WARNING...LONG BLOG AHEAD... (but its a goody ;-)

So this past Friday was a true joy... I had the honor and pleasure to photograph my dear dear friend Rob marry his sweetheart Natalie...

 

I'm not even sure where to begin with this... these two have been there for me in sooo many ways... from listening to me rant, rave, cry, question, and laugh about about guys ..  always having my back and making me feel better... and never sick of listening....  to... babysitting my car in LA when I fly all over the world and back... seems trivial... but you know, having smiling faces drop you at the airport.. and greet you when you return... is one thing that keeps me sane in all my travels... a "home" and friends to come back to.

Man... I just realized ... there is SOOO much I could write about ... from how Rob is a Mackinac-Boy and Natalie's a Chicago-Girl ... knowing this I desperately tried to convince them to do an island wedding (okay guys... you were right... the Casa del Mar... DEFINITELY the way to go),  to ... how Nat & Rob compliment each other...  they have all the important things in common... and balance each other out perfectly in every other way

The one thing I DO have to write about... is  of course.. the love  between these two... if I were to use three words (it started as ONE but grew) ... SWEET, LAUGHTER, and FUN..

SWEET...  you should see the way these two look at each other.. .even when they are annoyed with one another... its cute... and SWEET.. and that feeling doesn't seem to last very long... as smiles seem to creep in... which brings me to...

SMILES... are you kidding me... I just went through all the pics... and I swear about every third pic is one or the other... or both.. .with their mouths wide open with laughter and smiling from cheek to cheek... 

FUN!!! . . . This was the most amazingly .. . FUN wedding ever... the dancing began almost immediately and didn't stop until the minute I left (which was quite hard for me to do). One of the coolest parts... the Best Men rewrote Into the Great Wide Open by Tom Petty in relation to R & N's love story!! The entire room was laughing...

So I've covered that the wedding was touching.. .was fun ... but it was also ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!  It was held at the Casa del Mar.  Trisha Haner with Hidden Gardens did such a spectacular job with the flowers.  Terri Castillo with Bellisimo Events made everything run smoothly . . .and was so much fun to work with.

Nat & Rob... you two make me smile... and I am thankful for both of you in my life beyond words!!  May this next chapter in your journey together be filled with more laughter, more smiles, more love than ever before!

Love,
A

Okay.. so after ten years of coming to the island... last Sunday ... I became (or acted) like  a "fudgie"  (tourist for those not in the know)...  my SB photo friend Janey came with me to shoot a wedding (see entry below). 

I thought... HECK, this is the perfect time to be a fudgie and show Janey the island.  We biked all around, visited the Pink Pony, and EVEN ate fudge (still couldn't bring my self to buy a whole half pound (by the way do you have any idea how many calories are in a half pound of fudge.... you REALLY don't want to know).

Now do you know what the coolest thing was... I've been photographing the island for years (collecting for my book that will hopefully be put together after this upcoming winter ;)...  BUT having another photo pro with me, TOTALLY inspired me to  see the island in a different way.

May you all be inspired by those around you!!

Love,
A

Last Saturday I photographed the happiest couple...  Missy's smile was absolutely contagious.    This beautiful couple lives in San Francisco (my favorite city)... love Mackinac Island (my happy place)... and smiles like crazy... how could I not want to be their new best friends!!

It was such a beautiful affair...  with tons of laughter, a few tears (okay more than a few tears), and lots of love.  You could see the love between Missy & Christian...  their friends... and their parents.  They had a dance where both sets of parents took the floor... it was so touching you could see where Missy & Christian get their idea of love!

I was also blessed to have Mary Jane (my dear dear talented friend) second shoot with me... she flew all the way from SB just to help me out... and see for herself the crazy life of a Mackinac Island Photographer!!  (Just wait a few pics of us will be posted soon).

The Grand (and Marty) did an amazing job once again... and Kim from Bella e Dolce as always created a shockingly gorgeous wedding cake.

Missy & Christian.. I'm not joking... I really do want to be your new BFF's.  I had such a wonderful time photographing your wedding.  I can't wait to hear all about your time in Italia.  I have no doubt that your lives together will be filled with such smiles and laughter that joy will surround you always!!  Can't wait to catch up once we're both back in Cali!!

Love,
A

This weekend I convinced my dear and extremely talented friend Janey (as in Mary Jane Photography) to fly all the way to Mackinac in order to help me shoot Melissa & Christian's wedding at the Grand (pics to come shortly)...

It was soooo much fun to introduce my SB photo friend to my world here on the island...  bikes and all.

Here's a pic of us from last night...  a bit tired and slap happy... but having fun none the less!!

For the past week, after leaving the island on Sunday, I've been hopping between Long Island and NYC...  all I have to say is man I love the bagels here.. only in New York... okay I have a little more to say too.

The coolest thing, that I'm quite excited about, is that I met up with a few of the editors from Bridal Guide a couple times...  they were SOOO incredibly nice. I really can't express how wonderful they were.  AND.. they are going to be publishing me in not ONE... but TWO of their next issues.  A few of my Mackinac images are going to be in the destination wedding guide out next week... and then one of my favorite weddings is going to be the featured wedding in their issue that comes out in November..

Along with my visit to the magaizine... I was also able to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in YEARS...  who can beat a gorgeous sunny day, old friends, new friends, and a little photography along the way (and I really do mean a little... I was so busy chatting I didn't have time to shoot much... but here are a few!

Today is my last day in NY... off to the beach with the fam...  pictures for sure will be taken of my adorable neice and nephew!

Have a beautiful Thursday!

Love,
A