.Bookends.

Before your read all of this, I SOLEMNLY (and gratefully) promise to take family portraits until I am physically unable to hold a camera. Watching your family grow is something I will NEVER ever give up because I love it so much! ♥️

I cried when I shot this photo Saturday, taking it all in. I’ll cherish this moment in time forever.

I cried when I shot this photo Saturday, taking it all in. I’ll cherish this moment in time forever.

.Bookends.

They start a journey and they end one. I was sitting in my car preparing to shoot my last wedding this past Saturday and I was reminiscing about a girl who was pep talking herself all those years ago - my very first wedding. Some might wonder why I’m making a public announcement, but here’s the thing I need closure. I needed to look back on this journey and know that I saw it to its completion. I see it as a sign of great strength to recognize a dream and to be able to adapt that dream to the changing moments of life.  

It feels bittersweet to say goodbye to something that’s been such a HUGE part of my life. While saying goodbye isn’t easy on me, in fact this time last fall I was preparing a blog post announcing my last wedding, but something kept whispering to me that it wasn’t the right time.

I felt a tug on my heart that said “ you got this, one last time.”

I grew up behind a camera. Every shot made me a better person. I’ve learned more in the last 8 years than I’ve learned my entire life. You taught me to love hard and to cherish every single minute of life. To laugh to keep from crying, and that loving those around you will far surpass any stress a wedding day could bring. You taught me I had more strength than I ever dreamed possible. Most of all, you taught me that having a dream and working hard for that is something worth RISKING IT ALL!

My hope for YOU is that you recognize a DREAM inside you and you have the COURAGE to give it all of yourself..It’s your dream. There’s no right or wrong. Just don’t hold back.

I gave shooting weddings ALL OF ME. It’s something I’m extremely proud of. II look back at these years, with hundreds of wedding days, and I have NO regrets because I know in my heart I gave it my best.

Know that I carry every minute, every shot, every smile - all of it, in my heart forever.

Lastly, THANK YOU from the bottom to my heart for helping to make my dreams come true. I am forever grateful for the people I have met and the places I have been. I look forward to watching your families grow over the years!! 😘

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Sweet Annoucmenet ♥️

so much fun capturing this very sweet announcement! ♥️ 

Amy + Danny - Wedding

What a GORGEOUS wedding day yesterday at the Preston Woodall House in Benson, which you MUST go visit its such a cool place! Congratulations Amy + Danny! 

Venue: Preston Woodall House

DJ Company Or Band: ShanSound Entertainment, LLC - 252-289-1876

Videographer: none

Wedding Planner : Nick Ammons - onsite coordinator 

Cake: Sweet Dreams Bakery

Flowers: Jeffrey's Florist, Ltd. 

Dress: David's Bridal

Greenville, South Carolina SPRING MINI sessions!!

May 18th + 19th

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Raleigh, North Carolina SPRING MINI sessions!

April 6th, 7th + 8th

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The Wife I wasn't proud of...

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Tomorrow Bryan + I will have been married for 5 months (I know a lifetime, right ;) While I'd love to show you some beautiful photos and tell you how amazing life is, I thought it would be more revealing if I would be honest about the last 5 months in the hope that it would help someone reading this... 

As I looked into that amazing little makeup mirror that my husband so observantly saw me admire in a recent hotel stay, little did I know that he ordered it that same weekend, and installed it before another week would pass. Maybe it was the 10x magnification, or maybe it was that handy little LED light, but I didn't like the wife that looked back at me

What I saw was a wife who has spent the last 5 months trying to be so generous + giving to literally EVERYONE other than her husband. 

I saw a wife who let every custody battle, every travel schedule, and every sick child take scheduling priority over her own husband. 

I saw a wife who has cooked less than 1% of the meals we've eaten together. More nights than not I haven’t been as patient as I would expect him to be toward me. My dogs have picked up interesting habits due to the piling loads of laundry; just the other day I found a pair of socks far from the pile in which they originated.

I saw a wife who has taken TWO weekends off from work since returning from our honeymoon in June + I'm pretty sure I found a way to sneak in some emails and edits during those weekends too.

In short, I saw a wife I wasn't proud of. 

Ouch. 

This recount may sound like an overreaction or it may even sound a little callous + I don't mean it to be. Bryan and I’ve had many laughs and good times in the last 5 months - there's not a place in the world I'd rather be than with him... yet I haven't been there.

I love my husband more than anything in the world + I can't say enough about how perfectly he loves me. So I wanted to take this moment as the perfect opportunity to reflect on my life, our life. Our life now… and how I want it to be in the future.

My uncle shared a quote yesterday "The problem is we think we have time" - Buddha and it summed up the last 5 months for me. I've been so busy working + focusing my attention on other things that I've ignored the man I MARRIED. I've lived like he will always be there. I've lived like I have all the time in the world to do it all. I’ve taken things for granted. Life is precious and can change instantly and forever without as much as a hint or a whisper.

So as I prepare to take off some time from shooting {Starting November 19th} + learn how to BE A WIFE, I hope this encourages you to say NO to the unending demands that each day presents and say YES to what is truly important in your life.

#ItMatters