My Anniversary, Random Facts, And A Sneak Peek

Yesterday was my 2 year blog anniversary, and it's crazy to look back and see how far I've come and how much I've grown since then.  What was merely a spark is now a wildfire, and I'm loving every minute of it.  When I quit my day job this past March, I never thought that Fall of the same year would be as busy and crazy as it has been.  Taking that leap was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

But looking back at my blog I realize I don't talk much about myself.  Well, because I hate talking about myself.  I find other's lives much more interesting than mine!  So here are a few random facts about me on my bloggiversary:

• I put ice in my milk because I like it super cold.  My husband finds this both strange and disgusting.
• I spend about 7 minutes brushing my teeth.  I'm pretty sure I have some mild form of OCD.  Chris thinks I'm ruining my gums, but I boast that my dentist always says I have beautiful teeth and always gives me a clean bill of health.  
• I like going to the dentist.
• After I brush my teeth I get a runny nose.  The upside is that when I use a tissue, it smells faintly of Chris' cologne since the box sits on his sink, and it makes me happy.  
• Bright sun makes me sneeze.
• I fidget.  A lot.  My mother used to tell me I was shaking my luck away.  But I assure you I feel like one of the luckiest girls in the world to have an amazing husband and a job I absolutely love!

Okay, enough about me, and onto someone else.  :)  Here's a sneak peek of Erin and Daniel's engagement session from earlier this week.  I can't wait to blog the rest!

Happy Friday!!

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New York Bridal Market Part II: The Martha Stewart Weddings Event

When Liv invited me to the Martha Stewart Weddings party I just couldn't turn it down.  She told me about last year's event and it sounded like so much fun!  When we first walked in we had our picture taken with Darcy Miller, Editorial Director for Martha Stewart Weddings.  Darcy is totally cute and completely sweet!  We then made our way around the room, enjoying all the fun stations set up on the peripherals and catching some of the fun bite-sized passed hors d'oeuvres, which included sushi, tacos, burgers and many other foods.  Details weren't overlooked as some of the passed trays also included mini drinks, including a rum and coke served in the tiniest coca cola bottle.  

I was also starstruck seeing some of the industry's most talented designers, and to be standing just feet from Reem Acra, Amsale, Claire Pettibone and Monique Lhullier.  Not to mention passing by Randy Fenoli of Say Yes to the Dress several times.  

The color theme was citrus and pink, and I loved this lucite installation hanging above the ice bar.  

Cupcakes by Cake Power...

A spread of meats, cheeses and crackers...

Floral boutonnieres by Matthew Robbins Design...

Liv with the lovely ladies of Hitched Georgetown!

And we took a behind the scenes tour of Martha Stewart's HQ offices.  Here is post production hard at work...

One of many inspiration boards...

Studio space...

Amy DeGiulio, owner of Sugar Flower Cake Shop, was giving a pulled sugar flower demonstration...

And lastly, here are the lovely ladies I had the pleasure of spending time with during Market and at the party: (front row) Aruna Seth and Nia Louise of Aruna Seth; (back row) Kimberly Allen and Jennifer Charles of Something Fabulous, Kate Saur and Liv Hart of Enchanted Atelier, Maud Lescroart of Sophie Hallette, Melissa Bolin of Kitty Andrews Millinery, and yours truly - one lucky gal!!

Thank you, ladies, for making the night so special, and thank you Liv, for having me along!  Loves!

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New York Bridal Market Part 1: Enchanted Atelier & Aruna Seth

I recently returned from New York Bridal Market, where I was invited by Liv of Enchanted Atelier to spend some time at her suite and also attend the Martha Stewart Weddings event.  I've had the honor of shooting Liv's last 3 look books and it was wonderful to see one of the culminating events of her hard work.  Bridal Market is where Buyers and Press come to see her following season's collection for the first time.  She had so many fabulous pieces to showcase and I loved seeing them all on display.  I also had fun trying a few on...it's so hard to resist!

Jennifer Charles of Something Fabulous did a wonderful job designing and installing Liv's suite.

I absolutely adored Maud, whose family owns famed French lace house Sophie Hallette.  They provided Liv with the lace for a new line in her collection.

Liv shared a suite with Aruna Seth, a UK-based designer who creates beautiful Italian handcrafted luxury designer shoes.  Her incredible heels have been worn many celebrities.  I loved getting to finally meet Aruna after using her shoes in our look book shoot for the past two seasons.  

(Here's Aruna on the left, and Nia on the right.)

Her famous bridal butterfly heels...

I loved getting to experience Bridal Market.  And tomorrow I'll be blogging Part 2 - the Martha Stewart Weddings Event, including a behind the scenes look at Martha Stewart's headquarters! Pin It

One Of Those Days...

Ever have one of those days?  The ones where you can't seem to get anything right?  Where you leave the house for a couple of errands, only to discover while you're driving that you left something at home for one of them?  Where you have so much to do that your head seems to spin?  Where you can't seem to answer emails fast enough?  Or process images fast enough?  Where you can't seem to keep your cat from digging shredded paper out of the shredder bin?  Where you're so stressed that you get irritated with your husband when he calls and sweetly asks you what you'd like for him to pick up for dinner?  Yeah...that's me today.  And on these days, I know that if I don't laugh, I'll cry.  So here are a couple images of me, taken by my friend Maria Vicencio at a recent wedding.

I tend to hate photos of myself - I make a lot of weird faces.  This is why I'm behind the camera.  This one I don't mind so much...

This was after I caught her taking pics of me...

Happy Wednesday, and remember to find humor in life, even on those days! Pin It

Relaxing In New York City + Martha Stewart Party Sneak Peek

Sometimes I just need a little time away.  Whether it's immersing myself in a good book or going for a drive out in country, a little escape helps me to regroup and refresh.  This time my getaway was a trip to NYC.  And while I thought I would be super busy and that there was no way I could relax in the city, I found myself with plenty of time to walk around Central Park yesterday, listening to birds chirping in the trees; hearing the steady pace of runners come up from behind and then pass me; catching fleeting conversations of employees on their lunch break or friends having a picnic in the afternoon; and watching tourists take pictures of squirrels.  Yes.  Squirrels.  I don't know what it is about those furry little creatures, but I see this phenomenon all the time in DC.  Someone standing next to a national monument in our nation's capital......taking a picture of a squirrel.

While I didn't take many photos as I walked around (especially not of squirrels), I did snap a few here and there to remember how good it felt to relax and unwind....

Aaaaannnd....I can't wait to tell you about the Martha Stewart Party last night!  I'll be blogging the details in the next day or two, but for now here's a sneak peek!

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Sunrise

(Written this morning...)

There is nothing more glorious than a beautiful sunrise.  Except for more than 1.5 hrs sleep.  But since the latter didn’t happen, I’ll gladly take the former.  I’ve lived in Virginia for 23 years and this is the first time I’ve ever taken a commuter train.  Despite the 4:30 a.m. rise to get to Union Station after getting home late from shooting a wedding yesterday, I’m sitting on the train and taking in the sights of trees starting to change into their fall golds and reds.

I questioned traveling to New York in the middle of a busy wedding season (sleep is more precious than gold to me - ask my husband, who knows how cranky pants I can get), but seeing this morning’s warm golden sun rise gently in the sky and bathe all of God’s creation in its soft light has already made the lack of sleep worth the trip.  And cranky pants is currently at bay.

So here’s to a new day and new adventures; may they all be this beautiful...

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My Ties To Kate Middleton

She wanted me to photograph her wedding, but the Royal Family wasn't having any of that.  Alright, so maybe that was a daydream.  But...I did touch her wedding dress!  Well, okay, maybe not THE dress, but I did touch the lace from which Kate Middleton's dress was made.  And that has to be some sort of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon thing, right?

Famed French lacemaker Sophie Hallette has asked Liv of Enchanted Atelier to design a couture accessories collection from the Dutchess of Cambridge Leaver's lace pattern - the lace used by Alexander McQueen for Kate Middleton's wedding gown.  And not only did Liv bring the lace over to my house for some photography, but I also got to see the pieces she made from it during our recent photo shoot for her Spring 2012 collection.  I can't wait to release the images from the shoot after the collection launches at New York Bridal Market this weekend!

I'm also excited to be joining Liv at Market for a couple of days. After shooting a rehearsal dinner tonight and a wedding tomorrow, I'll be taking an eeeaaarrrrly train to NYC Sunday morning.  I think caffeine will be the word of the weekend!

Now here's another sneak peek from our photo shoot of one of the new heirloom quality pieces from Liv's  collection.  I'm also excited to see this image featured on the blog What Kate Wore!

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Washington D.C. Wedding: Nicole + Kelly

The Occupy Wall Street protestors camped out on Freedom Plaza just outside her hotel and the closing of several blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue for the Taste of DC didn't deter Nicole on her wedding day.  She knew that what mattered at the end of the day was marrying the love of her life.  She sat quietly in the chair while expert hands applied her makeup, breaking out into smiles and laughs as her bridesmaids talked and joked with her.  And then as she moved about the room in silence with a calm facade, her eyes told the story of someone with a million things running through her mind.  She re-read her vows, bringing tears to her eyes, and then fanned herself with the paper to keep the tears from spilling and her makeup from running.  Nothing could hide the love she felt for the man she was about to marry.

I just love Nicole's Badgley Mischka shoes!

"...you constantly motivate and inspire me to want to do better and be a better person.  As we stand before God and our closest friends and family, I promise to continue to keep the Lord in our marriage first and foremost...."

Kelly getting ready at the W Hotel.  (Thank you Peter for capturing these!)

I've said it time and again, but I love when the bride and groom choose to do a first look!  They get to share a special moment together, just the two of them.

That look on their faces?  That says it all....

The loving looks and glances from Kelly to Nicole lasted the whole day through as he celebrated this day with his beautiful bride.

And as we were headed back for bridal party photos, we made a super quick stop at Union Station for a few photos under the repeating arches.

This cake from Edibles Incredible??  Oh. So. Delicious!!  The layer I had was lemon and it was sooooo good!  Just thinking about it now makes me want another slice...

Nicole's cousin sang a beautiful song he wrote just for her and Kelly...

Nicole and Kelly, I hope you are enjoying your honeymoon in Hawaii, and I'm sorry that some of your friends and family may see this post and these photos before you do.  (Just remember I told you that blog stalking while on your honeymoon is allowed and encouraged.)  ;)

Event Planner: Karla Mitchell of Kelley Cannon Events
2nd Photographer: Peter Bang
Accommodations: JW Marriott and W Hotel
Wedding and Reception Venue: City Club of Washington
Hair: Fiona
Makeup: Mahogany Williams of Maze Me Concepts
Flowers: B Floral Event Design
Cake: Edibles Incredible
Ceremony Musician: Ben Young of Disc Jockeys on Call
Reception DJ: Aaron Couch of Disc Jockeys on Call Pin It