While I was back on the island over New Years I was excited to see that not one but TWO of my upcoming 2012 couples were adventurous enough to do an island visit in the middle of winter. While they were there we took advantage and organized engagement shoots...
Although it was chilly... it was so fun and an unique experience for all of us. I don't have the opportunity to do photo shoots in the snow very often!! Plus I love being able to share this magical island in the winter. It is such a beautiful and serene place this time of year that most of my couples never get the chance to see.
Although it was chilly... it was so fun and an unique experience for all of us. I don't have the opportunity to do photo shoots in the snow very often!! Plus I love being able to share this magical island in the winter. It is such a beautiful and serene place this time of year that most of my couples never get the chance to see.
Angela and Michael arrived on the island just in time for the first real snow... Michael had a little surprise waiting for Angela. Even though they have been engaged now for a bit, Angela didn't have a ring... in fact she wondered if she was really going to get a ring... well it was time. And I was privy enough to be witness to it!! She was so surprised. I could tell these two are going to be a couple of "clowns" and they liked snowball fights ... just check out the pics!! We laughed and laughed and laughed (I laughed when Angela got nailed with a snowball... and she laughed at my "graceful" fall)... So looking forward to the wedding...
then... a week later... the snow was melting... holidays were over, ... and Kate and David decided to travel all the way from Brussels to experience the island, see what its like and have an engagement shoot... how awesome... we may have been stomping around in slush by the time we were finished but it was well worth it... David got to do his "robot", Kate got to attempt to bike in the snow (and survived) and I got to hang out and laugh with two super cool people... Kate & David I will remember to bring the Genever to the wedding :-)
What a great way to kick off 2012... with 2 awesome couples, 2 unique photo shoots, and a chance to do something new!!
May this new year bring you all much joy, love, and happiness!
Love
A
then... a week later... the snow was melting... holidays were over, ... and Kate and David decided to travel all the way from Brussels to experience the island, see what its like and have an engagement shoot... how awesome... we may have been stomping around in slush by the time we were finished but it was well worth it... David got to do his "robot", Kate got to attempt to bike in the snow (and survived) and I got to hang out and laugh with two super cool people... Kate & David I will remember to bring the Genever to the wedding :-)
What a great way to kick off 2012... with 2 awesome couples, 2 unique photo shoots, and a chance to do something new!!
May this new year bring you all much joy, love, and happiness!
Love
A
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Even in the winter the island is a perfect backdrop...
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So I think I did a similar blog post last year around this time... but its true and it happens every year...
I LOVE coming home from being gone for the holidays to a mailbox FULL of holiday cards... just when the buzz and joy of the holidays are over... I get one last burst of merriment as I sit and open all my holiday cards... and one thing that makes this even more special is when I see that my clients include me on their holiday list (even though this year I slacked and never got cards out)... AND even more amazing is when they used my photography... there's a special warmth that hits my heart when I see the faces I have photographed through out the year smiling back at me on their cards!!
May your 2012 be off to a wonderful start... and may this year bring you all much joy, laughter, happiness and success in all aspects of your life!
Love
A
I LOVE coming home from being gone for the holidays to a mailbox FULL of holiday cards... just when the buzz and joy of the holidays are over... I get one last burst of merriment as I sit and open all my holiday cards... and one thing that makes this even more special is when I see that my clients include me on their holiday list (even though this year I slacked and never got cards out)... AND even more amazing is when they used my photography... there's a special warmth that hits my heart when I see the faces I have photographed through out the year smiling back at me on their cards!!
May your 2012 be off to a wonderful start... and may this year bring you all much joy, laughter, happiness and success in all aspects of your life!
Love
A
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Coming home to lovely mail...
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Machel and Maxime have one of those stories that make you believe in the power of love and serendipity!!
Machel, an amazing woman from San Digeo, was traveling in Paris with her best when they met Maxime, a lovely Parisian man. It was love at first site and they've been together ever since.
These two exude such warmth and tenderness with a huge batch of fun thrown in! I was so impressed with the importance they placed on their ceremony and keeping it intimate and special. They were in a circle surrounded by lavender bushes while their guests stood and watched from the perimeter. Even Jim (my incredible asst) and I stayed a distance away to keep the space solely about Machel and Maxime.
After the ceremony was finished ... the party began!! And boy was it a dance party full or laughter and some sweet moves.
Machel & Maxime, it was truly an honor to be a part of your special wedding. It was clear how important every guest was to you and you to them. Thank you for welcoming me into this circle for the evening. May you and Maxime continue to laugh together, and spread joy to the world. Your warmth and exuberance is contagious!!
Love
A
Special thanks to:
Jim Minics... my rockstar assistant
Saralee Franchi of XOXO Bride ... incredible event coordinator extraordinaire
Nico Cervantes... of NLC Productions...most amazing floral decor... I LOVE artichokes!!...
Ojai Valley Inn and Spa... for providing the breathtaking atmosphere and yummy food
Machel, an amazing woman from San Digeo, was traveling in Paris with her best when they met Maxime, a lovely Parisian man. It was love at first site and they've been together ever since.
These two exude such warmth and tenderness with a huge batch of fun thrown in! I was so impressed with the importance they placed on their ceremony and keeping it intimate and special. They were in a circle surrounded by lavender bushes while their guests stood and watched from the perimeter. Even Jim (my incredible asst) and I stayed a distance away to keep the space solely about Machel and Maxime.
After the ceremony was finished ... the party began!! And boy was it a dance party full or laughter and some sweet moves.
Machel & Maxime, it was truly an honor to be a part of your special wedding. It was clear how important every guest was to you and you to them. Thank you for welcoming me into this circle for the evening. May you and Maxime continue to laugh together, and spread joy to the world. Your warmth and exuberance is contagious!!
Love
A
Special thanks to:
Jim Minics... my rockstar assistant
Saralee Franchi of XOXO Bride ... incredible event coordinator extraordinaire
Nico Cervantes... of NLC Productions...most amazing floral decor... I LOVE artichokes!!...
Ojai Valley Inn and Spa... for providing the breathtaking atmosphere and yummy food
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Machel & Maxime.. what a story!
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As holiday card time is in full effect I thought I would blog a bit about portraits...
Often times clients are surprised to hear that I shoot portraits assuming that I jsut do weddings.. true my summer's are mostly full with weddings but I squeeze in a portrait shoot or two... Varity is the spice of life!
Plus I love shooting portraits. Espeically in the comfort of a family's home or favorite park. My portraits are a bit different then most... I focus more on capturing the moment and less on the perfect group shot with everyone smiling. I love to show each person's character and personality.
So... here are a BUNCH of portraits I've done over the past couple months.
Juliana and Joe called me this fall when they saw I was going to be in the Chicago area. I love it when this happens. I photographed Juliana and Joe's wedding a couple years ago and now their family has grown. They happen to be in Chicago the same time I was at the school where Juliana and Joe met (Lake Forest Academy). What a gorgeous school and so fun to hear the story of how they met. Can't wait to see you guys in CO this winter!!
This sweet little girl Ellie... is the daughter of Kate and Adam. This photo shoot came about in a unique way. I photographed Laura (Kate's sister) and her husband Dale's wedding a couple years ago. When Kate became pregnant they thought.. what a great gift ... a portrait shoot! It was fun to be a gift for someone else. I love photographing babies in their home, taking photos of the natural environment. as this period in life (when the babe's are actually staying still) is such a quick moment in time...
Oh little Dylan... well not so little. Dylan is the son of my dear dear friend Jen and Marc. I have been honored to photograph this little boy throughout this first year of his life. Its always fun to see how they grow. Case in point... he is not as still as Ellie was... this little boy is on the run! Which is so much fun to capture as he tries to crawl everywhere!!
Often times clients are surprised to hear that I shoot portraits assuming that I jsut do weddings.. true my summer's are mostly full with weddings but I squeeze in a portrait shoot or two... Varity is the spice of life!
Plus I love shooting portraits. Espeically in the comfort of a family's home or favorite park. My portraits are a bit different then most... I focus more on capturing the moment and less on the perfect group shot with everyone smiling. I love to show each person's character and personality.
So... here are a BUNCH of portraits I've done over the past couple months.
Juliana and Joe called me this fall when they saw I was going to be in the Chicago area. I love it when this happens. I photographed Juliana and Joe's wedding a couple years ago and now their family has grown. They happen to be in Chicago the same time I was at the school where Juliana and Joe met (Lake Forest Academy). What a gorgeous school and so fun to hear the story of how they met. Can't wait to see you guys in CO this winter!!
This sweet little girl Ellie... is the daughter of Kate and Adam. This photo shoot came about in a unique way. I photographed Laura (Kate's sister) and her husband Dale's wedding a couple years ago. When Kate became pregnant they thought.. what a great gift ... a portrait shoot! It was fun to be a gift for someone else. I love photographing babies in their home, taking photos of the natural environment. as this period in life (when the babe's are actually staying still) is such a quick moment in time...
Oh little Dylan... well not so little. Dylan is the son of my dear dear friend Jen and Marc. I have been honored to photograph this little boy throughout this first year of his life. Its always fun to see how they grow. Case in point... he is not as still as Ellie was... this little boy is on the run! Which is so much fun to capture as he tries to crawl everywhere!!
Fallen was such a ham for the camera ... so fun! I loved that JoBeth (her mom... and friend of mine for years) contacted me a couple weeks ago to do a quick photo shoot for their holiday card. I loved watching Fallen make up games with the bricks of the Mission. The Santa Barbara Mission is such an incredible place to do a photo shoot, especially if you are looking for a classic old-world style Santa Barbara look.
This is one Aubrei and her lovely husband and her 3 amazing girls! Aubrei is one of my closest friends. It has been amazing to watch as her family has grown. I love how each girl has a such a unique personality. We met up in Ventura one beautiful evening ran around a park and found that the light was just incredible... this was followed by an awesome Thai dinner!!
Oh Diana... finally this was my turn to tell you what to do :-) So, Diana is my trainer. She is the one who kicks my butt in the winter. I was thrilled when finally the tables were turned and it was my turn to tell her to sit, stand, smile... (granted she is usually telling me to lunge, squat, and push-up)... but still close enough. Seriously, it was so great to see Diana out of her workout wear and hanging with the family on the beach and what a beautiful and fun family!! (Eric, Diana's husband turned the camera on us and got a pic of Diana and I too)
Here we go. .. a few of my portraits.. I really do think portraits are fun.. its like capturing a moment in time when you and your family are at an era... whether its babies, toddlers, or teenagers... all so special.
May you all honor the moment and place you are in life right now!
Love
A
This is one Aubrei and her lovely husband and her 3 amazing girls! Aubrei is one of my closest friends. It has been amazing to watch as her family has grown. I love how each girl has a such a unique personality. We met up in Ventura one beautiful evening ran around a park and found that the light was just incredible... this was followed by an awesome Thai dinner!!
Oh Diana... finally this was my turn to tell you what to do :-) So, Diana is my trainer. She is the one who kicks my butt in the winter. I was thrilled when finally the tables were turned and it was my turn to tell her to sit, stand, smile... (granted she is usually telling me to lunge, squat, and push-up)... but still close enough. Seriously, it was so great to see Diana out of her workout wear and hanging with the family on the beach and what a beautiful and fun family!! (Eric, Diana's husband turned the camera on us and got a pic of Diana and I too)
Here we go. .. a few of my portraits.. I really do think portraits are fun.. its like capturing a moment in time when you and your family are at an era... whether its babies, toddlers, or teenagers... all so special.
May you all honor the moment and place you are in life right now!
Love
A
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I do Portraits too...
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I've got a couple more weddings for y'all... as the season on the island was coming to an end I still had three more weddings to do in the Fall. Now the thing with Fall weddings on Mackinac Island is that you can have beautiful sunny weather or snow... but no matter what the weather (although brides, you don't usually believe this)... the fall is gorgeous time... the leaves are a rainbow of colors... if its raining it gives a great glow and reflection to everything... if its windy it lends itself to many laughs and beautiful spontaneous moments... if there is snow... it gives a crisp clean (and unique) look... and of course.. sun is sun and a blue sky is always great.
Well... these two weddings had it all... well almost.. we didn't get the snow...
But truly.. Fall is my favorite time of year. The island is quiet, the leaves are beautiful and as a couple you get to see what life is like when things quiet down and Mackinac returns to its community .. .kids go back to school, people who are busy in the summer finally get a chance to enjoy the beauty and its my birthday month... heeeheheee. Plus you get the chance to feel like the island is your own private oyster.. as there are so many less people then July!
So, here are my last three island weddings...
Paige and Travis... what can I say. This was one of those incredibly special weddings where I felt so lucky to be the photographer and to witness these two together when no one else did. Paige and Travis have lived on Mackinac for years... winters even.. but watching them take their carriage ride through town was like watching them see Santa for the first time. It was as if they had never been through town before and were seeing and feeling the excitement of a brand new place. I always love photographing my friends weddings... I always learn something new about them and get to witness moments that otherwise I wouldn't. Especially because often times I've seen and watched their relationship bloom... and then here I am capturing a moment they will remember forever!! Thank you so much Paige and Travis, for not only letting me be a part of your day ... but letting me ride along on the carriage (man if not you would have kicked my butt biking up to Fort Holmes).. hahahah love you both sooo much and I'll see you soon!
Kandyce and Garrett were married on Oct 1st ... now this is one of those days that can be snowing or sunshine... well we had sunshine... which is perfect since Sunshine is exactly how I would describe Kandyce. I had the great pleasure of meeting Kandyce and Garrett almost a year before the wedding when they visited the island. These two are the epitome of sweet love. Kandyce and Garrett may the sun continue to shine even on the rainy days! Sending you a bug hug! May our paths cross again!!
Now Hayley and Michael.. may have had a super windy and rainy day but it didn't stop either of them from enjoying the day if anything we had more fun... a bright red umbrella... laughing on the boat as the wind knocked us down... and even playing in the rain a bit. This was a perfect day for them. Hayley and Michael are used to unusual weather as they live, met, and fell in love in Alaska. So Mackinac is October was nothing to them!! It was such a special and unique wedding. We started at a little church located in St. Ignace (Hayley's home town) next we went by her childhood home to take pictures on the shores of Lake Michigan .. and then the adventure began... a wild ferry ride with attempts at standing to a carriage ride in the rain.. finally we reached the Woods Restaurant (a Grand Hotel restaurant) for a lovely dinner and dancing. Hayley and Michael, your wedding was incredible and your spirit never wavered. It was a testament to your adventurous spirit and love for the moment. Next time maybe we can meet up in Alaska!!
Here are my shout outs for these amazing weddings...
To Marty Haines... for once again as always.. rockin it as the wedding coordinator at the GRAND HOTEL (until next year my friend... may we have even more fun and laughs then this year... if that's even possible)...
To my awesome asst's Rob Kalmbach and Danielle Eibler .. you guys make my job even more fun then it already is...
Funny as I write this blog I'm actually getting ready to buy my plane ticket for my first winter visit to the island... time to go photograph some bikes for my next article for TRAVERSE magazine...
May you all enjoy whatever weather is around you... if its hot and sunny hit the beach and sit outside... if its cold and snowy.. go enjoy a cup of hot coco and sit by the fire!!
Love
A
Well... these two weddings had it all... well almost.. we didn't get the snow...
But truly.. Fall is my favorite time of year. The island is quiet, the leaves are beautiful and as a couple you get to see what life is like when things quiet down and Mackinac returns to its community .. .kids go back to school, people who are busy in the summer finally get a chance to enjoy the beauty and its my birthday month... heeeheheee. Plus you get the chance to feel like the island is your own private oyster.. as there are so many less people then July!
So, here are my last three island weddings...
Paige and Travis... what can I say. This was one of those incredibly special weddings where I felt so lucky to be the photographer and to witness these two together when no one else did. Paige and Travis have lived on Mackinac for years... winters even.. but watching them take their carriage ride through town was like watching them see Santa for the first time. It was as if they had never been through town before and were seeing and feeling the excitement of a brand new place. I always love photographing my friends weddings... I always learn something new about them and get to witness moments that otherwise I wouldn't. Especially because often times I've seen and watched their relationship bloom... and then here I am capturing a moment they will remember forever!! Thank you so much Paige and Travis, for not only letting me be a part of your day ... but letting me ride along on the carriage (man if not you would have kicked my butt biking up to Fort Holmes).. hahahah love you both sooo much and I'll see you soon!
Kandyce and Garrett were married on Oct 1st ... now this is one of those days that can be snowing or sunshine... well we had sunshine... which is perfect since Sunshine is exactly how I would describe Kandyce. I had the great pleasure of meeting Kandyce and Garrett almost a year before the wedding when they visited the island. These two are the epitome of sweet love. Kandyce and Garrett may the sun continue to shine even on the rainy days! Sending you a bug hug! May our paths cross again!!
Now Hayley and Michael.. may have had a super windy and rainy day but it didn't stop either of them from enjoying the day if anything we had more fun... a bright red umbrella... laughing on the boat as the wind knocked us down... and even playing in the rain a bit. This was a perfect day for them. Hayley and Michael are used to unusual weather as they live, met, and fell in love in Alaska. So Mackinac is October was nothing to them!! It was such a special and unique wedding. We started at a little church located in St. Ignace (Hayley's home town) next we went by her childhood home to take pictures on the shores of Lake Michigan .. and then the adventure began... a wild ferry ride with attempts at standing to a carriage ride in the rain.. finally we reached the Woods Restaurant (a Grand Hotel restaurant) for a lovely dinner and dancing. Hayley and Michael, your wedding was incredible and your spirit never wavered. It was a testament to your adventurous spirit and love for the moment. Next time maybe we can meet up in Alaska!!
Here are my shout outs for these amazing weddings...
To Marty Haines... for once again as always.. rockin it as the wedding coordinator at the GRAND HOTEL (until next year my friend... may we have even more fun and laughs then this year... if that's even possible)...
To my awesome asst's Rob Kalmbach and Danielle Eibler .. you guys make my job even more fun then it already is...
Funny as I write this blog I'm actually getting ready to buy my plane ticket for my first winter visit to the island... time to go photograph some bikes for my next article for TRAVERSE magazine...
May you all enjoy whatever weather is around you... if its hot and sunny hit the beach and sit outside... if its cold and snowy.. go enjoy a cup of hot coco and sit by the fire!!
Love
A
Meghan:
Your work is simply beautiful!
(12.08.11 @ 12:31 PM)
Mert Vartanian:
I am Travis' step mom and I just love the pictures you took. They so captured how in love they are and how much fun they have. They talk very highly of you and your work and I can see why. Thank you for capturing the moments for all of us.
(12.08.11 @ 01:29 PM)
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Dave and Kate are living their dream and in August it's going to be complete. The romance and love they have for eachother is simply magical.
(01.17.12 @ 09:43 AM)Getting married on Mackinaw Island will create the ambiance of love, family and peaceful rememberances for everyone who loves them both. Congratulations and God Bless Mom and Dad M