have the time of your life in Thailand!

Erica and Jeff | San Diego Engagement Photographer

2011-02-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we trekked out to San Diego for a seriously fun engagement session with Erica and Jeff, who are getting married next January. While emailing Erica, I found out we have a whole heck of a lot in common - including the fact that they are getting married on Drew and I's dating anniversary! I think that guarantees them a good luck wedding day. :) Anyway, they were both total troopers and put up with us making them hike all over rocks to get to some incredibly beautiful spots! After the beach, we headed up to the Gaslamp District (where they met) to finish off the day. Beautiful location, nice weather, and a super awesome and friendly couple - can't go wrong!

There were a bunch of little tide pools hiding between the rocks, added a little challenge but it was so fun looking for crabs and sea anemones in them. :)

This one is among my favorites, so peaceful and serene.

I've always loved this statue, so when Erica asked if we could shoot by it, I was all OVER it! To make it even sweeter, Jeff used to be in the Navy.

Yet another fave. :)

Erica used to do a lot of beauty pageants, so she felt quite comfortable with working the camera. On the other hand, Jeff said he was pretty shy....actually, he said he hated having his photo taken and Erica said he always sticks his tongue out. But, he did totally awesome and you would never guess it!

Getting a little steamy in the art gallery :)

Thanks so much you two! We had a blast and can't wait for the wedding!

Paula and Bill | Scottsdale Engagement Session

2011-02-24T14:05:00.000-08:00

I met Paula over the telephone, after she was referred by one of our wonderful previous brides. It's funny, our world has become so computer savvy I almost never get phone calls - usually just emails. Paula told me about her engagement, wedding plans, and how she met her soon-to-be husband, Bill. It was a heart warming conversation, because you could just hear in her voice how "over the moon" happy and in love she was. They have the cutest story, too. Paula and Bill met in Las Vegas through a mutual friend and saw each other a few times over that weekend. They didn't feel any instant sparks, but after they both went home, Bill said he thought "oh man, when am I going to see her again"? Bill called Paula and asked her on a date, only problem was he lived in Chicago and Paula lived here in Arizona. They didn't let that become a problem, and they have been flying back and forth to see each other ever since! We had the good fortune of working with them the day after Bill came to town, so they were so happy and cuddly the whole session!

They are so sweet to each other, and kept saying things like "I have waited my whole life for him!", and "as long as you get her beautiful smile, it'll be a great photo"!

My NEW New Year's Resolution!

2011-01-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

So I have decided that I fit well into the category of people who completely fail on their New Year's Resolutions within just a couple weeks of January 1st. Sometimes I think it would be better to just set no resolution at all, because it's almost like if I go through the trouble of naming something "my resolution", I just stamp a big guarantee on it that it will never happen! However, luckily for me, my birthday is on January 30th so that gives me another chance to start a new year...and I seem to have better luck with that. :)

I actually set the bar a little higher this year and created five things I want to be way more awesome about doing. One of those things is blogging, which was a resolution, and as you can tell, I have been failing at...miserably. And I don't know why. I love my blog! I love my readers! It's so fun when we are shooting a session or meeting with a new couple and they tell me they feel like they know me so well just from reading my blog. So, this year (as of the 30th), I vow to get more personal on here, blog at least 4 times a week, give tips for our fellow photog readers, vendor spotlights for our fabulous engaged couples, and whatever the heck else is going on in life, for our friends who are bored at work. :) And I have a favor to ask....if I start to fail, write me a "strongly worded letter" or comment and keep me on my game!

I'd love so much to hear about everyone's resolutions (if they had one) and how they are doing! Feel free to leave a comment and let me know I'm not the only one who sucks at this. :op

Oh, and our baby Millie turned ONE on the 19th! Yep, it's been an entire year already! So I think I will pretty this post up a little bit with her chubby little one-year-old face!

I made her a little heart cake all to herself...she was in baby heaven.

Drew and I stayed up until 3am making our first fondant cake ever. It was far from the Ace of Cakes perfection I was striving for, but still pretty cute!

The birthday girl, proud big sister Keile on the right, and little neighbor Lilly on the left:)

And Millie, post cake!

P.S. If "get in shape" was on your resolution list, maybe you should do this to the stairs at your house/apartment/job!

Jackie and Matt | Engagement Photographers

2011-01-03T12:06:00.001-08:00

Jackie and Matt recently moved here from Nebraska, and wanted engagement photos with a real "Arizona" feel to them so they could show their family the beautiful place they moved to! We went up to Saguaro Lake, I love it there right at sunset. The mountains, sky and water all turn such a pretty range of colors and people who aren't from here tend to really love the cactus! They were such a fun couple, and up for all of our ideas we had for them - turned out to be a great session!

Jackie and Matt were total troopers, and hiked all over the place to get good shots with us. We started by climbing down these rocks to the shore. Added bonus: it gives us a nice little work out!:)

Stating the obvious here, but their wedding date is 05/21/2011, so we shot this for some cute save-the-dates.

I LOVED this little nook we found!It felt so secretive.

Jackie and Matt are huge Broncos fans, they had so much fun shooting in their jerseys!

These ducks LOVED them, they were just flocking to them, it was cute!

Big congrats, you guys! We had a blast shooting with you! We wish you both the very best wedding and marriage together! :)

Ashley and Darius | Northern Arizona Engagement Photographer

2011-01-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

We met Ashley and Darius quite a few months back, but decided to wait until December for their Engagement Session since they are so into Christmas and wanted to go along with the theme. We went and shot up in Prescott with a little stop in the woods along the way, so much fun! They are seriously the happiest people ever. Ashley will start laughing SO hard, it is just contagious and then I find myself start laughing right along with her. They are so sweet and cute with each other, and would crack jokes the entire time and have themselves falling over laughing! They had told us they were a bit shy in front of the camera...but...uh...I don't know where that "shyness" went, because they were a blast!

So, here they are! Next time you see them will be sometime in March, only they'll be all dressed up in their wedding clothes!

I loved this spot. It looked like the tree just grew perfectly to fit to people in there!

This one is my personal fave!

The Prescott Courthouse was surrounded by Christmas trees, lights, and music. It was beautiful.

Cam & Dani | Arizona Wedding Photographers

2010-12-31T12:41:00.000-08:00

Cam and Dani are a pretty amazing couple, who live about a two-minute walk up the street from us! We have gotten to know them quite well in the past few months before their wedding, and now consider them our friends. They are kind, strong, and just an unbelievable cute an in love (now married) couple! Plus, they are about as obsessed with Disneyland as I am, which makes me like them even more! :)

I have never missed a wedding, and Drew and I have never had to shoot without each other. I had been so excited to watch Cam and Dani start the new chapter of their lives together... and then just a few days before their wedding, I got some horrible news and found out I wouldn't be able to make it to their wedding. I was super bummed, but knew Drew could handle it! Our good friends Mindi and Rich Verdi who have the kindest hearts offered their help, and went to help out Drew and document Cam and Dani's special day. I was so excited to look through all the photos, and felt so happy when I saw them. They both looked so overwhelmingly excited the whole day, and my heart just feels so happy for them both!

Drew started the day with Dani getting ready

Dani looked so classic and stunning...

And she was super excited about it!

Afterward, Drew ran to capture a few shots of the guys hanging out and relaxing, before running back to shoot Dani getting in her dress! Guys have it so easy on the wedding day!

Dani's dress was absolutely perfect.

I love this one..

More bright colored, funky shoes! You know how I love the bright, funky shoes!

Check out her bouquet! They had a ton of unique little details. I had so much fun finding all their little touches in the photos!

Cam rebelled from the typical tux, and had all the guys dress *Cam Style*! Here he is, going to meet his new bride pre-ceremony. I have really fallen in love with this part of the day, when couples decide to do photos before the wedding. It is SO exciting to watch their face right as they are seeing each other for the first time as a bride/groom. I can only imagine how fast their hearts must be beating!

Next, everyone went for a little stroll to make some beautiful photos with just the two of them. So bummed I missed it, they are really fun to shoot with. :(

I adore this spot, so cute. It looks nothing like Arizona!

Next, they stumbled upon this cute little barber shop. Drew said everyone was all excited for them to come in!

Okay, no more photos, time to get married!

Cam and his guys, and his last few moments as an un-married man!

Dani and her beautiful Mom!

Love this. When I first saw it, I thought they were all doing some kind of gang sign, haha! Drew said the Minister taught everyone this really cool thing with his hands that shows the Chinese philosophy on why we wear our wedding rings on the ring finger. I found it online here, it's pretty awesome!

Mr. and Mrs. Nesper!

Cute cake toppers!

This cracks me up

Time to party!

I want to kiss this little girl on her little pink cheeks! She looks so much like my little Millie

And to end of a fabulous day, they were sent off with rice!

BIG congrats again, Cam and Dani! We love you guys!

Kelly & Andrew Wedding | Arizona Wedding Photographers

2010-12-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, just so we are clear, it's Megan again! Drew was extremely excited to hand the blogging wand back to me when I got home, and that is good! I can think of nothing better to get-back-to-bloggn' about then Kelly and Andrew!

Hmm, where do I even start? There are so many things I could sit here and gush about these two. They are so genuinely sweet... to us, to each other, and I am guessing to just about everyone they meet. My only worry was they might be shy in front of the camera...but OH NO! It's funny, we point the lens toward them, and they just come to life. They get so into each other, into the moment, and it is wonderful! They have both been so excited for their wedding, and planned everything with great detail.

We have always talked about the "what ifs" with our jobs as wedding photographers. It isn't a normal job, you don't call in sick. Well, for Kelly and Andrew's wedding, that happened. Two days prior, I was hit with the devastating news that my father died. After that sunk in for a few hours, I remembered I had a wedding to shoot less than 48 hours afterward, and had some serious decision making to do. Our insanely sweet friends Mindi and Rich Verdi wrote me and offered to help, free of charge. But, knowing Kelly and Andrew and how sweet and comforting they are, I knew I could do it, and had to. They were so loving and gentle, and really showed me how good people in this world can be. And it helped me in a way, to be reminded that in our lives there are good times and there are bad. And of all the things in life, what is so very much the most important are our loved ones. And that was something to celebrate and be happy for!

And on that note, here is just a little glimpse into their day, and the fresh start of their lives together. To Kelly and Andrew's family, their photos will be posted here once the rest are all done: http://pictage.com/948521. If you go in and sign their guest book ahead of time, you will receive a free print credit and notification when they are up!

Here's Kelly, getting all dolled up!

Andrew sent over these roses, with a cute little message tied to each one. He has her bridesmaids periodically hand her one every few minutes while she was getting ready. The last one was waiting for her on her chair at the reception. So romantic!

Kelly made this shirt for the occasion, too cute.

Love the funky purple shoes! Bright colored shoes are so fun. You see this very traditional, beautiful bride in white, but underneath are hiding these colorful little girly shoes you would never expect.

After the girls were pampered to perfection, we headed over to the church for the real fun to start. Here, Andrew was anxiously awaiting while reading a card from his soon-to-be wife.

Andrew getting all cleaned up! Interesting fact: Andrew is also a photographer! He takes some amazing landscape shots...you can see them here. There are so many great wedding photographers in the world, and it is so flattering that another photographer chose us!

Meanwhile, while the guys are peacefully putting on their final touches...there was some serious craziness going on in the girls' room! I have never seen so many people help out with getting a dress on, it was fantastic!

Kelly saw a photo from a wedding we shot a couple months ago (Natalie & Scott), where we turned the bride into a "cupcake" by squeezing her down into her dress. She wrote me an email and thought it was so funny, because she had just done that the day before when she was picking out her wedding dress! She sent me photos they took in the process, so, it was completely necessary to bring back the cupcake. And as you can see, she loved it.

Just moments before the ceremony, it starts to become so real..

Kelly's brother and grandmother

Kelly was walked down the aisle by her Grandfather, who was very much of a father figure to her growing up. She told me ahead of time how much he meant to her, and how much she just adores her grandparents. The look on Kelly's face when she came into the church and was about to tie the knot almost made me lose it..

Andrew looked so delighted! I couldn't see his face from the back of the church, so I was excited to see Drew's photos from it. In each one, he looks like it's the moment he's been waiting for his whole life.

Kelly and Andrew really decked out the church. They had rose petals along the aisle, flowers all over, and covered all the windows to make give it a more intimate appeal. To lighten things up, they lit tons (probably hundreds) of little candles along the side windows. It was so pretty.

They got so excited afterward, they literally did this little sprint/happy dance up the aisle. They both started laughing after, because it was totally unplanned

Between the ceremony and reception, we stopped briefly at this gazebo. They love gazebos and come here for their anniversary every year!

Villa Siena was breath taking, we hadn't shot there before so we were super excited!

The guys got to unwind for a bit in the groom's room...and catch up on a little football. :)

This spot looked like something straight out of a fairytale book!

We could have stayed right here, taking photos of her all day. Kelly makes a perfect model.

Okay, off to party-time! And their first dance..

Andrew dancing with his Mom, I can only imagine how that must feel for her. I am sure she was remembering when he was just tiny, and now here he is, married, all grown up and so much taller than her. Hopefully she felt proud, because she raised a good man!

They had little chalk boards on each table, with a note asking people to write a message on them and have their photo taken. What an awesome idea! I loved seeing what people came up with.

And a fabulous ending to a fabulous day

Sara & Zach | Phoenix Engagement Photographers

2010-11-30T15:44:00.000-08:00

This is Drew, (AKA - Mr. Mom) Megan is currently in New Orleans dealing with family affairs, while I am trying my best to hold down the fort. Most people in this situation, I imagine, would be excited for time alone. Not me though, when you spend every waking moment and sleeping moment for that matter with the one you love, any amount of time apart feels extremely depressing and seems like it takes forever! I can't wait for my better half to get back home!

Sara and Zach both live in southern California, but they will be getting married at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort next April. We had originally met with Sara's mother and sister to discuss plans for their wedding. After meeting with them we knew right away that they were going to be a fun couple to work with. On one of their short visits here in AZ, mixed between meeting with their DJ and food tasting at the Wild Horse Pass, We grabbed them for a short engagement shoot in the Ahwatukee Foothills behind Sara's parents house. Enjoy!

Sara and Zach brought their chocolate lab named Lola along for the fun.

Sarah & Josh | AZ Engagement Photographers

2010-11-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This is Drew again. Sarah and Josh have been waiting patiently for these so I will make this a quick post.

Sarah and Josh are getting married next year in their hometown Iowa, but they wanted to have engagement photos done here and we are glad they did! We hadn't met them before their session, so we really weren't sure what to expect. We were so happy when they walked up - such an awesome couple and they were totally into each other and making awesome photos with us. They wanted their photos to have green grass and a summery feel...it is amazing how difficult it can be to find green grass in Arizona!

We started our shoot off in Fountain Hills for a quick picnic. Sarah and Josh are super cute and fun couple, they were total naturals in front of the camera, and as you can tell by how happy they both look in these pictures, they had a total blast!

I love this picture, they look so happy and in love!

The day couldn't have been any nicer out at the lake. The mountains in the background looked so amazing.

They were having so much fun, they both couldn't stop laughing!

This one could possibly be one of my favorite pictures EVER! This spot looks so peaceful and they both look so content and happy.

Megan & Eric | Chandler Engagement Photographers

2010-11-24T17:47:00.000-08:00

Before I get started on this post I would just like to let everyone know that this is Drew writing this, Shocking I know! I’m normally grounded from doing any sort of blog posting, writing is not really my forte as I’m sure you will soon see. :) Besides, when you have someone that writes as good as Megan, why would you want to. Megan is going through a really tough time right now so I figured I would pick up some slack and start helping out with the blog. So don’t expect to hear any of the cutsie little words that she uses all the time in her posts!

We met up with Megan and Eric in the beginning of the year and knew right away that we were going to love working with them. While coming up with ideas for their engagement session, they decided that they really wanted to include their two dogs Dodger and Guinness. These dogs are hilarious together. Dodger (The golden retriever) totally reminds me of the dog from the movie Up named Doug. The whole time we were shooting I kept thinking to myself… “SQUIRREL”

Megan and Eric busted out these two bride and groom ducks for the dogs to attack, they looked all fresh and new here but a few min after this they were destroyed!

Here is Dodger and Guinness. See, doesn't Dodger look like Doug?

And just like that, ducks are gone!

Eric almost lost his hand with this one!

Next, we headed over to Eric's parents house. As soon as we pulled onto their street it seemed as if we were in another state. Very cool neighborhood, I had no Idea that it was there. It couldn't have been any more perfect for the next part of their shoot.

It was Ironic that the first fortune cookie that Megan opened had the message "Flowers would brighten the day of your close friend." right after Eric had given her some.

After a bit, Eric's inner Eagle Scout surfaced and he ran inside to see if his dad would care if he carved their initials into one of their trees.

My Dad

2010-11-20T17:07:00.000-08:00

I tend to be a pretty private person, and have never used this as a place to share extremely personal parts of my life. But something very tragic happened recently, and I just can not imagine not acknowledging it here.

I got woken up to the some of the worst news yesterday morning, and the thing that no person ever wants to hear. Drew was sitting next to me, and said "I have horrible news I wish I didn't have to tell you, your mom called, your Dad is dead". We went to my mom's house and my brother came, and we just spent the day talking and remembering him. My dad lived a short life, he was only 57. I wanted to share a little bit about my dad, how me made my world a better place, and what he means to me.

My dad was born on February 11, 1952 in New Orleans. He, his twin sister, and older brother were raised by his Grandparents who took them in. He always loved animals and would tell us crazy stories about the turtles, roosters, and even the monkey he had growing up. My mom reminded me yesterday about how during Mardi Gras, his grandpa would hide behind the TV and throw beads out to them and they would get all excited catching them. He met my mom in the French Quarter, and a year later they were married. She said they had an instant chemistry. My dad didn't have the easiest life, and suffered through many difficult points. He was in a house fire in his 20's and spent several months in a hospital with a badly burned leg. Years later when I was a kid, he had to have it amputated and it caused him a lot of pain to this day. He and my mom also endured the death of my baby sister, Emily, who died of SIDS as an infant. I know he is with her now. Although he had lived through some difficult times, I admire my Dad's positive outlook on life. He found happiness in the little things. He didn't hold grudges and was quick to forgive. He accepted me for who I am, and told me all the time how proud he was of who I grew up to be.

When we were little, my dad worked on weekdays and my mom worked weekends so there would always be a parent there with us. On the weekends, my dad always took us on roadtrips, I think I have seen every square inch of the state of Arizona with him. Some of my favorite memories are on those trips, and I can't drive out of the Phoenix area without thinking of him. I would get to ride up front with him a lot, and I can still remember looking up at him and asking him a thousand questions. He would always answer,and I thought he had to be the smartest person in the world. He later told me that half the time, he didn't know the answer and would just make something up so I wouldn't think he was stupid. He listened to Cool 94.5 and would sing me all the sappy love songs in his raspy-southern-accent voice. We would go and explore all over, and when we found a dying animal, he would always let us take it home! We have had some of the weirdest animals in that house, a baby raccoon we found dying, a hawk we rehabilitated and set free, all kinds of things. At the time, I never wanted to go on the road trips and now I just wish we could go one more time. My dad told big stories, I don't know why, maybe to spark our imagination, but crazy wild stories. He was always really tan from being outside constantly, and we would ask him why he was so dark brown... he told us he was 1/2 indian. He told us about growing up with bows and arrows and speak "indian" to us. We would always crack up laughing because he would end whatever jibberish he was saying in "poo poo". I think we always knew he was not serious, but would beg him to tell us the stories anyway.

As time went on, he and my Mom ended up splitting and going their own separate ways, but I know that they would always have a love for each other. My dad moved back to New Orleans, where he had a lot of his childhood friends and could fish and be outdoors like he loved. He really hated the hot Arizona summers. I loved when he came home to visit, and he was here for quite a while when Drew and I had Millie in January. Although, my Dad just looked different this time and he didn't seem healthy. He was so happy to see how Keile had grown, and to see his new granddaughter. A couple months later, he called me and said he had been having a lot of very alarming health issues. He never tended well to his health. He ate a cajun diet and hated vegetables, he smoked and avoided the doctor as much as possible. I begged him to go to the hospital and get checked out. We went together just he and I, and in a weird way, I am very grateful to have had that time with him. He sat there in his wheelchair in the ER and started to cry. He told me he thought he was going to be dying, and that he figured maybe God helped me have Millie so that he would come back and be able to see me and my brothers before he died. They ran a ton of tests, and couldn't find anything wrong. He was released which upset me, because I still felt like there was something not right and the doctors were missing something.

He recently went back to New Orleans, and the last time I talked to him, he was so happy. He told me he missed me and would be back for the holidays. He knew I wasn't real happy with him for leaving, I wanted him to stay here. But he said he was having fun, going to all the festivals, being with friends, and happy. That was our last conversation. On Thursday he went to a get together at a friend's house, and started to not feel well. He went to lay down, and passed away in his sleep. I guess whatever it was that the doctors could not find, finally really surfaced. That day we had gone to the hospital together, he told me that he would never want to live in a wheel chair or unable to be outdoors. He never wanted to feel like an inconvenience, or be trapped inside. So, I guess maybe it is good, because now he won't have to. He passed away peacefully, and he was happy.

My dad was a wonderful man, and will not be forgotten. My heart aches that my little girls will not get to grow up and know him better, he won't be able to take them fishing, and they won't hear his crazy fairy tails. But his memory will live on in me forever, and I know that I will see him again someday.

This was my dad in our old house I grew up in. He was putting up a basketball hoop. My older brother said he drove by that house a couple weeks ago, and the hoop at fallen down and was just lying there.

This is my Dad and Mom, one of our many little drives, I think this was in Sedona.

My Dad and my little brother Andy. He was wearing his Motorola shirt. I used to get to go with him there for "take your daughter to work day". He let me drive one of the little golf carts once, and I crashed it and he got in trouble! I felt like he was proud of me on those days, and would take me to introduce me to everyone. I felt special that I got to go with him, and will always hold that close.

This was us on a vacation we took to New Orleans. His face makes me laugh here, he looks so happy. He was outdoors, and he loved it. Me, I hated it at the time, as you can see.

My dad and brothers on vacation in California. My dad is one of the only people I know who looks good with a mustache. He shaved it off once, and it looked so weird, like he had a bald face. Other than that, he has always had that same hairdo and mustache.

This is my dad more recently, when he came to see baby Millie. He is now known as "Papa Nemo" a name Keile gave him when she was 2. He called her Mingo. It was started after a disagreement over Finding Nemo where he was pronouncing it "Nemo" and she kept saying "NO! It's MINGO!" after that, it just stuck. I figured Millie would grow up calling him Papa Nemo also.

I asked him to babysit one day while we had a meeting with a client. He was so scared, because Millie was the same age as my little sister was when she passed away. He told me he would do it, but that it was hard on him. When I came home, he was in the exact same place as he was when I left, just holding her on the couch. He seemed so relieved.

Dad, I love you. I pray that you have found happiness and peace, and not a day will go by that I will not think of you. Thank you for the memories, and for being you. You will be missed!

Lyndsay & Mick | Paradise Valley Wedding Photographers

2010-11-15T21:59:00.001-08:00

Lyndsay and Mick were married last Saturday at the Paradise Valley Country Club, and words really cannot describe what a fun time we had shooting it... but I will try. Lyndsay and Mick are the kind of couple that when you look at them, you think "how on earth did you find someone exactly like you"? They are both tall and ridiculously good looking (they even have these little matching dimples in their chins!) yet, are also incredibly humble and kind hearted. They planned the most beautiful wedding at PVCC right at sunset, and just seemed so at peace and happy all day long. They had a pretty big group, and everyone seemed to have a blast, dancing the night away. They gave us no shortage of beautiful things to shoot, and we are so thrilled to share a few (well, quite a few) of them here!

The girls got ready and Lynday's parents' house, and the guys got ready at the Montelucia!

Mick pulled a slick move and sent over three bouquets of flowers - one for Lyndsay, her Mom, and Grandmother. They each came with a sweet little note...nice job, Mick!

This is Lyndsay's Grandma getting the flowers and note. She told me how happy she was that she now got to see all of her grandkids get married!

Lyndsay's dress was just perfect for her. Her mom was sweet enough to help us out and let us set this up in her back yard. :)

There were 9 bridesmaids! When we got there, all their shoes and pearls were laid out for them, with name tags on each one. Too cute.

This is Mick, those suspenders only lasted for about 5 minutes. Long enough to catch a photo!

The first thing I noticed when I looked at this photo is that he has such a big grin, while washing his hands. One hour later he was a married man, and I think he was pretty dang excited for it.

This had us cracking up. So we were standing by the bathroom, when we hear "DANG IT!" yelled through the door. A couple seconds later, one of the groomsmen emerges, holding a tiny white shirt. Apparently, his wife accidentally packed the wrong undershirt for him! I love when people don't sweat the small stuff. :)

They had these trolleys transporting everyone from the venue back to the Montelucia, so nobody would have to drive. Pretty cute, especially since Lyndsay and Mick just moved here from San Francisco.

The girls doing their final touches in the locker room before the wedding..

Lyndsay looked absolutely amazing in her dress!

Everyone was just celebrating and having fun all day, so nice and stress-free. Paradise Valley Country Club did such a fabulous job keeping everything coordinated.

The centerpieces were adorable, this one being my favorite!

Check out this one! The florist from Camelback Flower Shop was sweet enough to explain to me what this was...but I...*cough*...seemed to have forgotten.

Lyndsay and Mick chose to do a "first meeting" before the ceremony, so they could get their photos done and just celebrate afterward. This turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the day.

They cried, smiled, talked, hugged and kissed. It was so romantic. All the while, Lyndsay's Mom and posse of bridesmaids peeked from behind me!

Mick and Lyndsay aren't very big fans of having their photo taken. Their engagement session was only about 10 minutes long, and their wedding couple's session was about the same. Lucky for us, they are beyond photogenic, and we manage to get some of my favorite shots ever in these tiny periods of time!

The bridal and bridesmaids bouquets were so fun to shoot:

Time to get married! Lyndsay and her mom, followed by her girls!

Loved these floral details to make the beautiful golf course ceremony even prettier!

Lyndsay's Dad didn't hug her when he gave her away, he squeezed her! I can only begin to imagine what parents must be feeling during these moments, and what it will be like when my daughters get married someday. It was so obvious how much Lyndsay and Mick were both loved by their parents.

I love photos that really require no caption-

It's official!

Great shot of Mick's parents walking their grandson/ring bearer up the aisle

This was shot during the cocktail hour, as the final touches were being put on the reception

The first dance, if you were just looking at them, you wouldn't have known there was another person in the room. They were so into each other and the moment.

At the end of the father/daughter dance, Lyndsay started to cry and held her hand over her face. It made me cry then, and is making me cry now!

Later in the night, the groomsmen went off to smoke some celebratory cigars, and were more than happy to have their photo taken!

Lyndsay and Mick, thank you a thousand times for including us in your day! We are so extremely happy for you both, and wish the very best for your new life together!

Special thanks to these amazing vendors:

Ceremony & cocktail hour music: Mike Breen

Reception music: Cold Shott and the Hurricane Horns

Flowers: Camelback Flower Shop

Venue: Paradise Valley Country Club

Transportation: Ollie the Trolley

Christina & James | Chandler Engagement Session

2010-11-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

Christina and James are yet another super cute couple, getting married next October. They were both all nervous about their engagement session with us, but I don't know why - they totally relaxed and looked so good!

Christina has these really light eyes that are so fun to photograph..

We played around in downtown Chandler for a bit..

Christina is the oldest of her siblings, and James is the baby of the family. They told me they get along really well, because they still kinda play that role. I thought that was sweet!

James has this Impala that him and his family have spent a lot of time working on, and wanted to include in the shoot. We found this spot right behind the San Tan Brewery that seemed to work perfectly!

Cam & Dani | Phoenix Engagement Photographers

2010-11-06T00:24:00.000-07:00

We met Cam and Dani at a bridal show earlier this year, they came by our booth and we just instantly clicked. They are an awesome couple, and having good photography was MAJOR important to them...which is always nice to hear! We knew we were going to have a blast at their engagement session, they were so excited and just became putty in our hands. They are getting married this December at the University Club, and we can not wait! They have some pretty cool things planned, and I am pretty dang sure I should skip the mascara that day! (Reminder, this blog is written by Megan...Drew doesn't wear mascara)

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When you crack a lame joke, they laugh their butts off. When you call "serious time" they go all model-tastic! Sure makes our jobs a peice o' cake.

Their actual names are Cameron and Danielle, but they introduced themselves to us as "Cam and Dani" and I just love the way it sounds, so they will always be Cam & Dani in my book. Good thing, because they tattooed it on their fingers! Nothing says "I love you forever" like permanent ink!

Cam works for Apple, and we all geeked out in iPhone convo the first time we met. This next photo was just too fitting to NOT do it..

We found this new ice cream shop in Old Town called Chip & Ruby's. It was so cute! I need to remember to take Keile there soon... so old fashioned and colorful. The staff there was really sweet to put up with us and allow us to take photos there!

And, one of my favorite photos I have ever taken, to end things with...

Katie and Alex | Phoenix Engagement Photographers

2010-11-03T02:08:00.000-07:00

We met Katie and Alex a few weeks ago, and knew right away that we would love working with them. They have known each other since high school, and even dated very briefly back then. Only, at the time, there was really no interest there! They both went on their separate paths, and after a few years, reconnected. By this time, they had grown up and changed in ways that made them perfect for each other, enough to spend the rest of their lives together! I love that story. If someone would have told them back in high school that they would one day get married, they would have freaked out! It's so funny how life changes, and you really can never anticipate what's going to be next!

I love that in most of their photos, Katie and Alex are either laughing or just giving each other this "look", like they just know what each other is thinking. Their eyes light up and they give each other this little smirk. As photographers, we can't make them do that, it just has to be there.

There were these light poles that constantly changed colors, and were really awesome. We asked them to slow dance in them... I was half tempted to not tell them to stop and just see how long they would keep dancing. They seemed so into the moment and each other that they payed no attention to us at all! Which, by the way, is perfect.

Really loved Katie and Alex's outfits! They looked so classic.

Alex had this idea (I love ideas) where he wanted to do a little skit. He wanted to act like a stranger walking along, who just happens to pass a pretty girl sitting on the bench, and decides to come talk to. Turned out cute! But when he started kissing her... I assumed the "skit" was over. :)

Outside the Hotel San Carlos. Awesome place!

They brought this frame along, as well as a couple other things that we are saving for a later date. :)

Angie and Chase | Chandler Wedding Photographer

2010-10-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

We had the lovely pleasure of shooting Angie and Chase's wedding on Saturday, at St. Andrew's church and Ocotillo Golf Resort! You may remember Chase and Angie from their engagement session earlier this year. They really make an adorable couple together, and just looking at them makes you feel happy. They both have big sweet hearts, and they interact so sweetly with each other. Chase's Dad told me after the wedding, that they are always like that. He said even when they are mad at each other, they are still so dang sweet! Their wedding was beautiful, they were beautiful, everyone had a blast, and it was a perfect day.

Angie's dress was absolutely stunning, and we found this spot in the meditation garden at the church that seemed like it was just meant for it!

She was so beautiful...

I was extra excited to shoot at St.Andrew's, as it is just a mile away from my Mom's house, and the church I went to when I was little!

Chase and his brother, getting their final touches before the wedding. Chase had that same happy face on the whole day!

The second photo here cracks me up!

Angie and Chase are the most photogenic couple ever, they can not make a bad face! And their feelings for each other really lit up in front of our cameras.

They both really love their sunglasses. At the engagement session, that was a complete must that we had to incorporate them. So, when I asked them if they wanted to put their glasses on for a few shots during their couple's session, they were all for it!

Their beautiful bridal party..

They had so many cute little details in their wedding, and the colors fit perfectly with the golf course location!

These hung from the back of Angie and Chase's chairs

Angie started to cry during their first dance, and was tucking her head into Chase and trying to fight it. He had this look of "awe, you are so cute, don't cry!"....which was starting to make me cry, so I had to keep the camera in front of my face so nobody would need to witness my goofy "I'm about to weep" face!

During his toast, Angie's Dad told her to stand up, and then he started his speech with "you all see a beautiful 23-year-old woman standing in front of you, and she is, but I still look at her and see my sweet little-three-year old girl". Yet another tear jerker! Parent speeches always tug at my heart. I look at our little girls, and know that one day that will be me looking at them and wondering how they have grown up so fast. I start imagining what the mom/dad must be feeling, and my lip starts to shake like it's twenty degrees outside. But you can see in her Dad's face, just how proud he was at that moment.

Throw your hands up and SHOUT!! A little bit softer now...heeeey!

This little boy was 10, and he ruled. I was talking to him for a minute and he said "you know, I can dance". And I said "oh can you? Show me!", and he ran out onto the dance floor and started up with some crazy break dancing moves that would give me a concussion if I even tried! He had a huge group of people crowd around him looking amazed for about 10 minutes!

Chase's brother gave an amazing toast..

The Sullivans! Congratulations to you both!!!!

Paul and Chelsea | Arizona Wedding Photographers

2010-10-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, we are heading out the door to a wedding, but I had to post up teasers from Paul and Chelsea's wedding before we go!!

These two crack us up. Chelsea told us ahead of time that she was not wanting the big Cinderella wedding, she just wanted their big Polish family to come celebrate with good food, lots to drink, and to party their butts off! It worked out perfectly for them, and everyone had such a blast the entire day.

Chelsea and Paul decided to see each other before the wedding, they met privately outside, and the look in each of their eyes was priceless! Chelsea is all into her motorcycle, and is a pretty tough chick (she really wanted to get married on the track), but when she saw Paul, her inner mushy side really came out! (Sorry Chelsea, it's true!)

And she sure looked pretty!

In true Polish tradition, they did a hand binding at the ceremony. Super cool!

This is Paul's Dad. He was smiling this huge every time I looked at him! He was impossible not to constantly photograph. During the reception, he grabbed the mic and started singing a traditional Polish song to Chelsea and Paul, then the entire family joined in. It was awesome!

Polish flavored vodka, and Pierogies!

After Chelsea's brother gave his toast, he ended it with "Mom, I told you I would make you cry!", and of course, he did. :)

Paul's Mother and nephew. You can tell that little boy just has her wrapped around his little pinky!

Holiday Mini Sessions are here!

2010-10-10T00:13:00.000-07:00

Yep, it is already that time of year again! The Arizona weather is so awesome right now, so of course, wedding season is in full swing. We need to allow ourselves enough time with our Holiday Mini Sessions to shoot, edit photos, and order cards & gifts in time - therefor, it is time to start planning!

Holiday Mini Sessions are adorable-little-baby versions of our normal Family Sessions, at less than 1/2 the cost! In 20 minutes, we take a a mix of however many traditional (posed) and casual (natural) photos we can fit in - which you can use with our custom designed holiday cards and to order fun gifts for friends and family (8x10's, canvas prints, wall collages, albums, etc.)

Unfortunately, due to the high demand of our mini-sessions combined with our packed schedule, there has to be a few restrictions. And I hate restrictions! But, we are only scheduling our mini-sessions on ONE DAY - Sunday, 11/7/2010. Full Family sessions can still be purchased for a separate date. Also, the sessions are short, so no outfit changes. :( However, we try to keep all our sessions fun, relaxed, and creative - so feel free to bring along pets, props, and tell your kids they will be able to play and have a fun time! We aren't your typical Mall portrait studio. :)

Now, on to the details...

$99 includes:

{} 20 Minute Photo Session

{} 1 8x10 of your choice & one watermarked lo-resolution file

{} Customized holiday card design

{} Personal Online Gallery for 30 days - view/print/share images from the comfort of your own home.

{} Professional retouching of all images

{} Cards starting from $2.00 each

Due to the nature of our mini-sessions, Hi Resloution discs will not be available. You will receive a watermarked image (suitable for emailing or online use) for each photo purchased.

We have limited availability for Mini Sessions, and time slots will fill quickly. Please contact us at info@drewandersonphoto with any questions or to schedule your shoot. See ya there!

Jennifer and Will | Arizona Wedding Photographers

2010-10-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

Our couples spend so much time planning every little detail of their weddings, and it is such a great feeling to watch the whole day unfold so perfectly for them. Jennifer and Will were definitely one of those couples - both of their faces were so lit with joy the entire day! They were married last Saturday at St. Gregory Catholic Church, with a reception following at the monOrchid. We loved everything that they had planned, and it sure made for some great photos!

I read somewhere recently that bloggers should keep the amount of photos in their posts to a minimum. Screw that! There were so many great photos from this day, I wish I could post a thousand more. Slideshow will be up in a few more weeks, enjoy the "teasers" for now!

A few of my favorites from the girls getting ready, Will sent her a large canvas print from their E-Session with us, it came out awesome! And then Will's brother brought her a bottle of wine that his parents drank from to celebrate HIS BIRTH! All of these years, they have been saving a glass for his future bride. How amazing.

And the guys getting ready! Check out Will's face when he saw that Jennifer got him a new guitar! The pocket watch and cuff links have been in the family for years, there were tons of very sentimental things incorporated into their day.

I love love love the huge stained glass windows in this church, the wedding had such a powerful and intimate feel.

We loved shooting at the monOrchid. It is literally built for photography, and the dance floor basically becomes a big portrait studio. The dance shots crack me up!

That's all for now... Jennifer and Will, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for allowing us to be a part of your day! We are so happy for you both!

Natalie and Scott - Teasers!

2010-09-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, our "teasers" section is getting a little out of control lately, and I'm kinda feeling like I should come up with a new word for these posts... as 83 images is hardly a "tease"!

Anyway, we are so excited to bring you part 2 of Scott & Natalie's week-long wedding celebration! In case you don't remember, Natalie and Scott had their wedding ceremony on 8/31 with a reception following that Sunday. We started the day off at The Farm at South Mountain, where they completely rocked their couple's session. By the end of it, I was telling Natalie "your reception is starting! We should go!" to which she replied "Ya know what? My photos are the only thing lasting from this! Let's keep going!" And that is one of many reasons why we love them. The reception was at the fabulous Inspirador, where we got to have a blast shooting some of the most killer dance moves we have yet to see! We were so happy to see the day turn out so wonderful for Scott, Natalie, and their families... and stay tuned for the rest of the set soon!

ahhh, Monday!

2010-09-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

I know it's only the beginning of September... but I am already getting so excited for all the holidays to come, it's ridiculous! It's always so much fun getting to see miss Keile get so into it, and these will all be Millie's 1st holidays!

Speaking of which... check out these crazy photos I found while cleaning out a dresser drawer the other day!

The creepy looking clown in the middle is me! Ha! I think my Mom had a little too much fun with face paint that year... my older brother is an astronaut and the little one is a "lovable huggable kissable monster". This photo makes me crack up!

Here is Drew and his brother visiting one crazy looking Easter bunny... Drew looks terrified! Maybe it's because he can see the guy's human nose peering through the bunny eye?!

P.S. Our dog, Uma, goes in for major hip surgery tomorrow. :( Wish her luck!

Strawberry Shortcake & Brides

2010-09-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

Most of you know by now that this blog is written by Megan, Drew's wife, but in case you are new here... I figured I better preface this post with that information!

When I was 8, I had this Strawberry Shortcake doll where you could push her into her dress, and it would turn her into a strawberry-scented cupcake. I thought that was the coolest thing ever, and whenever I see a bride with a really poofy dress, I always want to turn her into a cupcake! We shot Natalie and Scott's reception at Inspirador on Sunday, and did their couple's session photos at The Farm at South Mountain. Natalie and Scott couldn't make our lives any easier, and really light up in front of our cameras. They went for all of our ideas... even turning her into a cupcake! When Scott ran back to go get the car so Natalie didn't have to trek across The Farm in her heels (gentleman), I figured it was the perfect opportunity to try my funny strawberry shortcake experiment while we waited. I, however, didn't expect Natalie to look so hot in the process - check her out!!!

Cheers to our up-for-anything Brides!

Chelsea and Brandon | Alaska Wedding Photographer

2010-09-04T00:06:00.000-07:00

WHOO! Finally just finished up with Chelsea and Brandon's photos from their wedding in Alaska! We came back with thousands of images to go through, and I am just so excited to finally get to share them. :)

Chelsea and Brandon, you are two of the happiest, kindest, most loving people I could find. Watching you get married made my heart so happy, because you completely deserve each other. You deserve every amazing thing life has in store for you, and we are absolutely thrilled for all your hard work to pay off! Thank you to you (and your family) for being so good to us (and Keile!) while we were there, you will always have a special place in our hearts! Big congratulations to both of you!

Natalie and Scott | Arizona Wedding Photographers

2010-09-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

We have had a serious love for Natalie and Scott since their Engagement Session with us...actually, we knew they were going to be awesome since our very first meeting! They split up their wedding into a week long celebration, which started with their ceremony at Sun Valley Christian Church on Tuesday. Yes, Tuesday! They have always told each other "831!", meaning 8 letters, three words, one meaning - I love you! So now, 8/31 will always be their wedding date, how cute is that?!

Here are a few photos from their ceremony, more to come from the wedding reception at Inspirador this weekend!

Kelly & Andrew Full Post!

2010-09-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

Kelly and Andrew are getting married in just a couple months, and we can't wait! Here is the slideshow from their session with us in Sedona and Flagstaff a couple weeks ago!

Wer'e back, baby!

2010-08-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

We finally have our shiny new Facebook site up and running, wahoo! If you were one of our beloved friends on the old account, you may have noticed we suddenly vanished - didn't do that on purpose! So, if you want to hook back up, you can go to: www.facebook.com/DrewAndersonPhotography or just click HERE!

Now, we are off to shoot Natalie and Scott's wedding. So excited, will post pics soon!

And because photos make blog posts all that much better, here is a photo of little Keel we took in Denali Park...

The baby won't stop growing!

2010-08-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had so many things going on, that you feel like you blink your eyes and it suddenly Monday turns into Thursday? That's kind of how I feel, only more like January has turned into August. :o) We have so many exciting new things we are about to unveil, but for now, I think it is about time for a little Millie update! (Okay, a few people have not-so-gently reminded me that I needed to)

Our little 7 lb infant has ballooned into a 21 lb baby who crawls, blows raspberries, and slaps me in the face daily...and I am still trying to figure out how this happened! It amazes me how a tiny little thing can claim her place in this world so quick, and totally dictate all the adults around her.

Here's us the other day in her new kitty suit. They had these at Costco and it was just so dang cute. I don't think it will actually be her Halloween costume, we just like to laugh at her rolling around the house in it!

P.S. I dyed my hair brown... what do ya think?!

She is the happiest baby on the planet...

We went to Nana's house to visit the other day, and she had these flowers on her coffee table. Matched perfect!

Nana's crazy. She is obsessed with "in the tree" photos. When Keel was a baby, every photo had to be "in the tree"....so we did this one, for Nana!

Kelly & Andrew | Sedona Engagement Photographer

2010-08-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Meet Kelly and Andrew, our adorable new clients who are getting married this November! Kelly and Andrew went to High School with each other, but did not begin dating for a little while later. I think it is so funny that they must have passed each other in the hallway a hundred times, having absolutely no idea the future love of their life was just two feet away! Small world. They couldn't be any more made for each other, and their incredibly sweet personalities and love really lit up in front of the camera! Andrew is an amazing fine-art photographer, and they both love the natural beauty (and cooler weather) of Sedona and Flagstaff. We started the session at L'Auberge de Sedona, and really could have stayed there all day, relaxing by the creek on the soft green grass! Later, we took a drive up to downtown Flagstaff, and stopped at some sunflowers on the way. It was such an amazing time, and I can't wait to share the wedding photos in just a few months!

Congratulations from the bottom of our hearts, Andrew and Kelly! Thank you for making our day so much fun!

Baby Eden | Arizona Newborn Photographer

2010-08-19T23:43:00.000-07:00

Drew has been friends with Morgan and Keri since High School, so when they asked us to come do a shoot with their new little girl, Eden, we were elated to say the least! Little newborns are only "little newborns" for such a short time, and we were honored to be able to capture baby Eden's 8th day in the world! Eden was quite the little showoff, and totally worked it for us as she lifted her head and made every different facial expression in the book. She is a little model in the making!

Check her out...

This one is by far my favorite! She has so much personality packed in her tiny little body!

She was faking. She knew it would be cute.

Proud Mama! Keri and Morgan's faces were GLOWING with pride!

The Wicker Family | Teasers

2010-08-12T12:29:00.000-07:00

Kristal and I went to school when we were little, so I was super excited when we recently reconnected, and I got to meet the new adorable family she scored since I saw her last! It was so fun getting to see her as a wife and mommy, and her husband Matt and two boys, Clay and Aaron, couldn't have been any cuter! They were such a happy little family, and we had a great time getting to take their photos!

Here are just a few from our day, more to come!

Aaron playing the AIR GUITAR!

Clay, teaching me how to bury my feet.

I love this one!

Sisters :)

2010-07-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

It is so nice out today, actually, it is crazy wild storming outside - but a great change from the dry heat we have had all summer! Makes me want to go get all cuddly and watch a movie! :)

But first... I had to post these photos real quick! While we were in Fairbanks for Chelsea's wedding, her Aunt contacted us and asked if we could do a session with her three daughters. They were playing their violins at the wedding, and we thought it would be so nice to have them play for some of the photos. We met in the early morning, and went out into the middle of this huge flower field, and they all played for us. It was so amazingly beautiful, and I wish every morning could start that way! Here are just a couple..

Bump in the road...

2010-07-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Friends,

Today is a sad day in Anderson-Land. We woke up this morning to an email from the trusty Facebook team, letting us know that the Facebook profile we have worked so hard to build over the past year, as been permanently deleted! Today, I will mourn, pout, and grieve the loss of our special friends and the fun we have had sharing our work with you on that page. But, here is to moving on and new beginnings! By Monday, we will launch our fancy new Facebook profile! Heck, let's make a party out of it, and we will post "friends only" specials on it all week! Of course, I will keep you updated and let you know when we are up-and-running!

Thank you to all of our loyal friends, and see you on the new page soon! (sniffle, sniffle)

Love,

Megan and Drew Anderson

Cassie and Rod | Sedona Wedding Photographers

2010-07-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

We just finished up with Cassie and Rod's slideshow from their wedding at their resort, Red Agave in Sedona last month!! I get so excited to see all the photos put together in a slideshow, it was such a beautiful wedding. At the end of the day, Cassie and Rod told us it was exactly how they imagined, and we were just so happy for them.

Psst! If it runs slow, just turn of HD

Baby Colton

2010-07-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

Check out my friend Heather's new little son, Colton! Heather found out she was pregnant not too long after I did, and was the cutest little pregnant girl ever. If Colton looks familiar at all, I think he looks just like his sister Peyton, who has graced our blog a few times! I am so excited to watch this little guy grow and be friends with our Millie, but he has some serious catching up to do! :o)

Such a happy little baby!

I love this one, looks like he is checking out someone out!

Drew and I shoot everything, everything together, so I was a bit nervous going to shoot these all by myself! BIG CONGRATS to Heather and Chris for making such a handsome little boy to add to our world!!!

Bust out the tissues...

2010-07-20T00:01:00.001-07:00

Remember Stephanie and Moe? I hope so, they are the newlywed couple we ran into on our boat cruise in Alaska...that I just blogged about in the below post! Well, Stephanie's sister Amanda posted this video on Facebook today, and it was such an awesome moment - I thought it could be great inspiration to all our bride and groom to be's! Or, if you just feel like crying. The speakers from the camcorder do Moe's voice no justice, the whole thing was just amazing. We were super excited to hear that Moe is turning his talent and DJ experience into his own wedding and event DJ business, too! Anyway, check this out....

(P.S. If you look in the background, you will see Drew and I buzzing around!)

Seward, Alaska Boat Trip!

2010-07-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

So almost every summer, we take Keile to Sea World in California to see Shamu and all the other cute little marine animals. So when we were planning our Alaska trip and found the boat tours they had which took you looking for wild killer whales - I was ALL OVER it! I think they are one of the most amazing, beautiful, powerful animals, and I just love them. To get there, we had to drive 8 hours from Fairbanks to Anchorage, and then another 2.5 hours from Anchorage to Seward. I am so mad at myself, because the drive into Seward was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen... and we have ZERO photos of it! We were in a crazy rush to get to our boat before it left, and didn't have time to stop - we figured we would make lots of stops for photos on the way back up. Well, it poured the whole way up and we were all soaking wet and tired from the 7 hour boat trip, so that didn't happen either! :(

Anyway, the boat was amazing, and we got to see our Orcas! The even crazier thing... we ran into Stephanie and Moe!!! You might remember them from just a couple months ago, we shot their wedding back in April. They were there honeymooning, and just so happened to be on the same boat as us - it was awesome. Plus, they had forgotten their camera, so we came in quite handy. :o)

Right after we took off, we passed these little guys! They were so funny, and just floating along on their little backs. It was hailing, freezing, and ice chunks were floating in the water, but they looked like they were in paradise!

It was so cold and wet, our clothes were hanging off of us... but it was impossible to stay inside the nice, warm, boat. It was SO beautiful!

I wasn't all that excited for the glaciers. I thought they would be pretty, but I didn't quite get what was so exciting about ice. I was wrong! They were amazing, and I swear, they moo! They have been there since the ice age and are constantly shedding, so they make these really loud creaking sounds, like they are filled with cows! It is funny.

The waves got pretty intense from the storm, and our captain had two hooks instead of hands. I was a little worried about that, but he did an amazing job!

Steph and Moe! They are so dang cute, and totally added to the fun of our trip! Look how happy and "newlyweddish" they are!

They finally came, when the trip was almost over. I was pretty bummed, because I heard one of the workers telling someone he hadn't seen them in a while. Well, then the boat stopped and they told everyone to run out. There were two separate pods of Orcas, and a mother and baby Humpback Whale! We just sat there and watched them play... it was perfect. I loved the little baby Orca!

These were the Humpbacks

Their tails are HUGE!

We were a little worried about Keile, because she was sick on the airplane the whole way up! We got her some motion sickness bracelets and Bodine, and it worked like a charm. At the end, they gave her a Junior Ranger badge, which she loved. From that point on, anytime we went hiking anywhere, she would say "I need to lead the way, I know what to do, I am a junior ranger".

Isn't it cool how blue they are?! The captain said it is because they soak in color from the sky, and then just freezes there.

Okay, more to come!!

Chelsea and Brandon Wedding Teasers | Destination Wedding Photographers

2010-07-14T19:46:00.001-07:00

We are home from Alaska! We had such a great time, and got to see so much in just a week. Lots of photos and stories to share... but that can wait until a little bit later. First, I had to share a couple photos from Chelsea and Brandon's wedding in Fairbanks! It went off so beautifully, beautiful people, beautiful location, beautiful weather... did I forget to mention it was absolutely beautiful?! Both Chelsea and Brandon, and their families, were so warm and welcoming to us. Made our jobs and week so much fun!

Here are a few "teasers" for now... more to come soon!

They gave us so much to work with... these are Chelsea's adorable shoes hanging on a fence in her parent's back yard.

Chelsea and Brandon rented out an old car museum for their guests to mingle in while they had their couple's session. It was so awesome, they had cars from the early 1900's in perfect condition... perfect for the guys!

Chelsea's mom and dad got married in this same church, how cool is that?!

Aaaaaaand it is official!

I love this, they are both glowing! In the far left photo, just left of Chelsea, you will see my daughter Keile! They treated her like family, and let her join in on all of the fun!

After the ceremony, we went to the Botanical Garden in Fairbanks. It was so quaint and romantic, and I loved getting to watch Chelsea and Brandon unwind and let the whole "married feeling" soak in. :)

This may be one of my favorite photos, ever. This is at Cramer's field in Fairbanks. The flowers just went on forever!

Seriously, they could not have looked any more amazing.

Chelsea and Brandon need no coaxing during their sessions. They are just naturally so cute the way they interact with each other!

Their first dance as husband-and-wife! They will have about a million photos of this. All their friends and family were so happy for them, there must have been 100 cameras flashing! Awesome!

Okay, so many more to come, can't wait to share with you! We are thinking we need to start shooting more Alaska weddings. The all day sunlight, incredibly sweet and loving people, and gorgeous scenery were SO up our alley!

Jaina and Chelbie | AZ Family Photography

2010-06-29T02:27:00.000-07:00

We had a fun mini-session with Jaina and her little sister Chelbie (and their adorable little pup) last week in front of the Love sign! I was so excited as they walked up, in their matching outfits, all excited for their session. They are two beautiful, happy, bubbly girls, which makes the shooting part so fun! Jaina had contacted us because she wanted some cute photos of them to give her dad for Father's Day - how sweet!

Cassie and Rod | Sedona Wedding Photographer

2010-06-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Cassie and Rod both live in South Dakota, but flew down here to Sedona to get married at the resort Rod owns - The Red Agave. Their wedding really couldn't have been any easier for us. Planning an out-of-state wedding, you would think things could get pretty stressful, trying to make sure everything is perfect. When we met Cassie, Rod, and their family, everyone was just so sweet and excited about the day. They had their ceremony at St. John Vianney, which had huge windows with mountain views, right behind the altar. The weather was so beautiful outside, and they were able to have their reception at the Red Agave outside in the grass, which was surrounded in the big, red, Sedona mountains!

We are still working on the rest of the photos, but here are a few "teasers" for ya, in the mean time!

Cassie looked so dang beautiful, and I just loved her dress!

Just a couple minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start, Cassie came here to wait, and Rod was just on the other side of the wall! She looked so excited to know he was close by. I don't think he even knew she was there!

This priest was awesome. He has been with the family for years in South Dakota, so they flew him down with them to marry them! He had many of the guests crying at a few parts of the ceremony, and stayed to hang out with them all night!

The Bradleys!!! I get really excited during this part, for a half of a second, I almost throw my camera down and start clapping!

The colors in the flowers were so beautiful, and really went so well with all the greens and reds of Sedona

Right behind the Red Agave, is this huge open area with a trail. We were so excited to be able to shoot their couple's session in there, although I thought I might have to talk Cassie into it. When I mentioned it, Cassie said "Oh yeah! I know just the spot!" and then pulled up her dress and lead us on a hike about 20 minutes up the mountain! It was perfect :)

Their rings.... I loved the little picket fence. It is all that separates their resort from one of the prettiest places in the world.

The cake was beautiful and so so yummy!

And apparently, this little man agreed with me! These two little boys were so hilarious, and just typical little boys. At one point, I caught him running toward my cup with a shovel full of rocks... later, I found my cup completely full of rocks!! I almost died laughing.

First Dance, so beautiful!

Rod and Cassie - thank you so, so, so much for allowing us to share this day with you. You are both such a beautiful couple, and you pulled off a gorgeous, fun wedding. We are so excited for you both, and hope you are having a blast in Hawaii!

Come back soon for the rest of the set!

The Kennedy Family

2010-06-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of working with Erika and Kyle last Saturday, and their adorable little pups! Erika is good friends with Jennifer... which, if you follow our blog at all, you know Jenn and Jeff quite well already! Anyway, Kyle and Erika are adorable little newlyweds, and their chemistry made them so easy to shoot! Plus, we love when kids or dogs are involved, because they do such silly things that make everyone laugh!

So sweet! We were really REALLY fortunate that day, because for some odd reason, Arizona summer decided to break away from it's 100+ degree temps and give us a beautiful 87 degrees!